Although a recent and very disappointing change toNintendo Switch Onlinemay not have a direct impact on the majority of users, it may still herald similar changes that are much more disruptive. Until now, the NSO service has provided access to a slowly expanding collection of old games from previous eras of video game history. But now, it seems that NSO may be changing direction, as evidenced by one very concerning event.
Althoughnot every NSO game is its best version, the service is still an invaluable collection for countless people, particularly from a game preservation standpoint. Nintendo Switch Online has ensured that games from a variety of now-outdated consoles remain easily accessible. The earliest entries in popular franchises like Metroid andThe Legend of Zeldaare available on NSO, allowing relative newcomers to still experience their full lineup firsthand. However, the latest change to NSO puts both this reputation and the future of the service into question.
Nintendo Switch Online Removing Super Soccer Is Concerning
It Could Mark The Start Of A Disappointing Pattern
Super Socceris an SNES-original title available to users of Nintendo Switch Online, with its Japanese-language versionSuper Formation Soccerbeing available exclusively in Japan. This is soon going to change, however.Both versions ofSuper Soccerwill be removed from the Nintendo Switch Online serviceon either March 27 or March 28, depending on the timezone. Even those who have downloaded NSO’s SNES games beforehand will find the title unplayable after this date. Moreover, although the game is far from iconic, its removal is still extremely worrying, as it proves the impermanency of NSO titles.
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It is worth noting thatSuper Socceris not simply disappearing without any discernible reason. As reported byKotaku,Super Formation Soccerwas originally created by the company Spike Chunsoft, although Nintendo handled the international distribution of the game. As a result, Nintendo will presumably have needed to make an external deal to republish the game on NSO. Considering the game’s upcoming removal,a previously unknown time limit on this license has likely now run out.
Unlike Virtual Console Downloads, NSO Isn’t Permanent
NSO Games Must Be Available Online Directly From Nintendo To Play
Nintendo’s old Virtual Console games, thepredecessors to those found on Nintendo Switch Online, had an advantage that NSO now clearly lacks. A downloaded Virtual Console game could be (and still can be) played forever after purchase, but NSO titles must remain officially available from the service. This is what has led toSuper Soccersoon becoming unplayable to anybody who doesn’t have access to a copy of the original SNES game and a console to play it on. It is an undeniablefailure of the Nintendo Switch’s own service, and it may not end here.
Virtual Console games were available for the Wii, Wii U, and 3DS; the former console’s version of the service was discontinued in 2019, and the latter consoles saw the same occur in 2023.
The fate ofSuper Soccerproves that any games that are similarly licensed from another company, both those already available and thosegames that could be added to NSOin the future, are equally at risk of removal depending on the terms of any licensing deals. Although there have been no such announcements as of yet, it may only be a matter of time.Any NSO game that was originally created by another company will now always be under the same threat of being removedfrom the list of available titles.
Core NSO Titles Will Probably Stick Around, But There’s No Guarantee
Any NSO Game Could Be Removed If There Was A Good Reason
Of course, it is worth noting thatcore titles owned solely by Nintendo are very unlikely to ever disappear from NSO. Again, early games in franchises likeMetroidandZeldacan appeal to a large part of Nintendo’s audience, and by extension increase the appeal of NSO as a whole. It would be a very strange decision for Nintendo to remove such core titles, given that this decision may lead directly to a loss of interest in NSO. Furthermore, the release of theSwitch 2 may lead to NSO updatingwith even more content.
On the other hand, however, unlikelihood is no guarantee of such measures never being taken. It is now impossible to deny thatgames can and will be taken down if it is deemed necessary, whether for external or internal reasons. For example, beyond licensing agreements, Nintendo may at some point decide to rerelease some of its earliest titles in a new collection game; it is easy to see this prompting the removal of any included games from NSO to avoid lowering potential sales.
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This change to NSO only affects a portion of users directly, as not everybody will be invested enough in this simple soccer game to be troubled by its removal. However, it is also an undeniable fact that the fate ofSuper Soccermay be far from an isolated incident. As time goes on, even more classic titles could just as easily be removed from NSO.This is a strong blow to the service’s contribution to game preservation, and a change that could eventually even cut some of the most popular classic games available onNintendo Switch Online.
