At the latest Nintendo Direct presentation, Nintendo revealed its plans for expanding the Nintendo Switch Online service through what it's calling the Expansion Pack. The Expansion Pack for the Nintendo Switch Online is pricier than the normal subscription tier, but it comes with some added benefits. For example, those that subscribe to the Nintendo Switch Online Expansion Pack will get instant access to nine Nintendo 64 games at the end of October, including some of the console's most well-regarded titles.
Unfortunately, a specific release date for the Nintendo 64 Switch Online games has not been announced at the time of this writing. Not only that, but fans also have no idea how much the higher subscription tier is going to cost them. But we do know the nine Nintendo 64 games that will be a part of the initial lineup, and since these games have all been out for decades now, we know about how long it takes to beat each one.
How Long to Beat is a website that aggregates how long it takes people to beat games and then comes up with an average number of about how long each game takes to complete. With that in mind, here's how long it takes to beat all of the Nintendo 64 games coming to the Switch Online Expansion Pack according to How Long to Beat.
Dr. Mario 64 (1.5 Hours)
Dr. Mario 64 is a tile-matching puzzle game, serving as a remake of the original Dr. Mario game for the NES and Game Boy. Dr. Mario 64 didn't earn the best reviews at the time of its release, but it's still become a fan favorite thanks to its addicting stages and variety of game modes. Since Dr. Mario 64 is a puzzle game, it technically doesn't take very long to "beat" it, but it's likely that players will get a lot more time out of it than many of the other games in the lineup due to its high replay value.
According to How Long to Beat, it takes 1.5 hours to "beat" Dr. Mario 64. Puzzle game enthusiasts can check out the game's Classic, Story, Vs., Flash, Maraton, and Score Attack Modes, and as long as they find it fun going for high scores, it should keep them busy with awhile. The Nintendo Switch Online Expansion Pack supports online multiplayer, and while specifics weren't mentioned, it's quite possible that this means Dr. Mario 64 multiplayer will be online now as well, so that should boost its replay value even further.
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (26.5 Hours)
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time is often hailed as one of the best video games ever made, having earned near-universal perfect scores when it originally launched and still held up to this day as an example of gaming at its best. Its inclusion in the initial Nintendo Switch Online Expansion Pack lineup is great, and it should prove to be a huge selling point for those who aren't sold on the higher-tier service.
Beating The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time takes an average of 26.5 hours. Of course, this doesn't take into account those Ocarina of Time players who strive for 100% completion and attempt to hunt down all the collectibles. Doing that will take some real dedication without using a guide, but overall Nintendo Switch Online Expansion Pack subscribers should definitely get their money's worth with Ocarina of Time, especially if they are going for 100% completion.
Mario Kart 64 (5 Hours)
Like Dr. Mario 64, Mario Kart 64 is a game that can technically be beaten in a short amount of time, yet may still get played more than many of the other, longer games on the list. Completing Mario Kart 64's single-player races takes an average of 5 hours based on How Long to Beat's data, but Mario Kart 64's real value doesn't come from its Grand Prix races. Mario Kart 64's multiplayer is what will occupy most players' time, whether they're playing in 4-player split-screen or against others online. The prospect of being able to play a classic multiplayer game like Mario Kart 64 online has to be enticing for those that grew up playing the game, and it will definitely be exciting to see how big of a hit it is once the Switch Online Expansion Pack launches in late October.
Mario Tennis (9 Hours)
Mario Tennis is yet another Nintendo 64 game coming to Switch Online that is going to give players significant bang for their buck, but not due to how long it takes people to "beat" its career mode content. On average, "beating" Mario Tennis will take about 9 hours for most players, but it's likely that fans will play the game a lot longer than that thanks to its addicting multiplayer modes. And thanks to the Nintendo Switch Online Expansion Pack's new bells and whistles, Mario Tennis multiplayer will even be playable in an online capacity, essentially strapping a rocket to its replay value and sending it to the moon.
While there have been numerous Mario Tennis games released since the original, including a Mario Tennis Switch game, the original Mario Tennis on the Nintendo 64 still stands out as the best of the bunch. In fact, Mario Tennis on the Nintendo 64 is one of the highest-rated Mario sports games made to date, and this could be because it wasn't too bogged down with gimmicks and the idea was still fresh. Mario Tennis fans and fans of tennis in general should get a lot more than nine hours of playtime out of this one.
Sin and Punishment (2 Hours)
Sin and Punishment is easily the shortest Nintendo 64 game coming to the Switch Online Expansion Pack, but a game of its nature doesn't really need to be long. Sin and Punishment is a rail-shooter game, which is built to be completed fairly fast and with replayability in mind, and so one can beat its story in 2 hours without much trouble. It was originally never released for the Nintendo 64 outside of Japan, but it finally got a localization with the introduction of the Wii Virtual Console back in the day. Considering this, there is likely still a large number of players that have yet to ever play Sin and Punishment and may not know what the fuss is about, so it should definitely be worth checking out for those players. Plus, it has a co-op mode as well, though it's unclear if that co-op mode will be getting the same online treatment as the multiplayer modes for the other Nintendo 64 games.
Star Fox 64 (2 Hours)
When one thinks of Nintendo 64 games with classic multiplayer, they often think of Mario Kart 64, GoldenEye 007, and Star Fox 64. A reboot of the original Star Fox game that released for the Super Nintendo, Star Fox 64 retells the original story with a lot more flair and action, though players will be able to get through Star Fox 64's story mode within 2 hours. When they're done with that, the focus will be entirely on its immensely entertaining multiplayer mode, which should be even more difficult to put down now that there's online support and always people to play with.
Star Fox 64 multiplayer features four players battling it out in Arwing spaceships and Landmaster tanks. They can also fight each other outside of their vehicles as various members of the Star Fox 64 roster with bazookas as their primary weapons. Star Fox 64 multiplayer included three different game modes, and it will be interesting to see if all of them are playable online once the game comes to the Switch Online Expansion Pack in late October.
Super Mario 64 (12 Hours)
Mario's first 3D adventure sees Nintendo's iconic plumber hunting down stars in a variety of different stages, with the stars becoming increasingly more difficult to obtain as the game goes on. Those who want to "beat" Super Mario 64 can do so with the minimum number of stars in about 12 hours, but there's a lot more to the game besides just reaching the end credits. Unlocking all of the stars in Super Mario 64 is the ultimate 3D Mario challenge, and it's still a lot of fun to do to this day. Some fans may have already done this recently thanks to the Super Mario 3D All-Stars collection on the Switch, but those who haven't revisited Super Mario 64 in decades should definitely consider playing it first out of the available games since it was a launch title for the console.
WinBack: Covert Operations (14 Hours)
Out of all the Nintendo 64 games confirmed for the Switch Online Expansion Pack, one of the most surprising was WinBack: Covert Operations, as it definitely does not have the same level of fame as the other games in the lineup. However, WinBack: Covert Operations deserves its place in gaming history, as it innovated the third-person cover system that was later mimicked by games like Resident Evil 4 and Gears of War. It's a third-person shooter with a story campaign that takes about 14 hours to complete, plus a versus multiplayer mode for fans to check out as well.
Yoshi's Story (2.5 Hours)
Nintendo has a solid track record of dealing high-scoring games when it comes to its first-party titles, though Yoshi's Story is one of the rare exceptions to that rule. Yoshi's Story earned mixed reviews at the time of its original release, mainly due to its incredibly short length at just 2.5 hours on average and for its low difficulty level. It's unlikely that Yoshi's Story will experience some newfound praise with its debut for Switch Online, but it could make for an interesting distraction one afternoon. Yoshi's Story's art style is definitely still worth checking out, even if its gameplay isn't going to blow anyone away.
Total Average Playtime: 74.5 Hours
Source: How Long to Beat