I think Nintendo Switch Online’s expansion pack membership is fantastic value on Switch 2
GameCube games and Switch 2 editions of both Zelda games at launch? Yes, please!
Amid all the buzz of the newly revealed Nintendo Switch 2, the price of software has been a sore point of discussion (and peripherals too, let’s be fair – £75 for a new pro controller? Ouch). It’s looking like physical games are going to cost more than digital, while more souped up Switch 2 editions of older games will also cost to upgrade. And am I really going to pay full whack for Cyberpunk 2077, which will be almost five years old at this point?
While everyone’s busy with accusing Nintendo of greed and hubris – perhaps fairly, perhaps not – I think we’ve overlooking the real bargain in this whole proposition: the Nintendo Switch Online and expansion pack membership, of which Switch 2 owners stand to benefit even more from.
It probably needs a rename, much like how the Nintendo Switch Online App became the simpler Nintendo Switch App, but there’s no denying how the Expansion Pack tier has continued, well, expanding since its 2021 introduction. First it added a growing library of classic N64 and Mega Drive games, and then later Game Boy Advance games, on top of the Gamer Boy and Game Boy Color titles available for base tier members.
A back catalogue of legally emulated games might not do it for everyone, but including select DLC for first-party games is undeniably good value. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe’s Booster Course Pass essentially gave us a full game’s worth of new tracks.
The library is admittedly slimmer than those offered through PlayStation Plus or Xbox Game Pass, but an annual membership is far cheaper: $50/£35, or 83¢/62p per person per month if you get creative and have seven other people as part of the ‘family account tier. That’s just a ridiculous bargain, made even better by Nintendo continuing to expand the offering with Switch 2.
Existing expansion pack members will get – at no additional cost – access to classic GameCube titles on their new hybrid handheld, as well as select Switch 2 edition upgrades free (provided you already own the original Switch 1 version). That means day one owners can look forward to visually improved, buttery smooth updates to Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom, along with Wind Waker, Soulcalibur 2 and F-Zero GX. An insanely great start even without buying any new games.
Emulation hasn’t been without issue on Switch 1. I just can’t get over the sharpened visuals on N64 games that don’t match my memory of how those games looked back then. But giving sixth-gen classics upscaled resolutions and faster loading times will definitely make them feel a lot better to play. I’ll also appreciate being able to make save states anywhere with F-Zero GX.
Mainly I’m delighted this quirky console’s library is finally going to be available to modern audiences. I almost thought it’d never happen, seeing as Nintendo has gotten into a habit of porting or remastering GameCube greats – and then charging full price for them. But now there’s a possibility of the deeper cuts making a return. The insanely rare Chibi-Robo! Plug Into Adventure! was already pictured in the line-up of future additions, but what about Doshin the Giant, Eternal Darkness, even Capcom curio P.N.03? Heck, with the emphasis on GameChat, it would be perfect to add Phantasy Star Online Episode I & II!
Making Switch 2 edition updates available for free with the expansion tier could then be the icing on the cake for those with a big library of OG Switch games.
Admittedly some clarity from Nintendo on whether subscribers will get all Switch 2 editions, or just some of them, would be nice. It’d go some way to quelling the outrage over the costly updates coming for Super Mario Party Jamboree and Kirby and the Forgotten Land, which are largely seen as lightweight budget fare. But including free upgrades to the two greatest Zelda games of all time – indeed greatest games of all time, period – is definitely an encouraging start. We’ll have to see how that is rolled out in the following months.
So sure, £75 for a physical copy of Mario Kart World might seem too much, and charging you for the privilege to play a console tech demo is also a kick in the teeth when Astro’s Playroom comes pre-installed with every PS5. But the Nintendo Switch Online and Expansion Pack really does sweeten the pill. Let’s just hope Nintendo doesn’t jack up the price – or follow Netflix by cracking down on what constitutes family groups – further down the line.
Alan Wen
