Nintendo Switch gamers that haven't signed up for the Expansion Pack tier of the Nintendo Switch Online service may very well be convinced to do so by the time 2023 comes to a close. When Nintendo first unveiled the Expansion Pack tier for Nintendo Switch Online, it was met with a great deal of criticism. Many fans felt as though the content didn't justify the $49.99 per year subscription price, but Nintendo has since made great strides to sweeten the pot.
Since initially introducing the Nintendo Switch Online Expansion Pack, Nintendo has updated the service on numerous occasions. These updates have given players access to even more Nintendo 64 and Sega Genesis titles, improved game performance, and added other goodies. These bonuses have included the Happy Home Paradise DLC for Animal Crossing: New Horizons, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe's Booster Course Pass, and most recently, the Octo Expansion for Splatoon 2.
Some fans may still feel as though the $49.99 per year price tag is not justified for the Nintendo Switch Online Expansion Pack yet, but the price should be much more agreeable by the time this year comes to an end. Not only will the Nintendo Switch Online Expansion Pack give subscribers access to all the bonuses that it currently does, but there will be many more added throughout 2023.
Nintendo Switch Online Expansion Pack N64 Games for 2023
- 1080 Snowboarding
- Excitebike 64
- GoldenEye 007
- Mario Party 3
- Pokemon Stadium
- Pokemon Stadium 2
The big draw for the Nintendo Switch Online Expansion Pack in 2023 will be the addition of more Nintendo 64 games. Nintendo realizes this, and so it has announced six N64 games in advance. Release dates for these Nintendo 64 games to hit the Nintendo Switch Online Expansion Pack have not been announced at the time of this writing, but fans can expect them to be rolled out on a monthly basis, if the last year was any indication.
The Nintendo 64 games announced for the Switch Online Expansion Pack that will be added in 2023 are acclaimed snowboarding game 1080 Snowboarding, Excitebike 64, the groundbreaking first-person shooter GoldenEye 007, Mario Party 3, and both Pokemon Stadium games.
Just to take the Pokemon Stadium games as an example, used copies of Pokemon Stadium 2 regularly go for $40-$70 or more on sites like eBay, while the original Pokemon Stadium is a bit cheaper but still fairly expensive for a game that came out in 2000. Considering this, the addition of the Pokemon Stadium games to the Nintendo 64 lineup should make the Nintendo Switch Online Expansion Pack essentially pay for itself for anyone that was planning on playing those and no longer has their N64 cartridges handy.
The addition of the Pokemon Stadium games to the Nintendo Switch Online Expansion Pack are especially noteworthy because the games were never released for Nintendo's Virtual Console service. This means that the games have been essentially trapped on the original Nintendo 64 hardware for over two decades. There hasn't been a Pokemon Stadium equivalent made for new consoles, so many Pokemon fans will likely be happy to have easy access to the games again.
For those unfamiliar with the Pokemon Stadium games, they offer a wide variety of game modes. Players are free to put together Pokemon teams and battle friends or the AI, but the real fun comes from the mini-game competitions. Both Pokemon Stadium games feature Mario Party-style mini-game compilations for players to check out that are a great deal of fun, utilizing Generation 1 and 2 Pokemon in clever ways.
The Pokemon Stadium games are going to be big for the Nintendo Switch Online Expansion Pack in 2023, but many fans will also be excited to see GoldenEye 007 make its long-awaited comeback. GoldenEye 007 is one of the most innovative first-person shooters of all time, making serious headway for the genre in the console space. GoldenEye 007's legendary multiplayer is still talked about to this day, and now it will have online capabilities for the first time ever.
While the Nintendo Switch Online Expansion Pack does not have matchmaking, players will still be able to hook up with their friends for online GoldenEye 007 multiplayer matches. Of course, the option will always be there to battle it out in local multiplayer as well. Since the Nintendo Switch controllers have two analog sticks instead of just one, it seems safe to assume that this new version of GoldenEye 007 will have improved controls, but it remains to be seen exactly how all that's going to be handled.
There will likely be surprises for Nintendo Switch Online Expansion Pack subscribers in 2023 beyond the Nintendo 64 games that have already been announced for the service. This could include more retro games added to the lineup, but it may very well also include more DLC and expansion pack content for various Switch games. Nintendo has yet to reveal its plans for 2023, but hopefully it sticks to tradition and hosts a Nintendo Direct at some point soon that gives fans a better idea of what to expect this year.