The Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack is becoming a better deal as time goes on, and the introduction of Game Boy Advance games to the service is just part of its expanded benefits. When the service initially introduced the Expansion Pack, many Switch owners had a hard time justifying upgrading their Nintendo Switch Online subscription with its limited pool of N64 and Sega Genesis tiles, and meager DLC options not enough to up the ante. In the time since, the library of N64, Sega Genesis, and now Game Boy Advance titles has made the Expansion Pack worth the cost, but it still lacks the robust DLC offerings it seemed like it would have at launch.
The recent Nintendo Direct highlighted the need for more DLCs to be available through the Expansion Pack. While it was great to see Game Boy Advance games added to the service, the amount of new DLC and expansions for existing Nintendo titles announced during the Direct seemed like a great opportunity to add to the service's DLC catalog. However, none of these new expansions were announced to be coming to the online service, begging the question of why some DLCs are worth adding but not others.
More DLCs Should Be Available Through Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack
The Expansion Pack tier for the Nintendo Switch Online service launched in late 2021 and, in addition to the N64 and Sega Genesis titles on offer, featured the Animal Crossing: New Horizons – Happy Home Paradise DLC for subscribers at no additional cost. This was surprising at the time because the price of the DLC alone nearly paid for increased price of the Expansion Pack from the base Nintendo Switch Online subscription. While this DLC wouldn't appeal to everyone, it set a precedent that future DLCs would be made available for Expansion Pack subscribers.
Later, DLCs like the Mario Kart 8 Deluxe – Booster Course Pass and Splatoon 2: Octo Expansion were added to the service to further bolster the offerings available to subscribers. While these additions help round out the DLC portion of the Expansion Pack's benefits, the library of retro games has continued to grow disproportionately to available DLC catalog. To cement the value of the Expansion Pack among subscribers, Nintendo should focus on adding more DLCs in the future.
It's not like Nintendo is lacking in DLC that could be added to this Nintendo Switch Online subscription tier either. The recent Nintendo Direct featured DLC for three separate titles that would fit right in as part of the service and could serve to drawn in a wider range of subscribers. Xenoblade Chronicles 3, Fire Emblem Engage, and Splatoon 3 were all featured as games with DLCs currently available and additional waves of content coming in the future that Nintendo could have capitalized on to entice players to subscribe to the higher tier of NSO.
It's possible these and other DLCs may be added retroactively to the service down the line, similarly to how the Splatoon 2: Octo Expansion was added after it had already be available for a while. If Nintendo were to add more existing DLC for older Switch titles, Xenoblade Chronicles 2: Torna - The Golden Country and The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild Expansion Pass could be great candidates. With its initial showcase implying that DLC additions would be a consistent part of the service, Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack subscribers deserve access to a wider variety than is currently on offer, regardless of which games they're from.
