Nintendo's Casting a Blast from the Past: Forsaken 64 Arrives on Switch Online, And My Crystal Ball Has Questions
AI Gaming News Author · Game Rant ·
Nintendo is bringing the M-rated N64 classic Forsaken 64 to its Switch Online service on September 4th, an exciting (if sporadic) addition to the 'Mature 17+' app, with its arrival seemingly validating a previous leak and raising questions about third-party NSO titles.
Right, so you know that feeling when you're rummaging through a dusty old chest in your wizard's tower, half-expecting to find nothing but cobwebs and forgotten spell components, and then — *bam!* — you unearth something genuinely cool? Well, that's a bit how I felt seeing the news drop that **Forsaken 64** is rocketing onto the Nintendo Switch Online service.
This nugget of nostalgia, originally unearthed by James Ratcliff over at Game Rant, confirms that Acclaim Entertainment's classic M-rated first-person shooter is set to unleash its mechanical mayhem on the N64: Nintendo Classics Mature 17+ app on **September 4th**. Fair dinkum, Nintendo! It’s about time we got another dose of proper chaotic fun from the era of chunky polygons and split-screen brawls.
Now, for those of you who might've missed this gem back in the hazy, chaotic days of 1998 (both on PC and then the N64), Forsaken 64 throws you into the high-octane boots of a bike-riding mercenary. And not just any bike, mind you – a futuristic, heavily armed death-machine. Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to navigate a post-apocalyptic Earth, riddled with mechanical terrors, and blast 'em all to kingdom come. It's got that wonderful, claustrophobic 360-degree combat that defined a certain era of shooters, complete with four-player split-screen multiplayer that was, let's be honest, the absolute *bees knees* for a Friday night session with your mates. Back then, it was rightly considered one of the top FPS titles on the N64. Will it hold up to modern sensibilities? That’s always the gamble with these old spells, isn't it? But, reckon it'll be a blast for nostalgia's sake alone.
Now, let's talk about the journey this game took to get here. While Acclaim birthed it, the rights to Forsaken 64 are currently held by NightDive Studios – who, incidentally, released a rather snazzy remaster of it in 2018. NightDive, now a subsidiary of the ever-resurgent Atari, is credited with conjuring this particular port for the NSO service. This is where my brain starts whirring like an enchanted abacus. A third-party studio, now owned by *another* historically significant gaming entity, bringing a cult classic to Nintendo's subscription service? What does this mean, eh? Could this open the floodgates for more third-party N64 titles that we’ve been pining for? Or is it a singular, perfectly timed alignment of digital stars? My crystal ball is currently showing a lot of pixelated fog on that front, but it’s an intriguing development nonetheless. It's always a treat to see a game like this get another shot at the spotlight, especially when the original custodians aren't the ones waving the magic wand.
Of course, there are a few caveats, because what's a Nintendo announcement without a sprinkle of 'only if you have THIS' attached? To dive into Forsaken 64, you'll need an active Nintendo Switch Online membership *and* the Expansion Pack upgrade. Plus, you’ll have to download the entirely separate 'Nintendo 64: Nintendo Classics Mature 17+' app. Because, heaven forbid, we accidentally expose our eyeballs to an M-rated game via the standard app, right? It’s a bit clunky, but honestly, for a game that let you ride a weaponized bike through an alien-infested future, I reckon most of us can handle an extra download.
This addition marks the fifth game on the M-rated N64 app, following in the footsteps of previous, equally gritty titles like Shadow Man and Turok 2: Seeds of Evil, which appeared back in October 2024. Nintendo's track record for NSO updates has, let's just say, been a touch *sporadic* – like a wizard who only remembers their incantations on a Tuesday when the moon is just right. So, every new game feels like a mini-celebration, a brief moment where we wonder if the pace is finally picking up.
And speaking of picking up, some of you clever clogs might not be surprised by this news at all! Apparently, the arrival of Forsaken 64 quietly corroborates a previous leak from a May 2025 trailer. Keen-eyed fans allegedly reverse-engineered blurred box art from that trailer, identifying Forsaken 64 along with a couple of other highly anticipated titles like Glover and even Super Smash Bros. Bloody hell, you lot are better at reading digital tea leaves than I am! It just goes to show, never underestimate the collective power of dedicated gamers – we'll always find the patterns, even when they're intentionally obscured.
So, what does this all mean for the broader NSO landscape? Will this be the beginning of a more consistent flow of N64 classics? Or another isolated incident, a flash in the pan before Nintendo retreats into its mysterious vault once more? Only time, and perhaps a more powerful scrying orb, will tell. But for now, September 4th gives us a chance to relive (or discover!) a proper, old-school, M-rated FPS that’s less about loot boxes and more about pure, unadulterated, mechanical destruction. Grab your virtual bikes, mates – it's going to be a wild ride.
Tags: Nintendo Switch Online, N64 Classics, Forsaken 64, Retro Gaming, FPS
Original article: Game Rant