What Games Are Coming to NES Classics in September 2026?
Nintendo of America has quietly dropped one of the more satisfying NES Classics updates of the year, and retro fans are taking notice. Three titles are joining the Nintendo Switch Online NES library this month: Ninja Gaiden III: The Ancient Ship of Doom, Ikari Warriors, and R.C. Pro-Am II.
Each game carries genuine historical weight in Nintendo's back catalogue. Together, they represent a slice of late-80s and early-90s NES culture that many long-time fans have been waiting to revisit in an official, legal capacity.
What Are the New NES Classics Games and What Do They Offer?
Here's a quick breakdown of what each game brings to the table:
| Game | Original Release | Genre | Key Feature | |---|---|---|---| | Ninja Gaiden III: The Ancient Ship of Doom | 1991 | Action Platformer | Completes the full NES trilogy on NSO | | Ikari Warriors | 1987 | Top-Down Shooter | Infamous A-B-B-A continue code preserved | | R.C. Pro-Am II | 1992 | Racing | 2-player local co-op, 24 tracks, upgrade shop |
Ninja Gaiden III is arguably the headline act. With all three chapters of Ryu Hayabusa's original NES saga now available on Switch Online, players can experience the complete trilogy — something the community has been requesting for years. The third entry tasks players with uncovering the truth behind Irene's mysterious death while battling through some of the toughest platforming the NES ever produced.
Ikari Warriors, the 1987 top-down military shooter, lets players take control of soldiers Paul and Vince as they blast through enemy bases, pilot tanks, and manage limited ammunition in intense firefights. Managing resources is critical — ammo must be scavenged from fallen enemies, giving the game a surprising tactical edge for its era.
R.C. Pro-Am II, developed by Rare and released in 1992, is a legitimate sleeper hit of this update. The sequel significantly expanded on its predecessor with 24 distinct tracks, a two-player mode, a purchasable upgrade system via an in-game R.C. Model Shop, and two bonus challenge modes: the Tug O' Truck Challenge and The Drag Race.
What Is Everyone Saying About the Ikari Warriors A-B-B-A Code?
If there's one moment from Nintendo's announcement trailer that broke the internet — at least within retro gaming circles — it's the brief, unmistakable flash of the legendary A-B-B-A continue code for Ikari Warriors.
For the uninitiated: in the original NES release, pressing A-B-B-A on the controller after a Game Over screen would allow players to continue from where they died rather than restart entirely. It was, for many kids in the late 80s, a lifesaving secret. Nintendo not only preserved it in the Switch Online version but actually demonstrated it in the official trailer — a detail that sent the comments section into overdrive.
"Damn, Ikari Warriors is so hard that they're straight up showing us the code to get back up." — @TechnoTejay
"Very interesting how the footage had to show the ABBA code to demonstrate that it works in Nintendo Classics too." — @Mario1080p
"Just remember, every time you die in Ikari Warriors, just remember to always press A-B-B-A." — @epicfrick
The AVGN (Angry Video Game Nerd) connection is also impossible to ignore. Multiple commenters referenced James Rolfe's iconic episode featuring Ikari Warriors — known for the unforgettable bit about a guitar-playing man and the question of 'where did the hair go.' The joke ran so deep through the comments that it essentially became the unofficial soundtrack to the announcement.
"Ikari Warriors unlocked some memories here I didn't know it existed." — @Luk3to
"Somewhere a guitar playing man sighs behind a couch." — @ETHANS-GREATS
Beyond the memes, the broader community sentiment is genuinely positive about the Ninja Gaiden trilogy finally being complete.
"So cool the whole Ninja Gaiden trilogy is here." — @Chill_With_Will
"THE CLASSIC NINJA GAIDEN TRILOGY IS NOW COMPLETE ON NSO!" — @isaacjoshuasanchezvera9616
Some fans are also noting that the NES library on Switch Online is starting to feel close to exhausted, raising questions about what's left to add.
"There's definitely gotta be not a lot of NES games left to pick out for NSO outside of the license games." — @PlasmaStar87
Is the September 2026 NES Classics Update Worth It?
This is a surprisingly strong month for NES Classics. The completion of the Ninja Gaiden trilogy alone makes it meaningful for action platformer fans, while R.C. Pro-Am II is a genuinely underrated racer that deserves a second look. Ikari Warriors may be brutally difficult — hence why that continue code exists — but it's an essential piece of NES history that plays well in short bursts.
For existing Nintendo Switch Online subscribers, this is free value added to a service they're already paying for. There's no reason not to download all three.
Looking further ahead, community requests are already piling up for GameCube titles, Diddy Kong Racing, and even Super Smash Bros. Melee — though those are significantly more complicated from a licensing and emulation standpoint. For now, Nintendo appears to be carefully working through what remains of the NES catalogue before the well runs dry.
Virality Prediction: Expect the Ikari Warriors A-B-B-A code discourse to dominate retro gaming Twitter and Reddit communities through this week, peaking around September 4-5, 2026 — especially if any prominent gaming YouTubers or streamers pick up the AVGN angle and run with it. The completion of the Ninja Gaiden NES trilogy is a story with legs that will resurface when any future Ninja Gaiden announcement drops.