At the latest Nintendo Direct event, it was announced that Nintendo 64 games are finally making their way to theNintendo Switch Onlinesubscription service through its new Expansion Pack, standing alongside the existing NES and SNES titles that are already available. The first batch of Nintendo 64 games are coming toNintendo Switch Onlineat some point at the end of October, though Nintendo has yet to share specifics on exactly when fans can expect the games and how much the pricier Nintendo Switch Online Expansion Pack will cost.
While Nintendo has yet to reveal how much the Nintendo Switch Online Expansion Pack costs or when the Nintendo 64 games will be making their debut, it did confirm the initial wave of games. Things are getting started withnine Nintendo 64 gamesin the form ofDr. Mario 64,Mario Kart 64,Mario Tennis,Sin & Punishment,Star Fox 64,Super Mario 64,The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time,WinBack: Covert Operations, andYoshi’s Story. Though Nintendo has more Nintendo 64 games in the Switch Online Expansion Pack pipeline as well.
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Nintendo has confirmedseven more Nintendo 64 games that are coming to the Switch Online Expansion Packat a later date, including titles likeThe Legend of Zelda: Majora’s MaskandPokemon Snap. However, one of the more interesting titles coming to the Switch Online Expansion Pack later on is the Xbox-ownedBanjo-Kazooie, and as it turns out, it may not be the only Xbox-owned, Rare-developed Nintendo 64 game coming to the service.
Industry insider Shpeshal_Nick has shared a screenshot of a message that claims that not only is theXbox-ownedPerfect Darkcoming to the Nintendo Switch Online Expansion Pack, but that it’s coming before 2022. This would be a big surprise asPerfect Darkwasn’t featured in the list of Nintendo 64 games coming to the Switch Online Expansion Pack later on, and it could be an indication that the second wave of games will come sooner than expected.
Nintendo is not as consistent as its competitors when it comes to adding free games to its online service.New NES and SNES games come to Switch Online occasionally, though it’s unclear how often Nintendo will add more N64 games to the service. New titles could come one at a time on a month to month basis, or maybe Nintendo will release them in batches like it’s doing with the initial batch of Nintendo 64 Switch Online Expansion Pack games.
Shpeshal_Nick has proven to be a reliable source of insider information in the past, but fans should still treat these news with some skepticism. It’s entirely possible thatPerfect Darkwill come to Nintendo Switch Online at some point, especially sinceBanjo-Kazooieis already confirmed for the service, but it would be better to keep one’s expectations in check for now.
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