Nintendo as a company is always interesting to watch because, generally speaking, it marches to the beat of its own drum. This isn't always a bad thing as that means that Nintendo is more likely to innovate with many of its games and its hardware design than the company's other major video game competition. However, the other side of that coin means that Nintendo is often far behind other companies in certain regards. One of Nintendo's biggest pitfalls is its poor online services, however, Nintendo Switch Online recently announced something exciting for longtime fans of the company: select N64 games will be digitally available with memberships.
While many of the issues with the Switch's online services are still apparent, the addition of Nintendo 64 titles to the console's lineup is exciting as the games will have online elements that weren't featured in the original versions. This could really be a game-changer for the titles that would support online play and result in more players returning to 64-bit classics than ever before. There are still plenty of issues with Nintendo's online services, but adding N64 games to Nintendo Switch Online could bring it up to par with other console services like PlayStation Plus and Xbox Live Gold.
A Nintendo 64 Gaming Rennaissance
A lot of older gaming consoles are remembered fondly, but perhaps none as fondly as the Nintendo 64. The console was many gaming enthusiasts' first experience with 3D games and as a result, has cemented itself in history as one of the greatest systems of all time. The jump from 2D to 3D wasn't just a gimmick, however, as the N64 has a lineup of games that is full of beloved classics. Many of those classics like Super Mario 64, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, and Marion Kart 64 have been included in the new Nintendo Switch Online membership plan.
This might cause the Nintendo 64 to experience something of a renaissance as fans begin to return to the titles available. Hopefully, it will serve as an opportunity for fans of the originals to revisit some of their favorite, potentially inaccessible, games and allow younger gamers to try out some older titles that have influenced their current favorites. While bringing these games to Nintendo Switch Online serves as a great tool for video game preservation and accessibility, it might also inadvertently create a huge community of online N64 players who, if given the proper online support, could make the available titles bigger than ever before.
Playing Nintendo 64 Games With Friends Online
Online play for older titles has been something that many Nintendo fans have been asking the company about for years. Unfortunately, Nintendo rarely seems to show any interest in making its older multiplayer games accessible with first-party support, but the titles coming to Nintendo Switch Online could change that for good. Playing games like Mario Kart 64 online with friends could be a major selling point for fans to buy into Nintendo's subscription service.
Although many fans might prefer the newer iterations of each series, having access to classic titles does a lot to inspire many gaming enthusiasts to pick up a Switch and play a game or two, especially if it can easily be done with friends using online features. Of course, all of that banks on Nintendo's online services being up to the task of supporting the N64 titles with multiplayer components, but it seems like recent online entries on the Switch have largely ironed out a lot of the matchmaking issues that the console previously faced. Plus, with the Switch OLED's new ethernet support, online play should be smoother and easier than ever.
At the end of the day, playing games online is simply a lot of fun and adding online features to older titles just makes them even more appealing. It seems like Nintendo knows this and wants to capitalize on re-releasing older games while also honoring their legacy by allowing players to play them either with their Joy-Cons or the Switch-compatible Nintendo 64 controller.
The Exciting Future of N64 Online Titles
Nintendo was able to get ahead of some of the speculation for its new service by making it clear that it would be adding more titles to the Switch's N64 lineup later on down the road. While it only announced two games that would support online play, F-Zero X and Mario Golf, it means that there could be other multiplayer classics headed to the Switch. There are plenty of fans hoping for ports of Super Smash Bros., GoldenEye 007, or Pokemon Stadium which could convince a lot of Switch owners to upgrade their memberships. Although some games like GoldenEye 007 are unlikely to appear on Nintendo Switch Online, fans are still hoping for more multiplayer titles to be announced.
There is a lot of potential for Nintendo Switch Online moving forward that, hopefully, Nintendo capitalizes on by introducing more of its classic multiplayer games. Now seems like the perfect time for the company to try mending things between it and the Smash Bros. community by providing an official way to play the original game which could help grow the community even further. The potential for where Nintendo goes from here to grow its player base is huge and if it can make good on it, could be the start of something new for those looking for value in Nintendo Switch Online.