Nintendo has announced details regarding their online service for the Nintendo Switch. The online service will release this September and will come with a few benefits:

• Online Play
• NES Games
• Save Data Cloud Backup
• Nintendo Switch Online App
• Special Offers

Online Play, very similar to the PlayStation Network (PSN) and Xbox Live, is a paid service that lets players play online matches with others. While Nintendo had this free for year, they are the last on the bandwagon on the paid service for online gameplay.

NES Games (Nintendo Entertainment System) will have a library games from the classic console available to play anywhere. 20 games will be available at launch and will include the following games:

• Soccer
• Tennis
• Donkey Kong™
• Mario Bros.™
• Super Mario Bros.™
• Balloon Fight™
• Ice Climber™
• Dr. Mario™
• The Legend of Zelda™
• Super Mario Bros.™ 3

While yes this is another way for Nintendo to re-introduce their classic games, what makes this unique is the ability to play with friends online. Now you’ll be able to play Dr. Mario with your friend across the country or share your screen with them or perhaps take turns playing Super Mario Bros. 3. Neat! We hope to see more games from the Super Nintendo, Nintendo 64, and Gamecube to make their appearances soon.

Save Data Cloud Backup, this is a big one many Nintendo Switch users have been screaming for. Launching in September, this feature will be available to backup your saved games. More details at a later date.

Nintendo Switch Online App is making a return to utilize the Switch’s online service. The app will let you chat with your friends online while playing online. Let’s hope Nintendo has improved the app’s performance by the time the online service becomes available this fall. The app’s features will be free until September.

Special Offers, no other details mentioned what this could be but we can only imagine we’re going to unlock special My Nintendo coins for those lovely wallpapers and game discounts. Let’s hope it’s more than that.

Pricing

So how much are we looking at for this new service from Nintendo. Cheaper than PSN and Xbox Live is for sure. Here’s a breakdown on the costs for individual membership and for the family membership.

Individual Membership

• 1 month – $3.99(USD)
• 3 months – $7.99(USD)
• 12 months – $19.99 (USD)

Family Membership (allowing up to eight accounts)

• 12 months – $34.99 (USD)

Your average household will be eyeing the individual membership. $20 per year isn’t too shabby for the ability to play online with friends, classic games (along with online gameplay for every game), and whatever those special offers will be. While the free service has been great for Nintendo fans for year, it’s time to open the wallet once more for Nintendo if you still want to play Splatoon 2 with buddies or even play matches with the future Super Smash Bros.

Source: Nintendo