A new leak suggests that Nintendo is working on Game Boy Advance and Game Boy Color emulators for the Nintendo Switch — referred to by the codenames “Sloop” and “Hiyoko”, respectively.
So Nintendo’s official Game Boy Advance emulator for the Nintendo Switch just leaked. Now it’s just a matter of waiting for NSO to add GBA. pic.twitter.com/mEJcKrRtzL
— Trash_Bandatcoot (@trashbandatcoot) April 18, 2022
As shared by user Trash Bandicoot, the leaked builds initially appeared on 4chan and were produced by Nintendo European Research & Development (NERD), which worked on the GameCube emulation used in Super Mario 3D All-Stars. Some images with the interface in operation were also released on social networks.
Dataminer DontoMega was also able to access a list of 40 games that Nintendo reportedly tested internally, ranging from first-party titles like Mario & Luigi: Superstars Saga and Metroid Fusion to third-party games like Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow and Mega Man Battle. Network 2.
By the looks of it, Pokémon Ruby, Sapphire and Emerald would also have been tested on the emulator, as screenshots were found among the files. Nintendo would have made a simulation of Link Cable to connect two consoles over the internet. It is worth noting, however, that the possibility that the games have been tested is no guarantee that they will be officially available.
The library of GBA games they’ve tested for this thing is massive. Tested is the key word; doesn’t mean they’ll all actually launch on the service. Yellow = in the rom folder at some point but not in the leaked build.
There’s one other game with evidence of being tested though- https://t.co/QQDBDcdAZp pic.twitter.com/lGSB4Mg7Gt
— MondoMega (@Mondo_Mega) April 18, 2022
This isn’t the first time speculation has surfaced about Game Boy games coming to Nintendo Switch Online. In 2019, dataminer OatmealDome discovered references to four emulators within the service’s Nintendinho app: Kachikachi, Canoe, Count and Hiyoko himself, who resurfaced in this new leak.
In August of last year, multiple sources also confirmed that Game Boy and Game Boy Color games would arrive “very soon” to the service’s catalog, as anticipated by sites like Nintendo Life and SamaGame.
Currently, the Nintendo Switch brings Nintendinho and SNES emulators to subscribers of the console’s online service. The most expensive plan, called Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack, also guarantees access to Nintendo 64 and Mega Drive emulators, with new games being added periodically.
It is not strange to imagine that other emulators could arrive on Nintendo Switch Online soon, as the company has been betting on this segment since 2018. However, it is worth mentioning that there is still no confirmation from Nintendo, so the information in this matter must be treated like a rumour.
Which Game Boy and Game Boy Advance games would you like to see released on the Nintendo Switch? Say it in the comments field below!
