Nintendo has added two more vintage games from the Nintendo 64 era to the library of Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack: ‘Rayman 2: The Great Escape’ and ‘Tonic Trouble’ have both been made available already. This new development clearly indicates that the partnership between the retro gaming community and Nintendo’s marketing is still very much alive, immediately sending ripples of joy among gamers and then the community being overwhelmed by requests to have more games added in the future.
At present, if you have subscribed to the pricier Expansion Pack tier, you can simply access the N64 app and jump into the two games right away. For some, Rayman 2 is far too significant to be relegated to the background. This is the very game that the coolest 3D platformer where arms and legs are not part of the body is trying to escape from pirates or something alike. The atmosphere of the game is still vibrant, to be honest. Plus, we have Tonic Trouble, which is simply a puzzling story from Ubisoft that has its dedicated followers. The tweet about the Nintendo of America announcement only said to choose which one would be played first, but the answers… oh my, the answers show a completely different scenario.
It is like a dam that loses its water; the moment these two games were made accessible, the comment section became a sprawling wishlist of the games that users want to see. Users are not just saying ‘thanks’—they almost plead it. One of the players, Gerard Gianoli II, candidly stated, ‘Please bring DK 64!’ Rachael was another user who composed an entire stream: ‘Snowboard Kids 2 please! Mischief Makers, Space Station Silicon Valley, Quest 64!’ She even made a slight, asking for ‘good weird games’ instead of what she branded as ‘a great game and its failure copycat.’ Ouch, but also… fair?
There are calls for the games everywhere. User ‘bubba’ posted a meme saying ‘Come on do it you cowards!’ together with a picture that may be considered an undercover request. ‘Plok!’ (yes, that’s the username) was heard asking when their game would be included, which is an amusing part of the roleplay. And miopiadecachorr just pleaded, ‘Please add snowboard kids :(‘ The longing is palpable right through the screen.
However, it is not just petitions that are coming through. There is some serious affection for Rayman 2 coming through. Ilman Shazhaev labeled it a classic that ‘still stands the test of time,’ while Dylan Tortosa put it at ‘the level of best platformers ever made!’ A discussion arose about which version of Rayman 2 is the best, with KingsNJenssons admitting the Dreamcast version is purportedly top-tier, but also how each port is very different. That’s some old-school gaming trivia right there.
The Expansion Pack model itself naturally received a little bit of… feedback. A user with the name HonestToCritic somewhat launched a tirade and vowed never to pay for the online service as long as the games remained inside the subscription. ‘I will tell you what I would pay for tho,’ they said. ‘The option to buy these titles separately. It’s your choice/loss.’ This has been a debate that is ongoing ever since the service was launched—some gamers simply prefer to own their classics rather than renting them out on a monthly basis.
There was even some confusion in the conversation. Someone said they needed an ‘expansion pack’ for saving, and another user, AlphaPWNY, had to correct them: ‘Controller Pak, not expansion pack. We can’t save our progress on these.’ A small, vexing reminder of the strange hardware quirks of the N64 that the emulation has to deal with.
The mood is one of exhilaration mingled with thirst. People can’t get over the fact that Rayman 2 is extremely accessible—it’s an absolute masterpiece for many. But the rollout of these two games only reiterates the point that there are still a lot of other N64 gems to be included. What about DK 64? Where are the oddball titles like Mischief Makers? The conversation moves instantly from ‘hey, cool new games’ to ‘okay, but what’s the NEXT?’
It is a very normal switch behavior: they offer you a small bite and suddenly everybody is reminding of their favorite obscure thing from 1998 and wants it included yesterday. The service has almost become a living, breathing suggestion box for every announcement that is followed by a chorus of ‘yes, and also THIS!’ But for now, the library grows a bit bigger. There is the thrilling adventure of Rayman and the… trouble with tonics. For subscribers, it is another excuse to fire up the old app and get a taste of that sweet, sweet nostalgia. But players on PlayStation and Xbox have their own classic gaming conversations.
