Welp, Nintendo has done it again. The NES app only gets two new games while the Japanese version gets three. It’s also interesting to note that this is also the first time there’s a second Special version for a game that already had one before (Metroid). Below is the list of games added on the NES version.
Kirby’s Adventure
Super Mario Bros. 2
(SP) Blaster Master (Starts fully powered up on area 8)
(SP2) Metroid (Starts fully powered up right before the final area)
And here’s the list of games added on the Family Computer – Nintendo Switch Online app.
Kirby’s Adventure
Tsuppari Oozumou [つっぱり大相撲]
Super Mario USA (aka, Super Mario Bros. 2)
(SP) Blaster Master (Same changes as NES app)
(SP2) Metroid (Famicom Disk Version, same changes as NES app)
The sumo game from Tecmo was never released outside of the region. So, once again, instead of replacing the game for a different one, Nintendo simply decided to skip it.
A bit late but still in time as it’s still December (and 2018) while I’m publishing this. ? Anyway, this time there wasn’t much difference between the two apps.
The main difference this time is that the Famicom app got (for obvious reasons) the Famicom Disk version of SP Metroid instead of the cartridge version. So you have enhanced sound effects in the Japanese version compared the NES one. (Including Ridley sound effects whenever he’s hurt)
Besides that, the differences are simple. Adventures of Lolo levels seem to be harder in the Famicom and SP Dr. Mario starts from a slightly different save state due to the random nature of the game.
With the latest update of the NES and Famicom applications on Nintendo Switch, the first noticeable difference has actually appeared. Previously, most of the differences were just in the language. This time, though, the Japanese application got one more game that is not available on the NES application.
The November update for the NES Nintendo Switch Online included the following games:
(SP) Gradius: Gradius but, by default, it loads a save state in which you are fully powered up and start on stage 5 (if I recall correctly)
Metroid: Regular NES Metroid, password functionality works the same way to the point that you can crash it with the right code.
Mighty Bomb Jack: Another regular NES game.
TwinBee: Regular NES TwinBee.
You can see each of the games in action in the video below:
In Japan, though, they got the following:
(SP) Gradius: Same special version as above, just in the Japanese release.
Metroid: The Famicom Disk version of Metroid. This includes enhanced music and a save file system similar to The Legend of Zelda.
Mighty Bomb Jack: Same as above, just in the Japanese release.
TwinBee: Same as above, Japanese release.
(SP) Mario Open Golf: A special version of the Japanese release of NES Open Tournament Golf. This version starts by default with a save data where everything is already unlocked.
As you can see, the Famicom Nintendo Switch Online application actually got one more game in the latest update compared to the NES version. The biggest reason why this happened is because Mario Open Golf is quite different to NES Open Tournament Golf in its contents.
The first difference and main reason why there’s no SP version is that NES Open Tournament Golf has everything already unlocked by default. In Mario Open Golf, Japan is the only course available at the start and the rest need to be unlocked. There’s also the fact that the Japanese version has a few more courses available and the overall game is harder. Similar to Super Mario Bros. 2, it was one of those games that Nintendo thought it would be too hard for players outside of Japan. In this case, they did release the same game but with a simplified and lower number of courses.
