The latest Nintendo Direct has just wrapped up, bringing over 40 minutes of new announcements for fans to delve into - and those with an attachment to the Nintendo 64 could be particularly excited about some of what was shown. From huge reveals likeThe Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom,Octopath Traveler 2, andFire Emblem: Engage, to smaller announcements likeFae FarmandIt Takes Two, there was something for everyone intoday’s Nintendo Direct. This includes fans of classic games, as Nintendo announced a slew of classic N64 titles that are heading toNintendo Switch Online’s Expansion Packover the next year or so. However, despite all of them being huge hits, there are still a few major N64 games that aren’t yet present.
During the Direct, Nintendo announced that thefirst twoMario Partygames, along withPilotwings 64, would be heading to the Switch Online Expansion Pack in 2022, whileMario Party 3, bothPokemon Stadiumgames,1080 Snowboarding, andExcitebike 64are heading to the premium subscription service in 2023. The announcement ended with the confirmation thatGoldenEye 64would also be heading to Switch Online, being the cherry on the cake of major additions to the service. However, some fans' favorite N64 games are still missing from the list.
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Major N64 Titles That Still Aren’t On Nintendo Switch Online
Licensing is always a tricky issue when it comes to porting classic games to new consoles. While Nintendo can port its own classic titles to wherever it’d like, whenever it would like, it can’t do the same for licensed games. Licensed games often require a lot of behind-the-scenes effort to secure, as well as a hefty amount of money, and for most cases it just isn’t worth it. But then again, many fans thoughtGoldenEyewould never come to Switch Online, so there could be hope for games likeStar Wars: Rogue Squadron.
One of the earliest 3D Star Wars games,Rogue Squadronis a certified N64 classic, even if it’s often overshadowed by its GameCube successors.Rogue Squadron’s accessible but engaging dogfighting mechanics, solid sound design, and unique mission objectives make it a standout on the N64, and it is deserving of a port to the Switch.Star Wars: Shadows of the Empireis another solid N64 classic. Though it hasn’t aged quite as well asRogue Squadron,Shadows of the Empireis one of the N64’s few third-person shooters that isn’t entirely unplayable.Shadows of the Empirealso has the first instance ofa 3D battle of Hoth, so it provides a neat little history lesson for Star Wars fans as well.
When fans think back to the N64, there’s one developer that stands out clearly, being a defining voice of the platform right alongside Nintendo itself: Rare. WhileBanjo-Kazooieis already available on the Nintendo Switch Online Expansion Pack, andGoldenEyeis heading to it in the near future, Rare has a shockingly low presence on the subscription service right now. One glaring absence on Switch Online’s current N64 line-up is Rare’sGoldenEyesuccessor,Perfect Dark. Improving on the groundbreaking FPS mechanics found inGoldenEye,Perfect Darkis a timeless classic and one of the N64’s most important titles. As such, not having it onNintendo Switch Onlineis an absolute crime. A few other classic Rare titles are also missing from the current N64 roster, including the hilariously crudeConker’s Bad Fur Dayand the surprisingly complexDiddy Kong Racing.
