Displaying items by tag: Online

It was no secret to anyone, not to me for sure. The fact that the N64 was added to the Switch Online subscription was the next logical step.

The surprise for me? The price increase, which is justified and I will come back to it later. The other surprise, for me again, the addition of Sega Genesis games!

Yes we will be entitled to Ecco, Sonic and so many other Sega icons on our Nintendo Switch. I'm talking to the future but this all came out on October 26th folks! So if you don't have it yet or are looking to be convinced, I'm here for you.

Now let's talk about the price, how it has changed and why I think the price is justified to change.

First of all, the addition of games and especially two different consoles is quite significant. We are immediately entitled to Ocarina of Time, Lylatwars, Yoshi’s Island and others when it comes to the N64. Then we have Sonic (the 2nd), Street of rage, Phantasy Star IV and many others concerning the Sega.

They are games loved by everyone, which we can already enjoy without worry. So there are 9 games at launch for the N64 and 14 games for the Genesis. This brings more than 20 games from the start and we know that the catalogs will quickly evolve. This will allow you to enjoy more and more old-school games and while the new games are worth the effort, there are some must-haves to play even if "you're not of this generation".

While saying this I am thinking precisely of games like the old Sonic, Ocarina of Time or Banjo-Kazooie for example (not yet available on the other hand, yes please calm down). There are some games that are timeless, whether the old-school gameplay, or the graphics are not todays standards, no problem. These games are worth it anyway.

One great news about this expansion is that you can play online. Yes, you read that right. We can for example play Mario Kart 64 (yes go crazy it is part of the launch catalog) at 4 on 4 different consoles and even each at home. It's just great because it brings real modernity to this catalog of old games.

That's not all, for my part I find that the previous arguments are sufficient to explain the price increase, but there is still more. Fans of Animal Crossing New Horizon, I am talking to you. AND there are many of you, really. There will be an add-on called "Happy Home Paradise!" You need to have the initial game to enjoy it, so you can show off your beautiful creations and play (to some extent) your favorite game online.

Note that if you are not interested in the subscription, you can purchase from the store and therefore download this extension separately. Not insignificant for those who are not interested in the rest of the add-on pack.

With these fairly large additions I find the price difference worth it. For the standard subscription, we therefore go from € 19.99 per year to 39.99. We still stay at a very reasonable price.

By adding consoles to the subscription, we have to think that new controllers will be available. And you would be right to think so.

Indeed a new N64 controller and a Mega Drive (with three and not six buttons) will be / are available. The one for the N64 should already be available but at the time I am writing this I see that it cannot be ordered because it is "currently unavailable". As for the one for the Mega Drive, it is not possible to purchase it at the moment nor is it rated as "unavailable". It should therefore be available in the coming weeks.

For my part, the additional pack has already been taken, the price varies depending on your current subscription and the initial date. So you only pay the difference and that's great news.

I was convinced by these additions knowing also that it was going to evolve. The only small negative point to note would be the different buttons between N64 and Switch. Indeed to easily play Lylatwars for example you have to be very careful to master the combination of buttons.

It's not very simple and the N64 controller will be a real positive contribution to smoothly play the games of this legendary console.

I hope you will have found answers to your questions and that you will be able to make the choice that is best for you!

In the meantime, good game to all!

I will soberly talk about that Nintendos exclusive offer for their subscribers. I'm kidding, I am a fanboy so I won't be subtle and not show my love for NINTENDO.

With that introduction that gives the guidline we will now talk about that offer. To be honest, the offer is not as good as the one of Nintendos concurrence. This is a fact. It is not comparable for the moment. I receive the newsletter for Nintendo and Playstation offers but not for Xbox as I have none. Nintendo was able to distinguish itself and took advantage of their story. They found the good path to take, to distinguish themselves from the concurrence. We won't even talk about the price difference which is a bit more than a third of PS Plus price. You will have some % on some prices, but nothing really consequent. So Nintendo had to find something to attract their gamer community.

They have one advantage in comparison with others, their catalogue for nostalgics. You may play NES and SNES games at any time. To push the offer to the limit they decided to make controllers for NES and SNES to use with their last console.

We will now check the NES controller

Those controllers can be loaded like the Joycon, connected directly to the Switch or in a charger dedicated. The controllers have the same connection as the Joycon have. The controllers can only be used for games in the NES catalogue. Obviousely, the controllers do not have enough buttons nor joysticks.

The controllers are really well made, the quality of the material is great and the design is really faithful to the classic controller. Honestely the controllers are beautiful and I am happy having bought the controllers. Great design, batteries lasting long enough and playing those old games with those controllers is a real pleasure.

It was a great idea and they managed to create an exclusive offer with those controllers. A gamer that has subscribed to the Online subscription may buy maximum two pairs of NES controllers. One pair costs 59,99 €. The price is a bit high even if they have no defect, but their usage is (logically) limited and therefore has a price a bit high that shouldn't have exceeded 45 €.

Lets check the SNES controller

Those controllers are not reloaded the same way as the model before. I think it is due to the R and L buttons. The design wouldn't have been respected if they had the same connection as the Joycon or the NES controller. So they even thought about it and asked themselves the right questions. Those controllers are loaded with a USB C cable.

I loved taking the controllers in my hand, play Mario Kart or Donkey Kong Country was a real pleasure. Again, the design is respected, the material used is excellent and it is pleasant to have it in your hands. For those controllers to, there was no defect to be seen. The batteries are good enough and the fun is there.

The offer is another in that case, you buy one controller et not a pair. The price is 29,99 € and you may buy a maximum of four controllers. The same number of controllers than for the NES controllers. The price is the same (difference of 0,01 €) and still to high for me. In that case too we shouldn't exceed 45 € for a pair. The reason is the same, the controllers are (logically) limited to be only used for SNES games.

I directly took two controllers so I may play with someone for games playable with a second player.

The delivery was pretty quick as I got them within less then a month. When I check now (01/01/2021), the NES controllers should be delivered within two weeks. But the SNES controllers aren't available for the moment. What a chance I had to buy them in November!

Finally, the controllers are to expensive for someone that is interested in the NES and SNES games but that have no nostalgia for it or players that won't play often enough those games. Due to the limitation of their usage possibility, the price stays high. For those who never had the chance to have those consoles or don't have them anymore, those who are really nostalgic and love to come back in childhood will love having them and maybe won't find the price to high.

I am happy to have them, play old games with those controllers on my 55 inch TV is exciting. Being in bed with my wife while she's reading a book and I would play with those controllers, it's amusing and I remember a time when I got up early on sunday morning with my brother. We would sneak into our gaming room and play those old games in front of an old TV.

Nintendo managed again to be different then other console brands, it may be frustrating some times, but we are always blown by their inovations and their knowing how to manage their classics. May it last a long time.