Nintendo Switch Online is a subscription service that has been rife with criticism since its inception. Many have been disappointed with the infrastructure of its online servers and lack of social features. Nintendo made it more appealing when it added the ability to play Nintendo Entertainment System and Super Nintendo Entertainment System titles, but the overall service still felt lacking for many. Then last year Nintendo announced Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack, which recently got more valuable thanks to Mario Kart 8 Deluxe.

The expansion pack was pricier than the base membership, but it threw in Sega Genesis and Nintendo 64 titles for subscribers. Then Nintendo made a big move by announcing Animal Crossing: New Horizons - Happy Home Paradise would also be included, making it more than a simple online subscription. Now it's even more appealing with the addition of the new Mario Kart 8 Deluxe Booster Course Pack at no additional cost.

RELATED: Mario Kart 8 DLC is Bad for Mario Kart 9 Rumors

What Nintendo Switch Online Includes

Nintendo Switch Online Offering New Free Trials

Nintendo Switch Online is not much different from other console subscription services, Xbox Live Gold and PlayStation Plus. For a monthly fee subscribers are able to play their games online with people from all over the world. It is the cheapest of the three major online subscription fees at only $3.99/month, and it is the first time Nintendo has ventured into the online subscription fee market.

Nintendo Switch Online does not just offer the ability to play online games, it also includes the ability to save games in the cloud, a smartphone app, and special offers like access to Pac-Man 99, as well as the ability to purchase different controller types. Perhaps the largest offering that comes with Nintendo Switch Online is the ability to play games from the NES and the SNES era.

What Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack Adds

switch online and expansion pass

In 2021, Nintendo expanded the offerings of Nintendo Switch Online by adding a new tier to the subscription: the Expansion Pack. The Expansion Pack upped the price of the subscription to $49.99 a year for those who want to get the extra content it offers. However, the extra content was not much of a draw unless players really wanted to get their hands on more old-school titles.

The Expansion Pack was very similar to the base subscription save for a few extra bonuses like Nintendo 64 and Sega Genesis games. Fans had been asking for Nintendo 64 titles to be added to Nintendo Switch, but some were annoyed when it was revealed they would have to pay extra for access. Sega Genesis titles, on the other hand, were a nice surprise given many thought Nintendo would stick to its own consoles.

At first Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack did not seem that valuable unless players wanted to go on a nostalgia trip. Then Nintendo decided to add to the value by including DLC at no extra charge. Subscribers gained access to the Animal Crossing: New Horizons expansion, Happy Home Paradise, and now the upcoming, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe DLC.

RELATED: Mario Kart 8 Deluxe Fans Are Unsure How To Feel About New DLC Announcement

The Value of Adding Mario Kart 8 DLC to Nintendo Switch Online

mario kart 8 deluxe booster course pass announcement with price
mario kart 8 deluxe booster course pass

The addition of Animal Crossing: New Horizons - Happy Home Paradise was a big move for Nintendo, as no other subscription service has included DLC in this way. Other services have included free monthly games, but they became no longer available after the month ended. However, that made the Expansion Pack look better for Animal Crossing fans, but not everyone. Those same fans could also purchase the DLC by itself for $24.99.

Nintendo recently announced the Booster Course Pack for Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, which will double the course count of Mario Kart 8 Deluxe and likely create hours of fun for fans of the racing game. Now fans of the Mario Kart franchise have their eyes on the Expansion Pack as they can gain access to the DLC, plus old-school titles and the Animal Crossing DLC for $49.99 a year (less when split in a family plan). Those same fans can purchase the DLC by itself for $24.99, but if they also want the Animal Crossing DLC it now costs them around the same $49.99 that the Expansion Pack costs overall.

While there are multiplayer elements in Animal Crossing: New Horizons, many people choose to enjoy it by themselves. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, on the other hand, is more of a multiplayer-focused title. People play Mario Kart both locally and online, so many of them will already have a subscription to Nintendo Switch Online. The Expansion Pack will include 48 more courses, so if they are already paying for the online service it makes sense they would be more willing to pay for the Expansion Pack as well.

The addition of Mario Kart 8 Deluxe and Animal Crossing: New Horizons DLC goes a long way to increasing the value of the Expansion Pack. More content for some of the Switch's best-selling games, online play, and a collection of old-school games will look very valuable in the eyes of many potential subscribers. If Nintendo is willing to add DLC for some of its biggest games to the service, who knows what else Nintendo will add. There are many games from Nintendo that are perfect for DLC, and the Expansion Pack will only grow more valuable as time goes on.

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is available now on Switch.

MORE: Mario Kart 8 Deluxe DLC Bodes Well for Mario Party Superstars