Topic: The Nintendo Switch Online Subscription Service Thread

Finally got around to messing about with Game Boy NSO (didn't have the time to check out GBA yet unfortunately) and I've got to say: I am very pleasantly surprised by the options available. It has all the usual stuff you'd come to expect from these apps: show/hide controls, EU/NA versions, online, that kind of stuff. But in addition you've got the advertised different screens based on OG Game Boy, GB Pocket and GB Colour and something I definitely wasn't expecting: the option to change the filter AND the option to shrink the screen down to be more akin to an actual Game Boy. That's such a fantastic addition and one I'll definitely be making great use of. As for the games, I've only played (and beaten) Kirby's Dream Land so far but everything seemed to be great on the emulation end so thumbs up from me.

Overall, GB is certainly simple but they've really gone the extra mile to just make the entire package a blast. Can't wait to start GBA over the midterm holidays (SUPERSTAR SAGA/MINISH CAP MY BELOVED)!

@1UP_MARIO
I already have a 3ds with around 80 VC games. It should go like this, “Checking to see if the software can be played” “an error has occurred “ “Purchased games through the apps or through your account can only be accessed in offline mode and without subscription “.

The DLC access is good enough of a value for me to sub solo to the expansion pass. I will likely get those DLC later at some point but for now having them already tossed in plus to keep getting more games added to the service has been great. Haven't been playing online much and that was why i bought it in the first place lol.

@GameOtaku same I have over 200 vc games and I wouldn’t buy these again on switch. I rather the subscription

Can we stop feeding this argument? It has literally been running in one shape or another for like a decade now (there were variations on this pre NSO by the same poster). If you don't like it don't buy into it, nobody is forcing you

Just played through Alone in the Dark in a single sitting. That was nice! It didn’t overstay its welcome, and it wasn’t too obscure with its puzzle solutions (which I was expecting). If anything, it might be too easy.

Still though, for the gameboy color, it’s a pretty impressive little game.

For anyone wondering, it took me about 2 hours, going in without knowing anything about the game.

Ohhhhh it feels good to be back.

(and on a big screen too!)

@JaxonH I agree with your value assessment of NSO. I only want the expansion for Banjo Kazooie, which I have never played. $50 for only one year of access to the game is not attractive. (especially when Xbox One has had Rare Replay for purchase, for a VERY reasonable price ($29.99), since they console's launch.)

@1UP_MARIO As someone who has a lot of Virtual Console games across the Wii, 3DS, and Wii U, I kinda have to agree. It's so nice to have all of those games on the Switch, without having to buy them separately yet again, with the only trade-off being paying for their online service. I bought VC games less and less by the time the Wii U was around.

@WoomyNNYes If you're only interested in that one game, then yeah I wouldn't recommend the expansion pack, especially not the individual plan. When it comes to the expansion, I still think it's best to get the family membership, if you know folks who would want to play stuff like the N64 and GBA games.

How do I change the color palette in GBC mode? This was possible on the original GBC while pressing different directions on the D-Pad, but I don't know how it works in NSO.

@chipia I don't think there's a way to pick one.

I do miss doing that though, basically no other official re-release of these games replicated that function.

@JaxonH Wait how much is it for the family plan? Is it ten or am I getting confused?

It's 80 but its for 8 people so...10. In theory at least.

@kkslider5552000 Ah, I see.

The expansion for me has almost everything I could want, I just, need GameCube and I think it will be worth it, to me at least.

I wonder if they're gonna have a Super Game Boy option for the Game Boy NSO app, assuming that Donkey Kong will make it in. That would be cool, honestly, I wasn't a fan of how it was all monochrome on the 3DS VC.

@MarioLover92
They do have an option to play GB games in GBC mode which effectively uses the default colour pallets. Which is what both the GBC and Super GB did. Unfortunately there's none of the enhanced borders or the ability to change the colour pallet. And definitely not any of the other SGB features, like the completely custom colour pallets

..... we do have "clap and point" in multiplayer mode like all of the other NSO apps. Which was something you could do with the SGB using the SNES Mouse if memory serves

@skywake Ah OK, I'm aware of the GBC mode and I was actually wondering if they'll add a SGB option later down the road. It is still cool that they have a color mode at all, unlike how the 3DS VC had monochrome displays for all original GB games. Looks like the GBC option's the next best thing, at least for now.

It feels like too much is adding up for it not to be but we've got:

• Pokemon Stadium 1 and 2 are coming to NSO sometime in 2023
• Pokemon Red/Blue/Yellow/Gold/Silver/Crystal delisted on 3DS in March
• GB and GBA came to NSO this week and the launch lineups are limited compared to the other NSO consoles
• There's likely a Pokemon Presents later this month

So I get the feeling in the Pokemon Presents there's a NSO section where:

• Pokemon Stadium 1 and 2 are given release dates
• Some combination of Pokemon Red/Blue/Yellow/Gold/Silver/Crystal/Ruby/Sapphire/Emerald/Fire Red/Leaf Green are announced for NSO

Yeah, I think Pokemon is more probable than some seem to think. Though the Pokemon Company isn't exactly the most consumer friendly entity lately. Even within the gaming and specifically the Nintendo sphere of these companies having their hands in our pockets. The Pokemon Company is comfortably one of the worst offenders lately. But you know, if Nintendo wants to pull people into NSO? Pokemon would draw a crowd far more than any other classic game

With that said, I think there are other potential draws on the scale of Goldeneye to be had here. Nintendo could very, very easily drop Mother 3 onto the GBA NSO. Now outside of places such as this? Probably doesn't tip the scales, certainly doesn't draw people in like Pokemon would. But within the Nintendo fandom I think we all know it's pretty much THE classic title. And it's people such as us who people go to when they ask if a Nintendo thing is worth the money

My strategy to get 1000 points in Egg is infallible… And now I’ll proceed to never play it again…