Nintendo has finally revealed details about the upcoming Expansion Pack for Nintendo Switch Online, which will add more retro games to the existing line-up, as well as DLC for one of the biggest games on the system. The existing Nintendo Switch Online subscription is required for those who want to play games online on the system, and it comes with a number of benefits in the form of free DLC and retro games.
Nintendo Switch Online is considerably cheaper than PlayStation Plus or Xbox Live Gold, but it doesn't offer new games every month as those services do. Instead, Nintendo Switch Online subscribers have access to some of the best first-party NES and SNES games. Nintendo Switch Online also offers exclusive access to Tetris 99, which is one of the best multiplayer games of this current generation, as well as access to Pac-Man 99.
A lot of Nintendo fans expected Game Boy and Game Boy Color titles to join Nintendo Switch Online. Instead, Nintendo revealed during the September 2021 Nintendo Direct that the service will be receiving a paid premium tier, which will add games from other systems like the Nintendo 64 and Sega Genesis instead. A new trailer on the official Nintendo YouTube channel has revealed new details about the service, and fans are mixed about what is going on with the Expansion Pack.
N64 Games & Sega Genesis Switch Games Available At Launch
The big draw of the Expansion Pack is the inclusion of N64 and Sega Genesis games. These titles will come with save state functionality, as well as online multiplayer for supported games. The N64 games that will be included in the Expansion Pack at launch are Super Mario 64, Mario Kart 64, Star Fox 64, Yoshi's Story, Sin and Punishment, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, WinBack, Mario Tennis, and Dr. Mario 64. It was confirmed that other N64 games will be added to the service in the future, including The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask, F-Zero X, Mario Golf, Pokémon Snap, Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards, Paper Mario, and Banjo-Kazooie.
The Sega Genesis games coming to the Expansion Pack at launch are Sonic the Hedgehog 2, Streets of Rage 2, Ecco the Dolphin, Castlevania: Bloodlines, Contra: Hard Corps, Dr. Robotnik’s Mean Bean Machine, Golden Axe, Gunstar Heroes, M.U.S.H.A., Phantasy Star IV, Ristar, Shining Force, Shinobi III: Return of the Ninja Master, and Strider. It was confirmed in the trailer that more Sega Genesis games will have online multiplayer functionality and that more will be added to the service in the future.
Animal Crossing DLC With Nintendo Switch Online Expansion Pack
The most surprising revelation about the Expansion Pack is that it comes with the upcoming Animal Crossing: New Horizons Happy Home Paradise DLC included. The Happy Home Paradise DLC allows players to build vacation homes for different NPCs, which involves selecting the right island location and building the Animal Crossing character's dream home based on their specifications. The gameplay will be similar to Animal Crossing: Happy Home Designer on the Nintendo 3DS. The player can use Animal Crossing amiibo figures and cards to invite specific characters out to play. This DLC will also launch alongside a massive free expansion for Animal Crossing: New Horizons, which is adding a plethora of new customization options to the game.
The people who don't care about the N64 or Sega Genesis games can also purchase the Happy Home Paradise DLC on its own for $24.99 USD. It has also been revealed that people who receive the DLC through the Expansion Pack will be able to keep any DLC items they acquire if they let their subscription lapse. If Nintendo adds future DLC content to the Expansion Pack, then that would be a huge draw for the service. It's unclear what games would qualify for this, especially as Super Smash Bros. Ultimate is concluding its DLC soon. The Happy Home Paradise DLC will be available on November 5, 2021.
The Controversial Price Of Nintendo Switch Online's Expansion Pack
The price of the Expansion Pack has been released and fans are already in an uproar, as it's more expensive than expected. A solo twelve-month subscription to Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pass will cost $49.99/£34.99/€39.99, while a family membership costs $79.99/£59,99/€69.99. The family membership can be spread across 2-8 people, making it the best value option for people with lots of Switch-owning friends and relatives. The people with an existing subscription to Nintendo Switch Online can upgrade to the Expansion Pass model at a discounted rate, with the value of the discount equaling the amount of time left on the subscription.
The high price of the Expansion Pass (barring an eight-way split on the family membership plan) has caused a backlash from some Nintendo players. Many expected the price to be around ten dollars at most. The addition of the Happy Home Paradise DLC is a great bonus, but not all Nintendo Switch Online members are fans of Animal Crossing: New Horizons. If more DLC was bundled in with the Expansion Pack, or there was some assurance that all first-party DLC in the future was going to be included in the future, then that would be one thing. As it stands, the Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pass is now close to that of the annual price for PlayStation Plus and Xbox Live Gold, and both of those services offer contemporary games as monthly incentives. It's up to each fan to decide whether the N64 and Sega Genesis games are worth the price of the upgrade. Luckily, this isn't a mandatory price hike, so fans can still claim the existing Nintendo Switch Online subscription at its low price, with its NES and SNES games and access to online multiplayer.
The Release Date Of The Nintendo Switch Online Expansion Pack
The Nintendo Switch Online Expansion Pack will be released on October 26, 2021. This is a particularly odd move by Nintendo in terms of how it relates to those who have subscribed to Nintendo Switch Online since the beginning. The Nintendo Switch Online service launched on September 18, 2018. In the past, Nintendo Switch Online added SNES games shortly before the original annual subscriptions were due, to incentivize people to re-sub. It would have made a lot more sense to launch the Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack before the annual subscriptions were due again, as there would have been more incentive to sign up for the new package if a new sub was due anyway. A lot of players who regularly use the online will have already re-subbed, so it may be easier for them to ignore the Expansion Pack.
The Nintendo Switch Online Expansion Pack will be available on October 26, 2021.
Source: Nintendo/YouTube