To change controls in Nintendo Classics on Switch 2, open the game’s Suspend Menu. Nintendo 64, GameCube, and Virtual Boy games offer a per-game Change Controls option there; for the other listed libraries, Nintendo directs players to remap a connected controller in System Settings > Accessibility > Button Mapping. The system setting affects the controller broadly, not just one classic game.
Nintendo calls these libraries Nintendo Classics, rather than “Console Archive.” The steps below cover the NES, SNES, Game Boy, Nintendo 64, SEGA Genesis, Game Boy Advance, GameCube, and Virtual Boy apps described in Nintendo’s support guide. GameCube Classics is exclusive to Nintendo Switch 2.
How do I see the original controls in a Nintendo Classics game?
- Start the Nintendo Classics game.
- Open its Suspend Menu using the button combination for that library and controller, listed in the table below.
- For Nintendo 64, GameCube, or Virtual Boy, choose View/Change Controls. Press Y to see how the original controller’s buttons map to the controller you are using. Press X to view additional controls specific to that game.
- For the other listed libraries, press X to open the User Guide, which shows the original-to-current button mapping.
Nintendo documents these menus and inputs in its Nintendo Classics control guide. If Show controls in game is enabled in Settings, the Suspend Menu input appears at the bottom of the screen.
Which button opens the Suspend Menu?
| Nintendo Classics library | Suspend Menu input |
|---|---|
| NES | ZL + ZR; with the NES Controller, L + R |
| SNES | ZL + ZR |
| Game Boy | ZL + ZR |
| Nintendo 64 | Minus; with the Nintendo 64 Controller, ZR |
| SEGA Genesis | ZL + ZR; with the SEGA Genesis Control Pad, MODE |
| Game Boy Advance | ZL + ZR |
| GameCube | Minus; with the GameCube Controller, ZL |
| Virtual Boy | ZL + ZR |
These are Nintendo’s documented inputs; they can differ when you use one of the classic-style controllers instead of a standard controller.
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Can I change controls for each classic game?
Only Nintendo 64, GameCube, and Virtual Boy expose the documented per-game change option. Open the Suspend Menu, select View/Change Controls, then choose Change Controls to customize the mapping for that game-and-controller combination. Other listed libraries show the mapping in the User Guide, but Nintendo points players who want to change it to system settings.
How do I remap a controller in Switch 2 system settings?
- From the HOME Menu, open System Settings > Accessibility > Button Mapping.
- Select the connected controller you want to configure. Only controllers currently connected are shown.
- Choose Edit Controller Mapping, select the button you want to change, and then choose the button to assign to it.
- Save the configuration. To undo it later, return to Button Mapping and choose Reset Controller Mapping.
Nintendo also lets you add Button Mapping to Quick Settings, which you open by holding HOME. For the Joy-Con 2 Charging Grip and Nintendo Switch 2 Pro Controller, the GL and GR buttons can be mapped only through Quick Settings while a game is running. These paths and controller options are described in Nintendo’s Switch 2 accessibility guide.
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- Only for use with the Nintendo Switch 2 system.
How do in-game changes differ from system remapping?
| Where you change controls | What the change applies to | Who offers it |
|---|---|---|
| Suspend Menu > View/Change Controls > Change Controls | The selected game and controller combination | Nintendo 64, GameCube, and Virtual Boy games |
| System Settings > Accessibility > Button Mapping | The controller configuration broadly, across nearly all console scenarios | Supported connected controllers; useful for other listed libraries as well |
Nintendo says system mappings apply in nearly all console scenarios, including games, the eShop, HOME Menu, and Maintenance Mode. They are stored on the console, not on the controller. You can save up to five custom configurations per supported controller; each controller needs its own configuration, although a saved configuration can be loaded onto another controller of the same type.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Which controllers and buttons have limits?
Nintendo lists Joy-Con 2, Nintendo Switch 2 Pro Controller, Joy-Con 2 Charging Grip, and Nintendo Switch Joy-Con and Pro Controller as supported options in its Switch 2 accessibility guide. Nintendo’s separate mapping FAQ also says buttons on Nintendo Switch Lite can be remapped. A Pro Controller is optional: it is supported, but not required to use remapping.
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- The POWER, Volume, HOME, and SYNC buttons cannot be remapped, and another button cannot be assigned to trigger those inputs.
- Stick directions cannot be assigned to button inputs, although you can switch the left- and right-stick mappings.
- Nintendo notes that mappings can be temporarily disabled in certain contexts, such as button tests or stick and motion calibration.
For library access, Nintendo says the NES, SNES, and Game Boy libraries require an active Nintendo Switch Online membership. Nintendo 64, SEGA Genesis, Game Boy Advance, GameCube, Virtual Boy, and mature Nintendo 64 libraries require the Expansion Pack. Check Nintendo’s current membership terms, since plan requirements can change.
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