The N64 marked a time of great creativity and expansion among video game developers, and Nintendo's first-party titles are the perfect encapsulation of this. With that said, it's a mystery why Nintendo has left so many of its stellar first-party titles off of the Switch's N64 catalog. Games like Super Mario 64 and The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time pioneered 3D platformers and adventure games respectively, and are still regarded as some of the best games ever made. When it came to the N64, Nintendo demonstrated an ability to adapt and innovate like few other gaming companies before. RELATED: Switch Online Expansion Pack Trailer Has Bad News for Pokemon Stadium Fans First-Party N64 Games Not On The Switch It would help make Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack worth its higher price tag, and it would vindicate fans who waited so long to play their favorite N64 titles on the Switch. The N64 had a treasure trove of essential games across first-party and third-party releases, and it seems like wasted potential to not leverage that legacy. While there have been welcome surprises like Banjo-Kazooie and GoldenEye 007, there are only twenty-two games available, nine of which debuted with the catalog. Now in early 2023, however, those dreams of an expansive N64 catalog on Switch have mostly been unrealized.

Even as Nintendo Switch Online received a price increase in the form of the Expansion Pack tier, many gamers were just happy to have access to classic games that were previously difficult to come by, and that the roster of available games could greatly expand in time.

The N64 was home to many groundbreaking titles, and the thought of having those games on the go seemed nothing short of extraordinary. When Nintendo 64 games came to Nintendo Switch Online in 2021, it fulfilled a dream many gamers were holding on to since the service first introduced classic NES games.

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