The Nintendo Switch has been nothing short of a success story for Nintendo, with over 130 million units having been sold worldwide. That’s a lot of players!
As well as offering handy and engaging portable gameplay at an extremely attractive price point, the Switch has also become a crucible for fun online play, facilitated by subscription service Nintendo Switch Online. We are in an age of connected play, whether squadding up to take the Victory Royale in Fortnite or battling one another in private games of Splatoon 3.
In this way, Nintendo Switch Online can be considered practically an essential investment if you’re already an online gamer. However, it comes with a great deal of additional boons, which could make the service of particular interest to fans of gaming’s halcyon days. So, does Nintendo Switch Online measure up for retro gamers? Let’s find out!
Available Games
The major fashion in which Nintendo Switch Online might appeal to nostalgia-seeking gamers is through its extensive library of legacy titles, from the original NES all the way up to the iconic Nintendo 64. Owners of a Nintendo Switch console effectively become owners of every historic Nintendo console until the 1990s – including the Game Boy and Game Boy Advance!
The basic Nintendo Switch Online package allows you to access over 100 games across the NES, SNES and Game Boy, including the original Super Mario Bros and Mario Kart titles, the first games in the Legend of Zelda series, Super Metroid and a great many more besides. There is also an Expansion Pack, which enables you to access further titles from the N64, Game Boy Advance and even the Sega Mega Drive.
Exclusive Offers
On top of an extensive retro games library, Nintendo Switch Online also gifts you with some newer freebies – namely, exclusive access to Tetris 99 and F-Zero 99. These titles are a modern twist on two iconic classics, wherein 99 players are pitted against one another and only the last one standing can win. These are exceedingly fun takes on the modern ‘battle royale’ trend, and endlessly addictive to boot.
Additional Controllers
On top of exclusive access to many lovingly-made love letters to retro IPs, you also get exclusive access to some physical merchandise via your Nintendo Switch Online account. Nintendo has reproduced some modern iterations of their classic controllers; now, you can play your Nintendo Switch Online retro titles with a period-accurate controller in your hand! From Nintendo, there are wireless-enabled versions of the NES, SNES and N64 controller, and a recent addition to the cast has taken the shape of the Sega Mega Drive’s unique controller.
So, is Nintendo Switch Online worth it? The answer is a resolute ‘yes’! The Switch can handily replace the bulky and difficult-to-connect consoles of yesteryear, and the exclusive offers and freebies that come with are just the icing on the cake.