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Switch Online's Free NES Games For August Revealed, And One Is Incredibly Rare

Another pair of NES games arrive on August 21.

31 Comments

Nintendo has announced the next set of NES games coming to the Nintendo Switch Online service. This month, the company is adding another pair of legacy titles to the system's slowly expanding NES library, one of which has never been officially re-released before.

August's free NES titles are the co-op beat-'em-up Kung-Fu Heroes and the action game Vice: Project Doom. The latter is particularly notable, as it hasn't appeared on any other console since it first released on NES in 1991, making this its first official port in nearly 30 years. You can see a trailer for the games below.

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Now Playing: Top New Games Out On Switch, PS4, Xbox One, And PC This Week -- August 11-17, 2019

Both titles will join the service on August 21, bringing the system's NES software count up to 48. Nintendo adds a handful of classic titles to the NES library each month; July brought Donkey Kong 3 and Wrecking Crew (as well as a helpful rewind feature), while June's additions included Double Dragon II and City Connection.

The NES library is one of the perks included in the Nintendo Switch Online service. Subscriptions run for US $4 / £3.49 / AU $6 for one month, US $8 / £7 / AU $12 for three months, and US $20 / £18 / AU $30 for one year. Nintendo also offers an annual Family Membership, which costs US $35 / £31.49 / AU $55 and covers up to eight Nintendo Accounts, even on different Switch systems.

In addition to the free NES games, Nintendo Switch Online subscribers can now pick up a freebie for Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. Nintendo is also holding a free trial period for Mario Tennis Aces. NSO members can play the sports game at no charge until August 13. The game will also be on sale in the Eshop until August 20, and any progress you make during the free period will carry over to the full title.

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DoctorVanBosh

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Pretty sure a bunch of non-rare SNES games would be better received than unbelievably rare NES games. I love old games but the bulk of the NES games they're putting out are just a bit too dated now.

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SkyHighGam3r

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Drip feed needs to stop.
Someone finally creates a Netflix for Roms and 'of course' it had to be Nintendo doing their same old nonsense.
This system is more than capable of running it's backlog of everything in the 90's and prior.
Could charge 60$ a year for it, but nope... 20$ and NES dripfeed.... JFC Nintendo...

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srfilk86

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If Nintendo actually wants me to buy a console from them, let alone subscribe to one of their services, they have to do a better job than this. I will not pay them for minimal effort. These games are dinky in size and could be put on the service en masse. SEGA does a far better job at making a good selection of their retro games available for dirt cheap. Nintendo is just a company of money grubbing crooks. I've purchased so many games on their virtual consoles, yet I no longer have access to these purchased games due to their crooked policies and lack of purchase history. Games shouldn't be locked to a single piece of hardware! I buy something on Steam or PSN and it's mine until those companies go under forever. I don't expect these digital purchases to be around for all-time. But they should always be acknowledged until the company goes belly up.

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Cashmoney007

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Main reason to get Nintendo online:

Play with friends!

It is crazy to me that The Switch is pretty amazing, but the online part of The Switch continues to lack many gaming catalogues including Super Nintendo games. If Nintendo wants many people to feel the online service is worth it, then they need to add a lot of games from many of their other consoles. Where are the N64 and GameCube games?

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Iloveqwop

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These arent ports.

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cramseyLA25

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How about Tecmo Super Bowl? Kung Fu

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oo7superdave

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@cramseyla25: i dont know who you are but wow you just read my mind

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gatsbythepig

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Edited By gatsbythepig

Is this 'free' the way the dictionary defines 'free'?

Or is this 'free' in the way that you pay money(like for a subscription), and in return, you receive something(based on the terms of the deal)?

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lebanese_boy

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@gatsbythepig: It's as free as those monthly PSN/Xbox Live games.

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gatsbythepig

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@lebanese_boy: Got it. Strange that a gaming news site would be purposefully misleading. Neither of those are free either.

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suprsolider

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Wow,

Yet I can already play EVERY NES GAME EVER MADE and HAVE BEEN ABLE TO FOR 20 YEARS NOW.

Nintendo can take their slim picking and shove it. I am not paying them money for crap hardware, crap online and NES games that have been on the internet for 20+ years.

Nintendo fans who pay into this ponzi scheme are morons.

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DeadlyMustard

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@suprsolider: Yeah I'm cancelling my switch online once it's up this December. It's just shoddy af, no chat rooms etc. to facilitate easy online play with friends. If they had more than just a NES emulator (with a very limited selection) it would be much more appealing.

If they added SNES or Gamecube to their online selection I'd be fine paying for it.

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Just1MoHr

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@suprsolider: I am with ya bro, if I am being honest.

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xantufrog

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xantufrog  Moderator

@suprsolider: of course, advocating piracy and emulation is against our posting guidelines, so while lobbing insults one might consider one's own actions

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srfilk86

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@xantufrog: Nintendo are the true pirates trying to sell what should be freeware at a high price! < That was an RE4 reference, btw.

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lionheartssj1

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@xantufrog: On that...wasn't emulation less restricted before the digital stores started re releasing these games? I seem to remember it not being as big of an issue until the Virtual Shop (and the like) came about. It's been a while though, so I could just not be recalling correctly.

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Creepshow2

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Ill stick with my PS4 and Xbox One X thank you. I like Nintendo I really do,but I do not care for the Switch. The wonky looking controls ruin it for me. Maybe after they redesign them I might buy one.

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Iloveqwop

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@creepshow2: You can use the nesbox website on xbox to play the emulator still. It has savestates and everything last time I saw it.

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Just1MoHr

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Edited By Just1MoHr

@creepshow2: I honestly can't understand why people buy inferior hardware with the Switch. Nintendo has always been a few years behind in hardware, but foremost in gimmicks. PC/PS4/XB1 blow the switch outta the park. I also can't stand it that they make us buy the digital games we already purchase on previous system & as a result I am outta the Nintendork world.

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deactivated-5e90a3763ea91

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I'll probably let my Switch Online subscription lapse since I can't even play NES games with a friend online without it going wonky. (Let alone play some Smash Bros. or most other games with anyone else.)

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bouchart

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Edited By bouchart

Vice Project Doom is worth a look. It's like Ninja Gaiden, except with a couple of driving stages (think Spy Hunter).

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deactivated-64efdf49333c4

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Can't they at least give out free SNES games? The best SNES games are classics but even the best NES games feel a little too dated.

So I'm on to God of War. Never played any of these games. The new one is more of an ARPG. How will it fare, I wonder?

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Iloveqwop

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@Barighm: Nintendo is in it to make money off of everything. The Snes games will come when they need a hot cash injection.

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GraphicsApathy

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@iloveqwop: So never? ;)

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Bread_or_Decide

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@iloveqwop: Everyone is in it to make money.

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Iloveqwop

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@Bread_or_Decide: Nobody resells and banks off of nostalgia like Nintendo. They withhold all this stuff to save on operating costs, then they drop it in a simple emulator wrapper and resell it for 15 bucks.

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Just1MoHr

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@iloveqwop: And then they will make you rebuy it all again when the Switch 2 is released and when will Nintendo fans get tired of being nickeled & dimed? For that reason I am out of the Nintendo world & just play with my Wii & Wii U. I have paid thousands over the years on console after console & I am just tired of being dripped!!!

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Iloveqwop

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@just1mohr: Yep. I got bit by the Wii U too, but at least the online experience and classic game support was there. Ill but another Nintendo system when they equate to the others in performance, so the games can be cross platform like it was in the 90s.

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