Nintendo added three Bandai Namco-published Famicom/NES titles to the Nintendo Entertainment System – Nintendo Classics library on April 9, 2026: PAC-MAN, Mendel Palace and The Tower of Druaga. Nintendo’s Japanese announcement identifies them as Famicom additions released that day, while Nintendo’s regional news post confirms the same trio for Nintendo Switch Online members. That makes this one of the more notable third-party NES drops on the service in 2026, especially because Mendel Palace is the western release of Quinty, Game Freak’s debut commercial game years before the studio became synonymous with Pokémon.
Three Namco-published NES games added to Nintendo Switch Online (April 2026)
The April 9, 2026 Nintendo Switch Online update adds PAC-MAN, Mendel Palace, and The Tower of Druaga to the NES app, now branded in many regions as Nintendo Entertainment System – Nintendo Classics. Nintendo describes PAC-MAN as the 1984 Famicom action game, Mendel Palace/Quinty as the 1989 Game Freak action game, and The Tower of Druaga as the 1985 Famicom action RPG. All three are credited to Bandai Namco Entertainment in the current release materials.
This drop matters for two reasons. First, it expands the Bandai Namco footprint inside Nintendo’s standard NES library. Second, it introduces a historically important Game Freak title to a much wider audience through a subscription app rather than a standalone eShop purchase. That is especially significant for players who know Game Freak only through Pokémon and have never touched its late-1980s work.
What are the three new NES games on Switch Online right now?
The three new NES games are:
- PAC-MAN — Nintendo’s description centers on the maze-clearing Famicom version, with warp tunnels, power cookies/power pellets, ghosts, and fruit scoring.
- Mendel Palace — Nintendo describes it as a 1989 action game where the hero flips floor panels to knock over and defeat enemies while trying to rescue Jenny. In Japan this game is known as Quinty.
- The Tower of Druaga — Nintendo labels it a 1985 action RPG in which players climb a 60-floor tower, find keys under time pressure, and uncover hidden treasure chests with useful or required items.
Together, the trio gives the NES app a strong arcade-meets-early-console flavor: one pure score chaser, one puzzle-action experiment, and one foundational maze action-RPG.
PAC-MAN on Nintendo Switch Online: which version is it and how it plays
The version added to Switch Online is the 1984 Famicom/NES home version of PAC-MAN, not an arcade-accurate Arcade Archives release. Nintendo’s official description explicitly dates this release to 1984 on Famicom and describes the familiar home-console loop: clear every dot in the maze, use warp tunnels to escape, grab power pellets to reverse the chase, and collect fruit for bonus points.
That distinction matters because PAC-MAN has appeared on Switch before in other forms, including Arcade Archives PAC-MAN and PAC-MAN 99, but those are separate products and not part of the standard NES Classics subscription library. This April 2026 update is specifically the original home-console NES/Famicom version being folded into the Nintendo Switch Online library.
In play, the NES version is straightforward and instantly readable. It is less about modern progression systems and more about route efficiency, ghost pattern control, and maximizing survival once speed and crowding increase. The Switch Online wrapper also adds standard Nintendo Classics conveniences such as save states, rewind, online screen-sharing play, and handoff/take-turn support in single-player titles.
Mendel Palace on Switch Online: Game Freak’s first ever game explained
Mendel Palace is the western name of Quinty, the first commercial game developed by Game Freak, the studio later known worldwide for Pokémon. Game Freak’s company history and multiple reference sources identify Quinty/Mendel Palace as one of the company’s first games and its 1989 NES/Famicom debut.
Nintendo’s April 2026 announcement emphasizes the game’s central mechanic: flipping floor panels to knock enemies down and slam them into walls or blocks. The core idea is simple, but the game becomes deeper as stage layouts, enemy behavior, and special panel effects start stacking together. It is a puzzle-action design from a period when Japanese developers were aggressively experimenting with arcade-style rules on home hardware.
For Pokémon fans, Mendel Palace is fascinating because it predates the monster-catching era and shows Game Freak in a very different design mode: tight rooms, immediate failure states, short-form stages, and system-driven replayability instead of an RPG world. It is less a historical curiosity than a playable piece of studio DNA.
Quinty vs Mendel Palace: differences between the Japan and western release
At the mechanical level, Quinty and Mendel Palace are broadly the same game, but they differ in branding, publisher handling, and parts of the story framing. In Japan, the game was released by Namco as Quinty in 1989. In North America, it arrived later as Mendel Palace, published by Hudson Soft.
The narrative presentation changed too. Reference material on the game notes that in the Japanese version the hero is Carton, trying to rescue Jenny from his jealous younger sister Quinty. In the western release, the lead is commonly described as Bon-Bon, and the rescue framing shifts around Candy and her dream world. Nintendo’s current Japanese text still uses the Japanese names and setup, which reinforces that the Switch Online addition in Japan is explicitly the original Quinty presentation.
For players in practice, the biggest takeaway is this: the historical identity of the game is split across regions, but the reason people care in 2026 is the same in both cases. This is the first commercial Game Freak title, regardless of whether you know it as Quinty or Mendel Palace.
The Tower of Druaga on Switch Online: guide to the 60-floor maze RPG
The Tower of Druaga is one of the most important early action-RPG/maze hybrids Namco ever made. Nintendo’s official description for the Switch Online release says players ascend a 60-floor tower, retrieve a key within the time limit, and continue floor by floor while uncovering hidden treasure chests that may contain valuable or even essential items for later progress.
Historically, Druaga has a reputation for being both brilliant and cryptic. General game references describe it as a maze action-RPG where you control Gilgamesh, fight enemies, search each floor for the key and exit door, and uncover secret treasure conditions that are often obscure without experimentation or prior knowledge. That reputation is part of the game’s legacy. It helped define a style of Japanese game design built around communal discovery and hidden rule sets.
On Switch Online, Druaga becomes much more approachable because rewind and suspend/save-state features soften the punishment of trial-and-error. That does not remove the game’s old-school opacity, but it does make it far easier for modern players to learn floor logic, item conditions, and trap behavior without starting over from scratch.
How to play the new NES games in the Nintendo Switch Online “Nintendo Classics” app
To play these games, users need to download the Nintendo Entertainment System – Nintendo Classics app from Nintendo eShop on a supported Switch system and have an active Nintendo Switch Online membership. Nintendo’s support pages in the Americas and UK say the NES, SNES, and Game Boy Nintendo Classics libraries are included with the standard membership tier.
Once inside the NES app, players can launch the newly added titles like any other entry in the library. Nintendo also highlights built-in quality-of-life features for the app, including save anytime, rewind, local two-player support in compatible games, and online play/screen sharing for compatible titles. On Nintendo Switch 2, GameChat support is also integrated into the broader Nintendo Classics experience.
In practical terms, that means the games are not separate downloads you buy individually through the subscription. They are additions to the NES library app itself, accessible as long as the user remains subscribed and the service is supported in that region.
Nintendo Switch Online membership needed to play NES games: plans and requirements
For NES, SNES, and Game Boy Nintendo Classics libraries, players only need the standard Nintendo Switch Online membership, not the Expansion Pack. Nintendo’s official plan pages and support documentation make that distinction clear: the base membership covers those three classic libraries, while Expansion Pack is required for Nintendo 64, Game Boy Advance, SEGA Genesis/Mega Drive, and certain Switch 2-exclusive or specialty libraries.
In the US, Nintendo currently lists the standard annual pricing at $19.99 USD for Individual and $34.99 USD for Family, while the Expansion Pack annual pricing is $49.99 USD Individual and $79.99 USD Family. Region-specific prices vary, but the plan structure is consistent: base tier for NES/SNES/Game Boy, higher tier for the expanded libraries.
The other requirement is straightforward: a Nintendo Account, the downloaded NES app, and a region where Nintendo Switch Online services are offered. Nintendo also notes that some online services are not available in all countries, so availability can depend on account region and local service support.
Are these Namco NES games available in all regions (US, UK, EU, Japan)?
For Japan, the answer is clearly yes, because Nintendo Japan published the April 9, 2026 announcement for Quinty, The Tower of Druaga, and PAC-MAN as that day’s Famicom Nintendo Classics additions.
For the UK and Nintendo’s broader English-language support regions, the answer appears to be yes as well, because Nintendo UK’s Nintendo Classics support page confirms the NES app is part of the standard subscription offering and Nintendo’s regional news posting mirrors the three-game update. For US and major EU markets, the most accurate reading is that these games are part of the same Nintendo Classics NES rollout wherever the standard NES library is available, though Nintendo also warns that some online services are not available in all countries. That means US, UK, EU, and Japan users with supported Nintendo Switch Online access should be able to play them, but smaller unsupported territories may differ. This conclusion is an inference based on Nintendo’s regional support structure and same-day multilingual news distribution.
Is PAC-MAN already on Switch Online? why this release matters
Before this April 2026 addition, PAC-MAN was not listed on Nintendo’s current NES Classics library page, even though Switch owners could already access other PAC-MAN products such as Arcade Archives PAC-MAN or, historically, PAC-MAN 99. Nintendo’s April 9 announcement specifically frames PAC-MAN as a new addition to the NES library, which is why this is a meaningful update rather than a duplicate listing.
The release matters because PAC-MAN is one of the most recognizable names in game history, but the specific NES/Famicom version had not been part of the standard Nintendo Switch Online NES lineup. Its arrival fills an obvious gap in the service’s retro catalog and strengthens Bandai Namco’s presence alongside previous Namco-origin titles already in the app.
Mendel Palace gameplay tips: flipping panels, power-ups, and stage strategy
The foundation of Mendel Palace is learning how to use panel flips offensively rather than defensively. You are not simply dodging enemies; you are manipulating the floor to launch them, reposition them, and knock them into walls or obstacles for kills. Nintendo’s description and strategy references agree that successful runs come from understanding how flipped tiles send dolls across the room and how revealed tiles underneath can radically change the board.
A second key habit is to expose special panels deliberately. The game manual snippet indexed on the web notes that there are many hidden items under panels, while Nintendo’s description says certain panels carry special effects that can help you clear stages more efficiently. In other words, brute force works early, but later success comes from treating every stage as a routing problem: reveal useful tools, create safe lanes, and avoid trapping yourself behind awkward tile states.
A practical beginner strategy is to keep one or two safe escape routes open, funnel enemies toward walls, and avoid over-flipping random tiles until you understand the room. Some special panels can turn the stage dramatically in your favor, but uncontrolled flipping can just as easily create chaos. Rewind on Switch Online should help new players experiment without losing long stretches of progress.
The Tower of Druaga beginner tips: keys, traps, enemies, and surviving floors
The first rule in The Tower of Druaga is simple: find the key, then reach the door before time and enemy pressure overwhelm you. Nintendo’s official description emphasizes both the key hunt and the existence of hidden treasure chests whose contents can improve combat or be required later. That means every floor is not just a maze to clear but a puzzle to interpret.
The second rule is to respect the game’s secrecy. Druaga’s reputation comes from hidden chest conditions, strange triggers, and punishing trial-and-error design. New players should not assume that eliminating every enemy is always enough; on many floors, treasure conditions depend on specific actions, timings, or interactions. Rewind and save states make it much easier to test possibilities, which is arguably the best modern way to learn the game.
The third rule is to stay calm under pressure. Enemies, time pressure, and floor-specific tricks can make the game feel unfair if approached like a modern action title. The best beginner mindset is methodical: observe enemy behavior, search efficiently, note what triggered treasure, and keep a record of useful floors. Druaga rewards information as much as reflexes.
Best co-op and multiplayer options in Mendel Palace (NES)
Mendel Palace is one of the most interesting multiplayer additions in this drop because it supports two-player cooperative play. Reference material for the game says it can be played solo or by two players cooperatively, and the indexed manual text says that when playing with a partner you can select “2 Players” and either take turns or play simultaneously.
On Switch Online, that opens up several strong ways to play. The most authentic is local same-system co-op, where both players manage crowd control, enemy positioning, and board manipulation together. Nintendo’s NES Classics app also supports local two-player fun in compatible games and online screen-sharing play, so players who are not in the same room may still be able to replicate some of that co-op feeling through the app’s online features.
For best results, one player should focus on creating safe flip lanes while the other cleans up enemies near walls and blocks. Because rooms can get messy quickly, communication matters more than twitch precision. Mendel Palace co-op is at its best when both players treat each room as a shared routing puzzle instead of playing independently.
Full list of Namco games on Nintendo Switch Online NES (updated)
Based on Nintendo’s current NES Classics library page and the April 9, 2026 update, the Bandai Namco/Namco-origin games in the NES library now include Mappy-Land, Dig Dug II, Xevious, Mystery Tower (the Japanese version of The Tower of Babel, marked as Japanese-version-only on Nintendo’s list), plus the newly added PAC-MAN, Mendel Palace/Quinty, and The Tower of Druaga.
That list is notable because it now spans several different Namco design eras and genres: arcade conversion, maze action, experimental action-RPG, and early puzzle-action. It also highlights how Nintendo has been willing to mix globally familiar hits like PAC-MAN with more archival, enthusiast-facing additions like Quinty/Mendel Palace and Druaga.
What Nintendo Switch Online NES games are likely next? patterns from past drops
Nintendo has not announced the next Bandai Namco NES additions, so any prediction here is necessarily informed speculation. Still, there are recognizable patterns. Nintendo tends to add games that either strengthen a publisher cluster already in the library, fill obvious historical gaps, or provide a mix of mainstream recognition and cult appeal. This April drop checks all three boxes.
Following that pattern, the most plausible future Bandai Namco-style additions would be more Famicom/NES titles that either have strong name recognition, historical value, or clear synergy with what is already present in the app. The important caution is that licensing, regional rights, and publisher priorities matter more than pure fan demand. Nintendo’s support pages only promise that the libraries will continue to grow; they do not preview which specific games are next.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
- What date were PAC-MAN, Mendel Palace, and The Tower of Druaga added to Switch Online?
They were added on April 9, 2026, according to Nintendo’s official news posts. - Do I need Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack to play these games?
No. The NES library is part of the standard Nintendo Switch Online membership tier. - Is Mendel Palace really Game Freak’s first game?
Yes. Game Freak’s historical listings and major reference sources identify Quinty/Mendel Palace as the studio’s first commercial game. - Is Quinty the same game as Mendel Palace?
Yes. Quinty is the Japanese name, while Mendel Palace is the western release name. - Is the PAC-MAN on Switch Online the arcade version?
No. Nintendo describes it as the 1984 Famicom/NES version added to the Nintendo Classics NES app. - Can you play Mendel Palace with two players?
Yes. The game supports two-player cooperative play, and archived manual text indicates both turn-taking and simultaneous options. - Why is The Tower of Druaga considered hard?
Because it mixes action, maze navigation, hidden treasure conditions, and required item logic in a game that often expects experimentation or outside knowledge. - Does Switch Online help with older games like Druaga?
Yes. Nintendo Classics features such as rewind and save anytime make these old games significantly more approachable. - Was PAC-MAN already available on Nintendo Switch in other forms?
Yes. Switch already had products such as Arcade Archives PAC-MAN and previously PAC-MAN 99, but not this NES Classics subscription version. - Are the new games available outside Japan?
Yes in supported Nintendo Switch Online regions, including the regions covered by Nintendo’s English-language support and news pages; however, Nintendo notes that some online services are not available in all countries.
Conclusion
This April 2026 Nintendo Switch Online update is more than a small retro refresh. PAC-MAN gives the NES app one of gaming’s foundational mascots in its home-console form. The Tower of Druaga adds a demanding and historically influential maze action-RPG. And Mendel Palace/Quinty delivers something even more unusual: a chance to play Game Freak’s first game through a mainstream subscription service.
For retro fans, the drop improves the Bandai Namco representation in Nintendo Classics. For Pokémon fans, it opens a direct line back to Game Freak’s roots. And for Nintendo Switch Online itself, it is a reminder that the value of the service often grows not only through big-name nostalgia, but through thoughtfully chosen historical additions that tell a broader story about how console gaming evolved.
Sources and Citations
- Nintendo Japan – April 9, 2026 Nintendo Classics update
(Nintendo of Europe SE) - Nintendo regional news – New update for Nintendo Switch Online members
(Nintendo of Europe SE) - Nintendo Support (Americas) – Nintendo Classics overview and FAQ
(en-americas-support.nintendo.com) - Nintendo UK Support – Nintendo Classics overview and FAQ
(Nintendo of Europe SE) - Nintendo Support – Service and feature availability by country
(en-americas-support.nintendo.com) - Game Freak company/history reference
(Wikipedia) - Mendel Palace manual snippet and gameplay references
(The Game Is Afoot Arcade) - PAC-MAN on Switch outside NSO
(Nintendo of Europe SE)
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