Nintendo Switch Online

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The Nintendo Switch Online is Nintendo's online service that was specifically launched for the Nintendo Switch and is Nintendo's third online service, following the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection and Nintendo Network. Unlike the past online services provided by Nintendo, this one requires a subscription fee. The subscription service did not launch until September 2018, prior to which the Switch's online could be used for free. There was also a companion app on the Smartphone that was launched in July 2017. A higher-tier service, known as "Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack", went live in October 2021. The Expansion Pack had a higher price and had no effect on the service's quality, but came with more bonus features. Both versions of the service come with a number of features, including access to apps containing games from past systems that had previously been covered by the Virtual Console program in past systems.

Features

The basic feature of the online service is enabling online play for nearly all titles on the Nintendo Switch. The only games that can be played online with a subscription are some free-to-play online games such as Fortnite Battle Royale and games that have been published in China. Subscribers also have access to cloud storage for save data on most games, and voice chat is possible through the phone app. The console app for the service also offers 'missions' that can be completed to earn Nintendo platinum points that can be put into buying special user icons in addition to being put towards other digital or physical items from Nintendo. The missions consist of playing certain games or doing other actions on the Nintendo Switch.

The service has also been accompanied by a number of bonus offers, including access to certain games without any extra charge. This includes several apps containing games from past systems such as the NES and the Super NES. It also includes some special battle royale games that were available exclusively through the service: Tetris 99, Super Mario Bros. 35 (only avaailable from October 2020 through March 2021), Pac-Man 99 (discontinued in October 2023) and F-Zero 99. Nintendo also regularly holds game trials in which subcribers can have free access to a game over the course of a set one-week period. The player has access to the entire game and, should they choose to purchase the game, their progress would transfer over. Another deal that has been made available has been that of Nintendo Game Vouchers, which are available for 100 dollars and can be put towards two eligible games (which can save the player money depending on the selling price of the games chose). Subscribers also have access to special offers such as special controllers for the Nintendo Switch that are replicas of controllers from past systems: NES, Super NES, Nintendo 64 and Sega Genesis (or the Mega Drive controller in Japan).

The Expansion Pack version of the service has two primary perks. One of it is access to more retro game apps (for the Nintendo 64, Sega Genesis and later the Game Boy Advance), and the other is that it allows subscribers free access to the DLC of certain games (specifically Animal Crossing: New Horizons, Splatoon 2 and Mario Kart 8 Deluxe) for as long as the subscription is active.

Game Apps

As one of the service's features, players can download apps that act as digital libraries through which they can freely play certain games for as long as the subscription is active. This essentially acts as a successor to the Virtual Console program from past Nintendo systems. Games with multiplayer options can be played either locally or online, and each game comes with the option to set save points and rewind progress as quality-of-life features. Sometimes SP versions of games are released, which are the same game but in which progress has already been made and/or some features have already been unlocked.

When the service launched in September 2018, the NES app was the first on made available. The Super NES app was launched on the service's first anniversary in September 2019. The Expansion Pack service was launched on October 25, 2021, and with that the Nintendo 64 and Sega Genesis apps went live. In February 2023, apps for the Game Boy (including Game Boy Color games) and Game Boy Advance both went live, with the Game Boy app being part of the basic subscription plan while the Game Boy Advance was added to the Expansion Pack offerings.

Each app has been updated with additional games at an irregular rate. In most cases, games are released in all regions at the same time, unless otherwise noted. There are also some games that only been made available in some regions (such as past Fire Emblem games remaining exclusive to Japan). In the following lists, dates will be left out for games that were available from the service's launch.

NES

The NES app launched with the Nintendo Switch Online service on September 19, 2018.

Super NES

The Super NES app went live on September 5, 2019.

  • Bombuzal (July 2021)
  • Brawl Brothers
  • Breath of Fire
  • Breath of Fire II (December 2019; February 2020 in Japan)
  • Claymates (July 2021; unavailable in Japan)
  • Congo's Caper (May 2022; unavailable in Japan)
  • Demon's Crest
  • Donkey Kong Country (July 2020)
  • Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest (September 2020)
  • Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie's Double Trouble (December 2020)
  • Doomdsay Warrior (February 2021; May 2021 in Japan)
  • EarthBound (February 2022)
  • Earthworm Jim 2 (March 2022; unavailable in Japan)
  • F-Zero
  • Fighter's History (July 2022)
  • Fire Emblem: Monshou no Nazo (September 2020, Japan only)
  • Fire Emblem: Seisen no Keifu (May 2021, Japan only)
  • Harvest Moon (March 2022 in Japan; June 2023 internationally)
  • The Ignition Factor (December 2020)
  • Jelly Boy (July 2021; unavailable in Japan)
  • Joe & Mac (May 2021)
  • Joe & Mac 2: Lost in the Tropics
  • Kirby Super Star (December 2019)
  • Kirby's Avalanche (July 2022)
  • Kirby's Dream Course
  • Kirby's Dream Land 3
  • Kirby's Star Stacker (July 2022 in Japan; September 2023 internationally)
  • Kunio-kun no Dodgeball da yo Zen'in Shuugou (December 2020, Japan only)
  • The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past
  • Magical Drop II (May 2021)
  • Mario's Super Picross (September 2020; December 2021 in Japan)
  • Natsume Championship Wrestling (July 2020; unavailable in Japan)
  • Operation Logic Bomb (May 2020; unavailable in Japan)
  • Panel de Pon (May 2020): This was the first time the original Panel de Pon was released internationally, albeit untranslated. It was released in place of Tetris Attack, possibly due to licensing issues with its title.
  • The Peace Keepers (September 2020; unavailable in Japan)
  • Pilotwings
  • Pop'n TwinBee (February 2020)
  • Prehistorik Man (February 2021; unavailable in Japan)
  • Psycho Dream (February 2021)
  • Rival Turf! (May 2022)
  • Side Pocket (March 2023)
  • Shin Megami Tensei (July 2020, Japan only)
  • Shin Megami Tensei II (February 2021, Japan only)
  • Shin Megami Tensei If... (July 2021, Japan only)
  • Smash Tennis (available from launch in Japan, for other regions in February 2020)
  • Spanky's Quest (May 2021; unavailable in Japan)
  • Star Fox
  • Star Fox 2 (December 2019): This marks the second time this title has been officially released, following its inclusion in the Super NES Classic, and it marks the first time the game is actually playable on a Nintendo system.
  • Stunt Race FX
  • Sugoi Hebereke (December 2020, Japan only)
  • Super Baseball Simulator 1.000 (May 2021; June 2023 in Japan)
  • Super E.D.F. Earth Defense Force
  • Super Ghouls 'n Ghosts
  • Super Mario All-Stars (September 2020)
  • Super Mario Kart
  • Super Mario World
  • Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island
  • Super Metroid
  • Super Punch-Out!! (December 2019; May 2020 in Japan)
  • Super Puyo Puyo 2
  • Super Soccer
  • Super Tennis (available from launch in all regions save Japan, where it was released in September 2020)
  • Super Valis IV (December 2020; unavailable in Japan)
  • Tuff E Nuff (December 2020; July 2021 in Japan)
  • Umihara Kawase (May 2022, Japan only)
  • Wild Guns (May 2020; September 2020 in Japan)

Game Boy

The Game Boy app went live on February 8, 2023 and contains both Game Boy and Game Boy Color games. This app included multiple display settings for games that could emulate how the games would look played on the original Game Boy, Game Boy Pocket and Game Boy Color.

Nintendo 64

The Nintendo 64 app went live on October 25, 2021. In Japan only, an 18+ version of the app was launched on November 30, 2023 for games that received Z rating from Japan's CERO rating board, such as Goldeneye 007 and Jet Force Gemini. This app is notable for containing some of Rare's non-Donkey Kong titles, which had not been made available on Nintendo's systems since Rare was bought out by Microsoft.

Game Boy Advance

The Game Boy Advance app went live on February 8, 2023.

Sega Genesis

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