Topic: NSO DLC Is Worth It

@jump
He adopted me and my brother.

We are now part of the tribe. "Just what I always wanted!"

I do have some issues with NSO, but most of them are ones I've already gone into detail on before so I don't want to be repetitive . Tbh, early on, this was one of the rare topics I wanted to really go in-depth on with some long-form writing of some sort, somewhere. But I didn't bother and a lot of issues are already being fixed, so its just kinda too late. But the one big issue I have is a counterpoint to one people have said about Genesis games and how those games being included is meaningless, as they are already available elsewhere.

No! I argue it is the best thing to come out of NSO. Having options and different ways to get into classic games is awesome, obviously a good thing, and no not everyone is going to buy these classic games. This type of service, a really good way to introduce these games to people, like say...someone who loves enough classic games and likes discovering beloved classics I never had and yet never bothered with nearly any re-releases of Genesis games. And in an era where they're so, so easy to emulate on your computer (to the point that despite not ever bothering with a gaming-centric computer or anything that expensive, I was already emulating more advanced games in the mid 2000s), putting them all in one big service makes more sense to me than unending individual re-releases or most console specific compilations. Maybe just because I needed an excuse to play them, and I'd prefer doing this then playing them with a keyboard (or putting in the effort/time/money to play PC games with controllers). But I'd certainly never begrudge options for other people. Options are generally a good thing, and giving people ways to own these games individually takes nothing away from me. If people truly want that, they should get it. Simple. (also whatever equivalent Sony is rumored to be doing likely doesn't necessarily interest me as much as my current strategy of buying PS1 games on a PS3, so also not interested in being a giant hypocrite) Every NSO retro game should be available to buy individually instead. And quite frankly, if its even close to old VC prices, that'd honestly make NSO look better as far as I'm concerned, so why not at that point? Not wanting to damage the success of NSO is maybe the only reason I can see them not doing it, but I don't see that happening if they did. (maybe they'll do something again, considering 3D All Stars was not too long ago, and the Famicom 40th anniversary is coming)

The whole ownership thing...I dunno about that though. In theory, I get the dislike to not owning these games. Having it depend eternally on a subscription service. But at least under the assumption NSO is not going away, you can just...not renew every year? Like plan your money accordingly around retro games? Again, you should be able to buy them, but as is, if the games are available then they'll presumably still be available. (first party games, I'm a bit more concerned about third party games in the long time) And if ownership is such a big deal to someone, then just emulate at that point. Regardless of your opinions, being concerned about game ownership and also completely disavowing unofficial emulation are not two things that should go together. Or at least "I only want to own games I legally purchase that originally came out decades ago as a digital download" just seems silly to me. There comes a point where game ownership sounds more valuable in some sense of security that something you bought can't be taken from you rather than owning the game having any sort of notable worth or meaning.

To add something additional to the "ownership" discussion you also have to consider what "owning" these games actually means. Console games by their very nature are tied to a platform that ages. Platforms can and do get discontinued and eventually the hardware they use to connect to stuff becomes incompatible with new displays and so on. And in more recent times the life expectancy of digital stores also comes into play

Realistically, how much practical value is my ownership of a cartridge for Super Mario Kart? I still have a working SNES but my modern TV lacks ports for composite short of an optional adapter and RF was always a bit garbage. Even if it did have them the upscaling from SD sources is garbage. I could grab an upscaler or one of those modern SNES clones with HDMI out but at that point I'd be spending hundreds. If I'm going to do that, why not just emulate? Practically, easier and more cost effective just to buy the game again on a new platform

Same thing will probably happen to this Mario Kart 8 DLC eventually. Your Switch will eventually wear or break in some way and Nintendo has shown that they're more than happy to disconnect the servers. Maybe you have the game on cartridge but that doesn't help you get the DLC. But at that point you think to yourself, who cares anyways? They've already re-released this game 5 times since so you'll just track down a later copy.....

As long as they keep adding DLC to the NSO, it will be a great service.
I didn't have to pay for Animal Crossing DLC, and I don't have to pay for MK8 DLC either.

My dad pays for the base NSO for me and my family, and I pay for the expansion pack. So like 6 of us get all the DLC and N64.

I have a lot of thoughts on N64 games, but N64 is like PS1 but Nintendo. Mostly. It did have a control stick on day 1, but otherwise, I don't think its such a wildly different experience (at least for comparable games in the same genre) than Ps1 that any significant elaboration is useful. It's the same era of gaming and much of what that implies for one is the same for the other. Do you think Ps1 but Nintendo sounds good? If yes, yes. If no, no.

Ironically SNES was the one Nintendo console I didn't have growing up so I want straight from NES to N64.

Yeah, the big thing with N64 is that it had four little c buttons (up down left right) instead of a right stick (with the right stick even called the C-stick on later Nintendo consoles), so that quirk sometimes leads to odd things happening when the games are on other systems. I've not played all of the NSO N64 games but as someone incredibly familiar with Star Fox 64, it in particular felt odd in docked mode and kind of miserable in handheld (my hands did not like handheld Star Fox 64). The 6 others I've played felt fine at least.

I will also say that on Wii with a Gamecube controller, the N64 Zelda games worked fairly well without an N64 controller but Sin and Punishment was a bit awkward (though its hard to say as I've not played it on NSO yet nor ever on an actual N64 controller).