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Nintendo Switch Online Expansion Pack tier: Price, release date and more details

The expanded NSO tier launches on Oct. 25.

Kevin Knezevic Former staff writer
Kevin has been covering video games and tech since 2010, with a particular focus on Nintendo and Pokemon. Squirtle is the best starter and nothing will convince him otherwise.
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Kevin Knezevic
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Unlike the base subscription, Nintendo will only offer an annual Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack subscription.

 Nintendo

Nintendo is expanding its Switch Online subscription service with a new premium tier next week. The Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack launches on Monday, Oct. 25, and it includes all of the benefits of the base service plus some additional perks, such as a library of classic Nintendo 64 and Sega Genesis games. Here are the full details on the new tier, including pricing and the launch lineups for the classic game libraries.

Pricing

Unlike the base NSO subscription, Nintendo will only offer an annual Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack subscription. An individual membership costs $50 USD, while a family plan subscription -- which covers up to eight Nintendo accounts across multiple Switch systems -- costs $80 USD.

For comparison, an individual base NSO membership costs $4 for one month, $8 for three months and $20 for one year. A base annual family plan, meanwhile, costs $35. The base membership gives subscribers access to classic NES and SNES games, cloud save backups, the ability to play online against others and a few free titles, such as Tetris 99 and Pac-Man 99.

Animal Crossing: Happy Home Paradise DLC

Alongside Animal Crossing: New Horizons' free 2.0 update, Nintendo is releasing a paid DLC expansion for the game called Happy Home Paradise. Players can purchase the expansion for $25 USD, but those who subscribe to the Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack service will be able to access it for no additional cost. However, if your membership lapses, you will no longer be able to access the bulk of the expansion's content until you subscribe again. The Happy Home Paradise DLC launches on Nov. 5.

N64 and Sega Genesis games

As mentioned, one of the additional perks of the Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack tier is access to a library of classic Nintendo 64 and Sega Genesis games. The following titles will be included in each library when the service launches Oct. 25:

Nintendo 64

  • Super Mario 64
  • Mario Kart 64
  • Star Fox 64
  • The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
  • Mario Tennis
  • Dr. Mario 64
  • Win Back: Covert Operations
  • Sin & Punishment
  • Yoshi's Story

Sega Genesis

  • Sonic the Hedgehog 2
  • Streets of Rage 2
  • Castlevania: Bloodlines
  • Contra: Hard Corps
  • Dr. Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine
  • Golden Axe
  • Ecco the Dolphin
  • Gunstar Heroes
  • MUSHA
  • Phantasy Star IV
  • Ristar
  • Shining Force
  • Shinobi 3
  • Strider

Nintendo says it will continue to introduce additional Nintendo 64 and Sega Genesis games to each library following the service's launch. The company has already confirmed the following N64 games will be added sometime in the future.

  • The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask
  • Mario Golf
  • Pokemon Snap
  • F-Zero X
  • Paper Mario
  • Banjo-Kazooie
  • Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards

Those who have an existing Nintendo Switch Online subscription will be able to upgrade to the Expansion Pack tier at a discounted rate, depending on how much time is remaining in their current subscription. Nintendo will share additional details about how to upgrade memberships on its support website.