Nintendo Switch Online is the subscription service for owners of, you guessed it, the Nintendo Switch. The portable games console’s snazzy membership club launched properly in September 2018, and, although membership isn’t essential to enjoying the Switch, it does connect you to some pretty cool stuff.
In terms of pricing, single-user membership to Nintendo Switch Online is priced on the official Nintendo website at £3.49 for one month, £6.99 for three months or £17.99 for a year. There is also an option to spend £31.49 for a family of up to eight members to have access to the service for a year. Alternatively, you can buy a membership through Amazon, which can be a bit cheaper depending on the retail giant’s current pricing fluctuations.
As for perks, members of Nintendo Switch Online can use online multiplayer features on a vast selection of games. They can also make the most of cloud saves and exclusive offers, as well as communicating through voice chat on the Nintendo Switch Online mobile app.
We’d argue, though, that the coolest thing about Nintendo Switch Online is the library of games from the NES era that it allows you to play on your Switch. In this article, we’ll keep tabs on what NES games are available through Nintendo Switch online, starting with the next titles for this month…
New NES games on Nintendo Switch Online in January 2019
Zelda II – The Adventure of Link
Arriving on Nintendo Switch Online on January 16th, Zelda II: The Adventure Of Link is a side-scrolling RPG/platformer that first released on the NES in 1987. It’s the sequel to The Legend Of Zelda, which arrived on NES in 1986 and is already available on Nintendo Switch Online. In terms of story, Zelda II takes place several years after the first game, putting you in the shoes of a 16-year-old Link who is (as usual) on a mission to save Princess Zelda.
Fun fact: until Breath Of The Wild came out, Zelda II was the only direct sequel to the original Legend Of Zelda game. All the others were prequels or alt-universe adventures.
Blaster Master
Also on January 16th, members of Nintendo Switch Online will be granted access to Blaster Master, a run-and-gun/platformer title from 1988 which went on to spawn both sequels and spinoffs. You’ll play as a chap named Jason, who follows his pet frog underground and ends up in a tank battling eight levels of radioactive mutants. The game was renowned for its difficulty and lack of save points, so prepare to have fun with that!
Note: Players in Japan will also get access to Joy Mech Fight through Nintendo Switch Online from January 16th.
Nintendo Switch Online games: the full existing library of NES games on the service
Prior to the addition of those two new titles, this impressive list of games was already added to Nintendo Switch Online. And they’re still available now…
Adventures of Lolo
Balloon Fight
Baseball
Donkey Kong
Double Dragon
Dr. Mario
Dr. Mario SP
Excitebike
Ghosts’n Goblins
Gradius
Gradius SP
Ice Climber
Ice Hockey
Mario Bros.
Metroid
Metroid SP
Mighty Bomb Jack
NES Open Tournament Golf
Ninja Gaiden
Pro Wrestling
River City Ransom
Soccer
Solomon’s Key
Super Dodge Ball
Super Mario Bros.
Super Mario Bros. 3
Tecmo Bowl
Tennis
The Legend of Zelda
The Legend of Zelda SP
TwinBee
Wario’s Woods
Yoshi
And that’s your lot! We’ll keep this article updated as Nintendo adds more NES games to Nintendo Switch online…