Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Gaming

Nintendo 64, Sega Genesis games are coming to Nintendo Switch Online

By

Nintendo is stepping up the features that users get with Nintendo Switch Online, as long as they’re willing to upgrade to a higher-tier service. Revealed during today’s Nintendo Direct, the Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack, will give players access to everything currently available to Nintendo Switch Online subscribers, as well as a suite of Nintendo 64 and Sega Genesis titles.

Nintendo Direct - 9.23.2021

A price for the Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack hasn’t been announced, but users can subscribe to it toward the end of October. The service’s exact release date and pricing information will be available at a later time.

Recommended Videos

The new service includes a suite of hit Nintendo 64 and Sega Genesis titles, including Super Mario 64, Mario Kart 64, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, Ecco The Dolphin, Sonic the Hedgehog 2, Castlevania Bloodlines, and more. However, those are only some of the service’s launch titles. More games will be added for subscribers to play on their Switch as time goes on, essentially in the same fashion that the Nintendo Switch Online library updates now.

A Nintendo executive holds up the new Switch N64 and Sega Genesis controllers.
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Nintendo is also launching two new controllers that should put players back into their ’90s mindsets. The controllers, modeled after the Nintendo 64 controller and Sega Genesis controller, mean players can play games the same way they were played when they launched. While using a Nintendo 64 controller wirelessly on the Switch is an exciting premise, it may also just remind users of how bad these old gamepads are. Both controllers, which will set players back $50 each, don’t have a set launch date just yet. They will only be available to purchase for Switch Online members.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
Otto Kratky
Otto Kratky
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Otto Kratky is a freelance writer with many homes. You can find his work at Digital Trends, GameSpot, and Gamepur. If he's…
Nintendo confirms that Switch 2 and a June Direct are coming
A Nintendo Switch Red and Blue system.

Nintendo has finally confirmed two important things that people were speculating about. First off, we learned that another Nintendo Direct showcase will be taking place this June. More importantly, Nintendo finally confirmed that it is working on a Nintendo Switch successor and said we'd learn more about it within this fiscal year.

This all came from a statement by President Shuntaro Furukawa on Nintendo's corporate X (formerly Twitter) account. "We will make an announcement about the successor to Nintendo Switch within this fiscal year. It will have been over nine years since we announced the existence of Nintendo Switch back in March 2015," the post confirms. "We will be holding a Nintendo Direct this June regarding the Nintendo Switch software lineup for the latter half of 2024, but please be aware that there will be no mention of the Nintendo Switch successor during that presentation."

Read more
Hades 2 shows the Steam Deck’s biggest advantage over the Nintendo Switch
A Steam Deck sits next to a Switch OLED.

It's always an exciting week when the sequel to one of the greatest games of all time surprise releases on a Monday. That's what happened on May 6 when Hades 2 surprise launched into early access. Players are already diving into the surprisingly robust roguelike, testing their might in its new biomes. I've been enjoying it myself from the comfort of my couch -- and not on my Nintendo Switch, where I played the first Hades. Instead, I'm curled up with my Steam Deck.

The PC-only launch means that Hades 2 is a Steam Deck "exclusive" for the time being (or at least exclusive to portable PCs like it and the Asus ROG Ally). It'll likely come to Nintendo's system -- or its predecessor -- once it hits 1.0, but developer Supergiant doesn't expect its game to leave early access until at least the end of 2024. Until then, you'll need a device like the Steam Deck to play it on the go. That's a reminder that Valve has beaten the Switch at its own game, and Nintendo will have to get creative again with its next system to regain its throne.
Early access on the go
Based on my time with it so far, Hades 2 is a phenomenal match for the Steam Deck. It's already Verified for the platform, and for good reason. It looks fantastic (especially on an OLED screen) and runs smoothly. I've already taken it on the go and found that it's not a huge drain on the Steam Deck's battery. At this point, I don't imagine I'll need to play it any other way.

Read more
3 retro classics to play on Nintendo Switch Online this weekend (May 3-5)
Kirby and his friends post in Kirby and the Amazing Mirror art.

With rumors of a new Nintendo console heating up, it's once again time to accept that the Switch's long lifespan is coming to its end. 2024 will likely be the system's last full year before a successor steals its thunder. That's apparent in Nintendo's recent first-party offerings, as the system is getting a lot of remasters and niche curveballs this year. As exclusives like Endless Ocean: Luminous underwhelm, you may have found yourself looking for reasons to fire up your Switch.

Thankfully, you have a lot of great excuses to do so if you're subscribed to Nintendo Switch Online. The service is home to plenty of classic games from the NES up to the Nintendo 64. Even if you're a game historian, there's a good chance you haven't played everything Switch Online has to offer. This weekend, I have three recommendations for anyone looking to fire up some great, old games. These aren't random picks; I've chosen three games that feel spiritually linked to some of this spring's biggest games.
Kirby and the Amazing Mirror

Read more