The Nintendo 64 game Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards will join Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack on May 20, 2022. It follows the pattern of one game joining the Nintendo 64 lineup each month. Last September when Switch Online + Expansion Pack was first announced, Nintendo announced in advance several of the N64 games that would be coming to the service over time, and Kirby 64 is the second-to-last of those games to join. (Only Pokémon Snap remains.) That means it will soon be a combination of speculation and datamining to determine what might come to the service next.
For instance, common sense suggests that, if Banjo-Kazooie is on the service, then Banjo-Tooie seems a likely candidate to join as well. And past datamining suggests that all three of the original Mario Party games may join the service eventually. In any case, hopefully the game selections will be more exciting than what NES and SNES Online have often received. Nintendo and WWE probably don’t have the guts to bring WWF No Mercy back, but if they do, they will suddenly have a new subscriber.
Meanwhile, the Sega Genesis component of NSO + Expansion Pack has been receiving a regular stream of new games, many of which are really solid. Those who pay for Expansion Pack also receive free access to DLC for Splatoon 2, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, and Animal Crossing: New Horizons.
Look for Kirby 64 on Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack next Friday.
