Nintendo has shown off May’s Switch Online NES games along with their release date in a short video on Twitter.
Another batch of NES titles is coming to Nintendo Switch Online next week. After adding three new NES games listed as “upcoming titles” to the online service’s website, Nintendo today shared a video of the soon-to-be-released games on Twitter along with their release date. According to that post, Donkey Kong Jr., Clu Clu Land, and VS. Excitebike will debut on Switch Online next Wednesday, May 15.
Probably the most exciting addition for most people will be — appropriately enough — VS. Excitebike. VS. Excitebike was originally released in 1984. It was a follow-up to the popular motorcycle racing game Excitebike. VS. Excitebike added a two-player head-to-head mode to the game and allowed players to save custom-made tracks. It also added new music. While nothing about online functionality has announced, this could be an opportunity for Nintendo to go a little above and beyond with their Switch Online service. Letting players face off with online opponents or share their custom tracks would be a good way to show that the service can add a bit more value to its collection of NES games, rather than just slowly trickling them out to customers.
Donkey Kong Jr. is another fairly big game. It turns the tables on the original Donkey Kong, casting Mario as the antagonist who’s captured DK. Playing as Donkey Kong Jr., you have to swing across vines and jump over obstacles to rescue your Pa. It plays much different from the original Donkey Kong, making you climb vines and collect fruit rather than navigate platforms and ladders.
Clu Clu Land is sort of the odd game out in this collection. It’s not the most well known or well liked of NES games, though it certainly has its fans. It’s a tough game to describe, putting you on a Pac-Man-like grid where you control a fish navigating a maze and collecting gold coins. It’s worth a try, even if just to see how odd it is.
These games will be joining the eclectic collection of NES games already available on the Switch, which includes classics like the Legend of Zelda and Metroid. As with the rest of the Switch’s NES collection, you’ll need a membership to Nintendo Switch Online to play these games. You can get a one-year subscription to the service for $19.99.
