What is Nintendo Switch Online?

If you’ve been thinking about buying a Nintendo Switch recently, you may have come across Switch Online. Here is everything you need to know.

In this day and age, it feels like new games drop almost every week, from triple-A blockbusters to small indie games, it can be really hard to know which titles are worth your time.

That’s why Nintendo, as well as other companies like Sony and Microsoft, have started to come up with subscription models, allowing players to access myriad games for a set price. For Nintendo, this is where Nintendo Switch Online comes in.

If you’re interested in knowing even more about Nintendo Switch Online, including what games you can play, make sure you keep reading.

What is Nintendo Switch Online?

Nintendo Switch Online is essentially the equivalent of Xbox Game Pass and PlayStation Plus Premium, being a paid subscription service that gives you access to more features than a regular user, as well as access to various games.

It also is essential to play online multiplayer modes, meaning you will need a Switch Online membership to play Mario Kart 8 Deluxe against your friends online, although it isn’t needed for local multiplayer modes.

Other benefits include being able to automatically back up your game data on the Save Data Cloud, meaning that all your game data is safe and sound, even if you lose or damage your console. It gives users access to the dedicated Switch Online app (available on App Store and Google Play), which has special features for certain games, like Animal Crossing: New Horizons.

Plus, players can enable voice chat in compatible games using the app, giving users the ability to easily chat with friends as they play.

Finally, a Switch Online membership entitles players to exclusive games and game trails, as well as a range of offers that is only available to members.

How much is Nintendo Switch Online?

You can utilise Switch Online no matter which console you have, as it is supported on the vanilla Nintendo Switch, as well as the Switch OLED and Switch Lite. You can also check out our top Switch console list, if you’re interested in buying a Nintendo console for yourself and want to see how they stack up.

And if you’re interested in subscribing to Switch Online, Nintendo does offer a free seven-day trial to new members, meaning you can enjoy a week of the service before committing to the paid version.

There are two membership options, and you can find the pricing and details below.

Prices for an Individual Membership (for a single account):

• 1 month: $3.99/£3.49/€3.99
• 3 months: $7.99/£6.99/€7.99
• 12 months: $19.99/£17.99/€19.99
• 12 months with Expansion Pack: $34.99/£34.99/€39.99

Prices for a Family Membership (up to 8 accounts)

• 12 months: $34.99/£31.49/€34.99
• 12 months with Expansion Pack: $79.99/£59.99/€69/99

What is the Nintendo Switch Online Expansion Pack?

As you may have noticed from the pricing list, there is an Expansion Pack option on top of the standard Switch Online membership. The Expansion Pack gives you the same benefits as the standard membership as well as the ability to play a growing library of classic Nintendo 64 and Sega Mega Drive games.

This is ideal for anyone interested in some nostalgic titles from Nintendo, with games like Super Mario 64 and The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time being available to play.

Purchasing the Expansion Pack also gives users access to 48 remasted courses from across the Mario Kart series in the Mario Kart 8 Deluxe game. Six waves will be released separately, all with eight courses included. All the waves and courses will be released by the end of 2023.

This is also available to be purchased sepereately, through the Booster Pack, which does not require an Expansion Pack.

There are features available for other popular Switch games, like Animal Crossing: New Horizons and Splatoon 2 within the Expansion Pack, giving users more content that is not available without otherwise purchasing separate booster packs.

What games are included on Nintendo Switch Online?

There is an ever-growing library of games available on Nintendo Switch Online, with titles from NES and Super NES included.

Check out the NES games included in Switch Online at the time of writing below:

• Adventures of Lolo
• Balloon Fight
• Baseball
• Blaster Master (+ SP version)
• City Connection
• Clu Clu Land
• Crystalis
• Daiva Story 6: Imperial of Nirsartia
• Dig-Dug II
• Donkey Kong
• Donkey Kong 3
• Donkey Kong Jr.
• Double Dragon
• Double Dragon II: The Revenge
• Dr. Mario (+ SP version)
• Earthbound Beginnings
• Eliminator Boat Duel
• Excitebike
• Fire ‘n Ice
• Ghosts’n Goblins (+ SP version)
• Gradius (+ SP version)
• Ice Climber
• Ice Hockey
• Journey to Silius
• Kid Icarus (+ SP version)
• Kirby’s Adventure (+ SP version)
• Kung-Fu Heroes
• Mappy-Land
• Mario Bros.
• Metroid (+ SP version)
• Mighty Bomb Jack (+ SP version)
• NES Open Tournament Golf
• Nightshade
• Ninja Gaiden (+ SP version)
• Ninja JaJaMaru-kun
• Pinball
• Pro Wrestling
• Punch-Out!!
• River City Ransom
• Rygar
• S.C.A.T.: Special Cybernetic Attack Team
• Shadow of the Ninja
• Soccer
• Solomon’s Key
• Star Soldier (+ SP version)
• Star Tropics
• Super Dodge Ball
• Super Mario Bros. (+SP version)
• Super Mario Bros. 2
• Super Mario Bros. 3
• Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels
• Tecmo Bowl
• Tennis
• The Immortal
• The Legend of Zelda (+ SP version)
• TwinBee (+ SP version)
• Vice: Project Doom
• Volleyball
• Vs. Excitebike
• Wario’s Woods
• Wrecking Crew
• Yoshi
• Zelda II: The Adventure of Link

And check out all the SNES games on Switch Online at the time of writing too:

• Bombuzal
• Brawl Brothers
• Breath of Fire
• Breath of Fire II
• Caveman Ninja (AKA Joe & Mac)
• Claymates
• Congo’s Caper
• Demon’s Crest
• Donkey Kong Country
• Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy Kong’s Quest
• Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong’s Double Trouble!
• Doomsday Warrior
• Earthbound
• Earthworm Jim 2
• F-Zero
• Fighter’s History
• Jelly Boy
• Joe & Mac 2: Lost in the Tropics
• Kirby Super Star
• Kirby’s Avalanche
• Kirby’s Dream Course
• Kirby’s Dream Land 3
• Operation Logic Bomb
• Magical Drop II
• Mario’s Super Picross
• Natsume Championship Wrestling
• Panel de Pon
• Pilotwings
• Pop’n Twinbee
• Preshistorik 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 IV
• The Ignition Factor
• The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past
• The Peace Keepers
• Tuff E Nuff
• Wild Guns

What games are included with the Expansion Pack?

As we’ve already mentioned, anyone with an Expansion Pack membership is privy to even more games.

Here are all the N64 games that you can play with the Expansion pack:

• Banjo-Kazooie
• Dr Mario 64
• F-Zero X
• Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards
• Mario Golf
• Mario Kart 64
• Mario Tennis
• Paper Mario
• Pokémon Snap
• Pokémon Puzzle League – coming 15 July 2022
• Sin & Punishment
• Star Fox 64
• Super Mario 64
• The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask
• The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
• WinBack
• Yoshi’s Story

And here are all the Sega Mega Drive and Genesis titles that you can play with the 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
• M.U.S.H.A.
• Phantasy Star IV
• Ristar
• Shining Force
• Shining Force II
• Shinobi III: Return of the Ninja Master
• Sonic the Hedgehog 2
• Sonic the Hedgehog Spinball
• Space Harrier II
• Streets of Rage 2
• Strider
• Super Fantasy Zone
• Sword of Vermilion
• Target Earth
• Thunder Force II
• Toe Jam & Earl
• Zero Wing