Nintendo Switch Online has been launched with a massive library of games. One of the features that players have been looking forward to is playing Nintendo 60Hz games on their Nintendo Switch. It looks like there is some good news for those who were hoping to play these N64 titles in English. The announcement made by Nintendo states that all N64 games will only be playable at 60Hz and in English language versions when they are played through the subscription service.
Nintendo UK has announced that European customers will choose PAL versions of various titles to play in other languages. Nintendo did not specify which games would include this feature.
Nintendo revealed plans to offer N64 and Sega Genesis (Sega Mega Drive in Europe) titles to its Switch Online service “in late October” during a Nintendo Direct late last month. Super Mario 64, Dr. Mario 64, Star Fox 64, Sin and Punishment, Yoshi’s Story, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, Mario Tennis, Mario Kart 64, and WinBack were among the games featured in Nintendo UK’s announcement.
Paper Mario, The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask, Pokemon Snap, Banjo Kazooie, and other good online casino games like blackjack and roulette will be added in the future by Nintendo. The subscription service presently has games for both the original Nintendo Entertainment System and the Super Nintendo Entertainment System. The games for the N64 and Genesis will be an additional payment on top of the current subscription.
Many European fans were concerned when Nintendo announced the N64 titles that they would be limited to the 50Hz PAL versions of the games released in Europe.
For those unfamiliar, ancient tube TVs in Europe (and other parts of the world) were PAL TVs, which displayed images at 50Hz rather than the 60Hz of Japanese and North American NTSC TVs. European versions of games on older consoles, up until about the PlayStation 2 era, operated at reduced frame rates to accommodate this. Modern flat-panel screens, which will be used to play Switch Online games, eliminate the need for this adjustment. Users were concerned about European Switch Online because when Nintendo re-released old titles on the Wii and Wii U’s Virtual Console, they were 50Hz.
Importance of Nintendo Switch Online N64 games to be in the English version
According to the Japanese eShop, every game under “Nintendo Entertainment System – Nintendo Switch Online” is compatible with Japanese, Spanish (European), English, French, German and Italian. The following NES games are compatible with the various languages:
• Balloon Fight
• Dr. Mario
• Donkey Kong 3: Double Barrel
• Donkey Kong Jr.
• Ice Climber
• The Legend of Zelda
• Pro Wrestling
• Super Mario Bros.
• Nintendo Switch Online NES app icon is an actual NES controller.
It begs whether or not these additional languages are exclusive to the Nintendo Switch Online service or affect that specific app. As of right now, this is an open question.
The Nintendo Switch is region-free, allowing gamers to play games from other regions on their systems. It will likely continue with the Nintendo Switch Online service if these NES games indicate what to expect.
Nintendo is also promising that all of the games under “Nintendo Entertainment System – Nintendo Switch Online” will be 60Hz. Meaning that they will run at the original speed as they did on the NES. Nintendo never released 60Hz versions of any N64 games, but it is possible with fan-made patches if you want to play them at their original speed.
However, the question remains whether the subscription fees are worth it for what appears to be access to some NES games with online features. Paying $20 a year doesn’t seem like an optimal deal when Nintendo recently added online multiplayer and voice chat through Splatoon 2, which was free.
At least we know that the service will include every single N64 game Nintendo has ever published. Nintendo recently confirmed that Super Smash Bros. and other N64 games would be getting online multiplayer through the service. However, it’s unclear if we’ll be able to play them in additional languages like Japanese.
What is Nintendo subscription plan?
During a surprise Nintendo Direct event on Sept. 23, the company announced a new membership tier for Nintendo Switch Online that includes the option to play vintage N64 and Genesis titles both online and in a four-player local co-op.
Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack, which will be released in late October, will include a variety of fan favorites from the 32-bit and 64-bit gaming eras, including Super Mario 64,
Nintendo claims the plan will be available for new and existing online service members, but no price for the new service has been announced. Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, Streets of Rage, Sonic the Hedgehog 2, and Star Fox 64.
Nintendo is releasing two new wireless versions of the Nintendo 64 and SEGA Genesis controllers to coincide with introducing the new subscription tier, which will retail for $49.99 (about £35, AU$70) at launch.
There are rumblings that adding additional games to the service doesn’t its value, but without a price tag, fans may be concerned about how much more they’ll have to pay to gain access to the larger collection of titles.
Nintendo Switch Online’s pricing is currently nowhere near that of PlayStation Plus or Xbox Game Pass Ultimate / Xbox Live Gold, so this is a chance for Nintendo to raise the price while providing a little more content.
There is something to smile about to the news: Nintendo has already announced intentions to add more titles to the service, including other N64 classics like Banjo-Kazooie and F-Zero X, which should help justify the monthly fee.
Conclusion
The Nintendo Switch Online service will offer a library of 20 N64 games, with the majority being 60Hz, English language versions. These features make this subscription well worth it for any fan of classic video games and those who want to play multiplayer on their device.