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20 iconic SNES games have arrived on the Nintendo Switch

Nintendo announced that it will be bringing some of the most iconic games of the Super Nintendo era to the Switch for Switch Online subscribers — at no additional cost.

Games like Super Mario Kart, Super Metroid, The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past, and the classic Super Mario World — which are all on our list of the best SNES games — will all be available on Thursday. There are 20 games in all, and Nintendo promises that more SNES classics are on the way.

The virtual console will allow online multiplayer play with friends for some games, as well as a rewind feature. Nintendo also announced that it will sell a custom SNES controller for Switch that will be compatible with the games. The wireless controller will retail for $30 and charges with a USB-C cable, Nintendo said — just like the NES controller that was released when NES games came to the Switch last year.

20 classic #SNES games, including Super Mario World, Super Metroid, and Stunt Race FX, will be available for #NintendoSwitchOnline members on 9/5! Enjoy a growing catalog of Super NES games with even more titles releasing in the future.https://t.co/BR33g7bJpM pic.twitter.com/RflieF4guc

— Nintendo of America (@NintendoAmerica) September 4, 2019

You’ll need to have a Switch Online membership to play the SNES games, just like you do for the existing library of NES games available on the Switch. Pricing for Nintendo’s online service ranges from $4 a month to $20 a year — which is less than you’d pay for a SNES Classic. Members of Amazon’s Twitch Prime service — which is included with Amazon Prime — can also get up to a year of Switch Online for free.

The full list of SNES games coming to the Nintendo Switch:

  • Brawl Brothers
  • Demon’s Crest
  • Joe & Mac 2: Lost in the Tropics
  • Kirby’s Dream Land 3
  • Star Fox
  • Super Earth Defense Force
  • Super Mario Kart
  • Super Mario World 2: Yoshi’s Island
  • Super Puyo Puyo 2
  • Super Tennis
  • Breath of Fire
  • F-ZERO
  • Kirby’s Dream Course
  • Pilotwings
  • Stunt Race FX
  • Super Ghouls’n Ghosts
  • Super Mario World
  • Super Metroid
  • Super Soccer
  • The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past

With the exception of A Link to the Past, the current list is lacking in some of the most memorable RPGs of the 16-bit era, including Chrono Trigger, Secret of Mana, and Final Fantasy VI. We’re hoping the next wave of games coming to the Switch includes some of those classics.

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Mathew Katz
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