One of the features that make Nintendo’s new online service appealing is the stockpile of downloadable NES games provided with aNintendo Switch Onlinesubscription. Now that the service is live and the full list of available games has been revealed, it’s safe to say Nintendo is sticking to the classics for now. For those taking advantage of the 7-day free trial or purchasing a Nintendo Switch Online membership, here are the 20 NES games available now.
While there are a few exceptions, this is essentially a list of the fundamental 20 games that define the Nintendo Entertainment System. It has the originalMario Bros. and the quintessentialSuper Mario Bros 3, as well asZelda,Donkey Kong, andYoshi. Nintendo certainly covered their bases, but they also threw in a couple of surprises.
Perhaps unexpectedly, the Nintendo Switch Online’s launch selection of NES games includes more than its fair share of sports games. There’sSoccer,Ice Hockey,Baseball,Pro Wrestling,Tennis,Tecmo Bowl, andExcite Bike. The addition ofGradiusandRiver City Ransomalso came out of left field. While undeniably popular games,Double Dragon,Mega Man, orTeenage Mutant NinjaTurtleswould’ve been more obvious choices.
For those with concerns over playing NES games with a Nintendo Switch controller, fear not. Officially-licensedNES controllers for the Switchare available for pre-order to all Nintendo Switch Online members. To clarify, as of now the controllers can only be pre-ordered by those with a subscription to the Nintendo Switch online service. The Nintendo Switch NES Joy-Cons should ship in December 2018.
Nintendo Switch Onlineis live now and there is a 7-day free trial available to download today.
