In concept, Nintendo Switch Online should be an excellent service, especially for players who grew up with older consoles like the Game Boy or NES. Unfortunately, aside from a few major hits that were added to the service a while ago, NSO continues to underwhelm with its game offerings, making its worth questionable. The four most recent games to be added are a perfect example of this, considering the games we're still waiting for.

I've subscribed to Nintendo Switch Online on and off for a while, and I've only really done so to keep having easy access to The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time and Majora's Mask. Each time new games are added to the service, I'm hopeful that at least one of them will help justify the price I'm paying for it. Although I'm hopeful that Switch 2 adding GameCube games to NSO could be an improvement, Nintendo's reluctance to put big releases on the service does make me worry that it won't be much better.

NSO's New Game Boy Games Miss The Mark

Nintendo Added Four Underwhelming Games To NSO

Yesterday, Nintendo shared an NSO update on their YouTube channel, previewing four new Game Boy games. These games were Survival Kids, Gradius: The Interstellar Assault, Kirby's Star Stacker, and The Sword of Hope. I don't want to be too harsh on any of these games specifically, and I'm sure they could be fun (though Kirby's Star Stacker is essentially just Kirby-themed Tetris). Gradius: The Interstellar Assault is a side-scrolling shooter from a pretty prolific series, and Survival Kids spawned a series of games that will be returning this year for the Switch 2.

While these games aren't exactly the bottom of the barrel for Game Boy titles, they also aren't major hits. There are still plenty of Game Boy games that are likely much higher on players' wishlist than this new offering from NSO. Yet, for some reason, Nintendo seems reluctant to put big games on the service.

Nintendo Is Shying Away From Big Hits For NSO

Major Retro Games Are Still Absent

Perhaps the most glaring example of big Game Boy games that aren't in the NSO catalog are the Pokémon games. It would be especially nice to get Pokémon Gold and Silver, seeing as the original cartridges don't work anymore. Looking at the Game Boy Advance, it's also disappointing to see that we haven't gotten any of the mainline Final Fantasy games or Final Fantasy Tactics.

Now, it's entirely possible that some of this could be out of Nintendo's hands, and I could see a company like Square Enix not wanting their games on NSO for free, especially when the Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster series is for sale on the Switch. Still, it's disappointing to see certain big games not getting released on NSO, especially when they were previously available on Nintendo's Virtual Console for the Wii U. For example, Donkey Kong 64 was available on the Wii U, but still hasn't made it to Nintendo Switch Online.

Nintendo Switch Online Doesn't Yet Compete With Game Or PS+

Nintendo Switch Online Is Cheaper, But Doesn't Offer Nearly As Much Value

Now, it may not initially seem fair to compare Nintendo Switch Online to other services like Game or PlayStation Plus. After all, it is less than half the cost annually of these other services, even if you have the Expansion Pack. That said, it also doesn't come close to offering the same sort of value as these other services. Game often gets brand-new games, including great titles like Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 and Avowed. While I've found PlayStation Plus to be a bit less valuable than Game , its catalog still has big hits like Uncharted 4.

I have a lot of nostalgia for old Nintendo games, and I honestly wouldn't mind paying a bit more for Nintendo Switch Online, if it meant it would be on par with something like Game or even PlayStation Plus. The best thing I can say about my NSO subscription right now is that it might get me a Switch 2 a bit earlier, though I'm still waiting for my invite. There's a limit to how long I'll pay an annual fee to play the same handful of games, so I hope Nintendo can add something better soon.

Source: Nintendo/YouTube