Nintendo has always been at the forefront of innovation in the gaming scene. Nintendo popularized the home console with its NES, created the first true portable gaming device in the Game Boy, and made gaming more accessible with its Wii. That same level of innovation can be seen today with the Nintendo Switch, a hybrid home console/portable device that pushes the boundaries of what's possible in the gaming landscape. However, not all of Nintendo's products are quite as groundbreaking, and Nintendo Switch Online is the perfect example.

While the Nintendo Switch is one of the most popular and successful consoles of all time, Nintendo Switch Online hasn't exactly been the company's finest product. Originally launching with the Switch for free, Nintendo Switch Online lacks a significant number of features present in competitors' online services and has some severe lag issues. But with the introduction of Nintendo Switch Online's Expansion Pack in October 2021, things started to look a little brighter for the outdated online service.

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Nintendo Switch Online's Early Days

Nintendo Switch Online rewind NES classics

When the Nintendo Switch launched in 2017, the console had a barebones online service. Not yet called Nintendo Switch Online, this service was essentially the same thing, but in more of a beta test mode. For a while, this version of Nintendo Switch Online was completely free for early adopters of the Switch, but Nintendo did make it clear that this was going to be a paid service later on.

Initially, this early version of Nintendo Switch Online was not well-regarded by fans or critics, with some severe latency issues, and the requirement of a smartphone app to communicate with other players. But with the introduction of free NES games every month, Nintendo Switch Online started to become a worthwhile service, especially as it was still free.

Eventually, in September 2018, Nintendo Switch Online was officially launched at a price point of $20 a year in the US. Compared to its competitors, this lower price point made complete sense. Both PS Plus and Xbox Live Gold were offering much more at the time, ranging from free games every month to dedicated party chat features and much more, while Nintendo Switch Online was offering an unstable online service with just one or two free NES games every month. Even with the introduction of SNES games in September 2019, Nintendo Switch Online's reputation and value was still under question by fans. Though more content was being offered for the same price point, the main feature of the service, its online connectivity during multiplayer matches, was still far from perfect.

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How Nintendo Switch Online's Expansion Pack Has Evolved

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In October 2021, after months of leaks and rumors, Nintendo Switch Online's Expansion Pack was finally announced and released. On paper, the Expansion Pack was the perfect addition to the service. If the online connectivity issues weren't going to be truly fixed anytime soon, then more free games seemed like the ideal compromise. The Nintendo Switch Online Expansion Pack was going to bring an impressive selection of Nintendo 64 and Sega Genesis games to the service, with the promise of more being added every so often.

Though it was a far cry from the Wii and Wii U's Virtual Console, this Expansion Pack offered the closest thing to it, now tapping into multiple generations of Nintendo and Sega consoles. For some, this was an ideal way to relive some of their favorite games, and for others, this was the perfect introduction to some of the most iconic titles of all time. However, it wasn't all rainbows upon launch.

The moment fans got their hands on the Switch ports of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, they spotted something off. Pretty soon, Nintendo had a mini revolt on their hands, with widespread criticsm revolving around the visual and technical issues with some of the N64 ports on Nintendo Switch Online's Expansion Pack service. With this being such a huge selling point for the Expansion Pack, Nintendo put a priority on fixing the ports, and soon enough, everything was okay once more.

However, despite the ports being optimized properly, Nintendo Switch Online's Expansion Pack still had one glaring issue on launch: its price point. Where Nintendo Switch Online's base service was still fixed at $20 for a year, the Expansion Pack cost a bewildering $30 per year. And as one couldn't buy the Expansion Pack with the Switch Online base, players would be shelling out $50 a year for the combined services. At launch, many considered the Expansion Pack to be a rip-off, costing even more than the base Swith Online subscription with even less content packaged in. But since launch, the Nintendo Switch Online Expansion Pack has changed quite a bit, and it might just be worth that hefty price of admission.

A big draw for Nintendo Switch Online's Expansion Pack in its early days was the addition of the Animal Crossing: New Horizons DLC, Happy Home Paradise. By itself, Happy Home Paradise was worth $24.99, so its place as a free addition with the Nintendo Switch Online Expansion Pack added quite a bitt of value to the service. Since then, the Nintendo Switch Online Expansion Pack has become much more than just N64 and Genesis games.

Soon after Animal Crossing: New Horizon's DLC was added to the service, a brand new expansion for Mario Kart 8 Deluxe was announced. Adding a whopping total of 48 new courses to the game, this Mario Kart 8 Deluxe Booster Course Pass was another very welcome addition to the Nintendo Switch Online Expansion Pack, and with tracks being released over the course of the next year, it ensures that the Expansion Pack's worth only grows.

Right now, Nintendo Switch Online's Expansion Pack offers a total of 16 N64 games, 18 Sega Genesis games, and two large-scale expansions for some of the best titles on the Nintendo Switch. While the online servers are still a little rough, and definitely worse than the competition, the ability to play these older legacy titles with a friend via online multiplayer is an experience like no other. Slowly but surely, the Nintendo Switch Online Expansion Pack is proving its worth, but it might take some time before it reaches the same heights as PS Plus or Xbox Live Gold.

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