4 Most Surprising N64 Games Still Missing From Nintendo Switch Online

The Nintendo 64 released in 1996, making it the defining console many Millennials around my age grew up with. And some of the biggest and most beloved Nintendo games were released during this era, including The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time and the very first Super Smash Bros. Many of the biggest hits have since made their way to the Nintendo Switch (and Switch 2) by way of the Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack membership. But over its 5-year run as the primary Nintendo home console, the N64 saw quite a few bit hits. And that means some classics are surprisingly still missing from NSO’s lineup.

The first Nintendo 64 games arrived on Nintendo Switch Online back in 2021, when the Expansion Pack tier was first introduced. To get access to this console and all subsequent eras of Nintendo gaming, you do need to upgrade to this higher subscription tier. But for many, it feels worth it thanks to the lineup of N64 and now GameCube games on offer. However, there are a few surprising omissions from the service, even 5 years after it made its debut. Here are 4 N64 games that somehow still aren’t available via Nintendo Switch Online, and why that might be.

4) Hey You, Pikachu!

Hey You, Pikachu! released back in 2000, a few years after its debut in Japan. This is one of those games I never owned, but remember very fondly from renting it via Blockbuster. Oh, how my younger self coveted this game, which let you raise and interact with Pikachu via a special voice recognition attachment for the N64. Admittedly, this tech didn’t work very well, but it was a cool idea that felt ahead of its time. In the era of cozy games, this would be a fun Pokemon spin-off to revisit, but alas, it isn’t available via Nintendo Switch Online.

It’s very likely the voice recognition add-on that has kept this particular Pokemon spin-off from NSO. While the Switch 2 added a microphone, the original Switch didn’t have an easy integrated way for voice recognition to work in a game like Hey You, Pikachu! But given the popularity of Pokemon as a franchise, it’s still a bit surprising the game isn’t yet available on Switch. With the Switch 2 bringing in a built-in mic, I think it may only be a matter of time before this joins GameCube as a Switch 2 exclusive offering for NSO subscribers.

3) Diddy Kong Racing

This Donkey Kong spin-off arrived back in 1997 as an interesting parallel to Nintendo’s already successful Mario Kart series. Perhaps Diddy Kong Racing felt a bit derivative to some, but it was nevertheless a pretty fun racing game. Technically, this game was developed by Rare, but it was produced in partnership with Nintendo thanks to the use of the Donkey Kong IP. As such, it was exclusive to the N64 and later followed by an enhanced Nintendo DS re-release. So, it’s still a bit odd not to see Diddy Kong Racing on Nintendo Switch Online.

Even if we didn’t need another racing game with a Nintendo skin, Diddy Kong Racing sold incredibly well. In fact, it was one of the best-selling games during the N64 era, and most players genuinely enjoyed the game’s chaotic twist on racing. My best guess as to why it’s still absent from NSO in 2026 is due to its being developed by Rare, even if Nintendo did take over publishing rights for the DS version. Hopefully, the game will eventually join the NSO Classics lineup for N64.

2) Donkey Kong 64

Donkey Kong is one of Nintendo’s most recognizable characters alongside the likes of Mario and Link. And many prior Donkey Kong titles from other platforms are available on Nintendo Switch Online. We even had a new Donkey Kong game on Switch 2 late last year, which feels like it could’ve been the perfect opportunity to add this prior 3D Donkey Kong game to the N64 lineup for NSO. And yet, it remains strangely absent.

Donkey Kong 64 came out in 1999, giving players a new Donkey Kong adventure for the latest Nintendo console. Like Diddy Kong Racing, it was developed by Rare, but was published by Nintendo. It had one of the best soundtracks of its time, one that still routinely gets stuck in my head even though I exclusively played this platformer at a friend’s house. Despite its relatively mixed reception, this game is a piece of Donkey Kong history that deserves to be available on Nintendo Switch Online.

1) Super Smash Bros.

If any one game defined my time with the Nintendo 64, it is the original Super Smash Bros., hands down. Pikachu and I took down our fair share of opponents over the years, and it all started with the first N64 installment. The game that launched this popular fighting game series released in 1999 and spawned a whole new style of beat ’em up. Since the first game, we’ve seen many installments, most recently 2018’s Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. But even if the Switch has its own Super Smash Bros., that shouldn’t disqualify the original from being a part of the Nintendo Switch Online library.

Plenty of other series have new Switch games and classic versions available via NSO. So, that can’t be the reason why we’ve yet to have the joy of revisiting the original Super Smash Bros. on the Nintendo Switch. My best guess here would be licensing for some characters in the lineup that were removed from later games, though none immediately come to mind. That, or Nintendo is waiting for a big moment to add this one to the lineup of N64 games on Nintendo Switch Online. Perhaps when the new Super Smash Bros. finally gets announced?

What games are you surprised to see still aren’t in the N64 classics library? Leave a comment below and join the conversation now in the ComicBook Forum!

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