Fans have been clamoring for Nintendo 64 games on the Switch since the console was released in 2017. On both the Wii and Wii U, players could purchase N64 games and play them through the Virtual Console. However, for some reason, Nintendo hasn’t made this available with the Nintendo Switch. It’s been four years since the Switch hit shelves, and fans are still wondering whether the N64 Virtual Console is coming to Nintendo Switch Online.
Will Nintendo 64 games come to Nintendo Switch Online or Virtual Console?
There’s already one Nintendo 64 game playable on the Switch. The version of Super Mario 64 that came as part of Super Mario 3D All-Stars isn’t a full port running on the hardware natively. Instead, it’s a ROM being played through an emulator Nintendo built. This means other N64 games are playable on the console as well. However, Nintendo may have to adjust the emulator on a per-game basis to get the best performance.
Since we know that the Switch can play Nintendo 64 games, it seems inevitable that more will make their way to the system. The big question is what format Nintendo will release them in. We may see more one-off titles alone or as part of a collection, like with Super Mario 3D All-Stars. Alternatively, Nintendo may choose to release these titles as part of the Nintendo Switch Online subscription as it has done with NES and SNES.
Unfortunately, the Switch has a lot of catching up with its predecessors to do. At this point in the Wii U’s life cycle, it had the following N64 titles available for purchase:
- 1080º Snowboarding
- Bomberman 64
- Donkey Kong 64
- Excitebike 64
- F-Zero X
- Harvest Moon 64
- Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards
- Mario Golf
- Mario Kart 64
- Mario Party 2
- Mario Tennis
- Ogre Battle 64: Person of Lordly Caliber
- Paper Mario
- Pokemon Snap
- Sin and Punishment
- Star Fox 64
- Super Mario 64
- The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask
- The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
- Wave Race 64
- Yoshi’s Story
That’s an impressive list compared to the Switch’s one N64 title. Hopefully, Nintendo will play catch-up soon. We may even get some news about this topic at tomorrow’s Nintendo Direct.
