Another day, another surprise from Nintendo, and this time, there's a game that I played for hours at a time being added to the list. As of today (February 4th, 2026), Nintendo have added Balloon Kid and one of my favourite Game Boy games of all time, Yoshi, to their Nintendo Switch Online platform for all basic package subscribers to play.
For those not in the know, Yoshi is the Game Boy version of the NES title Mario & Yoshi. Players make Mario move little platforms to try and capture different enemies between two halves of a Yoshi egg, and while it sounds simple, it makes for incredibly addictive gameplay! Honestly, I would spend hours on this thing just trying to beat my high score, and after playing Tetris for what seemed like forever before this game arrived in my collection, it provided a welcome change.
The tension when you have a full stack of enemies and no shells are coming is real!
Two #GameBoy games are now available to play for #NintendoSwitchOnline members!
— Nintendo of America (@NintendoAmerica) February 4, 2026
☑️ Yoshi™
☑️ Balloon Kid™ pic.twitter.com/kgrrTzJuMA
If you missed Balloon Kid the first time around but spent more time than you should probably admit playing Flappy Bird, then you'll feel right at home here. This is one of those games that keeps you on your toes, avoiding objects that might pop your balloons as you float through the sky, landing to collect objects before picking the right time to head back into the skies again.
Both games require you to keep your eyes on the prize and think a few steps ahead; they're relaxing in the sense that you're only concentrating on one thing rather than all of the other things that life throws your way, but they can definitely make you tear your hair out when you go wrong!
Head to Nintendo Switch Online for more information and to sign up if you're not already a member!
