While its free NES and SNES games may not be as extravagant as what Microsoft and Sony offer, the Nintendo Switch Online subscription service has something they don’t. There are dozens of classic games from Nintendo’s history for old and new players to enjoy at any time. And on February 19th, members will get something a bit more exciting than what’s to be expected.
Four new games will be available for Nintendo Switch Online subscribers; two SNES games and two NES games. But what makes things a bit more interesting is that the two SNES games have never been released in the US. They are Pop’n TwinBee and Smash Tennis. The NES games are Shadow of the Ninja and Eliminator Boat Duel. First reported on by Business Wire, Nintendo then tweeted out the announcement with a gameplay video.
On 2/19, 4 more games will be added to the #NES & #SNES – #NintendoSwitchOnline collections!
Super NES – Nintendo Switch Online:
・Pop'n TwinBee
・Smash TennisNES – Nintendo Switch Online:
・Shadow of the Ninja
・Eliminator Boat Duel pic.twitter.com/Ot2dMp6t0I— Nintendo of America (@NintendoAmerica) February 12, 2020
Konami developed Pop’n TwinBee, an adorable top-down shooter, and released it in 1993. Namco developed Smash Tennis and also released it in 1993. Both games made it to just about every region other than the US. Shadow of the Ninja is a co-op, sidescrolling action game developed by Natsume for the NES in 1990. And Eliminator Boat Duel is a racing game developed by Sculptured Software in 1991. All four games will feature some kind of online multiplayer.
Nintendo Switch Online has added a rare game before. Star Fox 2, a finished game that was never released, is available for members. However, Nintendo had also previously released it on the SNES Classic in 2017.
Nintendo Switch Online is available for $3.99 for 1 month, $7.99 for 3 months, or $19.99 for a whole year. There is also a family plan at $34.99 for the year, which allows for up to 8 different Nintendo accounts to have access to all online features. In addition to free NES and SNES games, becoming a subscriber also lets you play Nintendo’s games online, upload cloud saves, and grants you access to special offers.
