Sonic the Hedgehog voice actor Ben Schwartz called on Nintendo to expand its library of retro games on its Switch Online service in a tweet shared on Wednesday. The comedian expressed a desire for more NES and SNES titles for the Switch, a platform that has kept a rather sparse collection of older titles even with three years on the market.
With much of the American population keeping outside activity to a minimum to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus COVID-19, Schwartz made the argument that there's no better time than the present for Nintendo to expand the small offerings present on Switch Online, which hasn't quite held up the strong legacy of the company's Virtual Console offerings on the Wii and Wii U.
Fellow comedian Mike Drucker poked fun at the contradictory nature of the Sonic actor wanting to play games for the SNES, the Sega Genesis' biggest rival at the height of the early 1990s console wars. Schwartz responded by pointing out Sonic's own appearances on the Switch in Sonic Mania and Super Smash Bros.
Nintendo's schedule for adding retro games to the on-demand Switch Online library is less consistent now than at the service's launch. The company originally added two NES games to the lineup on a monthly basis, but as the number of platforms has expanded to include the Nintendo 64 and SNES, the content offerings have slowed down. Even as one of the less expensive gaming subscriptions on the market, Switch Online's game lineup has been somewhat lacking compared to offerings like PS Plus and Xbox Game Pass.
The Sonic movie has proven to be a surprise hit for Paramount Pictures and Sega, making more than $300 million at the box office worldwide since its Valentine's Day debut. Schwartz's performance in the film as Sonic has certainly been a contributing factor, bringing the same silly charm to the role as his previous work in shows like Parks and Recreation, DuckTales and Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.
While Sonic the Hedgehog has only been out for a month, it's possible that the COVID-19 pandemic could push Paramount toward a home video and digital release much earlier than usual, as other recent releases like Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, Emma, and Bloodshot have sped up their schedules to accommodate hesitant audiences.