The Nintendo Switch is a seriously hot commodity these days, and it isn’t difficult to see why. Not only is it a great time to explore the hottest new games, but the Switch is now giving gamers a way to relive the glory days of classic Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) and Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES) games.
Nintendo has been rolling out classic NES and SNES titles to the Switch for months now via the Nintendo Switch Online service. The subscription-based service provides players with a host of neat features, including online play, cloud data saving, and voice chat capability with a smartphone app.
However, for fans of retro games, the service’s biggest draw is a curated library of over 70 NES and SNES games, including early installments in the popular Mario, Zelda, and Metroid franchises.
NES & SNES: Gaming Pioneers
The Nintendo Entertainment System was the company’s second attempt at a video game console, after the little-remembered Color TV-game. While the machine’s 8-bit graphics might not look like much to modern eyes, it stands out as an early proving ground for such games as The Legend of Zelda, Donkey Kong, and the first Super Mario Bros. game. These NES titles and many more are currently available to play on Nintendo Switch Online.
While the NES may have kicked off Nintendo’s dominance of the gaming world, it took a huge leap forward with the Super Nintendo Entertainment System. Featuring classics like Super Metroid, Super Mario Kart, and F-ZERO — all available on Nintendo Switch Online — the SNES took gaming to a whole new level, introducing gameplay mechanics and characters that persist to this day.
Each month, Nintendo releases new classic games to the online service. This month’s offerings include action games Wild Guns and Operation Logic Bomb, as well as puzzle game Panel de Pon, for the SNES. For the NES, the library will receive action-adventure game Rygar. The games drop on May 20, and you can watch a trailer for the release below.
Nintendo Switch SNES — Sources:
Nintendo
The Verge
Wikipedia – Nintendo Entertainment System
Wikipedia – Super Nintendo Entertainment System