Switch Online’s SNES library gets three more games, including a Mario game’s first ever release outside of Japan

Nintendo has added three more games to its catalogue of SNES games on Nintendo Switch Online, including the first ever re-release of a Japanese Mario-themed game.

The addition of Mario & Wario, Bubsy in Claws Encounters of the Furred Kind and Fatal Fury Special brings the total number of SNES games added to the library in the West up to 77.

Mario & Wario is a puzzle platformer which was developed by a pre-Pokémon era Game Freak. It was released on the Super Famicom in Japan, but never made it to the West.

The game required the Super Famicom Mouse, and has players controlling Wanda, a fairy who has to guide Mario through 100 obstacle-filled levels. Mario can’t see because Wario keeps placing objects like barrels and buckets on his head, so Wanda has to lead Mario past the various hazards on each stage.

Because Mario & Wario required a mouse to play, it was never made available on the Virtual Console services on Wii, Wii U or 3DS. Its addition to Switch Online’s Nintendo Classics library, then – with mouse support via the Switch 2 Joy-Cons – marks its first ever official release outside of Japan.

Also joining the library today is Bubsy in Claws Encounters of the Furred Kind, the first game in the Bubsy the Bobcat series of platformers.

When a race of aliens called the Woolies invade the planet in an attempt to steal all its yarn, Bubsy decides to fight back. Despite being considered generally average the game has developed a cult following over the years partly due to Bubsy’s one-liners, the game’s numerous comedy death animations and its numerous ‘leap of faith’ jumps.

Finally, Fatal Fury Special is an enhanced version of SNK‘s Fatal Fury 2. It doubles the roster from eight characters to 16 (including a guest appearance from Art of Fighting’s main hero Ryo Sakazaki) and adds a new combo system similar to that seen in Super Street Fighter II.