I genuinely believe that the Nintendo Switch 2 is the greatest gaming console of all time. Don't get me wrong, the Nintendo Switch is a great piece of tech, but blimey, Nintendo really hit it out of the park with this one. My only complaint would be the lack of new titles to explore. Yes, we have Donkey Kong Banaza and Mario Kart World, but I'm hungry for new titles. Luckily, in the meantime, we have Nintendo Switch Online offering up access to hundreds of games, including some incredibly good GameCube titles. Watching the service evolve and grow has been a fascinating journey - and I'm excited to see what it does next.
Overview
Nintendo Switch Online has treated us to a wealth of extra content for our favorite games, along with access to rare, hard-to-find titles, and a nostalgic library of classics from our childhood. While you won't find anything from our list of the best Switch games included in the service, you'll find many highlights from Nintendo's extensive back-catalog, such as a selection of the best GBA games of all time.
The launch of Nintendo Switch Online in 2018 was met with excitement, especially with the introduction of NES classics. It enabled players access to exciting games about bikes like Excitebike - they could Jump (Man) into Donkey Kong and eat their way through Dreamland in Kirby's Adventure. In 2019, the service expanded to include SNES titles, giving fans the chance to revisit iconic games like The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past (or, in my case, spend hours trying to rescue Zelda from the castle). Even Battletoads/Double Dragon made its debut, marking its first-ever re-release since it wasn't included in Rare Replay-a notable moment for long-time fans!
And the range continued to grow. Game Boy titles sweetened the baseline subscription, meanwhile, the Expansion Pack added titles from Sega Genesis, Game Boy Advance, and Nintendo 64. Though the initial release of N64 titles faced criticism for performance issues, Nintendo has long since ironed these out. This leads us nicely to the subject of region exclusives - the following games were never released in the US before coming to NSO:
- Devil World, NES, 1984
- Vs. Excitebike, Famicom, 1988
- Puyo Puyo, Famicom, 1991
- Jelly Boy, SNES, 1995
- Wrecking Crew '98, SNES, 1998
- Star Fox 2, SNES (unreleased outside of SNES Mini Classic)
And those are just the highlights. Beyond this, many classic games have been made available on NSO that have never had a release before. This includes:
- Killer Instinct, SNES, 1995
- Pilotwings 64, N64, 1996
- Goldeneye 007, N64, 1997
- Banjo-Kazooie, N64, 1998 (previously available in a modified form)
- Pokémon Stadium, N64, 1999
- Mario Party 3, N64, 2000
But the subscription service didn't just stop at retro titles. It went beyond that, introducing modern twists on classics like F-Zero 99 and Tetris 99. Personally, I'm a bit addicted to Tetris and a little too competitive (I've been banned from playing it with my partner because… well, let's just say, they don't handle losing well). So, playing against strangers online? Always a win for me! F-Zero 99, on the other hand, brought a dose of nostalgia by reviving those pixelated cars and Captain Falcon himself, reimagining them for the online gaming era. A perfect blend of old and new.
Value for money
As of now, NSO offers Switch users:
- 89 NES games
- 75 SNES games
- 31 Game Boy and Game Boy Color games
- 37 Nintendo 64 games
- 45 Sega Genesis games
- 25 Game Boy Advance games
Meanwhile, Switch 2 users can also access five GameCube games, as well as the GameChat function. Current titles are:
- Soul Calibur 2
- Wind Waker
- F-Zero GX
- Mario Smash Football
- Chibi-Robo.
Mamma Mia! That's a lot of games. To put things into perspective, buying just the NES games individually on the old Wii Virtual Console would have cost you around $445 ($5 per game). If you bought the full library on Virtual Console that would set you back an eye-watering $2,130. In other words, that's the cost of paying for NSO for over 100 years. And if you were after rare gems like Crusader of Centy on the Genesis, brace yourself-it can fetch up to $450 for a physical copy alone, whilst Chibi Robo! goes for around $200!
With NSO, you're getting a ton of value in one affordable package.
Nintendo Switch Online (NSO) also sweetens the deal by giving you access to free DLC for popular games like Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, Splatoon 2: Octo Expansion, and my personal favorite, Animal Crossing: New Horizons. The Animal Crossing DLC feels like a game within a game, reminiscent of Happy Home Designer on the 3DS, letting you design spaces for your villagers.
However, it's important to note that all these DLCs are only included in the Nintendo Switch Online Expansion Pack (rather than the base version), making it arguably the better value option. The baseline NSO package, priced at $19.99/year, grants access to NES, SNES, Game Boy, online play, Save Data Cloud, the NSO app, and special offers, the Expansion Pack (at $49.99/year) includes all that plus Nintendo 64, Game Boy Advance, Sega Genesis, GameCube and those coveted DLCs for Mario Kart 8, Splatoon 2, and Animal Crossing. If you're a fan of Mario Kart, the Expansion Pack pays for itself with the DLC alone.
The future of NSO
What's next for NSO? If its history is anything to go by, the game library will keep expanding. Since the introduction of three new GameCube games in June, we have had another added in July and one more in August. Rumour has it, Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance, Luigi's Mansion, Pokémon Colosseum, Pokémon XD: Gale of Darkness, and Super Mario Sunshine will soon be added to the roster. With these kinds of titles, the future of NSO looks brighter than ever.
Conclusion
Nintendo Switch Online has come a long way since its launch in 2018, offering an ever-growing library. Whether it's revisiting nostalgic titles from the NES and SNES eras, or indulging in rare gems never before re-released, NSO provides an impressive amount of value. The addition of free DLC and the Expansion Pack only sweetens the deal, making it a worthy investment for any Nintendo fan. Looking ahead, the future of NSO seems bright, with GameCube titles potentially on the horizon.
Curious about what else NSO has to offer? Check out our guide on Nintendo Switch Online N64 games and Nintendo Switch Online Game Boy games. They'll both give just a taste of what you can find on the service.