Nintendo Is Expanding Switch Online's NES Library With Another Classic

It's worth noting that Japan is also getting it, making it the first time the Nintendo version of NES Tetris is released there.

Was a bit surprised with some NSO news in the Direct, though I was sort of expecting a bigger game drop since it’s been a few months since the last ones, especially N64. But, any game coming to NSO is good, since it’s adding more content to the service and making it more worth it! Hopefully there’s an N64 drop next month or in October. I’ll be happy with any update to the legacy services!

IIRC, this is the first time the NES version of Tetris has ever been rereleased. That’s neat. The Tengen version on the NES is better in just about every way, but that thing’s never gonna see the light of day again, so this is a neat consolation prize.

I think Nintendo could/should do a better job hyping this up.
After all, this is the preferred version used for competitive/professional Tetris.

I'm super excited to wreck some joy cons by trying to do rolling with them 😅

Tetris 99, Tetris game boy, and now tetris nes on Switch Online.....

It's Tetris on the NES, they could release it today if they wanted to. Nah they'll just wait a few months.

@LadyCharlie Preferred by WHO? The Nintendo Tetris probably only beats out the Famicom BPS game on NES/Famicom hardware Tetris games. I'd imagine the Nintendo version is only "preferred" because it's the one the most people played.
(That last reason is probably the same reason I've heard Sega's arcade Tetris was more popular in Asian countries. It was more familiar there.)

I've heard more people say they'd rather play the Tengen version. I personally would choose the Famicom Tetris 2+Bombliss.

It feels really weird to me to announce a singular NES title for NSO this far in advance, like why not just release it now? Or next month at least.

@KingMike preferred by the official Classic Tetris World Championship™, for one thing.

I wish "The New Tetris" would release on N64 NSO. I have very fond memories of it,; it was one of the few games me and my sister could play competitively at the same level and the soundtrack is amazing.

God this is just… sad. The NSO is truly awful.

Bring more N64 and GBA games.

Thanks for the reminder to cancel my auto-renew set for October. This service is a joke. I only reactivated it because I got a discount code.

I prefer the old Tetris like this, without those modern assist lines to help you prevent dropping it in the wrong place.

That frustration was part of the fun.

Somehow, Tetris returned...

@Pastellioli They've tended to have something for expansion pack and something for regular NSO each month, though so far in August it's been expansion pack only in the form of that GBA Pokémon game.

Tetris is that one game that taught me that your failures stack up and your successes vanish into the void. Stay cool, peeps!

I'm hoping we get Tetrisphere on the N64 NSO. It was an interesting take on Tetris

So if it’s on nes online could we not get it in nes championship edition?

@sixrings @Tayrailbridge
To be fair, The Tetris Company are very protective of the name. I think they tend to hold out on this sort of thing. IIRC, they tend to send out C&Ds to any puzzle games that use the theme tune (despite it being a old folk song).
Let's not forget that time when the GB Tetris was removed from the 3DS eShop due to licensing issues being held by Ubisoft at the time. It might also explain why NSO got Panel De Pon as opposed to its western version, Tetris Attack instead to the Tetris name despite Nintendo being the developer/publisher.

I would assume the NES Tetris and upcoming Tetris 99 event are part of a cross agreement for the use of the Famicom and Nintendo branding in Tetris Forever because it would be odd to exclude Nintendo from the timeline.

All that said, knowing TTC can revoke some games, I'd recommend making sure you keep 99 and Effect on your systems, people!

It didn't occur to me, but let's recalculate how many Tetris games there will be on Switch by the time Tetris Forever and NES Tetris by Nintendo are released.

-Tetris 99
-Tetris Effect: Connected
-Puyo Puyo Tetris
-Puyo Puyo Tetris 2
-Tetris: The Grand Master via Arcade Archives
-Tetris: The Absolute - The Grand Master 2 Plus via Arcade Archives
-Tetris Diamond via G-Mode Archives (only in Japan)
-Game Boy Tetris
-NES Tetris by Nintendo
-Tetris Forever, which will have at least 15 games

By the end of the year, there will be at least 21 Tetris games available on Switch. If we're lucky, we can also get Tetris & Dr. Mario on SNES and MD Tetris by SEGA on the Genesis/Mega Drive NSO apps. But the latter I feel is unlikely because it was one of the Bonus games of the Mega Drive mini 1.

This online service is being done very lazily, there are very few games per month

That meme, with Banjo-Tooie, Donkey Kong 64, and Conker's Bad Fur Day drowning in the pool.

@Tayrailbridge Because of articles like this one. They space the games out so that people keep talking about them so the hype never dies down, similar to how they revealed characters in Smash Bros. If they had released all the games when the service began, this would all be old news.

@VHSGREMLIN THANK YOU. I'll never, ever understand how so many fans just turn the other cheek or even praise Nintendo for completely mailing it in when it comes to adding content to a paid service - content which they already have and which could be released much quicker. This game's been out for 34 years, why do they need months more to release it on NSO? Why have they added so few games for N64 while continuing to charge a premium for it? Total joke.

@HammerGalladeBro Maybe even the N64 Tetris games as well. I really love Disney Magical Tetris Challenge, Tetris 64, and the New Tetris.

Is it just me or has there not been a big game that anyone’s cared about added to NSO lately?

Wow, an NES game that should've been there from the start is getting added years later lol

Should be Tengen Tetris with coop mode...

@DaftSkunk couldn’t agree more. They couldn’t even bother adding GCN games either; truly baffling.

@VHSGREMLIN I agree. Outside of having to pay for it, you also get:
-Emulated games that run better on my phone and rarely release
-Some minor gifts for some games
-Very limited voice chat (look, if Rocket League on Switch has voice chat, there's no excuse for Nintendo to do the same)
The only things worth it are the cheap price compared to other online sub services, and the controllers. Everything else sucks.

Original NES Tetris. I would assume that’s potentially a big deal? Is NES Tetris the preferred version for competitive play?

@Yosher They probably announced this early in order to explain why it wasn’t being included in the collection.

That said, your point stands. They could have added this to NSO the day of the Direct.

@DwaynesGames Huh, I thought it was actually included there. But that would explain it, somewhat.

The NES version recently made international headlines because that kid "beat Tetris". So it's very cool that it is being re-released for the first time.

Don't let the whiners fool you. Nintendo could announce the NSO is adding Chrono Trigger, the entire GameCube library, and they're paying off all Nintendo users' student loans, mortgages and credit card debt in full.

And they would still just moan and complain. Day after day.

@Shepdawg1 Tengen Tetris is not better than Nintendo Tetris. Nobody who knows anything about the differences between different versions of Tetris actually thinks that. I've probably played upwards of 50 ports and variations, and Tengen's only distinguishing feature is multiplayer.

I'm waiting for Diddy Kong Racing. That is the one I want. And now, with Golden Eye and everything, I am allowed to dream.

This should have been included as one of the games in Nintendo World Championships NES Edition. Still, glad it's coming to Switch Online. Nintendo really needs to increase the release cadence for classic games on the service, especially Genesis - they haven't added anything for what feels like forever now.

Nice. Also, Tetris co.'s Henk Rogers, once said he regretted giving Nintendo license to name Panel De Pon Tetris Attack, so who knows if that will ever be released. I, too, would like more games on the NSO, such as Rolling Thunder 3.

As a side note, it'd be nice if Disney would license their Indiana Jones, and Star Wars titles from the NES, SNES, and Genesis.

They had a "Tetris & Dr. Mario" on SNES. Why wasn't that introduced as well? Even that had a multiplayer mode.

Tetris (NES) is the best version in my opinion. This is good news!

The whole family played this when it was originally released. Even those who were older and didn't normally play games. One of my best Christmas memories. Glad it is coming to Switch soon.

Ah NES Tetris. I remember hiring it from my local Video EZY in the early days. Simpler times.

If and when I reactivate my NSO I’ll give it a play for a few minutes probably.