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Nintendo Switch Online, frequently abbreviated as NSO, is a subscription service for the Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2 which enables online play, grants access to the Nintendo Classics library of titles from previous consoles, and provides a variety of additional benefits.
History[]
Nintendo Switch Online launched on September 18, 2018, and was given coverage in the September 13 Nintendo Direct. It included features such as the ability to back up save files for any games on the Nintendo Switch, a rewards system, and, most notably, the ability to play ports of various NES, SNES, and Game Boy games. The Game Boy component in particular was capable of emulating the link cables via Wi-Fi allowing for competitive play of up to two players, and also had screen settings that can allow any emulated games to use the screen colors of the Game Boy, Game Boy Pocket, or Game Boy Color. It eventually came with an expansion pack, which included, among other things, a Nintendo 64 component, SEGA Genesis component, and Game Boy Advance component regarding playing ports of old games. The GBA component, similar to the Game Boy component, was also capable of emulating link cables via Wi-Fi, allowing for competitive play of up to four players via locally or global settings. However, this aspect requires registered friends.
Both Metroid and Super Metroid were among the games made backwards-compatible for Nintendo Switch Online, with the former even having a trial version involving beating Ridley with all items unlocked.
A prize system was also introduced into the game, using My Nintendo Silver Coins as currency. The system allowed the player to craft their own user icons. Metroid was involved in these prizes a few times. Most famously, one of the user icons, the Metroid Prime-styled Screw Attack logo, was utilized in the September 2022 Nintendo Direct when making a surprise announcement of 007: GoldenEye for the Nintendo 64 being included in the Nintendo 64 lineup later on, as well as the release date trailer for Mario Party and Mario Party 2. Aside from this, Samus and various Metroid characters were included in Volume 4 of September 2022 to promote NES aspects. From March 3 to March 17, 2023 icons promoting Metroid Prime Remastered were issued in waves of 2. In addition, starting on Mario Day 2024, various icons pertaining to the Nintendo Switch Online service (later Nintendo Classics) are issued each month as prizes, with the specific requirements entailing playing the themed games of the icons, with it eventually being further to two themed games by 2025. From June 30 to August 4, six icons each pertaining to Super Metroid and Metroid Fusion on the SNES and GBA modules for the Nintendo Classics component, respectively, were issued.[1]
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Nintendo Classics[]
Nintendo Classics is a collection of Nintendo games from previous console generations, made playable on the Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2 via emulation. This service effectively replaces the Virtual Console. Titles from the NES, Super Nintendo, and Game Boy are available to all Nintendo Switch Online subscribers, while titles from newer consoles require the more expensive Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack subscription to play. The following Metroid games are currently available via Nintendo Classics:
* Requires Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack to play
Nintendo Music[]
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Nintendo Music is a music streaming app available on iOS and Android devices, allowing users with a Nintendo Switch Online subscription to listen to selected soundtracks from Nintendo games. The following Metroid game soundtracks are currently available via Nintendo Music:
User icons[]
Nintendo Switch Online allows users to redeem My Nintendo points to unlock user icon artwork for their Nintendo Switch account. Available user icon elements include character images, frames, and backgrounds, all of which can be used in arbitrary combinations. These user icon elements are typically made available to Nintendo Switch Online users for a limited time, in order to promote recently-released software.
Metroid user icon elements[]
Available by default[]
These icons are available on all Nintendo Switch accounts, even those that have not subscribed to Nintendo Switch Online.
Nintendo Entertainment System[]
Wave 4[]
Available September 27, 2022 through October 3, 2022.
Metroid Prime Remastered[]
Wave 1[]
Available March 2, 2023 through March 9, 2023. Returned June 18, 2024 through June 25, 2024.
Wave 2[]
Available March 2, 2023 through March 9, 2023. Returned June 25, 2024 through July 2, 2024.
Metroid Dread[]
Wave 1[]
Available June 19, 2024 through June 25, 2024.
Wave 2[]
Available June 25, 2024 through July 2, 2024.
Wave 3[]
Available July 2, 2024 through July 9, 2024.
Nintendo World Championships: NES Edition[]
Available August 7, 2024 through August 14, 2024.
Super Metroid[]
Available July 1, 2025 through August 4, 2025.
Metroid Fusion[]
Available July 1, 2025 through August 4, 2025.
References[]