Next Nintendo 64 games announced for Switch Online, including GoldenEye
posted Sunday Sep 18, 2022 by Scott Ertz
One of the best parts of the Switch Online and Switch Online + Expansion Pack is the games that are available. For those who do not have the original classic hardware and games, it's a great way to easily play some of the top games of the past. For those of us who do have the classic hardware and games, it still brings new capabilities to those older games, like online multiplayer. That's why it's always exciting when Nintendo announces new games coming to the platform, and this batch is no different.
What's coming next?
The first batch of games, arriving later this year, come directly from the best parts of the Nintendo 64 vault. First is Pilotwings 64, which is always a good time. However, the real excitement comes from the release of Mario Party and Mario Party 2. For many in the Nintendo 64 generation, the beginning of the Mario Party franchise was among the best of the best. Over the years, the games have lost a lot of their charm (until the most recent entry in the series), but the original few games were really fantastic.
However, the game coming after that one is the most important on the list: GoldenEye 007. This is, without question, the pinnacle of the Nintendo 64 console. Whether you liked Bond stories or not, even if you never saw the accompanying movie, nearly everyone who ever touched an N64 played and loved GoldenEye 007. And, as is common with these Switch Online releases, we're getting a new capability: an online multiplayer.
The original title was all about multiplayer with a limitation of the era - you had to be in the same room to play. Of course, this can also be seen as a benefit, as it required people to spend time together in order to play. The new version with online multiplayer brings the game into the modern era, while also losing just a little bit of its charm. Nintendo says GoldenEye 007 is "coming soon."
Games coming later
Following the initial batch of titles comes Mario Party 3 and the first and second Pokemon Stadium titles. The Pokemon franchise has seen a resurgence in recent years with new styles of play being introduced, such as with Pokemon GO bringing the franchise into the real world, and Pokemon Unite introducing 5 versus 5 competitions. As such, bringing back some of the earlier games makes a lot of sense.
In the sports game category, Nintendo will also be bringing titles like 1080 Snowboarding and Excitebike 64 to subscribers. Both of these games were more niche than their Mario Party and Pokemon counterparts, but were still incredibly popular. We've also seen a return to game styles like 1080 Snowboarding, which was an offshoot of the skateboarding games, in recent years. These games will be coming in 2023.
Of course, all of this requires the Expansion Pack, which costs $50 per years for individuals and $80 per year for families. Which title are you most excited to see added to the Switch Online lineup?
