Although a recent and very disappointing change to Nintendo Switch Online may not have a direct impact on the majority of s, it may still herald similar changes that are much more disruptive. Until now, the NSO service has provided access to a slowly expanding collection of old games from previous eras of video game history. But now, it seems that NSO may be changing direction, as evidenced by one very concerning event.

Although The Legend of Zelda are available on NSO, allowing relative newcomers to still experience their full lineup firsthand. However, the latest change to NSO puts both this reputation and the future of the service into question.

Nintendo Switch Online Removing Super Soccer Is Concerning

It Could Mark The Start Of A Disappointing Pattern

Super Soccer is an SNES-original title available to s of Nintendo Switch Online, with its Japanese-language version Super Formation Soccer being available exclusively in Japan. This is soon going to change, however. Both versions of Super Soccer will be removed from the Nintendo Switch Online service on either March 27 or March 28, depending on the timezone. Even those who have ed NSO’s SNES games beforehand will find the title unplayable after this date. Moreover, although the game is far from iconic, its removal is still extremely worrying, as it proves the impermanency of NSO titles.

It is worth noting that Super Soccer is not simply disappearing without any discernible reason. As reported by Kotaku, Super Formation Soccer was originally created by the company Spike Chunsoft, although Nintendo handled the international distribution of the game. As a result, Nintendo will presumably have needed to make an external deal to republish the game on NSO. Considering the game’s removal, a previously unknown time limit on this license has likely now run out.

Unlike Virtual Console s, NSO Isn’t Permanent

NSO Games Must Be Available Online Directly From Nintendo To Play

Nintendo’s old Virtual Console games, the predecessors to those found on Nintendo Switch Online, had an advantage that NSO now clearly lacks. A ed Virtual Console game could be (and still can be) played forever after purchase, but NSO titles must remain officially available from the service. This is what has led to Super Soccer soon becoming unplayable to anybody who doesn’t have access to a copy of the original SNES game and a console to play it on. It is an undeniable failure of the Nintendo Switch’s own service, and it may not end here.

Virtual Console games were available for the Wii, Wii U, and 3DS; the former console’s version of the service was discontinued in 2019, and the latter consoles saw the same occur in 2023.

The fate of Super Soccer proves that any games that are similarly licensed from another company, both those already available and those games that could be added to NSO in the future, are equally at risk of removal depending on the of any licensing deals. Although there have been no such announcements as of yet, it may only be a matter of time. Any NSO game that was originally created by another company will now always be under the same threat of being removed from the list of available titles.

Core NSO Titles Will Probably Stick Around, But There’s No Guarantee

Any NSO Game Could Be Removed If There Was A Good Reason

Of course, it is worth noting that core titles owned solely by Nintendo are very unlikely to ever disappear from NSO. Again, early games in franchises like Metroid and Zelda can appeal to a large part of Nintendo’s audience, and by extension increase the appeal of NSO as a whole. It would be a very strange decision for Nintendo to remove such core titles, given that this decision may lead directly to a loss of interest in NSO. Furthermore, the release of the Switch 2 may lead to NSO updating with even more content.

On the other hand, however, unlikelihood is no guarantee of such measures never being taken. It is now impossible to deny that games can and will be taken down if it is deemed necessary, whether for external or internal reasons. For example, beyond licensing agreements, Nintendo may at some point decide to rerelease some of its earliest titles in a new collection game; it is easy to see this prompting the removal of any included games from NSO to avoid lowering potential sales.

This change to NSO only affects a portion of s directly, as not everybody will be invested enough in this simple soccer game to be troubled by its removal. However, it is also an undeniable fact that the fate of Super Soccer may be far from an isolated incident. As time goes on, even more classic titles could just as easily be removed from NSO. This is a strong blow to the service’s contribution to game preservation, and a change that could eventually even cut some of the most popular classic games available on Nintendo Switch Online.

Source: Kotaku