Nintendo Switch Fans Return to 1996 With New N64 Surprise

Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch Lite, and Nintendo Switch OLED users have been surprised with a new N64 release that brings nostalgic Nintendo gamers back to 1996. And unlike most N64 surprises on the Nintendo Switch, this one is not locked behind a Nintendo Switch Online subscription, though it is less consequential than an N64 game.

Back in 1996, the likes of Super Mario 64, Resident Evil, Tomb Raider, Crash Bandicoot, Wave Race 64, Sid Meier’s Civilization II, Star Ocean, Quake, Wipeout XL, Pokemom Red/Gree/Blue, PaRappa the Rapper, Realms of the Haunting, Soul Edge, Command & Conquer: Red Alert, Duke Nukem 3D, Street Fighter Alpha 2, Virtua Fighter 3, King’s Field III, Dead or Alive, Nights Into Dreams, Blazing Heroes, and more released. It wasn’t the most stacked year in gaming history, but by the standards of the mid 90s it was.

Not only did 1996 introduce mega franchises like Resident Evil, Crash Bandicoot, and Tomb Raider, but it featured one of the most seminal video game releases of all time: Super Mario 64, which was the introduction of 3D gaming for many.

One of the most iconic elements of Super Mario 64 is its music. Those looks for that rush of nostalgia, to pair with the game being available via Nintendo Switch Online, can now check out Super Mario 64 via Nintendo Music, as it was officially added this week.

It joins the following games in Nintendo Music: The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword, Wave Race 64 (N64), Splatoon 2 (Switch), Brain Age: Train Your Brain in Minutes a Day (DS), F-Zero X (N64), Wii Sports (Wii), Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy’s Kong Quest (SNES), Super Mario Bros. Wonder (Switch), Animal Crossing: New Horizons (Switch) , Wii Channels (Wii), Donkey Kong Country (SNES), Super Mario Odyssey (Switch), Super Mario World 2: Yoshi’s Island (SNES), Super Mario Galaxy (Wii), Super Mario Bros. (NES), Star Fox 64 (N64), Splatoon 3 (Switch), The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (N64), The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (Switch), Dr. Mario (Game Boy), Tomodachi Collection (DS), Nintendogs (DS), Pikmin 4 (Switch), Fire Emblem: The Blazing Blade (GBA), Pokemon Scarlet and Violet (Switch), Kirby’s Dream Land (GB), Kirby Star Allies (Switch), Mario Kart 8 Deluxe (Switch), Metroid (NES), Metroid (Famicom), and Metroid Prime (GameCube). The games appear in the order they were added.

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