Nintendo Switch Online is a subscription service that has been rife with criticism since its inception. Many have been disappointed with the infrastructure of its online servers and lack of social features. Nintendo made it more appealing when it added the ability toplay Nintendo Entertainment System and Super Nintendo Entertainment System titles, but the overall service still felt lacking for many. Then last year Nintendo announced Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack, which recently got more valuable thanks toMario Kart 8 Deluxe.
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What Nintendo Switch Online Includes
Nintendo Switch Online does not just offer the ability to play online games, it also includes the ability to save games in the cloud, a smartphone app, and special offers like access toPac-Man 99,as well as the ability to purchase different controller types. Perhaps the largest offering that comes withNintendo Switch Online is the ability to play gamesfrom the NES and the SNES era.
What Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack Adds
In 2021, Nintendo expanded the offerings of Nintendo Switch Online by adding a new tier to thesubscription: the Expansion Pack. The Expansion Pack upped the price of the subscription to $49.99 a year for those who want to get the extra content it offers. However, the extra content was not much of a draw unless players really wanted to get their hands on more old-school titles.
The Expansion Pack was very similar to the base subscription save for a few extra bonuses likeNintendo 64 and Sega Genesis games. Fans had been asking for Nintendo 64 titles to be added to Nintendo Switch, but some were annoyed when it was revealed they would have to pay extra for access. Sega Genesis titles, on the other hand, were a nice surprise given many thought Nintendo would stick to its own consoles.
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The Value of Adding Mario Kart 8 DLC to Nintendo Switch Online
The addition ofAnimal Crossing: New Horizons - Happy Home Paradisewas a big move for Nintendo, as no other subscription service has included DLC in this way. Other services have included free monthly games, but they became no longer available after the month ended. However, that made the Expansion Pack look better forAnimal Crossingfans, but not everyone. Those same fans could also purchase the DLC by itself for $24.99.
Nintendo recently announced theBooster Course Pack forMario Kart 8 Deluxe, which will double the course count ofMario Kart 8 Deluxeand likely create hours of fun for fans of the racing game. Now fans of theMario Kartfranchise have their eyes on the Expansion Pack as they can gain access to the DLC, plus old-school titles and theAnimal CrossingDLC for $49.99 a year (less when split in a family plan). Those same fans can purchase the DLC by itself for $24.99, but if they also want theAnimal CrossingDLC it now costs them around the same $49.99 that the Expansion Pack costs overall.
While there are multiplayer elements inAnimal Crossing: New Horizons,many people choose to enjoy it by themselves.Mario Kart 8 Deluxe,on the other hand, is more of a multiplayer-focused title. People playMario Kartboth locally and online, so many of them will already have a subscription to Nintendo Switch Online. TheExpansion Pack will include 48 more courses, so if they are already paying for the online service it makes sense they would be more willing to pay for the Expansion Pack as well.
Mario Kart 8 Deluxeis available now on Switch.
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