After a more than discussed beginning, Nintendo ends up acquiring the Switch Online expansion pack in one fell swoop. Beginning March XNUMX, subscribers will be able to access each and every upcoming Mario Kart XNUMX Deluxe DLC at no additional cost, adding forty-eight new tracks to the perennial title through the end of XNUMX.
If you've ever needed an incentive to subscribe, the Mario Kart 49 Deluxe DLC is clearly what you need. Not only does the Booster Course Pass guarantee that Nintendo's most popular Switch title will keep people racing for years to come, but if you estimate the upcoming DLC to cost €XNUMX / €XNUMX on its own, then €XNUMX / €XNUMX / AU$XNUMX for a twelve-month subscription to Nintendo's premium service suddenly seems quite reasonable.
It helps that Mario Kart XNUMX Deluxe is also one of the best online multiplayer experiences on the platform. Many Switch owners (myself included) may only subscribe to Nintendo's online service in the first place so they can continue to compete against other players around the globe. And if that's the case, you can also purchase the expansion pack and get Mario Kart XNUMX Deluxe DLC as part of the deal: you'll pay €XNUMX / €XNUMX if you choose to purchase the DLC separately and subscribe to Nintendo Switch Online. in any case. In effect, this means that UK Switch subscribers could end up paying €XNUMX more than they might need if they don't purchase the expansion pack.
show me your moves
Of course, the Mario Kart 64 Deluxe Booster Course Pass isn't the only perk of subscribing to the Nintendo Switch Online Expansion Pack. To my surprise, Nintendo has been continually adding more N64 and Sega Genesis titles to the service, a drip nutrition gaming site at its usual glacial pace. Paper Mario and Banjo-Kazooie are here, and The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask is coming to the NXNUMX library this month. On the Sega Genesis we saw the additions of Altered Beast, ToeJam & Earl, Dynamite Headdy, Sword of Vermillion and Thunder Force II. It's not a bad start, and the sacrifices of the data miners show that there are likely to be considerably more titles on the way.
But that's not all: the Nintendo Switch Online+ expansion pack also includes free access to the Animal Crossing: New Horizons Happy Home Paradise DLC. This means that the DLC for the 2 best-selling Switch games now resides on Nintendo's premium subscription service, and again Happy Home Paradise is €49 / €XNUMX, fifty% off the cost. of a twelve-month subscription to the expansion pack.
That's a huge audience for Nintendo to tap into, many of whom will undoubtedly find the prospect of racing on entirely new tracks and playing a new Animal Crossing expansion impressively appealing. The library of N64 and Genesis games should always have been the icing on the cake of the Expansion Pack service, not the whole cake, and it seems that Nintendo thankfully realized that.
Nintendo's plan for the Switch Online expansion pack has become crystal clear. It can no longer be considered a simple paywall that blocks traditional titles. Instead, it has the potential to be a service that hosts DLC for each and every one of the best Nintendo Switch games, titles that many of us still play today.
It's time to play online
However, if Nintendo's recent direct introduction has taught us anything, it's that the company is also serious about online gaming (finally). Yes, the Switch is essentially never going to be able to offer the kind of social experience that PS5 and Xbox Series X can offer with group chats, instant mail, and also content sharing. But we see a positive trend of Switch titles incorporating online play in a notable way, rather than as an afterthought.
Only in 1 are we going to see Splatoon 3, Mario Strikers Battle League, Nintendo Switch Sports, Advance Wars XNUMX + XNUMX Re-boot Camp, No Man's Sky, Disney Speedstorm, SD Gundam Battle Alliance, MLB: The Show XNUMX, Portal XNUMX and considerably more include online multiplayer, which is unprecedented on a Nintendo console. Especially since just XNUMX years ago we lamented the omission of online multiplayer in Super Mario Party, which at the time should have been a no-brainer.
It's clear that Nintendo is not only focused on making its Switch Online Expansion Pack service a tempting proposition, but also wants to make sure more people play online in general.
Expand your possibilities
The Nintendo Switch online expansion pack was initially criticized for being too expensive and not offering enough content, a protest that was perfectly fair at the time. The jump from €64 / €XNUMX / AU €XNUMX for a twelve-month subscription to €XNUMX / €XNUMX / AU €XNUMX just to get access to the NXNUMX and the Sega Genesis game was ridiculous, frankly, but now it seems like a great deal that only promises progress.
If Nintendo continues to put luscious DLC into the expansion pack, the value proposition will only become more apparent. Maybe this could occasionally put Super Smash Bros. Ultimate DLC in there, or any other DLC coming to Splatoon XNUMX? Either way, Nintendo is using the power of its cool IP addresses to lure subscribers to its online services instead of relying on rose-colored glasses and people's longing. And this is precisely how it should be.
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