The Nintendo Switch 2 is the most recent console from the famous Japanese developer, Nintendo. While it has a number of new titles to play, some gamers may want to play more classic titles on it. Or perhaps some remasters or remakes of releases that they have played in the past. The purpose of this guide is to share a list of retro video games that are currently available for the system.
Just to be clear, this guide is to specifically list Nintendo Switch 2 games. It doesn’t include Nintendo Switch 1 games that have upgrades when played on Nintendo Switch 2. This means that Super Mario Galaxy 1 + 2 are not in this list. They are technically Nintendo Switch 1 releases.
Post Sections:
- The Different Types of Releases
- Regular Game Releases
- Hamster ACA Releases
- Hamster Console Archives Releases
Note: The tables are wide and are designed to work on a desktop screen. Apologies in advance if the tables look poor on your phone or other smart devices! By the way, as of July 31, 2026, I have found that the main game table looks poor at times. I am in the process of fixing this!
Finally, here is a list of the genre abbreviations used in this guide,
- ACT = Action
- AADV = Action Adventure
- BB = Brick Breaker
- CFS = Combat Flight Simulation
- FSIM = Farming Simulation
- FG = Fighting Game
- FPS = First-person Shooter
- PLT = Platformer
- 3DPLT = 3D Platformer
- RAC = Racing
- RPG = RPG
- JRPG = Japanese-style RPG
- TRPG = Tactical RPG, or Strategy RPG
- SHM = Shmup
- SHT = Shooter
- SIM = Simulation
- SPT = Sports
- TBS = Turn-based Strategy
A lot of the genres used in this guide are based on what is listed on the Nintendo eShop store pages.
The Different Types of Releases
For the purposes of this guide, I’m not distinguishing between rom dumps, ports, remasters or remakes. As of this writing, there are at least four different ways to purchase Nintendo Switch 2 games.
- The most straightforward way is to buy the game digitally at the Nintendo eShop. This is what is linked to in the lists below.
- The best way to buy a game physically is purchase a cartridge that has most or all of the game on the cart.
- Many third-party games are on Game Key Cards. It is basically a physical box that contains a cartridge that when you put it into your system, the game will download to your system and you’ll be able to play it when the cartridge is in your system. You will be able to sell the cartridge. However, you cannot play the game if you lose the card.
- Finally, there is code in a box. This is a physical box that has a code in it. You enter the code at the Nintendo eShop and the game is downloaded to your system and associated with your Nintendo account. You cannot sell the game to someone else.
All the game links below are to the Nintendo eShop version of the game. For links to other versions of the games, please see the PDF version of this list linked in the next paragraph.
Regular Retro Game Releases
Here is the list of regular retro game releases available, or announced, for the Nintendo Switch 2. For the sake of space, I have limited the amount of information that is shared on the webpage. For a more complete list, please see the PDF version I prepared. While it can be shared for free publicly, don’t modify the file. It is provided “as is” without any warranty or condition, express or implied.
Again, these may be rom dumps, ports, remasters, or remakes. All the links in the game titles are to the Nintendo eShop.
For physical games available in North America, the links are typically to the game’s sales page on Video Games Plus. Asia-specific releases link to Play Asia. If I’m not able to find a game at those two places, I may also check Amazon or elsewhere. As of this writing, none of these are affiliate links.
Hamster ACA Releases
These are Hamster’s Arcade Archives releases that are available digitally at the Nintendo eShop specifically for the Nintendo Switch 2. To my knowledge, all of these are also available on Nintendo Switch 1, but are missing the Time Attack Mode that is in the Nintendo Switch 2 versions.
Unfortunately, the Nintendo Switch 2 releases are more expensive than their Nintendo Switch 1 counterparts, even if the title doesn’t take advantage of the new hardware.
Note: Every game in this series technically has “Arcade Archives 2” at the start of the title. I have removed that part for space and simplicity reasons.
| Game | Genre | Price |
| Ace Driver | RAC | $16.99 |
| Adventure Canoe | ACT | $9.99 |
| Air Combat 22 | CFS | $16.99 |
| Aqua Jet | RAC | $16.99 |
| Arkanoid | BB | $9.99 |
| Armadillo Racing | RAC | $16.99 |
| Battlantis | SHT | $9.99 |
| Bomb Bee | BB | $9.99 |
| Bomb Jack Twin | ACT | $9.99 |
| Cameltry | ACT | $9.99 |
| Cyber Command | ACT | $16.99 |
| Devastators | SHT | $9.99 |
| Final Lap | RAC | $9.99 |
| Galactic Warriors | FG | $9.99 |
| Gee Bee | BB | $9.99 |
| Hyper Crash | RAC | $9.99 |
| Konami GT | RAC | $9.99 |
| Labyrinth Runner | SHT | $9.99 |
| Lady Bug | ACT | $9.99 |
| Mach Breakers | SPT | $16.99 |
| Mega Zone | SHT | $9.99 |
| Midnight Landing | SIM | $9.99 |
| Moon Shuttle | SHM | $9.99 |
| Mouser | ACT | $9.99 |
| Mr.Do! | ACT | $9.99 |
| Plump Pop | ACT | $9.99 |
| Polaris | SHT | $9.99 |
| Quester | BB | $9.99 |
| Rack’Em Up | SPT | $9.99 |
| Rave Racer | RAC | $16.99 |
| Ridge Racer | RAC | $16.99 |
| Roc’N Rope | ACT | $9.99 |
| Scion | SHM | $9.99 |
| Scrambled Egg | ACT | $9.99 |
| Space Cyclone | SHT | $9.99 |
| Steel Worker | ACT | $9.99 |
| Syvalion | SHT | $9.99 |
| Tag Team Wrestling | SPT | $9.99 |
| Tatakae! Big Fighter | SHM | $9.99 |
| Tekken | FG | $16.99 |
| Space Invaders | SHT | $9.99 |
| Space Invaders Part II | SHT | $9.99 |
| Tokyo Wars | FPS | $16.99 |
| Top Speed | RAC | $9.99 |
| TX-1 | RAC | $9.99 |
| Video Hustler | SPT | $9.99 |
Hamster Console Archives Releases
These are Hamster’s Console Archives releases that are available digitally at the Nintendo eShop specifically for the Nintendo Switch 2.
Note: Every game in this series technically has “Console Archives” at the start of the title. I have removed that part for space and simplicity reasons.
| Game | Console | Genre | Price |
| Bokosuka Wars | NES | RPG | $7.99 |
| Conveni, The | PS1 | SIM | $11.99 |
| Cool Boarders | PS1 | SPT | $11.99 |
| Dezaemon | NES | SHM | $7.99 |
| Doraemon | NES | ACT | $7.99 |
| Firework Thrower Kantaro’s 53 Stations of the Tokaido | NES | ACT | $7.99 |
| Geki-Oh ShienRyu | PS1 | SHM | $11.99 |
| Hercules no Eikou I: Toujin Makyo Den | NES | JRP | $7.99 |
| Hercules no Eikou II: Taitan no Metsubou | NES | JRP | $7.99 |
| Ishin no Arashi | NES | TBS | $7.99 |
| Legend of Kage, The | NES | ACT | $7.99 |
| L’Empereur | NES | TBS | $7.99 |
| Magmax | NES | SHM | $7.99 |
| Master of Monsters: Disciples of Gaia | PS1 | TBS | $7.99 |
| Ninja Gaiden II: The Dark Sword of Chaos | NES | ACT | $7.99 |
| Ninja Gaiden III: The Ancient Ship of Doom | NES | ACT | $7.99 |
| Ninja-Kid II | NES | ACT | $7.99 |
| Nobunaga’s Ambition | NES | TBS | $7.99 |
| Rhapsody: A Musical Adventure | PS1 | JRPG | $14.99 |
| Rohga: Armor Force | PS1 | SHT | $11.99 |
| Seicross | NES | SHT | $7.99 |
| Sonic Wings Special | PS1 | SHM | $11.99 |
| T.R.A.G.: Tactical Rescue Assault Group – Mission of Mercy | PS1 | AADV | $11.99 |
| Terra Cresta | NES | SHM | $7.99 |
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