Skip to main content

Kirby 64 is Nintendo Switch Online’s next N64 addition

Nintendo is giving fans of Kirby’s latest 3D adventure, Kirby and the Forgotten Land, the chance to go back in time and experience his first time taking a third-dimensional adventure. The next Nintendo 64 title hitting Nintendo Switch Online’s Expansion Pack membership is Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards, and it’s coming May 20.

Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards - Nintendo 64 - Nintendo Switch Online

Nintendo Switch Online is Nintendo’s membership that allows players to not only play online but also gives access to tons of retro titles from the Nintendo Entertainment System and Super Nintendo consoles. The Expansion Pack brings Nintendo 64 and Sega Genesis titles to the membership at an extra price. This add-on costs more but is becoming a great value considering how much Nintendo has added to it, including all of Mario Kart 8: Deluxe‘s DLC and Splatoon 2‘s Octo-Expansion.

Related Videos

An iconic platformer featuring one of the Kirby’s creepiest final bosses, Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards is the latest title coming to the membership. It joins the likes of other available Nintendo 64 games like The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of TimeBanjo-KazooieStar Fox 64Paper Mario, Super Mario 64, and more.

According to an official financial results briefing interview with Nintendo representative director and president, Shuntaro Furukawa, and executive officer, Hajime Murakami, Nintendo Switch Online’s Expansion Pack is doing especially well with U.S. subscribers. The interview confirmed that due to positive reception, it plans to continue expanding the service. This continued growth may mean even more perks other than added games, similar to what Xbox does with Game Pass.

Nintendo Switch Online Expansion members can witness everyone’s favorite pink puffball’s first 3D title via the Switch on May 20.

Editors' Recommendations

You need to get this oddball Zelda game for free before the 3DS eShop closes
legend of zelda twilight princess nintendo wii grandma grandmother reddit 755 hours

The day of reckoning is fast approaching: The Nintendo 3DS and Wii U eShop isclosing down on March 27. When that happens, you’ll no longer be able to make any digital purchases on those systems. Considering that several games on each platform only ever got digital releases, it’s creating a bit of a preservation nightmare. Hidden gems that never came to another platform, like Affordable Space Adventures, will be totally lost to time.

But it isn’t just obscure indies that are impacted by that change: One of Nintendo’s biggest franchises is about to lose a piece of its storied history. You’ve only got just over a week to grab a certain Legend of Zelda game before it disappears forever -- though it’s probably not one you’re expecting.

Read more
How to connect your Nintendo Switch to a TV

The Nintendo Switch has quickly become a household item. The system works as both a handheld device and a TV console, making it both versatile and convenient for players to use. Although using the Switch in its handheld form is awesome, the reality is that the graphics on a TV can enhance the experience of any Switch player. For those of us that struggle to put systems together, there is hope. Fortunately for us, the Switch is actually pretty easy to hook up to any TV, so long as it has an HDMI slot. Here's how.
Setting up the Nintendo Switch

For those who are new to the system, every purchase of the Nintendo Switch not only includes the Switch itself but also a Switch dock. This dock will be key in putting your system together for the TV. The first thing you're going to want to do is take out the dock and all the cords. Make sure that you have the dock, an HDMI cord, and a power cord for the system. If all three are present, you're good to start!

Read more
How Zelda: Ocarina of Time speedrunners break the N64 in incredible new ways
ocarina of time speedrunners break game new ways respec featured

ReSpec is normally a column about the wonderful, technical world of PC gaming, but occasionally there are topics that are too good to pass up. The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time is universally acclaimed as one the best Nintendo 64 games ever made, and while it's not a PC title, the highest-level, most technical speedruns of the game expose how games work on a fundamental level. More importantly, these incredible feats are only possible with a lot of community effort.

Ocarina of Time is a game that would take a normal player around 30 hours to beat; the most skilled speedrunners, who aim to play the game as fast as possible, can beat it in around three hours and 40 minutes without glitches. But the Any% category of the game, which tasks players with completing the game regardless of the methods used, is down to three minutes, 54 seconds, and 566 milliseconds. And yes, those milliseconds matter. The second-place record holder is less than a full second behind the world record.

Read more