Nintendo Switch Online Expansion Pack Announced

If a Nintendo fan hears "Expansion Pack", he/she probably thinks of the Nintendo 64 and its RAM update. And finally the Nintendo Switch Online service really sees an expansion in the form of Nintendo 64 titles, as well as Sega Mega Drive. You will even be able to purchase the respective controllers via the My Nintendo Store, similar to NES and SNES before.

However, it's literally an "Expansion Pack", because you have to upgrade your membership. This is somewhat disappointing, considering that the service simply put a paywall in front of the peer-to-peer online gaming, something that used to be completely free on previous Nintendo systems. That still has a sour taste to it and while the service is quite cheap, it's mainly justified by the extras, like these classic game libraries, where there hasn't been all that much. Some free games, like Tetris 99, and the NES and SNES libraries. That's about it.

So, will we have to get yet another expanded membership, should they decide to add GameBoy titles? Or will any future classic game library be part of the Expansion Pack? Will they still add more to the basic membership from now on? Questions over questions about all of this...

Anyway, Ocarina of Time will be part of the Nintendo 64 launch titles and Majora's Mask will come to the service later on. This brings two more Zelda games to the Nintendo Switch, where now something like a "3D collection" feels much less likely. It would still make sense to put The Wind Waker HD and Twilight Princess HD together on Switch, but it will most likely come without the Nintendo 64 games now, because Nintendo wants you to pay for the Nintendo Switch Online Expansion Pack. At the same time, this also makes a "Nintendo 64 Mini" feel less likely.

Ideally, they will also add Master Quest later on. This never found its way to the Wii and Wii U Virtual Consoles, but Nintendo likes to add some specialties to the Nintendo Switch Online libraries, like Star Fox 2. And we're actually getting Banjo & Kazooie back for the first time, so that's something and should certainly make some fans happy.