Nintendo Switch Online Is Going Old School
Nintendo Switch Online is taking Nintendo Switch players back to the '90s with its December 2020 selection of games. Nintendo announced this week that Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble! will be available soon to all Nintendo Switch Online subscribers, as well as a few other classic Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) and Super NES (SNES) titles.
The official Nintendo of America Twitter account revealed on Monday that the 1996 Donkey Kong SNES title will be available in the Nintendo Switch Online collection on Dec. 18, 2020. Other SNES titles on their way include 1994's The Ignition Factor, 1991's Super Valis 4, and 1993's Tuff E Nuff. One NES game, 1991's Nightshade, is also coming. Alongside the announcement, Nintendo shared an ad that previewed gameplay for each title.
That's not all Nintendo had to reveal. The gaming giant dropped a "Classified Information" video containing cheat codes for Donkey Kong, The Ignition Factor, and Super Valis 4. The clip included instructions for each game to unlock special holiday bonuses. In Donkey Kong's case, players can get a special holiday-themed level and a mini game that gives 85 bonus coins, while Ignition Factor gets a secret HQ level, complete with a cameo for players to spot. Entering a lengthy code on the title screen of Super Valis 4 will allow the player to select any level.
The addition of Donkey Kong Country 3 to Nintendo Switch Online closely follows its predecessor, Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest, which was added in September alongside Mario's Super Picross, The Peace Keepers, and S.C.A.T.: Special Cybernetic Attack Team. Nintendo has continuously added new titles to the NES and SNES libraries to the point where there are now more than 70 games available. In celebration of Super Mario's 35th anniversary this year, there's even a Mario battle royale game, titled Super Mario Bros. 35, available for Nintendo Switch Online subscribers — but that will only be available until March 31, 2020.
In order to access the Nintendo Switch Online NES and SNES game library, Switch owners need a subscription to the service, which also features cloud backup, special offers, and a smartphone app, as well as online play. The Nintendo Switch NES and SNES apps can then be downloaded from the Nintendo eShop for free. These apps can also be accessed via the new Nintendo Switch Online button on the Switch's home screen, which was added in a recent Switch update (though fans aren't too fond of said button).