After a wait that seemed endless, the Nintendo Switch Online offer will get better. The manufacturer announced a great novelty in its Direct: the arrival of the Nintendo 64 and Genesis consoles in emulation.

This addition is part of the Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack initiative, a boosted version of the online subscription that will be rolled out at the end of October.

Here are the nine games that will be part of the initial selection on Nintendo 64:

  • Dr. Mario 64
  • Mario Kart 64
  • Mario Tennis 64
  • Sin and Punishment
  • Star Fox 64
  • Super Mario 64
  • The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
  • WinBack
  • Yoshi’s Story

Here are the games that will be added later for the Nintendo 64 on the service:

  • Banjo-Kazooie
  • F-Zero X
  • Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards
  • mario-golf
  • Paper Mario
  • Pokémon Snap
  • The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask

Now here are the first 13 Sega Genesis games coming to Nintendo Switch Online:

  • Castlevania: Bloodlines
  • Counter: Hard Corps
  • Dr. Robotnik’s Mean Bean Machine
  • Ecco the Dolphin
  • Golden Axe
  • Gunstar Heroes
  • M.U.S.H.A.
  • Phantasy Star IV
  • Shining Force
  • Shinobi III: Return of the Ninja Master
  • Sonic the Hedgehog 2
  • Streets of Rage 2
  • Strider

Special pre-order controllers

Along with adding two classic consoles to its service, Nintendo has announced that subscribers will be able to pre-order wireless controllers resembling the original Nintendo 64 and Sega Genesis console controllers. These wireless controllers can be used to play these classic games. Details on the suggested retail price or their release date will be communicated later.

Let's just hope it won't be too difficult to get them: I already feel that the N64 controller will be very coveted, especially knowing that some games like Mario Kart 64 will be playable with several people (up to four players for this example!) and online for the very first time.

What price to pay?

One thing is clear: the cost of the Nintendo Switch Online Expansion Pack will be a bit higher. Right now, the price for 12 months is $24.99 plus tax (individual subscription).

How much are two more consoles worth? If that's really the only incentive to shell out a premium subscription, I expect a difference of a handful of dollars: $29.99 plus tax at most. On the other hand, if Nintendo pulls a rabbit out of its hat and offers other exclusives, the estimate no longer holds. We won't have to wait very long to get to the bottom of it!