Nintendo classics get online multiplayer on the Switch
Nintendo has patched a modern feature into its vintage lineup.
The Nintendo Switch features a new, paid subscription model that grants players access to online multiplayer features -- and something extra. According to the Nintendo Switch Online Service website, anyone who subscribes will be able to download and play one classic game from the Nintendo Entertainment System or Super Nintendo Entertainment System per month, "with newly added online play."
The wording on this one makes it unclear if both the NES and SNES games will have online play, but it would be a first for either platform. The full sentence reads as follows: "Subscribers will get to download and play a Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) or Super Nintendo Entertainment System (Super NES) game (with newly added online play) for free for a month."
We've reached out to Nintendo for clarification and will update this story as we hear back.
When the Switch comes out on March 3rd (for $300), anyone will be able to access online features, including multiplayer, free during a public trial period. That ends in the fall, and Nintendo will then roll out the paid online service. Alongside online multiplayer, the subscription grants access to the dedicated Switch smartphone app, which players can use to talk with Switch-owning friends outside games and during online matches in compatible titles. Plus, it looks like there will be discounts and other goodies for people in the online Switch club.
At launch in the fall, the Switch Online Service will be available only in the United States, Canada and Mexico.
Click here to catch up on the latest news from Nintendo's Switch event.
