Nintendo Switch Online finally adds new Sega Genesis games, and it’s a good bunch

Old classics return on Nintendo Switch

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It’s been a bit of a bumpy ride for theNintendo Switch Online Expansion Packsubscription service thus far, but the higher tier service has finally received a handful of new Sega Genesis / Mega Drive games. It’s a decent selection, too, featuring a mixture of Sega stalwarts and a couple of unexpected classics.

Announced by Nintendo via its social media channels, Expansion Pack subscribers can play the new Sega Genesis / Mega Drive additions right now on theirNintendo Switch. The five new games are as follows:

5 additional #SEGAGenesis games are now available for #NintendoSwitchOnline + Expansion Pack members! Which will you play first?- Altered Beast- ToeJam & Earl- Dynamite Headdy- Sword of Vermilion- Thunder Force II pic.twitter.com/MhtISzBN0MDecember 17, 2021

As we expected, Nintendo has been fairly slow in rolling out new games for Nintendo Switch Online Expansion Pack. On the N64 side, just one new game has been added since the subscription tier’s launch, that beingPaper Mario. Don’t get us wrong, it’s arguably one of thebest N64 games, but the slow drip of updates is disconcerting to say the least.

Here’s hoping Nintendo can ramp up the updates in 2022. We already have a bit of a roadmap for the N64, with games likeBanjo-Kazooieand F-Zero X coming soon. But Sega Genesis / Mega Drive updates are a little up in the air at present.

We previously reported on adataminer’s findingsafter they dived into Expansion Pack’s code, and it looks like plenty more titles are on the way, with the potential of Game Boy and Game Boy Color games being added at a later time.

For now, though, we have to hope that Nintendo will continue to fill the Expansion Pack’s library with the best its retro consoles have to offer, from popular classics to lesser-known cult hits.

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Rhys is TRG’s Hardware Editor, and has been part of the TechRadar team for more than two years. Particularly passionate about high-quality third-party controllers and headsets, as well as the latest and greatest in fight sticks and VR, Rhys strives to provide easy-to-read, informative coverage on gaming hardware of all kinds. As for the games themselves, Rhys is especially keen on fighting and racing games, as well as soulslikes and RPGs.

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