Kid Icarus And StarTropics Join The Switch Online NES Library This Month

Yaaay Startropics is my favorite NES game! I wonder how they'll handle the letter you have to dip in water though

When do we start getting SNES, and better yet, N64 and GameCube on the go?

Why are we only getting 2 games?! I'll be dead before they get to the n64!

Sweet, StarTropics is my jam!

Startropics is not coming to Japanese Switch Online since it was never released in Japan.

holy crap this is actually dope. Love startropics

Famicom gets the original Fire Emblem

@DayOfLavos How did they handle it with the other digital releases? I know it's on the Wii and on the NES Classic.

I've played that King Fu game back in the day... It' was actually pretty cool, way before i knew street fighter 2.

When will they add button mapping?

I would happily skip a month of new games if they would add button mapping for these games. It is 2019 for crying out loud!

No mention in the article that they swapped out StarTropics with Fire Emblem is bizarre. I understand the reason why they would, but if you're going to mention Yie Ar Kung-Fu, I'd have thought you'd mention the other Japan exclusive release too.

EDIT: Never mind, the article has been updated.

There's no good reason for Japan to get 3 classic games per month while the west gets 2.

On one side, pissed we don’t get fire emblem...

On the other side, Star tropics and star tropics 2 are amazing and I also like Kid Icarus a lot.

This would have been the perfect opportunity to give that old Fire Emblem an English release. Not like you can't find fanmade ones, but it would have been pretty cool to get it on the service. Kind of makes me regret using my American Nintendo account for the NSO.

I'll probably give them both a try. Never played either game, on top of that, I never heard of Star Tropics before, so that makes me more curious.

I just want NES Punch-Out!!
It really sucks that now they are giving suscribers less games each month.

@Heavyarms55 They remade it for Nintendo DS and released that version in English (on the Wii U Virtual Console as well)

For those unsure about Kid Icarus, give it a try. The first three levels are probably the hardest (because Pit is at his weakest). Once you get upgrades, it becomes more forgiving (of course save states help too).

Also, once you get the flow of platforming levels folllowed by a dungeon exploration level, it is quite fun.

So the NES app is currently getting about 67% of the games that the Japanese app is getting. And there were about 670 titles released in NA on the NES compared to about 1000 games released on the Famicom in Japan. Coincidence or not?

This is my first chance getting to try out Fire Emblem. I'll play it once my Japanese skills improve!

West will get half a game when SNES online happens at this rate.

Man, I wish they’d give us Fire Emblem, too.

It take a while but now can agree that i don't care the NES online at all, not even be a paid customer without online games.

Talk about dragging it out. Jeez Nintendo this pace is worse than the Wii U days!!

@ALinkttPresent Yeah I know and I have the DS version. But it still would have been cool to play the real original that we never got.

@peanutbuttercup omg that’s beautiful!!! Lololol!! The shame of it is you’re probably about right!! It’s ridiculous!

Kid Icarus is a great platforming game. I've never played StarTropcs though, guess this will be my first time! (Also, this is my first comment on here, lol)

About Kid Icarus bought it on Game Boy back in the day and beaten it several times.

Anyone else livid about the fact that we aren't getting Fire Emblem on the regional NES app? If they really wanna make the app worth the subscription, they should use it as a chance to localize some games we never got overseas. Since many NES fans may have never gotten a chance to play those games, like Fire Emblem.

@Heavyarms55 You can still download the Famicom app on a guest profile and enjoy the games at no extra cost.

I don't want to be overly negative, but I can't shake the thought that I used and appreciated the Wii VC a thousand times more than the NES Online app. In this respect, Nintendo made a better online service on the Wii than in 2018. And neither the 3DS nor Wii U libraries surpassed the Wii VC either, except in having Earthbound and Mother 1.

I would happily give up save states and wifi play if they just coded a wii emulator and used the Wii VC library. I'm sure something about that is unrealistic, but I can dream.

For months I've been wondering why they don't give us Startropics in leiu of the 3rd Japanese exclusive game.. and I now I realize they've just been been holding off until the month with TWO Japanese exclusive games

@Crono1973 On those you could go into the digital manual and there would be a virtual version of the letter to dip, but since the Switch NES app doesn't include manuals I'm not sure what they're going to do

@VR32X Really? I didn't know that, I will have to try that tonight.

Nice to have Startropics!

Kid Icarus rules, but the 3DS version added 3D....and it was awesome. I don’t think I can go back, haha.

StarTropics is pretty cool too.

Wish we got a translated version of that Fire Emblem. I’ve been playing the Japan-only NSO games, but this one won’t be too easy with the language barrier.

Sigh, would of been a neat opportunity to translate Fire Emblem and given us a new NES title to experience.

Oh well, least my fav NES game, Kid Icarus, is finally here......

@Eagle9 The GB Kid Icarus game was a sequel. Different game. Both were cool though.

Hell yes Startropics. How does the letter from your uncle work in this one

@DayOfLavos It's amazing how lazy Nintendo has been with these NES games.

Just a quick PSA for all those who want to try out Fire Emblem 1: You can download Famicom Online from the JP eshop and use your own NSO attached account to play.

@Angelic_Lapras_King With Shadow Dragon on DS there isn't really much of a reason to play the old Famicom Fire Emblem other than the novelty. Shadow Dragon keeps most of the original game intact with slight improvements, and the Famicom FEs are VERY slow. It'd be nice to get transitions of FE4-6 or FE12 though.

Hate Kid Icarus.
Star Tropics is good, but brutally hard. Save states are your friend.
Waiting for Star Tropics II, much more fun.
So annoyed the West keeps getting only 2 games a month.

It really sucks that we in the West are only getting two games per month now. Why is that, Nintendo? Total BS...

Kid Icarus is an OK, but often frustrating game. The GB sequel is superior in my opinion.
I've never played StarTropics, but it looks kinda fun.

Finally a game I’ve never gotten much time with - StarTropics.

That's cute and all, but it's still not what I asked and paid for.

I paid for Smash Bros. and the online subscription, and the online play is terrible.

Like paying for a steak in a restaurant and being given a hat instead.

'What, you don't like the hat?'

'It's a nice hat, but...'

'Well then, what's the problem?'

I don't want NES games or bonkers Tetris, I want the service I paid for, and if this requires a dedicated server, they should provide that. If that means a higher subscription fee, then fine, we can weigh up the benefit.

But don't offer a substandard car on the cheap, then compensate for it breaking down all the time by giving free novelty dice with it.

And the audacity of saying we should get a net adaptor for a secure connection; yet more expenditure on top.

Provide the service you advertise with online gaming, allow people to buy what games they want on a Virtual Console like service, and stop with this condescending top down nonsense.

At this rate by the end of the Switches life, we will N64 games. Isn't the life of a console normally atleast 5 years? So, when the Switches golden years are gone, good games for the online membership. The Final Fantasy NES games would be fun. Otherwise, Kirby's Adventure. Those are the only NES games I would be interested in. I am aware Kirby came out. The SNES games to me are more desirable, unless Final Fantasy NES game arrive.
I surely miss the Virtual Console

@Sunsy star tropics is a classic. Definitely try it. Also don't miss it's sequel Zoda's Revenge when it is released as well

Please give us SNES games soon. These aren’t that exciting.

Real happy to see StarTropics, but 3 in Japan and 2 in the West isn't right. They could've released StarTropics II to even it out.

Absolutely bizarre that Yie Ar Kung Fu, a game in English and released in the West, is only available in the Japanese app.

Not complaining per se - I have a Japanese account connected to NSO - but it's a puzzling choice.

Bored with the NES stuff, but a little excited about startropics. Never played it growing up and I think it will be perfect on handheld.

Anyone else worried about Star Tropics, particularly the part where you are supposed to refer to a section in the Instruction Manual in order to proceed?
Now granted, we can just look it up online... However, there are going to be people who don't think to do that

@peanutbuttercup
If they release it next week you’re in trouble. 😧

@Bobb That's laughable tbh. There's nearly 700 games in the North American NES library alone, releasing two a month means 24 a year. You think they've got a roadmap for releasing NES titles on Switch for nearly 30 years!?

They can 'afford' to release far more than 2 a month, they just 'choose' not to. Big difference.

@BrandyBongos Only the arcade game version of Yie-Ar Kung Fu was ever released in the west, the Famicom version was never released outside Japan which is also why it was only included in the Famicom Mini Classic Edition and not the NES Classic Edition. Same for Fire Emblem.

@MrMoon37 Sony are doing the same thing.

@IronMan30 There is. The Famicom has waaay more classic games than the NES does.

Two that I already have on the NES Mini, but fortunately I will be able to get 2 games from the Japanese version that I didn't have.

Did they not already translate that title in the FE series for that remake? As I would not have mind if that title was added to switch online

I really wish we were getting Fire Emblem, but I will take star Tropics since I have played neither of the games specified!

Patiently waiting for Earthbound Beginnings to drop still.

So, my guess is the release of NES games will come to an end during the summer. Which remaining games can we expect? Punch-Out!!, Donkey Kong Jr., Donkey Kong 3, RC Pro-Am, Pac-Man, Wrecking Crew, Duck Hunt (?), Lost Levels, Devil World, plus some third party games (Castlevania trilogy, Final Fantasy, Double Dragon 2 and 3, Adventure Island 1 and 2, perhaps the Mega Man games)?

Great stuff - but now it's been mentioned I'd love to see Yie Ar Kung-Fu again. I think I played that a lot way back - on a ZX Spectrum though!

It would have been great in the lead up to Three Houses to translate Fire Emblem. But I guess it’s more effort than is reasonable for me to expect.
It would be nice to be delighted rather than underwhelmed by what’s coming though.

It feels like the are trolling the west at this point. This is now ridiculous.

@Heavyarms55 This may have already been answered in the comments here, but you can create a Japanese account for your Switch/My Nintendo. Just needs a dedicated email address. You can then access the Japanese eShop and download the Famicom Switch Online app. Then open that app with the Switch account (you mentioned North American) you have linked to the Online Service Plan. It should still boot up the Famicom app and play just fine but alas, no English support as far as I’m aware? Not really used it much myself but do have the NES and Famicom apps downloaded and running.

ive lost interest in these now and why does japan get 3 every month?

Yay! Startropics!! Now I'll be booting up the service~

I don't get the drip-feed of Nes classics.
It's not like they don't have HUNDREDS of them in their back library of the e-shop.
And since they made their millions off the Wii/WiiU/3ds eshop, you'd think they could just drop us a couple more per month.
Hell, I don't even know why they haven't started us off with other consoles yet, it's not like they need to invest that much into the software side (hidden Snes emulation code and all in the Switch)

@Lroy Oh I already have a Japanese account and 日本について問題がない。 But I didn't realize that I could play the Famicom app if I had NSO via the American account.

(That Japanese says "About Japanese, there is no problem.")

I have the Famicom application, so I get Fire Emblem, too! Sure it'll be in Japanese but I'll use a guide. This means that if SNES games eventually come, we'll probably get Genealogy and Thracia. Exciting times for a Fire Emblem fan.

Startropics deserves to come back. Sequel. HD remaster. Something.

These are my favourite NES games ever! YASSSS!

StarTropics! A real hidden gem on the NES... Definitely play it if you haven't. It'd be nice to get Mike Jones in Smash, but oh well... Guess StarTropics'll stay a west-only known Nintendo game.

Wonder what wasted SP version we'll get this month.

Honestly, Japan gets 3 to our 2. Just bring the SNES app now, everyone is wanting it.

I've always wanted to try startropics before! I've just never had the funds to purcahse it.

This is just another example of how Nintendo can’t get out of its own way sometimes. Any goodwill they build up, they have a tendency to lose. NES Online seems like an afterthought to them.

This thing kicks off with a release schedule we can all look forward to. Now, it seems like they don’t even think about it until we are a good week into the month.

While I enjoy the XBox or PlayStation reveal each month, I really don’t care about this one at all. As for the SP games which we’ll probably get, I never play them.

Seriously nintendo, are we getting 2 games a month now😥?? It seems there are now 2 companies who can't count to 3. Can Nintendo actually do what people wantedor is it a case of, we have a vision for switch and making any changes to it would cause it to lose its magic? The witch's winning factor is in the fact that it is portable, not in the fact that it is a dedicated games console and lacks basic features.

@Dirty0814 Cool, making note to try it if it ever gets added. The thing I like about the NES app is trying the NES games I never had the chance to play.

Kid Icarus was the game that made me stop purchasing Virtual Console games on the Wii.

While the game itself was hard, it was pretty forgiving, what with the code system and the infinite lives.
The VC release however, was quite unforgiving if you should forget to close the game by pressing HOME, and then returning to the Wii menu from there. Any other way of shutting down the game or the system and BOOM, all your progress is lost. Without notifying you of this, or asking you if you're sure you want to do this.

After two instances of this happening for various reasons, you'd have thought I'd learn to write down the code, but no, I just stopped playing.

@MeloMan it's a shame he isn't even a spirit but oh well.
Hope they release Zoda's Revenge anytime soon though, since I've never played it!

Good that Nintendo continues to make it easy for me to not pick up their service with this drip of NES games. Wake me up when they start giving multiple systems and games, actually I shouldn't say that I may never wake up. I love my switch, but man is the online service weak still, still waiting for what I would consider value for the service (though the Tetris 99 game is tempting, but not enough).

I never got a chance to play either of those two games so this may be one of the few times I'm actually looking forward to playing a NES game.

I learned decades ago (well 20+ years) not to pay attention what Japan gets and what the rest don't, otherwise you'll be stressing yourself out over nothing.

@Don I’d much rather have Fire Emblem

I’m warning people: Kid Icarus is hard. It’s got a reverse difficultly curve and as you progress further it gets easier. But it starts out brutal (especially the dungron parts).

Here’s some advice: look up a map online for the end-stage dungeons. It is imperative you know where the hospital is in each.

@spideyroxas I prefer it over Earthbound actually, but I’m a late comer to that series so I don’t have much nostalgia built up (other than renting it at the time and being underwhelmed) The first Mother, on the other hand, is excellently paced, doesn’t outstay its welcome and has a wonderful soundtrack. To me, Earthbound drags in the second half.

@Medic_alert The whole soundtrack of Kid Icarus is beautiful

Great! I’m fond of Kid Icarus and never played Star Tropics.
I have both NES Online and Famicom Online loaded on my Switch so it’s like getting 4-5 new games added per month. I’ll check out the Fire Emblem game too possibly. I speak and read Japanese and continue to adore the lack of Region Locking for the Switch. And as someone who grew up in the NES era and never revisited a lot of these games, I feel I’m definitely getting my $20/year worth for the online service.
Thank you Nintendo!!

@Wavey84 Totally disagree: the movement of the character in Star Tropics is annoying: you slide around, literally, while on a grid. That’s a terrible idea. There’s a very noticeable delay when changing directions, as if you’re input is locked for a moment.

Zelda is a far superior experience.

Been thinking of getting the NES Switch Controllers. Anybody else have them? If so, do you recommend them or no?

It’s pretty annoying for NES Mini owners that these are just the exact same releases that were on that mini console, except it’s missing Castlevania(s).

@Pod Well this one will have save-states so you should be okay with it now if you haven't already got it on the NES Classic Edition.

@biglittlejake While i agree the pace is awfully slow, im 99% sure this online service will out-live the Switch. In other words, Nintendo will continue it with their next console (and beyond), so the end of the Switch won't matter or affect it. Think of it as a service that's here to stay, kinda like Netflix.

Great additions.

@Antraxx777 I agree about the Kid Icarus soundtrack.

@retro_player_22
Yeah, I know they fixed this issue.
Although, I'm not sure saves states are the best solution.
What the WiiWare VC achieved was a pretty accurate representation of just leaving the system on. Meaning, you couldn't just load a state when it was convenient for you to do that. You had to still play by the rules of the original design. I did appreciate that about it.

@diablo2
I think if they want to put something cost-effective, why not Gameboy games, or Gameboy Color games? I sure hope they don't continue their Switch online service once the Switch is gone. Nintendo used to be revolutionary. They used to be the best company, always the top console makers, what happened? Now, they have the worst graphics compared to other consoles, their online has been the worst compared to other consoles since the WIi. I am just disappointed. I always have had Nintendo, but starting at the Wii U stage Nintendo has been lacking. I loved the Wii, mostly because of the motion sensitivity and the virtual console. The Wii U area I mostly had a PS3/4. I just am disappointed, there's a lack of new games for the Switch and Nintendo thinks we will want to play NES games till the holiday season. I mean Yoshi might be a fun game but it wouldn't make a person want a Switch to play Yoshi's Crafted World. It's more of a complementary game. I can't be the only who feels like this?

Not sure why Yie Ar Kung Fu isn't being brought over. It don't have much in the way of text and what little of it there is already in English.

@biglittlejake Nintendo used to focus both on hardware and innovation (for the most part, at least).

A lot of hardcore Nintendo fans will say that hardware performance doesn't matter at all, citing the GameCube as an example (since it was more powerful than the PS2, but still sold much less). But they conveniently fail to acknowledge that Sony had a lot of support thanks to the PS1 era, it had plenty of storage capabilities, and the PS2 could also play DVDs (which was a huge deal at the time).

But what did the GameCube have? It had mini discs that could barely hold any game storage and not much else. All things considered, of course the Cube was clearly overshadowed by the PS2's overall features — so using the GameCube to "prove" that graphics/storage doesn't matter at all is just very flawed, and thats what hardcore Nintendo fans need to understand.

Something similar happened with the N64: Amazing graphics, but lackluster storage (which led Squaresoft to develop Final Fantasy on PS1, and many others to do the same). The N64 marked the beginning of a gradual shift for the worse.

The point is this: We need both good hardware and innovation, as opposed to just one or the other. Sadly, Nintendo doesn't seem to understand that whatsoever.

There are still countless third-party games NOT arriving on Switch, and hardware + storage are a huge reason for that (let's be real). And for that reason, one day I will likely have to buy another console (or a powerful PC) just to play many of those games, only because Nintendo keeps offering mediocre hardware that isn't able to handle much. See the problem here?

Hopefully Nintendo will abandon this flawed culture, which is surely making them money but it's also hurting other important areas as a whole.

Ya know if I've said it once I've said it a thousand times, an account system is in place! Just let out VC purchases transfer and give us the option to buy these games instead. I've no interest in the online service but that's the only way to have access to these games outside of illegal emulation.

@diablo2 Well said. Did you think of that or find that information? Anyway, I own a PS4, besides my Switch. I am a sports fan, Madden is my favorite. I did buy RBI 19 on the Switch and I am happy enough with that(in terms of sports). The Show hasn't changed much over the years. The games take 45 min's to play(twice as long as Madden, NBA 2K, and RBI. I am torn, I enjoy some RPG's. The RPG's on the PS4 are better quality and cheaper. Final Fantasy X, X-2 is 17 for the PS4, the Switch is 49.99, Final Fantasy 12 is 24 for the PS4, again for the Switch 49.99. Final Fantasy VII is also cheaper on the PS4 also. I don't get why we have to pay more for fewer graphics. The Vita version of Final Fantasy X and X-2 is 27 dollars. I imagine the graphics on the Switch will be more similar to the Vita's graphics than the PS4. If the Switch is a family system, why are ports more expensive?

@Sunsy those classic controllers add to that experience. They are actually the closest thing to the originals. Size, shape, response time, weight. I guess that's because Nintendo made them lol.

These are two great games, but wasn't there an article recently saying Nintendo wanted more people to subscribe to this service? Short changing NA on these releases every month isn't exactly helping that problem.

I am seriously thinking I will not renew my online subscription. While these latest two(why not 3 like Japan) are slightly better it still is not worth the money.

@Krisi do you understand expressions? My post wasn't literal...

Got around to downloading the famicom app for Fire Emblem

@retro_player_22 Thanks. I must have played the C64 version as a kid then, cos I remember it! Between me and my cousins we had a couple of NESs, a SMS, and some C64s, so sometimes things get garbled.

@GetShulked You'll get the SNES during E3 2019! N64 or Gamecube, we're not sure of. They'll announce a price jacking, and the benefits that come with said jacking, and one of the benefits is playing SNES Games, along with 2 wireless SNES Controllers for $60.

Hope Japanese gamers will download the NES app on their Switch and play Startropics for the first time.

Let me guess, next month it'll only be one game. If Nintendo's trying to get more people (including, admittedly, me) to sign up, this isn't the way to do it.

@Heavyarms55 You can still download the Japanese Famicom version and play it with an american NSO account.

@nechestriah thank-you. Several others have pointed this out to me now. I appreciate it, but it's cool. I got it.

@DayOfLavos probably the same way they did it on the wiiu. a virtual rule book with a virtual letter that you virtualy dip in water