While PlayStation and Xbox have been asking their users to subscribe to services to play online multiplayer games for years, Nintendo just hopped on the bandwagon with its Nintendo Switch console. The aptly titled Nintendo Switch Online is similar in practice to Xbox Live Gold or PlayStation Plus; for a fee ($19.99 per year for the base package, $49.99 for the Nintendo Switch Online Expansion Pack), Switch users are able to play games online, utilize cloud save features, and more.
Also like PS Plus and Xbox Live Gold, a Nintendo Switch Online subscription includes access to "free" games. Instead of releasing new games on a monthly basis, however, Nintendo Switch Online adds retro titles from legacy Nintendo consoles in batches, in addition to the occasional original game.
Here are all the games that Nintendo Switch Online subscribers can play at the time of this writing across NES, SNES, and original titles.
Updated July 2, 2022 by Dalton Cooper: Nintendo continues to add content to the Nintendo Switch Online service, with fresh games readily available for subscribers to check out across the regular tier as well as the Nintendo Switch Online Expansion Pack. The NES lineup recently added Pinball, while a slew of classic Super Nintendo and Sega Genesis games have also been made available to play.
As far as Nintendo 64 games go, Nintendo has added all the games it initially promised for the service, with subscribers now having access to the likes of Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards and Pokemon Snap. It's possible that more Nintendo 64 games will be added to the Nintendo Switch Online Expansion Pack in future updates, but nothing official has been announced at the time of this writing.
Nintendo has also expanded the free DLC offerings available through the Nintendo Switch Online Expansion Pack. Joining the Animal Crossing: New Horizons and Mario Kart 8 Deluxe DLC is the Splatoon 2: Octo Expansion, a single-player expansion to the base Splatoon 2 game that should keep fans busy while they wait to get their hands on Splatoon 3.
99 Games
- Pac-Man 99
- Tetris 99
Battle royale games have been all the rage since the meteoric rise of games like PUBG and Fortnite. Numerous companies have thrown their hats in the ring, developing their own takes on the battle royale genre. As far as battle royales go, Nintendo Switch Online can lay claim to two exclusives, which are battle royale versions of the popular retro video games Pac-Man and Tetris.
Tetris 99 in particular is often named as one of the most entertaining and unique battle royale games on the market. The basic concept is that 99 players are all playing against each other in Tetris and are able to sabotage those on neighboring screens. The game keeps going until everyone is eliminated and only one player remains. The concept behind Pac-Man 99 is similar, but it replaces Tetris gameplay with classic Pac-Man gameplay.
Besides Pac-Man 99 and Tetris 99, the Switch Online service also once had a game called Super Mario Bros. 35. It used the same concept as these other games, essentially serving as a Super Mario-themed battle royale, but with a much smaller player count reflecting the 35th anniversary of the Super Mario franchise. Just like with the other Super Mario anniversary content, Nintendo removed access to Super Mario Bros. 35 in early 2021, and it has made no indication as to if it will ever return.
NES Games You Can Play With Switch Online
- Adventures of Lolo
- Balloon Fight
- Baseball
- Blaster Master
- City Connection
- Clu Clu Land
- Crystalis
- Dig Dug 2
- Donkey Kong
- Donkey Kong Jr.
- Donkey Kong 3
- Double Dragon
- Double Dragon 2: The Revenge
- Dr. Mario
- EarthBound Beginnings
- Eliminator Boat Duel
- Excitebike
- Fire 'n Ice
- Ghosts'n Goblins
- Gradius
- Ice Climber
- Ice Hockey
- Journey to Silius
- Kid Icarus
- Kirby's Adventure
- Kung Fu Heroes
- Mappy Land
- Mario Bros.
- Metroid
- Mighty Bomb Jack
- NES Open Tournament Golf
- Nightshade
- Ninja Gaiden
- Ninja JaJaMaru-kun
- Pinball
- Pro Wrestling
- Punch-Out!!
- River City Ransom
- Rygar
- SCAT: Special Cybernetic Attack Team
- Shadow of the Ninja
- Soccer
- Solomon's Key
- Star Soldier
- StarTropics
- Super Dodge Ball
- Super Mario Bros.
- Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels
- Super Mario Bros. 2
- Super Mario Bros. 3
- Tecmo Bowl
- The Immortal
- The Legend of Zelda
- Tennis
- TwinBee
- Vice: Project Doom
- Volleyball
- Vs. Excitebike
- Wario's Woods
- Wrecking Crew
- Yoshi
- Zelda 2: The Adventure of Link
When the Nintendo Switch Online service first launched, one of the main selling points was the ability to play classic NES games at no additional charge. Essentially serving as Nintendo's version of the PS Plus and Xbox Games with Gold programs, the company has dug into its massive library of retro games to give Switch Online subscribers a ton of old-school games to play from the NES era.
The Nintendo Switch Online NES lineup has also added EarthBound Beginnings, a Wii U re-release of the original EarthBound NES game. The original EarthBound was exclusive to Japan, but EarthBound Beginnings provides an official English translation, so fans of the franchise can enjoy it the world over. And with the Wii U online store being shut down next year, it's a great thing that the English-language version of the game is getting a second lease on life.
Nintendo has regularly added new NES games to the Switch Online service, and so the lineup will grow in the future, but this is all that's been added so far. Fans should note that there's also SP versions of some NES games, which offer new gameplay features and other surprises.
SNES Games You Can Play With Switch Online
- Bombuzal
- Brawl Brothers
- Breath of Fire
- Breath of Fire 2
- Claymates
- Congo's Caper
- Demon's Crest
- Donkey Kong Country
- Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest
- Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble!
- Doomsday Warrior
- EarthBound
- Earthworm Jim 2
- F-Zero
- Jelly Boy
- Joe & Mac
- Joe & Mac 2: Lost in the Tropics
- Kirby's Dream Course
- Kirby's Dream Land 3
- Kirby Super Star
- Magical Drop 2
- Mario's Super Picross
- Natsume Championship Wrestling
- Operation Logic Bomb
- Panel de Pon
- Pilotwings
- Pop'n TwinBee
- Prehistorik Man
- Psycho Dream
- Rival Turf!
- Smash Tennis
- Spanky's Quest
- Star Fox
- Star Fox 2
- Stunt Race FX
- Super Baseball Simulator 1.000
- Super E.D.F.: Earth Defense Force
- Super Ghouls 'n Ghosts
- Super Mario All-Stars
- Super Mario Kart
- Super Mario World
- Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island
- Super Metroid
- Super Punch-Out!!
- Super Puyo Puyo 2
- Super Soccer
- Super Tennis
- Super Valis 4
- The Ignition Factor
- The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past
- The Peace Keepers
- Tuff E Nuff
- Wild Guns
To keep fans subscribed to the Switch Online service, Nintendo eventually added Super Nintendo titles to the free games lineup. As is the case with the free NES games playable through Switch Online, the SNES titles consist of some of the console's most popular games, including both Super Mario World titles, Super Metroid, and The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past. Nintendo has also added the Donkey Kong Country trilogy games to the service, and it's quite possible that there will be even more titles added in the future.
One of the most notable games that's part of the Switch Online service is Star Fox 2. Star Fox 2 was originally only available through the SNES Classic mini console, but with those discontinued, Star Fox fans can now check it out through Switch Online.
There are also SP versions of the SNES games available for Switch Online Expansion Pack players to check out, offering new ways to play some of the classic games available on the service. Most recently, Kirby Dream Course, Kirby Dream Land 3, and Kirby Super Star received SP variants.
Nintendo 64 Games You Can Play With Nintendo Switch Online Expansion Pack
- Banjo-Kazooie
- Dr. Mario 64
- F-Zero X
- Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards
- Mario Golf
- Mario Kart 64
- Mario Tennis
- Paper Mario
- Pokemon Snap
- Sin and Punishment
- Star Fox 64
- Super Mario 64
- The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
- The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask
- WinBack
- Yoshi's Story
Nintendo launched the Nintendo Switch Online Expansion Pack on October 25, 2021, adding a slew of Nintendo 64 games to the Switch Online lineup for those willing to pay the $49.99 subscription fee. Nintendo has ensured that some of the best Nintendo 64 games ever made are readily available through the service, with subscribers having access to classic games like Super Mario 64, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, and more.
Since launching the Nintendo Switch Online Expansion Pack with Nintendo 64 games, Nintendo has updated the service to include a variety of new titles. The most recent new additions are Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards, which released a couple of months after Kirby and the Forgotten Land hit the Switch, and Pokemon Snap, the original Pokemon photography game. At this point, Nintendo has added every Nintendo 64 Switch Online Expansion Pack game that was promised, but it's entirely possible that more games are in store for subscribers in future.
Sega Genesis Games You Can Play With Nintendo Switch Online Expansion Pack
- Alien Soldier
- Altered Beast
- Castlevania: Bloodlines
- Comix Zone
- Contra: Hard Corps
- Dr. Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine
- Dynamite Headdy
- Ecco the Dolphin
- Golden Axe
- Gunstar Heroes
- Light Crusader
- Mega Man: The Wily Wars
- MUSHA
- Phantasy Star 4
- Ristar
- Shining Force
- Shining Force 2
- Shinobi 3: Return of the Ninja Master
- Sonic Spinball
- Sonic the Hedgehog 2
- Space Harrier 2
- Streets of Rage 2
- Strider
- Super Fantasy Zone
- Sword of Vermilion
- Target Earth
- Thunder Force 2
- ToeJam & Earl
- Zero Wing
Those with the Nintendo Switch Online Expansion Pack can also play some of the best games ever released for the Sega Genesis, including landmark releases like Sonic the Hedgehog 2 and Streets of Rage 2. The latest update to the Sega Genesis Switch Online Expansion Pack games came on March 16, 2022 with the addition of Alien Soldier, Light Crusader, and Super Fantasy Zone. It's quite possible that even more Sega Genesis games will be added to the lineup in the future, though specific games have not been confirmed just yet.
Nintendo Switch Online Expansion Pack Free DLC
While most Nintendo Switch Online Expansion Pack subscribers may be most interested in playing classic Sega Genesis and Nintendo 64 games, it's worth pointing out that the subscription gets users access to some other freebies as well. Namely, Nintendo Switch Online Expansion Pack subscribers are able to check out DLC for some of the hottest Nintendo Switch games without actually buying the new content outright.
The first free DLC released through the Nintendo Switch Online Expansion Pack was the Animal Crossing: New Horizons Happy Home Paradise expansion. This sizable expansion lets Animal Crossing: New Horizons players design special vacation homes for various Animal Crossing characters, giving them unprecedented creative freedom in the process. It also adds a lot of new decorations and items that players can then apply to their home island.
The second free DLC released through the Nintendo Switch Online Expansion Pack is Mario Kart 8 Deluxe's Booster Course Pass. This Booster Course Pass is adding content to Mario Kart 8 Deluxe in six waves, with the first wave released on March 18, 2022. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe Booster Course Pass Wave 1 includes the Golden Dash Cup and Lucky Cat Cup, both of which add eight courses to the game each, reworked from previous games in the Mario Kart series.
Golden Dash Cup Courses:
- Paris Promenade (Mario Kart Tour)
- Toad Circuit (Mario Kart 7)
- Choco Mountain (Mario Kart 64)
- Coconut Mall (Mario Kart Wii)
Lucky Cat Cup Courses:
- Tokyo Blur (Mario Kart Tour)
- Shroom Ridge (Mario Kart DS)
- Sky Garden (Mario Kart: Super Circuit)
- Ninja Hideaway (Mario Kart Tour)
When it's all said and done, the Mario Kart 8 Deluxe Booster Course Pass will add a whopping 48 new tracks to the game, bringing the total number of tracks to nearly 100.
The third free DLC made available with a Nintendo Switch Online Expansion Pack subscription is Splatoon 2's Octo Expansion. While Splatoon 2 is primarily a multiplayer game, Splatoon 2's Octo Expansion features a new single-player story all about an Octoling named Agent 8. The Splatoon 2: Octo Expansion was considered a solid expansion to the base game when it was first released, so it should make a solid new addition to the Switch Online Expansion Pack for those that have never played it before.