At long last, Super Nintendo Switch Online
SNES Online! Love isn't always on time!
The worst-kept secret in retrogaming is out! Nintendo have announced that they will be bringing SNES games to the much-reviled Nintendo Switch Online service, with an initial 20-game outlay to be supplemented in the coming months with a no-doubt frustrating drip-feed of additional classics.
As is customary for these sort of reveals, here's that starting line-up in full: Super Mario Kart, Super Mario World 2: Yoshi’s Island, Puyo Puyo Tsu, Super Tennis, Breath of Fire, F-ZERO, Kirby’s Dream Course, Pilotwings, Stunt Race FX, Super Ghouls’n Ghosts, Super Mario World, Super Metroid, Super Soccer, The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past, Brawl Brothers, Demon’s Crest, Joe & Mac 2: Lost in the Tropics, Kirby’s Dream Land 3, Star Fox and Super Earth Defense Force.
Definitely a mixed bag, but those highs are higher than… erm… Snoop Dogg on his birthday. (What? – Ed) There’s a number of avowed, unimpeachable cast-titanium classics there – Super Mario World! Super Tennis! Star Fox! – but also a fair few confusing choices – Brawl Brothers? Joe & Mac 2? Obviously the added games will bolster the quality ratio though I’m a little concerned we’re going to get a couple of months offering the likes of Mohawk & Headphone Jack. It’s not yet known if the unusual SP Editions seen on the NES service will rear their heads for the bigger brother, but I wouldn’t say “no” to a version of Yoshi’s Island with all the levels open, or Super Ghouls ‘n Ghosts starting from the first loop.
More importantly, Nintendo need to focus on getting more games out there and the initial dump including so many gems is a nice sign that we’ll be getting some interesting stuff in the future. Stunt Race FX, notably, has never been re-released before now, though I still wouldn’t recommend actually playing it. It’s probably a safe bet that we’ll see some more re-release mainstays – Super Mario RPG, Mega Man X – before we get to the Weird Nintendo stuff. I’m angling for Mario’s Super Picross, myself.
You can also buy yourself a little replica SNES controller for your Switch, which would be more appealing if the SNES Classic didn't already exist. Actually, the whole premise would have been more appealing without that little wonder machine. But then, you can't take your SNES Classic into the toilet. At least, you really shouldn't.
See you next September for Nintendo 64, I guess! In the meantime, tune in your browser tomorrow to read a very special All Together Then featuring four SNES games that definitely won’t be on the service.
