Paper Mario N64 game release is Nintendo Switch Online at its best – and worst

Opinion: Another classic N64 game slowly unfolds on Nintendo Switch Online

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Nintendo has revealed that PaperMariowill be the next N64 game to come to itsSwitch Online Expansion Packservice on December 10.

The classic RPG was extremely well received at the time and kickstarted a beloved series of games starring the paper-thin plumber, with the latest release beingPaper Mario: The Origami Kingon Nintendo Switch.

Paper Mario is the type of title that is an ideal fit for Switch’s new online service and the console in general as the suspend and resume feature means you can pick up and play from any point without a moment’s hesitation. It’s bound to look rather striking on the newNintendo Switch OLED’s vibrant display, too.

Paper Mario is the 10thN64 gameto join Nintendo’s new online service, and while it’s certainly an excellent addition, its arrival also confirms one of our worst fears. It appears that Nintendo will add games to the Nintendo Switch Online Expansion Pack at an agonizingly slow pace, just like it did with its NES and SNES library.

It means we could be waiting months, if not years for some of our favorite N64 titles to arrive, which is a bitter pill to swallow.

Analysis: Nintendo needs to do more

The Nintendo Switch Online Expansion Pack launched on October 25, 2021, shortly after the release of the Nintendo SwitchOLED. The new subscription service got off to a rocky start, to say the least, and was criticized for being too expensive and for having a stingy number of titles at launch. It also quickly becameNintendo’s most disliked video on YouTube, beforeGoogle took the option to dislike videos away.

A number of technical issues were also highlighted with the emulator Nintendo had chosen to runN64 games, with fans complaining that input lag, glitches, and visual oddities were present that weren’t found in the original releases. It turns out, though, theN64 emulator isn’t that bad.

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Thankfully,Nintendo has vowed to improve the service in the future. Nintendo of America president Doug Bowser told The Verge: “We’re constantly looking for ways to make our online features and those games better and continuing to add value through more services and more games as we go forward. We take the feedback very seriously, and we’re continuing to look at ways to improve the overall performance. For us, it’s about quality and great content at a great value.”

Unfortunately, it appears that one area Nintendo hasn’t addressed yet is its release cadence for N64 games, which will likely continue to release at a glacial pace.

Adam was formerly TRG’s Hardware Editor. A law graduate with an exceptional track record in content creation and online engagement, Adam has penned scintillating copy for various technology sites and also established his very own award-nominated video games website. He’s previously worked at Nintendo of Europe as a Content Marketing Editor and once played Halo 5: Guardians for over 51 hours for charity. He is now an editor at The Shortcut.

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