Yesterday, during a new Nintendo Direct, Nintendo announced that Nintendo Switch Online was expanding from just Nintendo Entertainment (NES) games to both NES and Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES) games, meaning each month going forward Nintendo Switch Online subscribers will be able to play select SNES games on their systems. That said, moments ago, the first batch of SNES Nintendo Switch Online games went live, adding 20 “classic” SNES titles to the system for Switch owners to download and play right now. In Japan, the Super Famicon version is also now live. And for the first time ever, you can play all 20 games online and use voice chat via the Nintendo Switch smartphone app.
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“Conquer classics such as Super Mario World, Super Metroid, The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past. Depending on the game, you can engage in online competitive or co-op multiplayer, or take turns controlling the action,” writes Nintendo of the new offering. “Need back up? Then team up in cooperative games like Brawl Brothers and Joe & Mac 2: Lost in the Tropics. You can also compete against a friend in Super Mario Kart, Kirby’s Dream Course, and even Stunt Race FX โavailable for the first time since its original 1994 release! Friends can even watch each other play single-player games online, and virtually ;pass the controller’ at any time. Every classic Super NES game included in this collection will support voice chat via the Nintendo Switch Online smartphone app.”
For those that missed the announcement completely yesterday, here are the 20 games now available for free, if you’re subscribed to Nintendo Switch Online, which runs at $20 a year:
- Super Mario World
- Super Mario Kart
- The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past
- Super Metroid
- Stunt Race FX (Available for the first time since its original Super NES release!)
- Kirby’s Dream Land 3
- Super Mario World 2: Yoshi’s Island
- Star Fox
- F-Zero
- Pilotwings
- Kirby’s Dream Course
- Brawl Brothers
- Breath of Fire
- Demon’s Crest
- Joe & Mac 2: Lost in the Tropics
- Super E.D.F. Earth Defense Force
- Super Ghouls’n Ghosts
- Super Puyo Puyo 2 (Available for the first time in the U.S.!)
- Super Soccer (Available for the first time since its original Super NES release!)
- Super Tennis (Available for the first time since its original Super NES release!)
As you can see, there’s a ton of classics here, and you can only enjoy them on Switch via Nintendo Switch Online. There’s no other way to play the games, which aren’t for individual purchase. Meanwhile, a special SNES Nintendo Switch controller is also in the works that will allow you to play the games like you did all those years ago. Again, this controller is only available for Nintendo Switch Online subscribers.
SNES controller for Nintendo Switch Online exclusive to NSO cusomters pic.twitter.com/crj3JLvrWZ
โ Nintendeal (@Nintendeal) September 4, 2019
For more news, media, and information on Nintendo Switch — and all things related to the Nintendo console — be sure to peruse all of our previous and extensive coverage of the system by clicking right here.