So far, 17 Nintendo 64 games are on Nintendo’s online service, and Nintendo is still adding more regularly. Nintendo Switch Online includes iconic games from that generation, beloved favorites, and some titles that might be lesser known to younger gamers. And while the service includes some of the most iconic games of the era, it also includes some less-than-stellar titles. The Nintendo Switch Online subscription service has brought classic N64 games to the modern console. So Nintendo lost out on juggernaut titles like Final Fantasy VII and ceded ground for the more “mature” market to PlayStation. With that decision, Nintendo opened the door for third-party developers - like Squaresoft - that had massive successes with Nintendo’s previous consoles to make the jump to Sony. Nintendo released the Nintendo 64 a year later, doubling down on cartridges. With the PlayStation in 1995, Sony introduced compact discs to the home console market, giving developers more space for bigger games and cheaper production costs than cartridges. Nintendo was coming off the huge successes of the NES and the SNES, but there was new competition from Sony. Let’s take a look at what made the Nintendo 64 so great and go over everything you need to know about playing Nintendo 64 games on the Nintendo Switch. The Switch’s online service is making it easier than ever to play classic 3D games like Super Mario 64, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, and Banjo-Kazooie without all the hassle of tracking down old cartridges and unboxing your dusty Nintendo 64 system.

With the Nintendo Switch Online service, the Nintendo 64 - Time magazine’s 1996 “Machine of the Year - and its awesome games are a hot topic for Nintendo gamers once again.

N64 switch