N64 Switch Online High Res
Image: Nintendo

As you may have seen, pre-orders are starting to appear for the wireless Nintendo 64 Switch controllers in different territories, which will offer us retro-heads a rather fun way to try out the Nintendo Switch Online Expansion Pass titles when they land on 25th/26th October. You have to have a standard NSO subscription to buy it though, which is quirky considering the standard sub doesn't get you the N64 games but... let's move on.

We already know about various extra buttons and indicators that make it compatible with the Switch, but a fun detail in the product description also confirms rumble. This writer had assumed that would be the case, which was probably silly, but in any case it is a feature.

Form Factor – Play enhanced Nintendo 64™ games the way they're meant to be played— using a full-size Nintendo 64 style controller!

Rumble Functionality – Rumble support in compatible games, such as Star Fox™ 64 – no Rumble Pak™ required!

Rechargeable Battery – Use the included USB A-C cable to charge the controller

For those of you that haven't ever owned a Nintendo 64, the Rumble Pak was a revelation at the time, though as early tech it was also a rather awkward and bulky clip-on to the controller. It would also get carried away at times, so we hope it's authentically vicious in the new controllers (it probably won't be).

So there you have it, all the joys of a Rumble Pak but without the Pak - what a time to be alive.