Nintendo Classics
Wikimedia list article

Nintendo Classics is a line of emulated retro games distributed by Nintendo for the Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2. Subscribers to the Nintendo Switch Online service have access to dedicated apps containing each console's library, with subscribers to the more expensive subscription tier, titled "Expansion Pack", having access to more consoles. Games are accessible as long as the user has an active subscription, although users must connect to the internet at least once a week to access the apps whilst offline. The library was launched alongside the Nintendo Switch Online service in 2018 with 20 Nintendo Entertainment System games, and has expanded to include games from several other consoles, with new games being added on an irregular basis. The library features numerous games that were not available on the Virtual Console service of Nintendo's previous systems, with some games receiving their first international release through Nintendo Classics.
Features
Each Nintendo Classics console emulator is accessed from a dedicated app, with players able to select a game to play from a provided list. The emulators support control remapping and save states, with most consoles also allowing players to rewind gameplay. The Nintendo Classics emulators include online multiplayer support, allowing players to play local multiplayer games remotely with friends. Some NES and SNES games also have an alternative version labeled "SP" ("Extra" in some regions) which alters the game in some way, typically unlocking additional modes, starting the player with additional items or levels, or starting the player midway through the game.
Subscribers can purchase wireless controllers based on those of the represented systems through Nintendo's online store.
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This entry incorporates text from “Nintendo Classics” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.