Three Mega Drive classics are coming to the Nintendo Switch

Nintendo Switch Online continues to expand its catalog of retro games, becoming one of the main reasons to subscribe to the service. Although Nintendo itself supplies the bulk of these games, there are also interesting additions from people outside the big N. This is demonstrated by the new Mega Drive games that have already arrived on the service. Vectorman is a classic platform game from the console that, although not as well-remembered today, gracefully combines action with platforming. Narc offers us the classic action of games like Contra, taking it […]

Nintendo Switch Online continues to expand its catalog of retro games, becoming one of the main reasons to subscribe to the service. Although Nintendo itself supplies the bulk of these games, there are also interesting additions from people outside the big N. This is demonstrated by the new Mega Drive games that have already arrived on the service.

Vectorman is a classic platform game from the console that, although not as remembered today, gracefully combines action with platforms. Narc offers us the classic action of games like Contra, taking it to a top-down view, in a style of play just as frenetic, though a bit different. And Toejam & Earl in Panic on Funkotron is a cult classic, sequel to ToeJam & Earl, which, although not as good as the original, is very enjoyable in co-op.

The result is three good additions to the Nintendo Switch Online collection, offering a good dose of nostalgia for those who had a MegaDrive in their childhood. Or some interesting games to discover for those who never got to know them.

Mega Drive has never been as accessible as it is now

If you are interested in any of these three games, they are now available on Nintendo Switch Online. You only need the basic subscription to play Mega Drive games, so you have no excuse not to give them a try.

Nintendo Switch Online DOWNLOAD

Three Super Nintendo classics arrive on Switch

Nintendo Switch Online continues to grow, this time adding three very particular Super Nintendo games, but excellent ones.

The Nintendo Switch Online catalog continues to grow. Being able to play classic Nintendo games is one of the main selling points of this service, but for many people, they already have the essential games from their first consoles. However, for many others, this is where things get interesting. What titles will they choose when they have to make a less obvious selection? And the answer is excellent games and interesting rarities.

Nintendo Switch Online DOWNLOAD

This time, Nintendo Switch Online has received three Super Nintendo games. But far from being the typical titles that everyone has played, or at least knows, this time they are three more particular games. Because Super R-Type, Amazing Hebereke, and Wrecking Crew 98 are coming.

Super R-Type is a shooter game by Irem that is a partial port of R-Type II. Taking four stages from that game and adding three new ones, the result is a very different and much more difficult game. Partly due to the absence of save points, partly due to slowdowns when there were many sprites on screen. Now, without any of these issues as it doesn’t run on original hardware, the result is an excellent game that is an extraordinary successor to the first two R-Type games.

Amazing Hebereke is a game that would never leave Japan, until now. Part of the Hebereke! series, whose first title has recently received a sequel called Ufouria: The Saga 2, this is a unique fighting game with characters from the franchise. In 2D, it has important similarities with Super Smash Bros, as the goal is to defeat our opponents by throwing them off the stage. Not the best fighting game from Sunsoft, which is Waku Waku 7, but a very fun game to play in multiplayer.

Finally, Wrecking Crew 98 is another exclusive from Japan that is coming to the West for the first time. A puzzle action game, with a clear competitive tone, where we have to align three or more blocks to throw them at our opponent. With Mario characters as the main attraction, it is an extraordinary curiosity. Like all these games that Nintendo has introduced, right now, in Switch Online.

Nintendo Switch Online DOWNLOAD

The next game for Nintendo Switch Online is a cult classic from the now-defunct Rare

The next Nintendo Switch Online game is a cult classic from the extinct Rare, which even if it is not so remembered today, in its day it was a bomb

Nintendo works slowly, but it never stops working. The catalog of games offered by Nintendo Switch Online has been steadily growing month by month, albeit at a very slow pace, yet it has never stopped doing so. There are better ways to do it. They could make a more impactful move by choosing to do so. But we can’t deny that, in its own way, it hasn’t abandoned the idea it presented us with this particular service.

Today, Nintendo has announced that the next title coming to the Nintendo 64 app will be none other than Jet Force Gemini. A third-person shooter developed and published by Rare in 1999, which not only received excellent reviews but was also considered one of the best video games of the console at that time.

In Jet Force Gemini, players controlled the eponymous team of heroes who traveled through space to confront the invading hordes of Mizar, an insectoid who enslaved an entire alien race. With a blend of third-person shooter, shoot ’em up elements, and action-adventure in 3D environments heavily influenced by arcade games, Super Metroid, and Super Mario 64, the game was revolutionary for its time and the console. This uniqueness endeared it to many players, partly due to the ability to play cooperatively and competitively with up to four players—a rarity back then, outside a few titles.

Jet Force Gemini will arrive with the upcoming Expansion Pack for Nintendo Switch Online in December. Meanwhile, in Japan, they’ll have to wait a little less, as it’s set to be released on November 30th alongside Goldeneye 007, a game that’s already available in the rest of the world on the service.

Nintendo Switch Online DOWNLOAD

Nintendo will continue publishing games for the Switch even after its successor is released

Nintendo has said that with Switch they intend to break with the traditional idea of the life cycle of platforms, not without consequences

In the video game industry, we are accustomed to life cycles. When a console reaches the end of its lifespan, a new one emerges, rendering the previous one obsolete. Games stop being developed for it, and it fades into obscurity, becoming a collector’s item. This has always been the norm, driven by the relentless pace of technological advancement. Except that Nintendo has decided that things can be done differently.

Nintendo Switch Online DOWNLOAD

According to the Japanese company, they will continue releasing games for the Switch “without being tied to the traditional concept of the platform life cycle.” In short, it means that it doesn’t matter if other Nintendo consoles appear; they will continue to support the Nintendo Switch independently.

These statements were made by Shuntaro Furukawa, the president of Nintendo, during the presentation of the financial results for the second quarter of the current fiscal year, ending in March 2024. He also stated, “In the future, we want to continue seeing as many consumers as possible enjoying our games on Nintendo Switch and maintaining the momentum of our business.”

In addition to these statements, the financial results have revealed some impressive numbers for Nintendo. As of September 30, 2023, the Nintendo Switch Online service had 38 million users, while the Nintendo Account had around 330 million registered users worldwide. For this reason, Furukawa stated that Nintendo’s intention is to “continue offering new ways for users to enjoy the Nintendo Switch in the long term, expanding the content available through the Nintendo Switch Store.”

None of this implies that there won’t be a successor to the Nintendo Switch. As Furukawa himself affirmed, the console will be eight years old in March 2024. Simply put, even when the much-rumored successor hits the shelves, it won’t mark the end of the Nintendo Switch’s lifespan.

Nintendo Switch Online DOWNLOAD