My Thoughts: On the 25th of September, Nintendo dropped some classic news—you might say it is creating some buzz and some unpleasant ripples. It is now possible to play two GBA classics, Klonoa: Empire of Dreams and Mr. Driller 2, on Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack. Yes, that means you are actually not dreaming. Well, some may be celebrating these titles, but then there are those-let’s just say-that are bothered by the paucity of other classics.
Okay, first: What are these games about? Klonoa Empire of Dreams is a puzzle platformer that launched on GBA back in 2001. Within the Klonoa series, which has a sort of cult following but has never really made it into the mainstream, this one is a somewhat curious pick. And then there’s Mr. Driller 2, the sequel to an insanely addictive digging game where you drill blocks and try not to run out of air, making it to this month’s bomb picks. Both can legitimately be called games. But do they have the stature to carry the subscription for the Expansion Pack on their own? This, basically, is where the debate lies.
Gamers want to have their voices heard. The comments to the tweet that announces this by Nintendo show half-and-half enthusiasm whereas the other half is composed of outcries of frustration. One such, DarkBlueYoshi45, asked, “Where is Donkey Kong 64 and Super Smash Bros on N64!” Another user, CasualCanon, pleaded, “Come on! Give us Pokémon Fire Red and Leaf Green.” This just goes to show that there are two polarizing views: there are those who are happy there is something, while the others feel Nintendo is willing to only drop a few titles at a time instead of going for real blockbusters.
And now comes the emulation debate. “But anyone can emulate them and hundreds of other games for free, why pay 50 bucks a year for that?” sided JigjagTheGreat. Valid point, why should I pay for it when I can just download the games? That is so coarse. There have been controversies regarding Nintendo’s pricing for the Expansion Pack ever since it was announced, and additions like these don’t seem to put those complaints to rest.
But the excitement is contagious. NightmareFoxxyy shouted: “OH MY GOD FINALLY MR DRILLER,” while RetroHero64 proclaimed: “KLONOA RECOGNITION??? OH MY GOD????” So there is some love hidden for these underappreciated games. However, it is the louder voices that demand the big-name games.
Then, it moved to other matters. User jazc_007 replied, “Stop the drip feed of games on your rental service; it’s taking you far too long to add the ones you advertised during the GameCube classics reveal.” This is in direct reference to Nintendo’s promise to bring many GameCube games to the service and how slow they have been at fulfilling that promise. The players are getting impatient, and who really can blame them?
And so the drama goes on. User exFragile_ poker-faced in a fight for the right to complain about Nintendo’s decisions, “And I’m allowed an opinion. They have people asking for games like dk64 or old pokemon and they put out this crap.” While others are only here for the memes, like DocZombieZ, who cemented that Medabots reference with a whomping GIF.
What is really interesting about this whole situation is just how divided the community truly is. On one side, you’ve got the gamers who are excited and happy to see some love for very obscure games. On the other side, you’ve got the gamers who feel Nintendo has been neglecting their most sought-after titles. This is that classic “you can’t please everybody” situation, and one that, given Nintendo’s track record, it’s not hard to see why some have reason to grumble.
However, this is also about the other side of the business. Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack is a $49.99-a-year subscription, which in itself is considered high by many gamers, considering new games do the occasional rounds at best. Compared to services like Xbox Game Pass, which brings heaps of games for approximately the same price, Nintendo’s offering can feel a tad bit bare. But, lest we forget, Nintendo has a history of marching to the beat of their own drum.
So, what does all this really boil down to? Nintendo is charging some very decent GBA titles to the service, and that works out quite well for the fans of Klonoa and Mr. Driller. However, the larger gaming community is craving some more, big slams such as Donkey Kong 64, Pokemon classics, and those GameCube titles that have now been promised. Will Nintendo pay heed? Time will indeed reveal. Until then, players will just have to make do.
Again, it comes down to an issue of value. If you are all-for these games, then date September 25th, 2021, ought to be locked away in your calendar. For the rest, still holding out for some other kind-a-game, well, it is going to be a mighty long wait. Nintendo’s approach is a bit… unique; this announcement shall be no barring along with it. So if your heart says yes, grab that subscription. If it says no, keep on complaining, who knows, maybe Nintendo may finally shut up and listen once.
