Nintendo has officially revealed all the juicy details about their online service that is set to be launching in September of this year. So, without further ado, let's go over all of the features that will likely be a pleasant surprise for fans of the Big N.
As previously hinted by Nintendo,
Online Play will be locked once the Online service launches and users will only be able to play online if they subscribe to the service. Which, is a bit of a letdown since Nintendo were the only ones that were not charging for online play, but well, that's how things are now.
There is a
Nintendo Entertainment System feature, which is somewhat similar to the Nintendo 3DS and Wii U's virtual console. At the moment it's only for the classic NES - as suggested by the name - and what's interesting is that it will allow players to play Co-op games online. By using the Smartphone app, players will be able to use Voice Chat, so no change there in terms of a better way to communicate with other players. Among the titles announced for the NES feature we find
Mario Bros.,
Donkey Kong,
The Legend of Zelda,
Super Mario Bros.,
Super Mario Bros. 3,
Dr. Mario,
Ice Climber,
Tennis,
Balloon Fight, and
Soccer, with more to come. Here's hoping that they start adding more from other consoles like the Super NES, N64 or even the Game Cube.
Nintendo are finally introducing
Save Data Cloud Backup that will allow players to save their data online but more details will be revealed at launch. It's still a great feature to have, especially for a handheld console.
Nintendo Switch Online app is the smartphone app that will make easier for users to connect with eah other. The app will feature an Online Lounge where they can online send invitations to other players via the Switch's friend list. Once players have established the connection, they'll be able to communicate by using the Voice Chat feature.
Special Offers will be announced soon, as well but they've only hinted at this so we'll keep our eyes peeled.
The Nintendo Switch Online Service offers three
Individual membership plans:
-1 Month for $3.99 USD
-3 Months for $7.99 USD
-12 Months for $19.99 USD
And one
Family membership for $34.99 USD that allows one Nintendo Account holder to invite up to seven others to join one family group, allowing all members to gain access to Nintendo Switch Online.
While some of the features have a lot of potential, like the
Nintendo Entertainment System feature[hopefully a Virtual Console of sorts], or the
Save Data Cloud Backup, the service could be a lot better, especially since it was announced when the Nintendo Switch launched and that unavoidably set high expectations that probably weren't met today, but probably, and hopefully will in the future.