More Thoughts From Me #138: Nintendo’s New Online Service

Nintendo’s online services have always been free…until last week. The Nintendo Switch’s paid online service started last Tuesday. I’ve been playing around with the service for a week and now I have thoughts on it. Check out Adam Roffel’s first 30 minutes video of Nintendo Switch online and then come back to find out what I think of the service!

When you get Nintendo Switch Online, there is one must get app from the eshop and thats the Nintendo Entertainment System app. With that download, you can play 20 NES titles. There will be more added every month.

Currently, the 20 games are not all great. Super Mario Bros 3, River City Ransom, Super Mario Bros, Double Dragon, Ghosts N’Goblins, and Legend of Zelda are the stand outs. The rest are, well, alright I guess. I have had fun playing around with the games and I love how fast you can get in and out of the games, but I wish the lineup was better. Thankfully in the coming months, we are getting Metroid and Ninja Gaiden! I hope we’ll get SNES games next year…

Other then the Nintendo Entertainment System app, there’s also cloud saves and online multiplayer. Cloud saves are neat. Its nice to know that most of my saves are backed up. Online multiplayer works just as well as its ever worked on the Switch (as far as I can tell). I played Splatoon 2 online & the Dark Souls Network Test and they ran fine.

The lack of voice chat on the system for games like Splatoon 2 is so frustrating though. I don’t get Nintendo’s obession with cellphones.

So whats available for the Nintendo Switch Online Service works fine but it feels like there should be something more. I’m not sure what exactly. $20 (US) a year is a good price but is the service currently worth that? I’m just not sure. I’m glad to have the NES games, cloud saves, and online multiplayer but I also feel like if I had to, I could live without all of it right now (not when Animal Crossing shows up though!). I’m hoping the service gets better, sooner rather than later.

What do you think of Nintendo’s online service?

Next week: Final Fantasy 7 is coming to the Nintendo Switch next year!!! Don’t get me wrong, I’m super excited for FF9, F10/10-2, heck even 12 coming to the Switch but FF7 was the game that got me hooked on the rpg genre. The game still holds a special place for me. Next week, I’ll take a trip down memory lane and talk about my favorite moments from Final Fantasy 7. So yes, there will be spoilers!

More Thoughts From Me is an opinion column. The thoughts expressed here are mine and mine alone. The video at the start of this column was created by GamesReviews.com’s editor-in-chief Adam Roffel! You should definitely go check out his other first 30 minutes videos here.