Nintendo dropped a bombshell announcement during the latest Nintendo Direct event, finally confirming that Nintendo 64 and Sega Genesis games are coming to theNintendo Switch Onlineservice in the form of the more expensiveSwitch Online Expansion Pack. Nintendo has yet to reveal when exactly the Nintendo Switch Online Expansion Pack is coming or how much it will cost, but it has revealed what games fans can look forward to when the upgraded service launches.
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Here are all the Nintendo Switch Online Expansion Pack games that have been announced so far.
Nintendo 64 Switch Online Games at Launch
As we’ve seen with previousSwitch Online retro games, these Nintendo 64 titles will have some quality of life features that should make them even better than their original cartridge counterparts. For example, the Nintendo Switch Online Expansion Pack will have online multiplayer support, meaning fans will be able to playMario Kart 64online for the first time ever. The online multiplayer support is a potential game changer that makes future Nintendo Switch Online additions very exciting.
While there has been some criticism forNintendo’s drip-feed approach with Nintendo 64 gamesand Switch Online, the titles that will be available at launch should keep fans plenty busy.Super Mario 64andThe Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Timeby themselves are sizable adventures, plus the multiplayer modes inMario Kart 64,Star Fox 64, adnMario Tennisoffer near-endless replayability.
Nintendo 64 Games Coming to Switch Online Later
Besides confirming the nine Nintendo 64 games coming to the Switch Online Expansion Pack at launch, Nintendo also highlighted some of the games that are coming to the service in the future. Nintendo did not provide any kind of release information for these games, and it’s unclear if they will come in batches or if they will be added one at a time. It’s also unclear if Nintendo plans to add evenmore Nintendo 64 gamesto the Switch Online Expansion Pack service beyond these titles, but fans will just have to wait and see on that front.
The other titles coming to Nintendo Switch Online are more of the Nintendo 64’s most critically-acclaimed games, like the originalPaper MarioandThe Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask.Pokemon Snapshould also make for a fan favorite addition to the lineup, especially since the game’s sequel is a Nintendo Switch exclusive.
One of the most interesting games coming to Nintendo Switch Online is theoriginalBanjo-Kazooie, which is notable because the game is technically owned by Xbox. Xbox’s acquisition of Rare saw the company gain control of theBanjo-KazooieIP, porting it and its sequel to XBLA and then later featuring the games as part of theRare Replaycollection as well. Nintendo and Xbox have had a strong relationship over these past few years, though, and it seems that goodwill continue for the foreseeable future.
Sega Genesis Switch Online Games List
While there will be nine Nintendo 64 games available for the Nintendo Switch Online Expansion Pack at launch, there will be a whopping14 Sega Genesis gamesavailable for the service out of the gate. Nintendo did not confirm if any additional Sega Genesis games are coming to the Switch Online Expansion Pack in future, but the initial offerings should keep fans plenty busy in the meantime.
The initial Genesis offerings for the Switch Online Expansion pack include some of the console’s most famous titles, likeSonic the Hedgehog 2,Streets of Rage 2, andGolden Axe. Fans of old-school games should be kept plenty busy by these games while they wait for Nintendo to reveal if anymore Sega Genesis games are in the pipeline for the Switch Online Expansion Pack in future.
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