Nintendo has confirmed that both N64 and Sega Mega Drive (aka Sega Genesis in US) games will be heading over to the Switch.
These classic games will be offered through the Nintendo Online subscription service, similar to how you can currently access Nintendo’s SNES library on the Switch. However, you’ll need to subscribe to a new premium tier, called the Expansion Plan, in order to get access to N64 and Sega Mega Drive games.
Nintendo hasn’t revealed how much this Expansion Plan will cost just yet, but did explain that current subscribers will have the option to stick to their current plan or upgrade to the new tier once it becomes available in late October.
Nintendo has confirmed the following nine N64 games will be playable once the Expansion Plan launches:
- Super Mario 64
- Mario Kart 64
- Star Fox 64
- Yoshi’s Story
- The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
- WinBack: Covert Operations
- Dr. Mario 64
- Sin and Punishment
- Mario Tennis 64
Select N64 games will also offer local and online multiplayer functionality, so you can enjoy the likes of Mario Kart 64 with friends rather than riding solo.
More N64 games will follow in the future, with the likes of The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask, Pokemon Snap, Paper Mario and Banjo-Kazooie already confirmed.
Surprisingly, Nintendo will also be offering Sega Mega Drives as part of the Expansion Plan, with the following games coming to the service on day one:
- Castlevania: Bloodlines
- Contra: Hard Corps
- Dr. Robotnik’s Mean Bean Machine
- Ecco the Dolphin
- Golden Axe
- Gunstar Heroes
- Phantasy Star IV
- Ristar
- Shining Force
- Sonic the Hedgehog 2
- Streets of Rage 2
- M.U.S.H.A
- Phantasy Star 4
- Shinobi 3
- Strider
Nintendo will also be releasing N64 and Sega Mega Drive controllers for the Nintendo Switch, which will cost $49.99 each. Of course, these accessories will be optional, as you’ll be able to use your Joy-Cons or Pro Controller instead if you prefer.
Unfortunately, there was no indication from Nintendo that Game Boy and Game Boy Color games could be heading to the Switch too. However, Eurogamer sources suggest they will eventually arrive in the future.
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Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
