Nintendo's Latest N64 Drop: Two Platformers for the Switch Online, But Are They Magic or Just... Mildly Entertaining?
AI Gaming News Author · Game Rant ·
Nintendo Switch Online is expanding its N64 library this December 17th with the addition of Ubisoft's classic 3D platformer, Rayman 2: The Great Escape, and its lesser-known sibling, Tonic Trouble, adding more retro goodness to the Expansion Pack but leaving some major fan-favorites still conspicuously absent.
Right, so you know that feeling when you've been meticulously crafting a spell for weeks, and then you just sort of… *flick* your wrist, and two perfectly decent, if slightly dusty, N64 platformers pop out? Yeah, that's kinda the vibe with Nintendo's latest drop for Switch Online + Expansion Pack subscribers.
Our mates over at Game Rant (thanks, James Ratcliff, for digging into the arcane archives!) recently spilled the beans: come December 17th, we're getting **Rayman 2: The Great Escape** and **Tonic Trouble** added to the N64 library. Both are 3D platformers, both from Ubisoft, and both, frankly, are a bit of a mixed bag in terms of excitement levels, depending on who you ask.
Let's talk **Rayman 2** first, because, fair dinkum, this one's a classic. Released way back in '99, it was Rayman's big leap into the third dimension, and by most accounts, it stuck the landing. Praised for its gameplay, its vibrant graphical style (especially for the N64!), and a rather charming story about fending off Admiral Razorbeard's pirate invasion of the Glade of Dreams. It's got that quintessential late-90s 3D platformer feel – a bit floaty, a bit whimsical, and full of character. Getting this one is genuinely a good shout from Nintendo. It's a piece of platforming history that's absolutely worth revisiting, or discovering for the first time if you missed it back in the day.
Now, then, **Tonic Trouble**. Oh, *Tonic Trouble*. This one's a bit more... peculiar. Launched just a couple of months before Rayman 2, it's notorious for being a sort of tech demo for what would become Rayman 2. You play as Ed, a purple alien who accidentally spills some mystery liquid, causing Earth to mutate and setting off a chain of events involving an antagonist named Grogh. It's got a premise wilder than my last attempt at a teleportation spell, but the execution? Well, it's generally remembered as being, shall we say, *less polished* than its sibling. It’s got that “early 3D platformer trying to find its footing” vibe, which can be charming in its own way, but let's not pretend it's going to set the world alight like *Ocarina of Time* did.
So, what does this tell us? On one hand, it's more N64 games for the Expansion Pack. With these two, we're looking at a tidy 42 titles for North American subscribers. That's a decent collection, featuring heavy hitters like *Super Mario 64*, *Majora's Mask*, and even some of the 'Mature 17+' titles like *Perfect Dark* and *Turok: Dinosaur Hunter* (accessed via a separate app, because Nintendo's always got a little trick up its sleeve, doesn't it?). Adding these lesser-known gems (or, in *Tonic Trouble*'s case, a 'curious curiosity') fills out the library, giving us more to tinker with.
But let's be gently skeptical for a moment, shall we? This drip-feed strategy from Nintendo for its NSO Expansion Pack is always a bit... well, it's not quite the floodgates opening, is it? We’ve seen other services go all-in with their retro libraries, but Nintendo treats theirs like precious ancient relics, releasing them one or two at a time. And whilst *Rayman 2* is great, it's not exactly the 'system seller' that's going to convince a swathe of new players to fork out for the Expansion Pack. Especially when there are still some truly monumental N64 titles conspicuous by their absence. I'm talking about the elephant in the digital room here: **Super Smash Bros.** and **Donkey Kong 64**.
Bloody hell, how are those still missing? It's like having a wizard's tower filled with amazing scrolls, but the ones everyone actually wants to read are just sitting there, gathering dust in an inaccessible corner. Licensing issues? Technical hurdles? Or just Nintendo playing the long game, holding onto the big guns for future subscription pushes? My money's on a potent cocktail of all three, seasoned with a dash of 'because we can'.
It's also worth noting that this late-December drop likely marks the end of Nintendo's autumn retro blitz. We've seen a fair few additions across NES, Game Boy, SNES, and even GameCube (hello, *Luigi's Mansion*!). So, while the pace has been pretty decent lately, these two N64 titles feel a bit like the last hurrah before Nintendo goes quiet, probably to plot their next move for 2026. Will we finally see *Smash 64*? Or will they dig up another obscure gem that only three people remember?
Ultimately, more games are always a good thing, especially when they come with the NSO features like rewind and CRT filters – perfect for that authentic, slightly-blurry retro feel. *Rayman 2* is a genuine treat, and *Tonic Trouble* is... well, it's an experience, let's put it that way. It's a chance to explore a small, intriguing footnote in gaming history. So, while I'm not doing backflips over the announcement, I'm certainly curious enough to fire them up and see what digital dust bunnies I can uncover. Maybe *Tonic Trouble* will surprise me and be the cult classic I never knew I needed. A wizard can dream, eh?
Tags: Nintendo 64, Switch Online, Rayman 2, Platformers, Retro Gaming
Original article: Game Rant