Nintendo Switch Online is ready to rival PS Plus and Xbox Game Pass Ultimate – sort of

techradar.com:

Nintendo hasn’t had the best track record when it comes to its online services, but with Nintendo Switch Online – particularly the new Expansion Pack tier – I think they might have cracked it. Or at least found a happy middle ground... 

Not only was the addition of Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, Animal Crossing: New Horizons and Splatoon 2's DLC an extremely shrewd move, but the library of N64 and Sega Genesis games continues to grow at a surprisingly steady rate. 

From Banjo-Kazooie and Mario Golf to the recent additions of Sonic The Hedgehog Spinball and Dynamite Headdy, Nintendo is giving subscribers bona fide classics to play each and every month, many of which have been given a new lease of life thanks to online multiplayer support. (Seriously, if you haven’t played Mario Tennis against a friend yet, I implore you to do so. It’s tremendous fun.)

Nintendo has also addressed initial complaints about the state of Switch's emulation, which came under fire early on. 

3 classic SEGA Genesis games have just been made available for #NintendoSwitchOnline + Expansion Pack members!- Space Harrier II- Shining Force II- Sonic The Hedgehog Spinball pic.twitter.com/uhD21PEChkApril 22, 2022

Crucially, though, Nintendo has also dodged the previous pitfall that hampered the Wii U’s Virtual Console. It’s no longer drip-feeding games onto the service at a glacial pace, and because they’re all included as part of a Nintendo Switch Online subscription, you don’t need to stump up the cash to play The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask for the umpteenth time. 

There’s obviously no guarantee that Nintendo will continue this encouraging start, but it’s pleasing to see nonetheless. The fact that there are now well over 100 SNES and NES games available –