Nintendo Switch Online has announced a significant expansion of Nintendo 64 games, but a few classics have yet to be accounted for. Thus far NSO’s Nintendo 64 collection has included a good amount of quality games, as well as famous titles like Super Mario 64 and Mario Kart 64. Despite this, a few big games from the console’s lifespan still haven’t had the opportunity to return to the spotlight.
Thanks to Nintendo Switch Online, several Nintendo 64 games are available to anyone with a subscription to the Expansion Pack tier. Most of the main attractions so far are Mario titles, as well as both Legend of Zelda games for the N64. A recent Nintendo Direct also revealed that the Mario Party and Pokémon Stadium games are coming to NSO within the next year, adding two of the Nintendo 64’s biggest series to the roster. While there have been some rather obscure games released for Nintendo Switch Online thus far, most of the Nintendo 64 games on the roster are well-known, highly regarded, or both, making it one of the service’s stronger catalogs.
Nintendo Switch Online could give its Nintendo 64 emulation a boost by adding a few games that have yet to be announced for the service. One some level, it’s a surprise that these games are still missing from NSO. Considering their quality, one can hope that they will be the next big announcements for the service.
Diddy Kong Racing Is One Of The N64’s Best Racing Games
Almost every time a game in the kart racing genre comes out, it will inevitably be compared to Mario Kart. In almost every instance of this, the other games end up looking like unpolished and unimpressive Mario Kart clones. Diddy Kong Racing, on the other hand, not only manages to be of similar quality to Mario Kart 64, but it has its own set of unique quirks that granted the game its own charm in a crowded genre.
Diddy Kong Racing is a competently designed racer, with a solid set of tracks, characters, and items. One of the things that sets it apart is its three types of vehicle, allowing the player to race in karts, hovercrafts, or planes depending on the track. This gives the game something unique that other racing games lacked at the time. Diddy Kong Racing also had a rather lengthy adventure mode, tasking the player to explore an island and beat every track in each world to challenge their respective bosses, all leading to a final showdown with the villainous Wizpig.
A Diddy Kong Racing sequel would be excellent rival to Mario Kart, but an NSO port would also be acceptable. As one of the few kart racers not stuck in Mario Kart‘s shadow, Diddy Kong Racing has gameplay that not only still holds up, but one could honestly argue that it may even be better than Mario Kart 64. Bringing Diddy Kong Racing to Nintendo Switch Online would give players the chance to decide for themselves which N64 kart racer is superior.
Perfect Dark Is Nintendo 64’s Other Great FPS
The most recent update for Nintendo Switch Online was capped off by the announcement that GoldenEye 007 would be coming to NSO. GoldenEye was not only one of the Nintendo 64’s biggest titles, but one of the first great console shooters in general. The fact that GoldenEye is getting a Switch port isn’t a surprise with that in mind. In fact, GoldenEye is so famous that one may forget that the Nintendo 64 had another fantastic first-person shooter developed by Rare. That game was Perfect Dark.
Perfect Dark stars Joanna Dark, a shadowy secret agent who finds herself on missions that see her contending with unscrupulous corporations as well as invading aliens. Perfect Dark also has a place in history, being the first M-rated title ever distributed by Nintendo. The game gave players a wide arsenal of weapons, backed up by responsive and enjoyable gameplay in the same vein as GoldenEye, which makes sense as the game was built on the same engine. Players who liked GoldenEye would find a lot of the same things to like about Perfect Dark, just in a slightly bloodier, sci-fi themed package. Even if GoldenEye on Switch disappoints players, Perfect Dark could be the improvement that they’re looking for.
Unfortunately, the failure of Perfect Dark Zero rendered the series dormant, although the announcement of a reboot in 2020 gives hope that the series may have a chance to return. SInce Goldeneye is confirmed to be coming to Nintendo Switch Online, it would only make sense to add Perfect Dark as well. That way, both of the Nintendo 64’s best shooters would be playable in one place.
The Original Super Smash Bros Started One Of Nintendo’s Biggest Franchises
Super Smash Bros. is one of the biggest franchises that Nintendo has created. A massive crossover fighting game between various properties from Nintendo and beyond, it has proven to be one of the most ambitious projects in gaming. Every Super Smash Bros. so far has been bigger than the last, but one can’t forget how the series got its start on the Nintendo 64. With Sakurai no longer posting daily Smash Bros screenshots, fans would likely welcome some good news.
The original Super Smash Bros. on N64 is rather humble compared to its later installments, with a base roster of 8 characters with 4 more being unlockable. Despite its smaller scale, it still had all the elements to lay the groundwork for the series. The platform-based fighting and large movesets were there from the start, and a pitched fight is still as wonderfully chaotic as it always was. It can be fun to look back at the original and see where it all started, as well as how much has changed since it came out way back in 1999.
With Super Smash Bros. being the juggernaut of a series that it is for Nintendo, porting the first game in the series to the Switch would be a good move even though it doesn’t have Smash Bros.‘ most difficult characters. Old school players would probably be glad for another opportunity to play, while newer players could see where it all began. Bringing Super Smash Bros. to NSO would be a good way to give one of the N64’s most influential games its due.
Nintendo Switch Online has done a decent job of providing quality Nintendo 64 games, but there are still more that can be added. Nintendo has yet to add all the console’s biggest classics, so there is still more work that could be done. Hopefully these missing titles can find their way to Nintendo Switch Online soon.
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