Celebrating 1 year anniversary of the Nintendo Switch Online

[delete12345]

We can sort of say that today or tomorrow is the 1st anniversary of the Nintendo Switch Online.

Many criticisms were made, few praises were also made, but nonetheless, a year is a year.

Things we praise:

• SNES games
• NES games
• Tetris 99
• Free-to-start games

Things we criticize like no other:

• Online infrastructure / network issues (I felt like it's nearly 80+% of all criticisms)
• Membership /subscription price
• Lack of new games.
• Lack of new offers.
• Switch Online Vouchers not for purchase in North America (really minor, but it's still a huge criticism, somehow)

No data and statistics to back them all, so I can even say they are all 0% interest rates.

Anyway...................

We mark the 1st year anniversary, here's to another year of Nintendo Switch Online, and we hoped to see you all next year with more game libraries added to the Switch Online (N64, NGC, perhaps?)

Spoiler: Other podcast discussion

 

[Weng]

I hope we will get GB, GBC and GBA games before we get N64 games. And hopefully it doesn't take another year to get them. There's so many GB games I want to (re)play.
Maybe I should just buy a 3DS...

 

[Starwing]

Wait, you couldn't get the vouchers here in the US?

 

[--R]

Isn't the low price good for a paid online membership even if paid online itself is bad? Like, at least is 20 bucks per year instead of 60.

 

[Swift_Gamer]

I find shameful that games are peer to peer.

 

[Irikan]

Are there really complaints about the price? It's pretty cheap, especially if you make use of the family deal. Anyway I just hope they're not gonna be shy about adding SNES games every month

 

[Aleh]

The service is really not bad. Free NES and SNES games, Tetris 99 and vouchers. That alone is worth more than 20 bucks lol, and you still get online play and cloud saves

 

[Hucast]

I am surprised they didnt increase the price with snes games.

 

[Xavi]

I Will gladly renew, I play splatoon 2 regularly and the SNES is my favorite console of all time, already have beaten super Metroid and Breath of Fire

 

[aiswyda]

The online infrastructure is so bad. Stardew Valley coop is such an ordeal to actually get to work for everyone :(

 

[HomespunFur]

Wait, you couldn't get the vouchers here in the US?

Click to shrink...

You could but not anymore.
They might bring them back but they also may not

 

[KamenSenshi]

NSO is kind of like the Netflix of gaming with benefit of online gaming. I see it mainly that way and so am okay with it. Just continue to add more games and systems.

 

[Critch]

20 bucks for the best NES and SNES games and Tetris 99 is a steal.

 

[delete12345]

The online infrastructure is so bad. Stardew Valley coop is such an ordeal to actually get to work for everyone :(

Click to shrink...

Hence, it's like the majority of all complaints, is just this one issue.

Every other issues are really really minor.

 

[Starwing]

You could but not anymore.
They might bring them back but they also may not

Click to shrink...

Ah, ok. I thought you couldn't get them period.

 

[evilmonkey]

Wait, you couldn't get the vouchers here in the US?

Click to shrink...

You could until end of July, while vouchers are still available in other regions. Speculation is that the digital share in NA is already high enough but no one knows for sure why NoA made them time limited.

 

[IDreamOfHime]

I got a year free from Twitch, no complaints so far. 🤷‍♂️

 

[RockmanBN]

Hence, it's like the majority of all complaints, is just this one issue.

Every other issues are really really minor.

Click to shrink...

That one issue is likely the only reason why people are paying for this and it's so mediocre.

 

[brinstar]

I'll never be a fan of paying for online, but as someone who is pretty much all digital on Switch the vouchers were awesome, and SNES games have been great. I hope they bring the vouchers back soon.

Edit: Also yeah Tetris 99 is great too. I never expected to play it this much.

 

[xxracerxx]

I finally cashed in my Twitch Prime NSO code because of the SNES games. Haven't played online and I don't even think I have an online capable game.

 

[maximumzero]

$1.67 a month for quick access to NES and SNES games and Tetris 99 is a fair deal.

 

[aiswyda]

Hence, it's like the majority of all complaints, is just this one issue.

Every other issues are really really minor.

Click to shrink...

I mean yeah but the instability of online play when you're literally paying to play online is ridiculous

 

[HardRojo]

Agreed OP. Had they not added SNES games I'd be saying there's no reason to celebrate, but hey, I'm playing Super Metroid for the 20th time and I'm very happy 😄 still, I really really hope they fix the online infrastructure and basic functionality, there's no reason a modern console in this day and age doesn't have those.

 

[Deleted member 21709]

Not much to 'celebrate'.. but I'm glad we have SNES games on Switch.. I guess?

 

[Archduke Kong]

Up until a few months ago, I thought it was a waste, and that was with getting a year just for having Amazon Prime.

However, their efforts to make it a little more palatable have been pretty good. The online infrastructure needs work. A lot of work. But Tetris 99 is a nice freebie, Game Trials was cool (even if I didn't end up liking Mario Tennis Aces and I don't know if they're bringing it back) and I was enjoying the NES app as a sort of Museum, using Save States and Rewind to have some fun with these games (I don't mind NES aesthetically but I loathe a lot of the tropes from that era, so accessibility options are appreciated).

SNES games are what I was waiting for to actually pay for it, so I can't say I'm unhappy they're here. I'd have a paid $20 for Super Metroid and Yoshi's Island anyway, so I'm happy in that department. Still, as I'm typing all that, I'm reminded that the actual online component is still lacking. I don't play online, so I don't care about it personally, but I can't say "yeah it's great now!" because realistically it isn't. I'm happy there's starting to be an affordable alternative to what the Virtual Console wanted to be, but this is still gating for online play, and that... isn't good.

Year one of NSO: I like it more now. Hopefully the bonuses aren't just a bandaid for the rest of its lifetime.

 

[Gundam]

Congrats on failing to live up on your already low expectations, Nintendo Online


What would we do without you

 

[Tavernade]

I'm really curious what next month will bring for games. Are we gonna get three each for NES/SNES? Two SNES and a NES? The reverse? Only SNES?

I haven't even touched most SNES games yet and I'm hungry for more (though partially feuled by much of wave one being games I beat on GBA/VC previously).

 

[dragonflys545]

Even for $20 it's a waste. I don't need replay old ass games.

 

[Everywhere]

Crazy how it's been one year and nothing changed, other than SNES emulation - something super easy to do, and even so it took them 1 year.

Feels like they don't have a team working to improve the service. Not very encouraging.

Glad to say I didn't pay for it, but eventually I will, when they release Animal Crossing. Or maybe I won't, since online play in that game will probably be its worst aspect, as it has been in past entries of the series.

Welp to both of us, Nintendo.

 

[Papercuts]

365 days of disappointment.

 

[Deleted member 13101]

I celebrated by renewing, then realizing that the subscription is not for "1 year" but is actually for "365 days", which is why it is expiring one calendar day earlier next year.

 

[Bit_Reactor]

I love Nintendo. But the service isn't really worth celebrating for me yet. There's a lot of good old games on there, but the lack of themes, no fixing/revamping of the shop, etc leave me still wondering about it. I know it's cheap and a lot of people are taking advantage of the family plan but I can't help but feel like for a year later reflection having some rom hacks isn't really the bar we should set.

 

[delete12345]

I celebrated by renewing, then realizing that the subscription is not for "1 year" but is actually for "365 days", which is why it is expiring one calendar day earlier next year.

Click to shrink...

Huh, I never knew such a technicality.

 

[ryushe]

Though it shouldn't be behind a paywall, I'm honestly content with the cloud saves alone. The rest is just icing.

 

[Rhaknar]

I got NO back in... March I think, I never actually played any game online, nor have I even downloaded the NES app (NES games aint my thang). I did play a bunch of Tetris 99 and still do now and again (well more now with the dailies), and with the addition of the SNES games, I have already played / finished Super Metroid.

So, was Tetris 99 and Super Metroid worth the 20€? I mean... probably? Will I resub? For sure now that we finally have SNES games.

 

[Ehoavash]

Wish it had a system wide party chat but beside that I can't complain. Don't care about the NES /Snes stuff since I don't play those games or Tetris 99 ( that game hurts my eyes ) but it's neat that it's there

Mainly it have it for smash online which i play everyday and for $20 I'll take it

 

[Deleted member 4037]

"celebrating", even the stuff in the praise column im lukewarm on. The service is terrible.

 

[Alastor3]

People are so hopefully we get other console as VirtualConsole... im the pessimist side and think we will have to wait until physical mini version come out before they are added to the online, for exemple if N64 where to come, i would see a n64mini before anything else

 

[MrBS]

Thanks for the update, only hours away from it auto nenewing and got that cancelled ;)

Will renew with amazon code when it expires!

edit: lol should have done my homework on this, go forth giftbot

 

[chrisPjelly]

It's a pretty good SNES rental program, but an absolutely big disappointment at what it should set out to be in the first place. Sure, maybe the Switch's wifi chip isn't strong enough for voice chat (which is still Nintendo's fault btw), but they could at the very least put messaging in there. Folders? Themes? And I don't care how fucking fast the OS is, that's like being impressed that a car that has all it's seats and exteriors gutted is running so much better. So many stupidly obvious things that any other sane company wouldn't hesitate to implement.

 

[Barn]

I'm fully content with getting the online play, 60 (and growing) retro games, cloud saves, Tetris 99 and the occasional deal for $1.66-ish a month (I pay more than that for coffee almost every day). If Nintendo overhauled the matching and communication infrastructure of their online offerings to make for system-level matching that isn't obtuse as all fuck and voice chat with friends, we'd be on a gravy train with biscuit wheels.

 

[Moist_Owlet]

a celebration of mediocrity

 

[Professor Beef]

You should've cut that OP up into sections and released the rest of it on a monthly basis.

 

[Deleted member 19218]

Overall I am happy because of the retro libraries and feel it justifies the price. My only concern is the cloud saves not working for all games, especially Animal Crossing.

 

[TaterTots]

Nothing to celebrate. Infrastructure is the most important thing and its trash.

 

[perfectchaos007]

I was reminded of the anniversary when I got an email from Nintendo saying thank you for your renewed subscription your account has been charged $22.34


Happy birthday!

 

[Saint-14]

Do you really want to celebrate online being behind a paywall?

 

[Daysean]

thanks online jankness behind a paywall
i like consoles and all but some of yall wild at times

 

[Dyle]

It's ok. I wish it didn't exist but for what it is it's fine. I saved more than I spent on the year with the vouchers and Tetris 99 is nice, but the fact they didn't improve any of the system's online features or infrastructure, as far as an end user can tell at least, is simply bizarre

 

[Giga Man]

Why celebrate garbage?

Eh, at least it's $20. Sigh.