April’s free NES games for Nintendo Switch Online subscribers have been revealed, and Super Mario Bros: The Lost Levels is the standout offering.
Super Mario Bros: The Lost Levels is the original sequel to Super Mario Bros. that was initially only released in Japan, as Nintendo decided that it was too difficult for an international release. Instead, Nintendo re-skinned Yume Kōjō: Doki Doki Panic to be the international release of Super Mario Bros. 2, which was actually a free offering to Switch Online subscribers back in February. Now you’ll be able to play the originally intended version of Super Mario Bros. 2 under the name of Super Mario Bros: The Lost Levels, although it was previously made available in this part of the world as part of 1993’s Super Mario All-Stars on the SNES. Be warned, it’s very difficult.
The second free offering will be Punch-Out!!, the 1987 NES port of the arcade game of the same name. Punch-Out!! is (obviously) a boxing game in which you play the role of a boxer called Little Mac who must fight his way through the ranks against some hilariously-named adversaries such as Soda Popinski (who loves soda, would you believe?) and Don Flamenco, a former bull fighter from Madrid. Eventually, you fight your way into a dream match against the rather appropriately named Mr. Dream, who was actually Mike Tyson in the original game until the license to use him expired.
The final free offering for April will be 1989’s shoot ’em up Star Soldier. Developed by Hudson Soft (the legends behind Bomberman), you’ll pilot the starship Caesar as you travel through space stations that are controlled by evil supercomputers that are imaginatively known as Starbrains.
All three games will be made available for free to Nintendo Switch Online subscribers on Wednesday 10th April. You can get a Nintendo Switch Online subscription for £3.49/$3.99 a month or £17.99/$19.99 for a year, but don’t forget that you can still get a year of Nintendo Switch Online for nothing with a Twitch Prime membership.
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