In concept,Nintendo Switch Onlineshould be an excellent service, especially for players who grew up with older consoles like the Game Boy or NES. Unfortunately, aside from a few major hits that were added to the service a while ago, NSO continues to underwhelm with its game offerings, making its worth questionable. The four most recent games to be added are a perfect example of this, considering the games we’re still waiting for.
NSO’s New Game Boy Games Miss The Mark
Nintendo Added Four Underwhelming Games To NSO
Yesterday, Nintendo shared an NSO update on theirYouTubechannel, previewing four new Game Boy games.These games wereSurvival Kids,Gradius: The Interstellar Assault,Kirby’s Star Stacker, andThe Sword of Hope. I don’t want to be too harsh on any of these games specifically, and I’m sure they could be fun (thoughKirby’s Star Stackeris essentially just Kirby-themedTetris).Gradius: The Interstellar Assaultis a side-scrolling shooter from a pretty prolific series, andSurvival Kidsspawned a series of games that will be returning this year for the Switch 2.
While these games aren’t exactly the bottom of the barrel for Game Boy titles, they also aren’t major hits.There are still plenty of Game Boy games that are likely much higher on players' wishlist than this new offering from NSO. Yet, for some reason, Nintendo seems reluctant to put big games on the service.
Nintendo Is Shying Away From Big Hits For NSO
Major Retro Games Are Still Absent
Perhaps the most glaring example of big Game Boy games that aren’t in the NSO catalog are thePokémongames.It would be especially nice to getPokémon GoldandSilver, seeing as the original cartridges don’t work anymore. Looking at the Game Boy Advance, it’s also disappointing to see that we haven’t gotten any of the mainlineFinal FantasygamesorFinal Fantasy Tactics.
Now, it’s entirely possible that some of this could be out of Nintendo’s hands, and I could see a company like Square Enix not wanting their games on NSO for free, especially when theFinal Fantasy Pixel Remasterseries is for sale on the Switch. Still, it’s disappointing to see certain big games not getting released on NSO,especially when they were previously available on Nintendo’s Virtual Console for the Wii U. For example,Donkey Kong 64was available on the Wii U, but still hasn’t made it to Nintendo Switch Online.
Nintendo Switch Online Doesn’t Yet Compete With Game Pass Or PS+
Nintendo Switch Online Is Cheaper, But Doesn’t Offer Nearly As Much Value
Now, it may not initially seem fair to compare Nintendo Switch Online to other services like Game Pass or PlayStation Plus. After all,it is less than half the cost annually of these other services, even if you have the Expansion Pack. That said, it also doesn’t come close to offering the same sort of value as these other services. Game Pass often gets brand-new games, includinggreat titles likeClair Obscur: Expedition 33andAvowed. While I’ve found PlayStation Plus to be a bit less valuable than Game Pass, its catalog still has big hits likeUncharted 4.
I have a lot of nostalgia for old Nintendo games, and I honestly wouldn’t mind paying a bit more forNintendo Switch Online, if it meant it would be on par with something like Game Pass or even PlayStation Plus. The best thing I can say about my NSO subscription right now is that it might get me a Switch 2 a bit earlier, though I’m still waiting for my invite. There’s a limit to how long I’ll pay an annual fee to play the same handful of games, so I hope Nintendo can add something better soon.
