The next N64 game coming to Nintendo Switch Online has been announced by Nintendo. Where sometimes Nintendo Switch Online games are stealth dropped, other times they are announced ahead of time. This time, Nintendo Switch Online subscribers across Switch, Switch Lite, OLED Switch, and Switch 2 have an example of the latter, with the Nintendo 64 game in question not being added until June 4. It’s a noteworthy addition, though, which may explain why it’s getting the announcement, then drop treatment rather than the stealth drop.
More specifically, Nintendo has announced that starting on June 4, those with the Expansion Pack tier of Nintendo Switch Online — the tier that costs $50 a year rather than the standard $20 — will be able to download and enjoy Donkey Kong 64. For those who do not know, Donkey Kong 64 is a 3D platformer released in 1994 for the N64 and the N64 only by developer Rare and Nintendo before the former was sold to Microsoft. Consequently, it was the final major Donkey Kong game from the studio. Upon release, the Nintendo-exclusive game earned a 90 on Metacritic, making it one of the highest-rated games of its year. While 90 is a very high rating, Donkey Kong 64 is not often talked about as one of the greatest N64 games of all time, but it’s certainly close to that conversation.
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N64 Classic Last Seen on Wii U
“Donkey Kong 64 begins with K. Rool back again for another nefarious Kong-quest,” reads an official description of the N64 classic, per Nintendo. “Our furry hero Donkey Kong (the leader of the bunch) must take the fight to K. Rool and the Kremlings, reclaim his Golden Bananas, and save his homeland from certain doom. Choose from DK, Diddy Kong, Tiny Kong, Lanky Kong, and Chunky Kong and play solo in a quirky adventure or with friends in competitive battle arenas.”
As you would expect, N64 nostalgics are excited to see one of the best Donkey Kong games ever released finally added to NSO.
“Finally, it’s been years,” reads one of the top comments on the YouTube trailer above. Another adds, “You have no idea how long I’ve waited for this.”
As the comments above allude to, it has been a while. The last time this N64 classic was released in a meaningful capacity was via the Wii U Virtual Console in 2015. However, most Nintendo fans did not own a Wii U, and this was its only meaningful re-release in the modern era. To this end, many Nintendo fans have not played this 1999 classic since 1999, and it was one of the N64 games we wanted to see added to Nintendo Switch Online.
All of that said, and as always, feel free to leave a comment or two letting us know what you think, or join the video game conversations happening over on the ComicBook Forum.
