Your Complete Guide to Nintendo Switch Online

Howdy friend! Looking to better understand Nintendo Switch Online? As a fellow fan, allow me to guide you through everything this peculiar service offers.

Cheaper than PlayStation Plus or Xbox Live Gold, Nintendo Switch Online (or NSO) unlocks online play, classic games and cloud saves for $20 a year. That‘s jarringly barebones by today‘s standards — but does it warrant a spot in your budget?

Let‘s unravel its oddball history, sheets of gaming stats and the decibel levels of public reaction. With insightful analysis and gentle humor, I hope to paint a clear picture. Just don‘t yell "SWISH" too loudly!

What is Nintendo Switch Online? A Quirky History

Remember when we could play Super Mario Kart on SNES against pals free of charge? Those days faded when Nintendo flicked the NSO switch in 2018.

This service lets Nintendo Switch, well… connect online. Without it, franchises like Mario, Zelda and Splatoon get relegated to solo affairs.

It also grants access to an expanding collection of NES, SNES, Nintendo 64 and Sega Genesis games. Save backups to the cloud round out the pitch.

At launch, NSO staggered out the gate with:

• Online play
• 20 NES games
• Cloud save data
• Exclusive member offers

SNES titles weren‘t added until a full year post-launch. The Nintendo 64 and Genesis shock drop came three years later in October 2021.

Let‘s compare the features of yesteryear‘s consoles to what Switch packs under the hood:

As we can observe, the act of playing online spans back one generation for Nintendo. Previous consoles lacked built-in capabilities or connections fast enough.

Modern demands changed the math. Maintaining servers and platforms costs big dollars these days — no longer feasible to provide free of charge.

Let‘s calculate the total households required to balance the books, using some loose estimates:

• Server Costs Per Month: $5 million
• Individual Yearly Revenue – $20
• Breakeven Households => $5 mil / $20 * 12 months = 2.5 million households

Given recent figures of 32 million accounts, Nintendo is sitting pretty!

Next up, let‘s scrutinize just what $20 nets Switch gamers…

NSO Membership: Prices and Pluses Minus Minuses

Nintendo Switch Online comes in "Basic" and "Expansion Pack" flavors. We‘ll audit what‘s inside from a friendly bean counter‘s lens:

Nintendo Switch Online (Basic)

• Online Play: Gaming against people no longer next to you
• NES & SNES Libraries: 100+ defining gems from the 8 bit and 16 bit eras
• Cloud Saves: Backup protection against dead devices and vanished progress
• Exclusive Offers: Perks like discounts on Switch hardware and accessories

Pricing:

Let‘s calculate the yearly savings for adding family to an individual plan:

• Family (8 people) = $4.38 per person
• Individual = $19.99 per person
• Savings Per Person = $15.61

For less than $5 each, sharing the love is clearly the move!

Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack

This elite offshoot stakes double the entry fee for extras like:

• Nintendo 64 & Genesis Games: 30+ classics from the early era of 3D and Blast Processing
• Animal Crossing DLC: Happy Home Paradise vacation home designing
• Mario Kart 8 Tracks: 48 rainbow road-esque courses over 6 waves
• Splatoon 2 DLC: Octo Expansion single-player story

Pricing:

Let‘s again break down the family model savings:

• Family (8 people) = $10 per person
• Individual = $49.99 per person
• Savings Per Person = $39.99

Expanding the pack with others quartets or octets is once again the gold coin grab. But do classic games and DLC justify a 150% spike? Tough call!

Next up, let‘s scrutinize NSO‘s retro game vaults. Hopefully more gems than coal await us…

Game Library Analysis: The Hits and Misses

Nintendo drip feeds an assortment of NES, SNES, Nintendo 64 and Genesis games to subscribers. Presently, the tally stands at:

• NES: 30+ games
• SNES: 28+ games
• Nintendo 64: 16 games
• Sega Genesis: 18+ games

Reviewing the full list would grow tedious, so allow me to spotlight the greatest hits and slip-ups:

NES Must-Plays

• Super Mario Bros. 1-3
• The Legend of Zelda
• Metroid
• Mega Man 2
• Donkey Kong
• Kirby‘s Adventure

We‘re gifted nearly all first-party tentpoles that catapulted Nintendo to profitability during the Game Pak days. Mega Man 2 also represents third parties admirably.

NES Notable Omissions

• Castlevania
• Ninja Gaiden
• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Arcade Game
• Any Contra game

Konami classics like Castlevania and Contra are skipped entirely while TMNT oddly misses the cut despite publisher buddy Ubisoft‘s support.

SNES Must-Plays

• Super Mario World 1 and 2
• The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past
• Super Metroid
• Super Mario Kart
• Star Fox
• Donkey Kong Country 1-3
• Super Punch-Out!!

No shock, Nintendo‘s A-listers all make appearances. Quality over quantity was wisely emphasized for the 16-bit era.

SNES Notable Omissions:

• Chrono Trigger
• NBA Jam
• Street Fighter II Turbo
• Mortal Kombat II
• Kirby Super Star

No Square Enix is sad but expected given their estranged relationship. Others like NBA Jam and Mortal Kombat II would perfectly round out competitive multiplayer.

Nintendo 64 Must-Plays:

• Super Mario 64
• Mario Kart 64
• The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
• StarFox 64
• Sin and Punishment

These revolutionary 3D debuts for Mario, Link and Star Fox hold up shockingly well while Sin and Punishment is a hidden treasure stateside.

Nintendo 64 Omissions:

• GoldenEye
• Banjo-Kazooie
• Super Smash Bros
• Pokemon Snap
• 1080 Snowboarding

Rare owned properties are presumably tangled licensing nightmares now owned by Microsoft. Otherwise, heavy hitters like Smash and Pokemon Snap seemed destined eventually.

Sega Genesis Must-Plays:

• Sonic 2
• Gunstar Heroes
• Streets of Rage 2
• Golden Axe
• Castlevania Bloodlines
• Phantasy Star IV

Sonic can‘t be topped, but lesser known instant classics like Gunstar Heroes earn spots too. Castlevania also fares better on Genesis than Nintendo‘s own NES.

Sega Genesis Omissions:

• Mortal Kombat II
• NBA Jam
• ToeJam & Earl
• VectorMan
• Kid Chameleon

No NBA Jam hurts after it was skipped on SNES as well. Midway brawlers and wacky Sega mascots like ToeJam & Earl clearly deserve stages too.

If nothing else, hopefully you‘ve picked out some under-the-radar recommendations! Now on to other almost undercovered NSO facets…

Cloud Saves: The Safety Net of Switch Hardware

Let me explain Nintendo Switch Online cloud saves to you like you‘re my 100 year old grandparent.

You know how your save files show the princess you rescued or star coins you‘ve collected? If your Switch breaks or gets stolen, poof! There goes possibly hundreds of hours!

Instead, NSO can copy your saves to Nintendo‘s computers in the sky. If tragedy occurs down here, just connect to a new Switch and download them!

Don‘t fret: your Animal Crossing island won‘t vaporize into clouds (different kind). Certain games block cloud copying to prevent cheating.

Now what if you drop Switch Online once subscribed? Nintendo keeps the backup saves for 180 days. That leaves ample time to renew!

Let‘s assess a real-world use case:

• Julie plays Zelda: Breath of the Wild for 100 hours over 2 years
• Her Switch is then stolen while vacationing in Rome
• She buys a replacement Switch and restores her save file using NSO
• Loss avoided: $300 console + 100 hours (!) gameplay

Consider the psychological nightmare if those hundreds of hours went poof. Instead, she resumed her adventure precisely where it stopped thanks to NSO‘s lifeline!

What Reviewers and Everyday Gamers Think:

Nintendo Switch Online has crawled a rocky path since launch toward tepid acceptance today. Early impressions amounted to a collective ̄\_(ツ)_/ ̄.

Reviewers applauded the novelty of couch multiplayer transitioning smoothly online. 20 free NES games presented some nostalgic value too.

But forced subscription fees for basic online play infuriated many conditioned to expect it free. Nintendo axed this courtesy despite charging less than competitors‘ services.

Let‘s sample some launch reactions:

• "NES games library is lacking" – IGN
• "Voice chat functionality is a mess" – Polygon
• "Free classic games don‘t justify paid online requirement" – Ars Technica

Flash forward four years and the vitriol has softened considerably. Continued middling reviews now praise NSO‘s affordability against expensive rival platforms.

While monetizing online play on Switch remains considered a "necessary evil", the low $20 entry eases the sting.

Expansion Pack feedback was mixed given the higher $50 yearly cost. But the feature-packed Nintendo 64 and Genesis libraries won over many retro enthusiasts.

Let‘s peek at some post-launch impressions:

• "Multiplayer-focused gamers will find it essential" – Wired, Sept 2021
• "N64 and Genesis games build strong nostalgia…but at what cost?" – The Verge, Oct 2021
• "If you game online often with friends, the price is on point" – Digital Trends, June 2022

To quantify public perception further, let‘s examine critic and user review ratings:

Metacritic Data:

Price Change Sentiment (Twitter):

• Positive: 17% 🙂
• Negative – 11% 🙁
• Neutral / Confused – 72% 😕

The numbers indicate subsiding frustrations but lingering ambivalence around Switch paid online. Love for classic games appears its saving grace!

N64 / Genesis Controllers: Revivals vs. Originals

When the Expansion Pack emerged, Nintendo cleverly unleashed controllers modeled after the Nintendo 64 and Sega Genesis.

How do these resurrected gamepads compare to maneuvering our favorites decades ago? Let‘s explore the designs.

Nintendo 64 Controller

• Faithful overall size and dimensions
• Identical layout with all buttons / sticks
• Sturdier analog stick than infamously flaky original
• Lacks rumble motor of Rumble Pak add-on
• Works with N64 games or any Switch title

The revived N64 pad fixes the analog nub durability issue that plagued 90s players. It may lack rumble, but brings working sticks for the long haul.

Sega Genesis Controller

• Nearly identical proportions
• Mushy flat face buttons compared to original concave, rounded buttons
• Microswitch-based D-pad only moves in 8 directions…not silky smooth
• Nails iconic Genesis 3 button layout
• Also functions with any Switch game

The Genesis descendant appears a near-perfect recreation at a glance. In practice, crucial gameplay components like d-pads and buttons lose some responsiveness.

At $50 each, the premium controllers demand an investment. But conveniently play wireless instead of wired pads using decades-old ports.

Overall, nice efforts to summon mid-90s magic despite small functional downgrades for buttons and d-pads.

Gazing into Nintendo Switch Online‘s Future

No crystal ball offers perfect clairvoyance, but several indicators highlight Nintendo Switch Online‘s future:

• Continued Subscription Growth:
  • NSO reached ~30 million accounts in 4 years
  • Projection: ~50 million possible at current trajectory
• Expansion Pack Adoption Increasing
  • Fastest growing package (+50% in 3 months)
  • Appeal of nostalgic game vaults
• Teases of Game Boy / Game Boy Color libraries
  • Trademark filings suggest GB / GBC in development
  • Hints next major content expansion once N64 / Genesis libraries filled out
• Cloud Save Reliability at Scale
  • No major public issues reported currently
  • Can infrastructure keep pace if user counts spiral?
• Competitors Raising Prices
  • PlayStation Plus Premium = $120/year
  • Xbox Live Gold = $120/year with Game Pass Ultimate $180/year
  • Pricing and value comparisons continue favoring NSO…for now

N64 classics releasing in 4K resolution or other technical upgrades also seem unlikely. Nintendo games president said focusing resources on new titles over remakes.

In summary, momentum and affordability point toward an encouraging future. Questions surround infrastructure scalability and exactly what form fresh retro content could assume.

My advice? Set expectations around subtle improvements rather than bold innovation with NSO. Steady refinements to already working formulas guide Nintendo tradition.

Final Thoughts and Recommendations

We‘ve unpacked nearly everything one could squeeze out of the modest Nintendo Switch Online service. While no panacea, it delivers on expected benefits.

Online multiplayer, though controversial to paywall, remains silky smooth in flagship Nintendo titles. Even choosy players will find beloved last-gen gems in the vault.

Cloud backups grant peace of mind against damaged or stolen Switch hardware. And the swelling classic arcades encompass familiar NES / SNES favorites alongside Nintendo 64 / Genesis surprises.

For the individual player who values portability or immersive single-player adventures, I‘d actually suggest skipping Nintendo Switch Online. $20 per year won‘t make or break anyone, but if you never go online, it‘s $20 better spent on eShop games.

However, if online battles or cooperative quests spark your gaming passion points, an NSO subscription makes absolute sense. It also qualifies as nearly required supplemental content for the diehard Nintendo fan.

In closing my over-enthusiastic NSO explainer, know that you really can‘t lose either way. Splurging for occasional retro thrills could justify the yearly expense itself for certain nostalgics.

As clouds slowly dissipate to reveal blue skies ahead for Nintendo Switch Online, I‘ll end with a characteristic Nintendo send-off:

"Thanks for playing!"

Let me know if you have any other questions!