Nintendo Switch Online members who have purchased the subscription service’s premium expansion pack now have access to three Game Boy Advance games that were previously released exclusively in Japan: Densetsu no Starfy, Densetsu no Starfy 2, AND Densetsu no Starfy 3.
While Starfy was, uhm, the star of five games back in the GBA and Nintendo DS days, only one of his games — from 2008 — Legendary Starfy for the DS — have been released outside of Japan so far. Starfy creators at developer Tose have said that Nintendo of America will at some point deemed the series “too Japanese” for Western audiences; some Nintendo Switch Online subscribers may agree, given the game’s dialogue is written in its native Japanese.
But the trio of Densetsu no Starfy GBA games are undoubtedly a boon to the Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack service, giving Switch owners a chance to try out games they may have never played before. The Starfy games are charming platformers with an emphasis on swimming and special abilities. Densetsu no Starfy 3 introduces a novel playable character, Starfy’s sister Starly, and also features a cameo appearance by Wario.
The arrival of the Starfy GBA trilogy follows the recent release of another Japan-only rarity on the Nintendo Switch Online platform: a game from 1986. The Secret of Atlantisa platform and maze game for the NES console from Sunsoft. Mother 3however? It still sticks in Japan.
Nintendo Switch Online costs $19.99 per year, and in addition to access to online multiplayer, the service gives Switch owners a library of games from the original NES, Super NES, and Game Boy. Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack is an enhanced version of Nintendo’s online subscription service, offering a variety of expansions and downloadable content, and access to a library of Game Boy Advance, Nintendo 64, and Sega Genesis games. Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack costs $49.99 per year for a single user and $79.99 per year for the Family plan (up to eight users).
