Nintendo Switch Online Expansion Pack - Play N64, Genesis, & Mega Drive

In this episode, we show you how to upgrade from your standard Nintendo Switch Online subscription to the Expansion Pack & share some initial thoughts on the new service.

In September 2021, Nintendo announced their first expansion of the Switch Online Service, adding support for the Nintendo 64, along with the Sega Genesis & Mega Drive. This was interesting to see as Sega had previously released the Genesis Classics on the Switch (and PS4 & XBox One), and Nintendo themselves had released Mario 64 on the Super Mario 3D All-Stars collection. This was also interesting as, while Sega had released the Genesis and Mega Drive mini, Nintendo never released an N64 Mini or Classic. With the addition of these to the Switch, I think the odds of an N64 Classic went out the window.

While many were excited to see more systems coming to the Switch Online service, many (including myself) felt that the increase in cost was rather severe. The standard Switch Online plan jumped from $19.99/yr to $49.99/yr. If you had a family plan, your cost doubled from $34.99/yr to $79.99/yr! That's a huge jump and took the Switch Online service from the least expensive to one of the most expensive out there.

In the US, the Expansion Pack adds the following N64 games to your library at launch:
Dr. Mario 64
Mario Kart 64
Mario Tennis
Sin & Punishment
Star Fox 64
Super Mario 64
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
WIN BACK: COVERT OPERATIONS
Yoshi’s Story

The Japanese N64 Online omits Dr. Mario 64 at launch.

In the US, the following Genesis games are available at launch:
Castlevania: Bloodlines
Contra: Hard Corps
Dr. Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine
Ecco the Dolphin
Golden Axe
Gunstar Heroes
M.U.S.H.A.
Phantasy Star 4: The End of the Millennium
Ristar
Shining Force
Shinobi 3
Sonic the Hedgehog 2
Streets of Rage 2
Strider

Since I already had a subscription, I was given the option to upgrade for a less-than-full price. In the end, it saved me about $20, which was nice but still cost me nearly $60. The upgrade process was delayed by Nintendo pushing the server update live and the increased traffic to the store all at one time. Once live, however, I was able to download the N64 and Genesis Online apps easily.

The first thing I wanted to test out was how Mario 64 looked and played compared to the version on the Mario 3D All-Stars Cartridge. There are some menu and settings differences, plus you don't get either the soundtrack or 2 other games, obviously. However, the game itself looked relatively indistinguishable compared to the earlier release. That's a good thing, as Mario 64 on the Switch looks beautiful.

I also tested out Star Fox 64, Mario Kart 64, and other titles in the US Store, all of which looked and played great. I will say, being familiar with how these games all play with the actual N64 Controller, there was more than once when I was looking for that controller layout when playing. I just may snag one of Nintendo's controllers once I can order one.

The Genesis titles looked and played just as well, emulating the original experience very well. Between the N64, Genesis, and Mega Drive titles I will say I was very happy with the performance, gameplay, lag, audio, and latency of all of these games. Nintendo and Sega both worked very well to make sure that this was a collection you'd enjoy coming back to time after time.

While I will admit I am not a fan of the pricing, the quality of launch titles is damn good. I am hoping that we get to see more titles sooner than later and that Nintendo doesn't neglect these platforms.

#NintendoSwitchOnline #ExpansionPack #Nintendo64 #Sega #SegaGenesis #MegaDrive

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