Nintendo Switch Online Expansion Pack gets bolstered by Namco's GBA titles Mr. Driller 2 and Klonoa: Empire of Dreams

Nintendo has expanded its Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack service by announcing two classic Game Boy Advance titles, Mr. Driller 2 and Klonoa: Empire of Dreams, which will be released on September 25, 2025.

These titles are exclusive to the higher-tier Expansion Pack and will join a rich library of games which already feature over 20 GBA classics, including Metroid Fusion, Fire Emblem, and The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap, alongside its N64, Sega Genesis, and upcoming Virtual Boy titles.

Both games were developed by Bandai Namco and were released in the early 2000s. Mr. Driller 2 was released in arcades in Japan in July 2000 and subsequently ported to the Game Boy Advance in 2001 for the handheld’s Japanese debut. However, the game made a late debut in the West in 2005.

Players control Susumi Hori or Anna Hottenmeyer as they drill through multicolored blocks while managing a depleting air supply, requiring players to snag capsules to recharge.

Alongside this, Klonoa: Empire of Dreams will also be added to the GBA library. The game was a 2001 GBA-exclusive 2D platformer. The game centers around the imprisoned Klonoa and his ring spirit companion, Huepow, spanning across 40 stages as players solve puzzles by collecting stars and Dream Stones. The game earned a score of 34 out of 40 from Famitsu and a Metacritic score of 83 from 14 critics.

These releases have been announced after a major update to the Game Boy Advance - Nintendo Classics app, as the company rolled out version 3.0.0 in early September, enhancing the GBA’s emulation experience across the original Switch and Switch 2. 

The patch introduced customizable button remapping by holding down ZL and ZR during gameplay and selecting View/Change Controls. Switch 2 owners also enjoy a bump in resolution to 1080p in handheld mode, allowing players to enjoy GBA games in HD, contrary to the original Switch’s 720p restriction.

Nintendo has also introduced a new Easter Egg, where players can trigger the original GBA boot-up screen when launching the GBA app.