During last week’s Nintendo Direct, we learned that two new consoles will be added to the Nintendo Switch Online service through an expansion pack upgrade. In late October, we’ll be able to start playing a selection of Nintendo 64 and SEGA Genesis games on the Switch.
Nintendo 64 makes sense because it was the next main console sequentially after the NES and SNES. The Genesis, however, is a lot more surprising, as it wasn’t even a Nintendo console. That being said, it was a nice surprise to see that we’ll be able to play those games on NSO soon.
We already have information about what the launch N64 and Genesis games will include, as well as some that will be added to the service over time. NES and SNES games had been added over the course of time as well, so we expect the same will be true for these.
Here are 10 N64 and Genesis games (five from each console) that we hope will be added to Nintendo Switch Online before too long.
N64: Pokemon Stadium 1 & 2
Many of us who grew up with the Nintendo 64 have fond memories of playing both Pokemon Stadium games. It was the first time that players could have actual Pokemon battles on the TV screen, which was especially cool because Pokemon from the Game Boy could be transferred to Stadium.
Battling in Pokemon Stadium on Nintendo Switch Online would be a fun, nostalgic throwback to the days of generation one and two, but there’s an even greater reason why we want to see these games on the service: both versions offered multiplayer in battles and in mini-games, which would make it fun to hop online to challenge our friends.
Genesis: Altered Beast
Altered Beast was a unique and memorable addition to the Genesis that had the player traveling through Ancient Greece to rescue Athena from the ruler of the underworld.
What made this game special was that you had the ability to transform into various magical creatures, such as a bear, tiger, or even a dragon during your quest. This kept the combat interesting throughout its five levels. Also, up to two players could team up to play simultaneously, making this another great addition for the NSO service.
N64: Goldeneye 007
Goldeneye 007 was the best split-screen multiplayer game back in the Nintendo 64 days; there was just no other competition. Of course, there was a campaign based on the James Bond film of the same name that featured single-player missions and stealth elements, but the real fun was in the multiplayer.
Because of the way it transformed the first-person shooting genre, Goldeneye 007 was met with universal praise and became the third best-selling N64 game. It was developed by Rare, which makes us worried there could be licensing issues that could prevent it from being on the service; however, since Banjo-Kazooie was also teased, perhaps this won’t be an issue after all.
While we’re at it, let’s also add Goldeneye 007’s spiritual successor, Perfect Dark, to Nintendo Switch Online as well.
Genesis: Earthworm Jim
Earthworm Jim is a totally bizarre concept for a game: you play as a human-like worm in a spacesuit who shoots enemies with his ray gun. As silly as as the game is, the platforming is top-notch, and the series has a long-lasting legacy. The game has a great sense of humor, poking fun at a lot of the clichés and tropes of other 90s video games.
Earthworm Jim debuted on the Genesis, so even though the game was eventually ported to the SNES, it’s only fitting that it appears on Nintendo Switch Online’s Genesis library. In fact, we think it would be pretty groovy if it did.
N64: 1080° Snowboarding
There’s no good snowboarding game for the Switch, and there needs to be. Honestly, few games on Nintendo consoles have come close to the brilliance of 1080° Snowboarding, so if we can’t beat it, let’s just bring back the original.
1080° Snowboarding had a variety of characters you could play as, each with different abilities, and the game had both trick modes and racing modes. There were additional characters and boards to unlock, and the soundtrack was super catchy. Although this N64 game didn’t have a ton of unique content, it still provided hours of fun, and it would make a great addition to NSO since it’s still one of the best snowboarding games to this day.
Genesis: Mortal Kombat
One of the two kings of fighting games in the 90s was Mortal Kombat, and to this day, it holds one of the most powerful legacies in the entire genre. Although Mortal Kombat was released on both the Genesis and the Super Nintendo, everybody knows that the Genesis version was clearly superior.
Nintendo had heavily censored the blood and gore in the SNES release of the game, while the Genesis version showed the violence in all its glory. Nowadays, Nintendo seems to be a bit more relaxed when it comes to violence on their platforms, so perhaps we could finally see the superior version of Mortal Kombat on a Nintendo system via the Genesis NSO library.
N64: Wave Race 64
The Nintendo 64 was full of brilliant racers, and one of the best released shortly after the console’s launch. Wave Race 64 was a unique take on the genre, letting players race on jet skis instead of in cars, and the game featured surprisingly realistic physics and interesting water courses.
Of course, like in most other racers, there was a great multiplayer mode that Nintendo Switch Online could take advantage of. What sets Wave Race 64 apart from others was the mechanic of gaining speed by passing through buoys in the water. This required fairly accurate precision while racing through the courses in order to go fast enough to pass the competition.
Genesis: Kid Chameleon
In Kid Chameleon, you played as a boy named Casey who shapeshifts in a virtual reality game called Wild Side in order to beat the boss and rescue kidnapped players.
What makes Kid Chameleon stand out is the considerable length of the game: it features 103 levels in which Casey can use various masks to turn into different characters in the game. He takes on unique forms with a multitude of abilities and weapons that help him along his quest. This provides a fresh experience in each level over the course of the game.
N64: Diddy Kong Racing
Move over, Mario Kart: many fans of Rare’s Diddy Kong Racing on the Nintendo 64 maintain that it outclasses Nintendo’s racer in nearly every possible way: vibrant graphics, eclectic character selection, and of course its story mode.
Diddy Kong Racing’s story mode is something that the Mario Kart franchise has never even come close to touching. Players had to defeat the evil Wizpig in a series of races using cars, hovercrafts, and airplanes in order to save the island.
Even though Mario Kart 64 is an excellent racer that is already confirmed for the N64 NSO library, Diddy Kong Racing is absolutely needed simply for the story mode alone.
Genesis: ToeJam & Earl
ToeJam & Earl featured two rapping aliens of the same name who crash-landed on Earth and had to find the missing parts to their ship; they were humorous and quirky as they parodied 80s and 90s urban culture, providing one of the most unique experiences on the Genesis at the time.
The series was a bit slow to start but eventually became a cult classic with memorable humor and a funky soundtrack. It also featured randomly generated levels along with two-player cooperative modes. ToeJam and Earl along with its successful sequel, Panic on Funkotron, would be welcome editions to the Genesis NSO library.
Images credit: MobyGames
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