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Nintendo Switch Online Service: More Details Revealed In Nintendo Direct

Nintendo sheds some more light on Switch's premium online service.

By Kevin Knezevic on September 17, 2018 at 8:28AM PDT

Nintendo devoted a portion of its Direct presentation last week to sharing more information on its upcoming paid online service for Switch. The service will begin rolling out for players this week, on September 18 (September 19 in Europe and Japan), and now we know a few more details about its classic games library and other perks.

As previously revealed, while online services have been free on Switch since the console launched in March 2017, you'll need to have a Nintendo Switch Online subscription in order to play games such as Splatoon 2 and the upcoming Super Smash Bros. Ultimate against other players online going forward. Many of these games will receive additional features via the Nintendo Switch Online smartphone app. Splatoon 2 players, for instance, are able to access SplatNet 2 on the app--a service that allows them to view stats, the stage rotation schedule, and order gear to pick up in the game.

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Now Playing: All Of The Games, Release Dates, And News From Today's Nintendo Direct - GS News Update

In addition to online play, a Nintendo Switch Online subscription grants you access to a library of classic NES games. Nintendo says this lineup will be expanded with new titles on a regular basis, but at launch, it will feature 20 classic games, each of which features some form of added online play. The company revealed the first half of the launch lineup back in May, and now we know the full list of games that will be available on day one:

Soccer
Tennis
Donkey Kong
Mario Bros.
Super Mario Bros.
Balloon Fight
Ice Climber
Dr. Mario
The Legend of Zelda
Super Mario Bros. 3
Double Dragon
River City Ransom
Ghosts 'n Goblins
Tecmo Bowl
Gradius
Pro Wrestling
Excitebike
Yoshi
Ice Hockey
Baseball

In addition to those games, Nintendo will introduce more titles to the library each month. In October, Solomen's Key, NES Open, and Super Dodge Ball will be added; November will bring Metroid, Mighty Bomb Jack, and TwinBee; and December's batch includes Wario's Woods, Ninja Gaiden, and Adventures of Lolo. You can find more details about the NES library on Nintendo's website.

Switch Online subscribers will also receive other benefits, such as cloud saves. This won't work with all titles--the upcoming Pokemon RPGs, Let's Go, Pikachu and Let's Go, Eevee are among the games that won't support the feature--but it will be available for most Switch titles. Subscribers will also receive "special offers" on the Eshop, although Nintendo says it will share more details about that in the future.

Nintendo Switch Online subscriptions can be purchased in one-month (US $4 / £3.49 / AU $6), three-month (US $8 / £7 / AU $12), and 12-month (US $20 / £18 / AU $30) increments. Nintendo is also offering an annual Family Plan for US $35 / £31.49 / AU $55, which allows up to eight Nintendo Account holders in the same family group to take advantage of the service, even across different Switch consoles. You'll be able to try the service for free for seven days when it launches.

September 2018 Nintendo Direct News

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Service is near worthless and they deliberately gated features that should be bog standard for everyone. Pathetic.

2 • 6 years ago

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They had me at Super Dodge Ball. Dammit... I really didn't want to pay for this...

Upvote • 6 years ago

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Edited By BDRTFM

Letting people play online for free for almost 2 years was a huge mistake. If you're going to start making people pay for online, it should be done at the launch of a new console. Still don't see how they can get away with requiring people to pay for an online service with no dedicated voice chat. Using a smartphone? Really? If any of the other 2 console manufacturers tried that, oh boy. I also find it hard to believe that any serious Nintendo fan doesn't own multiple copies of most of those free games already. I know I do. Seems to me they decided on this online service way late in the production of the Switch or more likely, after the release of the Switch. Hence the half-baked release. There are more reasons not to get the service than there are reasons to get it. Cloud saving that only works for certain games, Splatoon 2 not being one of them. Whaaaaat? So the second best feature of the service is not even for all games because: possible cheating by editing your save and uploading it to the Cloud. Alrrrigghhty then. Just think about the many implications of that for a second.... No dedicated servers. At all. No dedicated voice chat. Seriously, they should be paying us to use this service.

3 • 6 years ago

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the online service is lackluster and a big disappointment. I am already able to play online for almost 2 years know for free and now i have to pay for it, they are not offering nothing substantial i mean the nes games are ok but at this point in time this should be nes snes n64 gamecube wii. come on!! nes only? its just weird.

4 • 6 years ago

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Nice touch with the NES games, people whining about paying for this service, why?

Unless you're on a pc all the other platforms are doing it and have been for ages.

At least we got a year free and a larger collection of subscription "free" games with it.

Why should the Nintendo platform be any different to its competitors with regard to the paying to play online?

Upvote • 6 years ago

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@itchyflop: You are missing a lot of few details. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=pyPPyTXGO20

This video explains very well why most people are upset with the Nintendo’s online service.

4 • 6 years ago

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Edited By itchyflop

@LtEarth: just watched the vid now and yep understand now, thanks for posting.

Forgive my ignorance!!!

Upvote • 6 years ago

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@LtEarth: and do you think it’s gonna change anything?

Upvote • 6 years ago

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Still absolutely no reason to pay for Nintendo's multiplayer ransom, I refuse to call it a service. The NES games are fine but seriously this is 2018, I'd prefer a couple of NES and a Switch game as 'freebies'.

4 • 6 years ago

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@risingdawn: are you paying for the other subscription based services such as ps plus ?

Upvote • 6 years ago

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@itchyflop:

Nope

4 • 6 years ago

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@risingdawn: so by definition you dont even play multiplayer games then only single player?

If so fair enough, dont get me wrong i hate paying for it and iv come away from ps plus and focused on the single player aspect, also having kids meant its quite sporadic when i do get to play and for how long, so for me its a waste fo time at the moment, however i do miss the spontaneity of other human gamers.

If your happy with single player or local on the switch with the few that are so be it.

:)

Upvote • 6 years ago

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@itchyflop: I'm not dumb enough to pay for multiplayer, hence when I play games multiplayer - I do so on PC.

2 • 6 years ago

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Edited By itchyflop

@Thanatos2k: there must be a lot of “dumb” people out there, playing the exclusive Games on their PlayStations and Xbox’s, not available on the master race !!

ha that’s ur choice, if u feel ur not missing out so be it, but god of war for example is fantastic!!

Upvote • 6 years ago

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Edited By Thanatos2k

@itchyflop: Half the population is below average intelligence, after all.

Besides, exclusive games are rarely the ones worth playing multiplayer. God of War, for example, does not charge me a dime extra to play it.

2 • 6 years ago

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Edited By itchyflop

@Thanatos2k: Ha in your opinion............of course.

I think its more than half the population playing on console based multiplayer games, unless the figured audience are playing fortnite, then i will agree with you, that is dumb!

:)

Upvote • 6 years ago

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Edited By Thanatos2k

@itchyflop: No, it's a fact that God of War never charged me extra to play it.

2 • 6 years ago

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@Thanatos2k: I was referring to your intelligent assumption!

Upvote • 6 years ago

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@itchyflop: Uh...that's also a fact.

2 • 6 years ago

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@Thanatos2k: Are you for real !!!!!

:)

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@itchyflop: I'm not into competitive multi-player really no. I like some co-op games, but I prefer them local co-op which Nintendo continue to do fantastically in comparison. I always play Monster Hunter online though, so I have payed for online while I played World and then cancelled after.

With Switch it's biggest benefit to me is it's handheld, drop when the kids or missus needs something, which is lots, and then pick up half hour later for a bit more.

And I can play with the kids or mates on the TV like 4 player on loads of games. Nintendo didn't really need lock the few games you even need multiplayer on behind a pay-wall in my opinion. Especially not without a substantial benefit, it's called a service for a reason.

4 • 6 years ago

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@risingdawn: Again why should Nintendo be any different from the other console based online play subscription service that started a while ago, wasn't it xbox classic with an annual fee?

I dont like it but i knew i had to arrive at some point, thats one of the reasons i left the Microsoft platform.

Their a business first and for most im sure i dont need to tell you the aspects of that, its a trend unfortunately and has been for a while.

Im grateful for the "free" time we did have, but i totally agree with you, i for one will not be paying either.

:)

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So many games! Too little time and money..

3 • 6 years ago

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freedom01 Moderator

NES only? It would have been nice if they would add SNES also, even nicer if they could also add N64.

5 • 6 years ago

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@freedom01: This, I expect to see the SNES expansion announced next year.

2 • 6 years ago

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I loved, LOVED Mario Tennis Aces, but it was completely and utterly ruined by it being peer to peer. If they don't provide servers for their games and charge me £19 for the privilege of playing them as I have for the last year and a half, they can go to hell.

3 • 6 years ago

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Heard they are going to do P2P servers so that is why it is cheap. please let it be just rumors

Upvote • 6 years ago

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I wonder how long it'll stay $20. Maybe I should buy 3 years at once before they go up like everything else!

Upvote • 6 years ago

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@aproxinate: I figure the price wont change until they announce dedicated servers and other incentives for a price hike. I'm guessing it won't happen for a while.

Upvote • 6 years ago

Use your keyboard!

ESC

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