Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack Hands-On
Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack is now live. Currently, only select Nintendo 64 and Sega Genesis games are available with more being released in the future. November 5th, it will include the Happy Home Paradise downloadable content for Animal Crossing: New Horizons. Is it worth it?
The Expansion Pack for Nintendo Switch Online went live last night and we have tested out a few of the released games. The article below aims to answer a few questions about the Expansion Pack that players may have.
What games are available?
Nintendo launched Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack with nine Nintendo 64 games and fourteen Sega Genesis games. Nintendo has confirmed that at least nine more Nintendo 64 games (seven in NA/PAL/KR regions) are coming to the service.
Nintendo 64 offers the following titles:
- Dr. Maio 64 (Not available in JP/HK regions)
- The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
- Mario Kart 64
- Mario Tennis
- Sin and Punishment
- Star Fox 64
- Super Mario 64
- WinBack
- Yoshi's Story
The following titles are coming soon:
- Banjo-Kazooie
- Custom Robo (JP/HK regions only)
- Custom Robo V2 (JP/HK regions only)
- F-Zero X
- Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards
- The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask
- Mario Golf
- Papaer Mario
- Pokémon Snap
The following are the Sega Genesis titles available on the platform:
- Castlevania: Bloodlines
- Contra: Hard Corps
- Dr. Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine (NA/PAL/KR regions only)
- Ecco the Dolphin
- Golden Axe
- Gunstar Heroes
- MUSHA
- Phantasy Star IV
- Puyo Puyo (JP/HK regions only)
- Ristar
- Shining Force
- Shinobi III: Return of the Ninja Master
- Sonic the Hedgehog 2
- Streets of Rage 2
- Strider
How do the games play?
The games have no trouble running on the Nintendo Switch. Games can be played solo, multiplayer, and online. Adding online play to these classic titles is certainly a neat feature.
All of the games have side bars on each side of the screen. Nintendo 64 games have the capability of being displayed in widescreen and many games such as Mario Kart 64 show no defects when displayed in this mode. However, Nintendo opted out of allowing the choice to display these titles in widescreen, which is pretty disappointing. On top of that, the screen gets even smaller thanks to the black bar at the bottom of the screen on every game.
Most of the games play well via their respective applications. Players should have no trouble jumping into a game of Mario Kart 64 or Super Mario 64. However, the version of Super Mario 64 included in Super Mario 3D All-Stars is the definitive version. It's actually kind of disappointing that this game is one of the launch titles, considering it is already available on the console.
Controls seem to be catered to each game. In order to use the C-buttons in The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, players will need to hold the right trigger button and use the A, B, X, and Y buttons. Though from my experience trying out the game, the controls are bit buggy. When using the left joystick, the cursor will sometimes jump all over the screen. Hopefully this is patched as Ocarina of Time is one of the few justifications for this service.
How much is it?
Let's take a look at the original and new pricing tiers and compare. The following is the price tiers for Nintendo Switch Online:
- $3.99 - Individual Membership (Monthly)
- $7.99 - Individual Membership (Quarterly)
- $19.99 - Individual Membership (Yearly)
- $34.99 - Family Membership (Yearly)
The following is the price tiers for Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack:
- $49.99 - Individual Membership (Yearly)
- $79.99 - Family Membership (Yearly)
That is a massive price increase unless you are currently subscribed at $3.99 per month. If you are an avid fan of Animal Crossing: New Horizons, the Happy Home Paradise downloadable content will retail for $24.99. This may justify the price, but you will be paying for that yearly. So the question remains, is it worth it?
Is it worth it?
Right now, the answer is simply no. I actually regret subscribing based on what I have tested out from the service. It will be nice having the Happy Home Paradise downloadable content available to both my husband and I. However, spending the asking price for it for both of us would have been better.
Hopefully, additional downloadable content will be included in this service in the future. Otherwise, I would suggest passing on upgrading to the Expansion Pack. The price is just too steep for what has been added to the service.
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