Summary
Nintendo Switch Onlinehas added another classic, the first-party racing gameRidge Racer 64,to its growing catalog of N64 titles.Nintendo Switch Onlineoriginally launched in 2018 and wasn’t initially as well received as PlayStation Plus and Xbox Game Pass due to its extremely limited offerings. However, the growing library of games — along with the addition of Nintendo 64, Sega Genesis, and Game Boy Advance titles via the Expansion Pack — has made the subscription service increasingly popular.
TheRidge Racerseries of games got its start in arcades and was present on most platforms until 2016, when the last entry in the franchise was released. One of the most popular titles,Ridge Racer 64,launched in 2000 and proved so popular that it got a remake in 2004 for release on Nintendo DS. Part of what madeRidge Racer 64one of thebest racing games on Nintendo 64was its inclusion of tracks from the originalRidge Racerand PlayStation’sRidge Racer Revolution. It also introduced new cars and tracks for players to enjoy, and developer Nintendo Software Technology added updated drift and collision systems as well.
Ridge Racer 64 Comes to Nintendo Switch Online
Of course, there are still many games that people would love to see come to the subscription service, but Nintendo has been fairly successful thus far at adding what fans are clamoring for. Other recentadditions to Nintendo Switch Online include three SNES games—Fatal Fury 2, Super Ninja Boy,andSutte Hakkun— as well as the NES version ofTetrisand Game Boy Color’sTetris DX.One of the most hyped titles added to the service wasBanjo-Tooiein October, which fans had been asking for sinceBanjo-Kazooiebecame available in 2022.
The growing appeal of a Nintendo Switch Online subscription will be bittersweet for a large number of players, however. In November, Tencent, which handles distribution of Nintendo Switch in China, announced that it will be graduallyshutting down Nintendo Switch Online services and eShop accessin that country between March and May of 2026. It’s unclear how many millions of gamers will ultimately be affected by the shutdown.
