Unfortunately, a specific release date for the Nintendo 64 Switch Online games has not been announced at the time of this writing. Not only that, but fans also have no idea how much the higher subscription tier is going to cost them. But we do know the nine Nintendo 64 games that will be a part of the initial lineup, and since these games have all been out for decades now, we know about how long it takes to beat each one.
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How Long to Beat is a website that aggregates how long it takes people to beat games and then comes up with an average number of about how long each game takes to complete. With that in mind, here’s how long it takes to beat all of the Nintendo 64 games coming to theSwitch Online Expansion Packaccording to How Long to Beat.
Dr. Mario 64 (1.5 Hours)
Dr. Mario 64is a tile-matching puzzle game, serving as a remake of the originalDr. Mariogame for the NES and Game Boy.Dr. Mario 64didn’t earn the best reviews at the time of its release, but it’s still become a fan favorite thanks to its addicting stages and variety of game modes. SinceDr. Mario 64is a puzzle game, it technically doesn’t take very long to “beat” it, but it’s likely that players will get a lot more time out of it than many of the other games in the lineup due to its high replay value.
According to How Long to Beat, it takes1.5 hoursto “beat"Dr. Mario 64.Puzzle game enthusiastscan check out the game’s Classic, Story, Vs., Flash, Maraton, and Score Attack Modes, and as long as they find it fun going for high scores, it should keep them busy with awhile. The Nintendo Switch Online Expansion Pack supports online multiplayer, and while specifics weren’t mentioned, it’s quite possible that this meansDr. Mario 64multiplayer will be online now as well, so that should boost its replay value even further.
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (26.5 Hours)
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Timeis often hailed as one of the best video games ever made, having earned near-universal perfect scores when it originally launched and still held up to this day as an example of gaming at its best. Its inclusion in the initial Nintendo Switch Online Expansion Pack lineup is great, and it should prove to be a huge selling point for those who aren’t sold on the higher-tier service.
Mario Kart 64 (5 Hours)
LikeDr. Mario 64,Mario Kart 64is a game that can technically be beaten in a short amount of time, yet may still get played more than many of the other, longer games on the list. CompletingMario Kart 64’s single-player races takes an average of5 hoursbased on How Long to Beat’s data, butMario Kart 64’s real value doesn’t come from its Grand Prix races.Mario Kart 64’s multiplayeris what will occupy most players' time, whether they’re playing in 4-player split-screen or against others online. The prospect of being able to play a classic multiplayer game likeMario Kart 64online has to be enticing for those that grew up playing the game, and it will definitely be exciting to see how big of a hit it is once the Switch Online Expansion Pack launches in late October.
Mario Tennis (9 Hours)
Mario Tennisis yet another Nintendo 64 game coming to Switch Online that is going to give players significant bang for their buck, but not due to how long it takes people to “beat” its career mode content. On average, “beating"Mario Tenniswill take about9 hoursfor most players, but it’s likely that fans will play the game a lot longer than that thanks to its addicting multiplayer modes. And thanks to the Nintendo Switch Online Expansion Pack’s new bells and whistles,Mario Tennismultiplayer will even be playable in an online capacity, essentially strapping a rocket to its replay value and sending it to the moon.
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While there have been numerousMario Tennisgames released since the original, including aMario TennisSwitch game, the originalMario Tennison the Nintendo 64 still stands out as the best of the bunch. In fact,Mario Tennison the Nintendo 64 is one of the highest-rated Mario sports games made to date, and this could be because it wasn’t too bogged down with gimmicks and the idea was still fresh.Mario Tennisfans and fans of tennis in general should get a lot more than nine hours of playtime out of this one.
Sin and Punishment (2 Hours)
Sin and Punishmentis easily the shortest Nintendo 64 game coming to the Switch Online Expansion Pack, but a game of its nature doesn’t really need to be long.Sin and Punishmentis a rail-shooter game, which is built to be completed fairly fast and with replayability in mind, and so one can beat its story in2 hourswithout much trouble. It was originally never released for the Nintendo 64 outside of Japan, but it finally got a localization with the introduction of theWii Virtual Consoleback in the day. Considering this, there is likely still a large number of players that have yet to ever playSin and Punishmentand may not know what the fuss is about, so it should definitely be worth checking out for those players. Plus, it has a co-op mode as well, though it’s unclear if that co-op mode will be getting the same online treatment as the multiplayer modes for the other Nintendo 64 games.
Star Fox 64 (2 Hours)
When one thinks of Nintendo 64 games with classic multiplayer, they often think ofMario Kart 64,GoldenEye 007, andStar Fox 64. A reboot of the originalStar Foxgame that released for the Super Nintendo,Star Fox 64retells the original story with a lot more flair and action, though players will be able to get throughStar Fox 64’s story mode within2 hours. When they’re done with that, the focus will be entirely on its immensely entertaining multiplayer mode, which should be even more difficult to put down now that there’s online support and always people to play with.
Star Fox 64multiplayer features four players battling it out in Arwing spaceships and Landmaster tanks. They can also fight each other outside of their vehicles as various members of theStar Fox 64roster with bazookas as their primary weapons.Star Fox 64multiplayer included three different game modes, and it will be interesting to see if all of them are playable online once the game comes to the Switch Online Expansion Pack in late October.
Super Mario 64 (12 Hours)
Mario’s first 3D adventure sees Nintendo’s iconic plumber hunting down stars in a variety of different stages, with the stars becoming increasingly more difficult to obtain as the game goes on. Those who want to “beat"Super Mario 64can do so with the minimum number of stars in about12 hours, but there’s a lot more to the game besides just reaching the end credits. Unlocking all of the stars inSuper Mario 64is the ultimate 3D Mario challenge, and it’s still a lot of fun to do to this day. Some fans may have already done this recently thanks to theSuper Mario 3D All-Starscollection on the Switch, but those who haven’t revisitedSuper Mario 64in decades should definitely consider playing it first out of the available games since it was a launch title for the console.
WinBack: Covert Operations (14 Hours)
Out of all theNintendo 64 games confirmed for the Switch Online Expansion Pack, one of the most surprising wasWinBack: Covert Operations, as it definitely does not have the same level of fame as the other games in the lineup. However,WinBack: Covert Operationsdeserves its place in gaming history, as it innovated the third-person cover system that was later mimicked by games likeResident Evil 4andGears of War. It’s a third-person shooter with a story campaign that takes about14 hoursto complete, plus a versus multiplayer mode for fans to check out as well.
Yoshi’s Story (2.5 Hours)
Nintendo has a solid track record of dealing high-scoring games when it comes to its first-party titles, thoughYoshi’s Storyis one of the rare exceptions to that rule.Yoshi’s Storyearned mixed reviews at the time of its original release, mainly due to its incredibly short length at just2.5 hourson average and for its low difficulty level. It’s unlikely thatYoshi’s Storywill experience some newfound praise with its debut for Switch Online, but it could make for an interesting distraction one afternoon.Yoshi’s Story’s art style is definitely still worth checking out, even if its gameplay isn’t going to blow anyone away.
Total Average Playtime: 74.5 Hours
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