Pilotwings 64 Now Out On Switch, Still Includes Twin Towers

Pilotwings 64 is a Nintendo 64 launch game that's lived in Super Mario 64's shadow for more than two decades now, but it's a pretty fun time in its own right. Now, the forgotten first-party N64 exclusive has come to Nintendo Switch Online, and it includes a small detail that might surprise you: an obvious tribute to the Twin Towers.

Pilotwings 64 came out in 1996, which obviously means that it predates the 9/11 terrorist attacks that defined a generation. As noted by Axios's Stephen Totilo, the game's Little States map includes several obvious references to Manhattan, including its own Empire State Building and World Trade Center. (It also has a Mount Rushmore stand-in, only with Mario taking the place of George Washington.)

A previous post by Totilo speculated whether or not the Switch version of Pilotwings 64 would include the Twin Towers facsimile. Well, we have our answer. Though it might seem strange to edit a 25-year-old game, sensitivity around 9/11 references continues to be a factor in our daily lives. For example, Wikipedia has a list of more than a dozen films that were edited to remove the Twin Towers in the years after the attacks.

As for Pilotwings itself, it's a collection of flying-themed minigames that serves as a showcase for the then-impressive N64 hardware. To play it, you must subscribe to both Nintendo Switch Online and its Expansion Pass, which features other N64 classics such as Goldeneye 007, Zelda: Ocarina of Time, and Super Mario 64. Now if only they would add Snowboard Kids 2.