While Nintendo’s current system for offering classic games on the Switch works well enough, it’s certainly not perfect, especially in comparison to the Virtual Console system that was on the Nintendo 3DS, Wii, and Wii U systems. Nintendo has been a major player in both video game hardware and software since it's first console, the Nintendo Entertainment System, released in the West in 1985, but much of the company's famed catalog is languishing on old systems. Though there are plenty of modern and new releases to play on the Switch, hundreds of classic games are unavailable through Nintendo Switch Online's current Expansion Pack tier, making a nearly indisputable case for the return of the Virtual Console.
N64 classics still missing from the Nintendo Switch goes to show how limited the Expansion Pack is. Currently, the only way to play classic games on the Switch is through a Nintendo Switch Online hip. This hip offers a selection of NES and Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES) games. Upgrading to a Nintendo Switch Online hip with the Expansion Pack grants a access to select SEGA Genesis and Nintendo 64 (N64) titles, as well. However, the monthly subscription prices are quite expensive for a service that still doesn’t offer nearly as much as Nintendo’s former option, the Virtual Console. For as costly as the current options are, allowing s the option to buy the games they want - which often leads to buying even more games - on the Virtual Console could probably help Nintendo earn even more revenue.
Nintendo Switch Needs A Better Option For Classic Games
PlayStation 1 games keep releasing on the Switch, yet Nintendo’s own classic games remain absent from the console. As Nintendo’s most current and most popular gaming system, it doesn’t make sense for the Switch to be so lacking in past Nintendo content. For the 3DS, Wii, and Wii U eras, Nintendo utilized the Virtual Console - an eShop extension that hosted able versions of NES, SNES, GameCube, Game Boy, and Game Boy Advance games.
The prices for classic games featured were also extremely affordable, making the Virtual Console seemingly a much better option for Nintendo than the costly, and lacking, Switch Online and Expansion Pack combo. Without the Virtual Console, it seems unlikely that there will be an affordable way to play classic games on the Nintendo Switch.
This is also a missed opportunity for Nintendo to appeal to larger audiences, by allowing more flexibility and freedom in which classic games players choose to play and pay for. From classic Zelda games that need a Switch port to forgotten gems, the possibilities are practically endless as to what could be included on an updated Virtual Console. Retro games are incredibly important to gaming history, but they’re also still just fun to play. As the Nintendo Switch continues to be the most prevalent handheld gaming console, a feature like the Virtual Console becomes even more important.
