Is Nintendo Switch Online worth it – price, GBA game list and plans explained

31 December 2023 , 12:00

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A Nintendo Switch Online membership is the only way to unlock the Nintendo Switch's classic games catalogues (Image: Nintendo)

A Nintendo Switch Online subscription offers players of Nintendo’s hybrid console lots of perks, including free games, online play, and more.

Anyone who has a Nintendo Switch already knows the beauty of the games it offers. Because in addition to endless smaller, indie titles, you can always guarantee on first-party releases like The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, Super Mario Odyssey, and Pikmin 4 for a great time. The value you get out of the console can increase exponentially with a Nintendo Switch Online membership.

Just like PS Plus and Xbox Game Pass, a Nintendo Switch Online subscription lets you play online console multiplayer, has a catalogue of games, and offers different plan options – including a Nintendo Switch Online family membership. So if you’re wondering if Nintendo Switch Online is worth it, we've got a full breakdown for you including the full list of GBA games and which membership plan you need to play them.

What's included in Nintendo Switch Online membership?

While there's more than one membership option available, they're organised a bit differently compared to PS Plus or Xbox Game Pass. There's the standard Nintendo Switch Online membership for one person, and a Nintendo Switch Online family plan for up to eight accounts. Both offer accdess to a growing library of over 100 NES, SNES and Game Boy titles, but you can upgrade both options with a Nintendo Switch Online Expansion Pack. This may sound like something you bolt on to your base subscription, but is in fact just the 'upgraded' tier that grants access to classic N64 and Sega Mega Drive (or Genesis if you're in North America) games on top of the benefits in the cheaper plans.

There are also a few other perks with the Expansion Pack, which we'll get into down in the dedicated section, and you can only buy it in 12-month increments rather than the other options available for the base and family plans. But for now, here's what's included in a Nintendo Switch Online membership for a single account:

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What's included in a Nintendo Switch Online family membership?

If you opt for the Nintendo Switch Online family plan, you get all of the perks of the individual plan, but for up to eight people in the family group. The person paying for the subscription doesn't have to be the one managing the whole thing (aka the account admin) but if they leave the group, members can kiss goodbye to their membership because no one's paying for it anymore! The Family Group will be reactivated when the initial purchaser renews the subscription.

The Family Group account admin has the power to add and remove members, and if the non-paying members leave, obviously they won't have access to the Nintendo Switch Online family membership anymore, but the group won't be affected.

The best thing about the Nintendo Switch Online family membership is that it's a great way to save money as those accounts can be spread across different consoles, different households, and different countries. The only real limitations are set out by the features available in the members' respective countries.

How much is Nintendo Switch Online?

An individual Nintendo Switch Online membership price differs depending on the bundle you buy. Nintendo offers the single-person plan in increments of one, three, and 12 months:

How much is Nintendo Switch Online family membership?

The Nintendo Switch Online family membership can only be bought in 12-month bundles. If you have an active individual membership, but you're the 're the one laying down the cash for the family plan then you'll get a discount based on the remaining days of your individual membership; note that it's capped up at the price of the family membership.

If you have an individual membership and you're added to Family Group, your individual membership will carry on running alongside the family plan until it runs out.

• 12 months: £34.99 / $34.99 / AU$54.95

Is Nintendo Switch Online Expansion Pack worth it?

The Nintendo Switch Online Expansion Pack is an upgrade available for both the individual and family plans. As well as the benefits included in the respective membership tiers, you also get access to a library of classic N64, Sega Mega Drive/ Genesis, and Game Boy Advance as well as expansion packs for select Nintendo titles. Of course, you'll need to own the base game to play the free DLC.

Just like the family plan, the Nintendo Switch Online Expansion Pack can only be bought in 12-month increments. The game library is updated as with Xbox Game Pass so more titles will be added over time, increasing the value of your membership. And of course, there's the option to save on the subscription with a Nintendo Switch Online Expansion Pack family membership, if you have people in the group willing an able to chip in. So if you're after classic N64, Sega, and Game Boy Advance games, as well as free DLC for popular games you already own, then the answer to whether the Nintendo Switch Online Expansion Pack is worth it is a resounding yes – especially if you can split the cost of the family plan version with friends and family.

Nintendo Switch Online vs Expansion Pack

Here's everything included in the Nintendo Switch Online Expansion Pack to compare against the standard Nintendo Switch Online membership.

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How much is Nintendo Switch Online Expansion Pack?

Nintendo Switch Online games

There are currently six different video game libraries available to access as part of a Nintendo Switch Online subscription – three for the standard tier (NES, SNES, Game Boy) and three more for the Expansion Pack tier (Nintendo 64, Game Boy Advance, Sega Mega Drive/ Genesis).

Here’s a list of all the games currently available to play within each game library:

Nintendo Switch Online NES games:

• Balloon Fight
• Baseball
• Donkey Kong
• Double Dragon
• Dr. Mario
• Excitebike
• Ghosts ’n Goblins
• Gradius
• Ice Climber
• Ice Hockey
• The Legend of Zelda
• Mario Bros.
• Pro Wrestling
• River City Ransom
• Soccer
• Super Mario Bros.
• Super Mario Bros. 3
• Tecmo Bowl
• Tennis
• Yoshi
• NES Open Tournament Golf
• Solomon's Key
• Super Dodge Ball
• Metroid
• Mighty Bomb Jack
• TwinBee
• Adventures of Lolo
• Ninja Gaiden
• Wario's Woods
• Zelda II: The Adventure of Link
• Blaster Master
• Super Mario Bros. 2
• Kirby's Adventure
• Kid Icarus
• StarTropics
• Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels
• Punch-Out!! Featuring Mr. Dream
• Star Soldier
• Donkey Kong Jr.
• VS. Excitebike
• Clu Clu Land
• Double Dragon II: The Revenge
• Volleyball
• City Connection
• Wrecking Crew
• Donkey Kong 3
• Kung-Fu Heroes
• Vice: Project Doom
• Crystalis
• Journey to Silius
• Shadow of the Ninja
• Eliminator Boat Duel
• Rygar
• The Immortal
• S.C.A.T.: Special Cybernetic Attack Team
• Nightshade
• Fire 'n Ice
• Ninja JaJaMaru-kun
• EarthBound Beginnings
• Dig Dug II
• Mappy-Land
• Pinball
• Daiva Story 6: Imperial of Nirsartia
• Xevious
• Mystery Tower (Tower of Babel)
• Joy Mech Fight
• Downtown Nekketsu March: Super-Awesome Field Day!
• The Mysterious Murasame Castle
• Devil World

Nintendo Switch Online SNES games:

• Kirby's Dream Land 3
• Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island
• Star Fox
• F-ZERO
• Pilotwings
• Kirby's Dream Course
• Super Mario World
• Super Mario Kart
• The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past
• Super Metroid
• Stunt Race FX
• Brawl Brothers
• Breath of Fire
• Demon's Crest
• Joe & Mac 2: Lost in the Tropics
• Super EDF: Earth Defence Force
• Super Ghouls 'n Ghosts
• Super Puyo Puyo 2
• Super Soccer
• Super Tennis
• Star Fox 2
• Kirby Super Star
• Super Punch-Out!!
• Breath of Fire II
• Pop'n Twinbee
• Smash Tennis
• Wild Guns
• Panel de Pon
• Operation Logic Bomb
• Donkey Kong Country
• Natsume Championship Wrestling
• Super Mario All-Stars
• Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest
• Mario's Super Picross
• The Peace Keepers
• Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong’s Double Trouble!
• The Ignition Factor
• Super Valis IV
• Tuff E Nuff
• Doomsday Warrior
• Prehistorik Man
• Psycho Dream
• Joe & Mac
• Magical Drop II
• Spanky's Quest
• Super Baseball Simulator 1.000
• Claymates
• Congo's Caper
• Rival Turf
• Fighter's History
• Kirby's Avalanche
• Side Pocket
• Harvest Moon
• Kirby's Star Stacker
• Jelly Boy
• Bombuzal
• EarthBound
• Earthworm Jim 2

Nintendo Switch Online Game Boy games:

• The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening DX
• The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Seasons
• The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Ages
• Tetris
• Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins
• Gargoyle’s Quest
• Game & Watch Gallery 3
• Alone in the Dark: The New Nightmare (Western exclusive)
• Metroid II: Return of Samus
• Wario Land 3
• Kirby’s Dream Land
• Kirby's Dream Land 2
• BurgerTime Deluxe
• Kirby Tilt 'n' Tumble
• Blaster Master: Enemy Below
• Pokémon Trading Card Game
• Quest for Camelot
• Castlevania Legends

Nintendo Switch Online N64 games (Expansion Pack only):

• WinBack
• Yoshi’s Story
• Paper Mario
• Banjo-Kazooie
• Super Mario 64
• The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
• Mario Kart 64
• Star Fox 64
• Sin and Punishment
• Dr. Mario 64
• Mario Tennis
• The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask
• F-Zero X
• Mario Golf
• Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards
• Pokémon Snap
• Pokémon Puzzle League
• Wave Race 64
• Pilotwings 64
• Mario Party
• Mario Party 2
• GoldenEye 007
• Pokémon Stadium
• Pokémon Stadium 2
• Excitebike 64
• Mario Party 3
• 1080º Snowboarding
• Jet Force Gemini
• Harvest Moon 64

Nintendo Switch Online Game Boy Advance games (Expansion Pack only):

• Mario Kart Super Circuit
• Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga
• Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3
• WarioWare, Inc.: Mega Microgame$
• Kuru Kuru Kururin
• The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap
• Metroid Fusion
• Super Mario Advance
• Super Mario World: Super Mario Advance 2
• Yoshi's Island: Super Mario Advance 3
• Fire Emblem
• Kirby & The Amazing Mirror

Nintendo Switch Online Sega Mega Drive / Genesis games:

• Alien Storm
• Columns
• Virtua Fighter 2
• Sonic the Hedgehog 2
• Streets of Rage 2
• Ecco the Dolphin
• Castlevania: Bloodlines
• Contra: Hard Corps
• Dr. Robotnik’s Mean Bean Machine
• Golden Axe
• Gunstar Heroes
• M.U.S.H.A.
• Phantasy Star IV
• Ristar
• Shining Force
• Shinobi III: Return of the Ninja Master
• Strider
• Altered Beast
• Dynamite Headdy
• Sword of Vermilion
• ToeJam & Earl
• Thunder Force II
• Light Crusader
• Super Fantasy Zone
• Alien Soldier
• Space Harrier II
• Shining Force II
• Sonic Spinball
• Comix Zone
• Target Earth (Assault Suits Leynos)
• Zero Wing
• Mega Man: The Wily Wars
• Alisia Dragoon
• Beyond Oasis (The Story of Thor)
• Earthworm Jim
• Golden Axe II
• Street Fighter II: Special Champion Edition
• Pulseman
• Kid Chameleon
• Flicky
• The Revenge of Shinobi
• Ghouls 'n Ghosts
• Landstalker
• Crusader of Centy

More games are added to the Nintendo Switch Online subscription service over time, though unlike the services available on PlayStation and Xbox they tend to be announced on a more irregular basis. Still, you’ll have access to all these games for however long you stay subscribed.

Shabana Arif