Rumor Alert – N64 and GameCube Classic (Switch Online)

The other day, a Twitter user SnowmealDome noted that he data mined the Nintendo Switch Online application and found two additional official emulators. His post is as follows:

I am inclined to believe that the new emulators are for Nintendo’s Switch Online application. There has been little evidence to date that suggests Nintendo is looking to add to their classic console collection. In fact, the opposite is what Nintendo suggests.

In a Kotaku article, Reggie was asked the question directly.

“We were clear when we did the first two Classic series that, for us, these were limited time opportunities that were a way for us as a business to bridge from the conclusion of Wii U as a hardware system to the launch of Nintendo Switch,” he said. “That was the very strategic reason we launched the NES Classic system.” The Wii U had been fading fast by early 2016 and the Switch didn’t launch until early 2017.

“So while consumers may have been anticipating something, we view these as limited time opportunities. We’ve also now been very clear that as the consumer looks forward to engaging with our classic content that is going to happen more and more with the subscription service.

“Would you rule out an N64 Classic coming?” I asked.

“I would not ever rule something out,” he said, “but what I can tell you is certainly that’s not in our planning horizon.”

With all of that being said, the extra code is for one of two things: 1) a placeholder or 2) a spot to add the remaining pre-Wii consoles to the online subscription service.

I contend that the emulators in the code are for the subscription service. People have been complaining about it forever now and this is a perfectly justifiable reason to make people actually want to subscribe for something other than Internet-play, which was formerly available for free.

What do you think?