Nintendo shares Switch Online's N64 and Sega Genesis expansion pack launch date and pricing

[Shawn Knight]

Editor's take: An extra $30 a year just to access a handful of N64 games simply isn't worth it in my opinion, especially considering I already have access to most of these Sega games via a Genesis Mini. Truth be told, I would have gladly paid twice the annual rate for a standalone Nintendo 64 Classic console.

Nintendo last month announced it would be bringing classic Nintendo 64 and Sega Genesis games to Nintendo Switch Online later this year. The catch? They’ll cost you extra, and now we have an exact launch date and pricing details to share.

Nintendo will soon offer two tiers of its Switch Online service. The base tier remains unchanged from what is available today, with the same $19.99 per year fee for individuals and $34.99 rate for a family plan. The Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack includes everything in the base tier plus access to a selection of Nintendo 64 and Sega Genesis games and the new Animal Crossings: New Horizons – Happy Home Paradise DLC for $49.99 a year for an individual membership or $79.99 for a family membership.

At launch, expansion pack subscribers will have access to nine N64 games including Dr. Mario 64, Mario Kart 64, Mario Tennis, Sin & Punishment, Super Mario 64, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, Win Back: Covert Operations and Yoshi’s Story.

Genesis games playable at launch include Castlevania: Bloodlines, Contra: Hard Corps, Dr. Robotnik’s Mean Bean Machine, Ecco the Dolphin, Golden Axe, Gunstar Heroes, Musha, Phantasy Star 4: The End of the Millennium, Ristar, Shining Force, Shinobi 3, Sonic the Hedgehog 2, Streets of Rage 2 and Strider.

Additional games will be added over time including The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask, F-Zero X, Mario Golf, Pokémon Snap, Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards, Paper Mario and Banjo-Kazooie.

The Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack launches on October 25.

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https://www.techspot.com/news/91777-nintendo-shares-switch-online-n64-sega-genesis-expansion.html

 

[Dimitriid]

Hey if you wanted to know why Nintendo is always aggressively going after emulation well, look no further than this pricing.

 

[R00sT3R]

Also helps Nintendo that their army of fan boys has an almost 'Stockholm Syndrome' like (unquestioning) devotion to throwing money at the company, for the same stuff they've paid for numerous times already...

 

[dangh]

Thankfully emulation is a thing, and with steam deck incoming I'll have the best way to play old games. I have a number of them still in boxes, so will be nice to come back to them on the move.

 

[defaultluser]

Also helps Nintendo that their army of fan boys has an almost 'Stockholm Syndrome' like (unquestioning) devotion to throwing money at the company, for the same stuff they've paid for numerous times already...

Right, most of these games probably already showed up permanently paid-for on Wii-U, but because it's Nintendo, we give them a pass...again!

Nintendo just arbitrarily changed it;'s mind on a lot of things - heck, it could decide to Permanently Discontinue it's baseline NES service tomorrow, and there is nothing you can do about it!

Because the games are checked every 7 days, Nintendo could really make your worst possible day By discontinuing all your "Not Really Downloads" NES titles...and all you would get back is whatever you had already paid into the service (assuming you canceled it...but your clouds saves are also held for Ransoms!)

Buy hey, Nintendo Released New Bright-And-Shiny, let's totally forget that we are paying $20 a year for *Limited Cloud Saves, depending on game,* the same old crap online gaming Nintendo has always provided, and the 7-day NES rentals from Blockbuster straight out of the 1980s!

It astounds me that this new service more than double the price - are they now including Integrated Voice , or is that still done through your cell phone?

 

[QuantumPhysics]

I actually kept my NES, SNES, Genesis and TG16 along with all my games.

Have you actually tried playing these games?

My reflexes are not what they used to be when I was younger. I could easily beat those games then, but now, I get destroyed by the computer. Makes you appreciate the forgiving nature of modern, casual gaming.

 

[Sausagemeat]

I’m a huge Nintendo fan. But yeah, too much money for me. I’d pay an extra $10 on top of the yearly fee. I own almost all of those N64 games, I shouldn’t have to pay for them again. My N64 still works I think, although my Tv has no Scart socket lol.

Nintendo make some of the best games and their console is the best console of this gen by a country mile. But us Nintendo fans know the truth, they don’t really love you, just your money.

 

[Sausagemeat]

I actually kept my NES, SNES, Genesis and TG16 along with all my games.

Have you actually tried playing these games?

My reflexes are not what they used to be when I was younger. I could easily beat those games then, but now, I get destroyed by the computer. Makes you appreciate the forgiving nature of modern, casual gaming.

What? I have the opposite experience! I remember struggling so hard with games on the NES, SNES and N64 etc as a kid. But now whenever I play them it’s like it’s so easy! I must have been a pretty basic kid lol.

Except Mario 3 and Mario lost levels. That is still super hard.

 

[Carlos GarPov]

Has Nintendo gone completely insane?

 

[Reehahs]

I’m a huge Nintendo fan. But yeah, too much money for me. I’d pay an extra $10 on top of the yearly fee. I own almost all of those N64 games, I shouldn’t have to pay for them again. My N64 still works I think, although my Tv has no Scart socket lol.

Nintendo make some of the best games and their console is the best console of this gen by a country mile. But us Nintendo fans know the truth, they don’t really love you, just your money.

Adapters are your friend here.

 

[kapital98]

What? I have the opposite experience! I remember struggling so hard with games on the NES, SNES and N64 etc as a kid. But now whenever I play them it’s like it’s so easy! I must have been a pretty basic kid lol.

Except Mario 3 and Mario lost levels. That is still super hard.

Depends on the game. If it's something like an RPG then it's exponentially easier as an adult.

But a fighting game or a 2D scroller? Those can be much, much harder than memory imagines. Especially the games that didn't have a save feature.... Oy!