Nintendo Unleashes Free Access To Dozens Of Games, But You Don't Have Long

Nintendo Switch and Switch 2 have offered up a variety of games at no additional cost thanks to its Nintendo Switch Online service. With a membership, you get access to a bunch of classic games spanning the NES to GameCube eras. Now, Nintendo is offering up dozens of games for free — but for a limited-time only.

Over on the official Nintendo website, the company lists the various membership options for Nintendo Switch Online. Typically, an NSO subscription will cost you $19.99 for the year, or $49.99 for a Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack individual membership. But right now, you can get a 7-day trial for free.

Nintendo Switch Online Has A Free Trial Now

Right now, the free trial is for a standard NSO subscription (so... no Expansion Pack, sadly). Once you sign up, you'll have access to all the games from various Classics catalogs. However, you'll need to upgrade to the Expansion Pack to access some of them. The trial is good for 7 days, but you'll be billed after that, so remember to cancel if you don't want to pay.

Otherwise, once the free trial ends, you'll be charged $3.99 (the monthly rate for an individual) every 30 days. You can turn off automatic renewal in Account Information in the Nintendo eShop if you want to avoid this, though. In order to start the trial, you'll have to link a credit card or PayPal first.

Includes Limited-Time Access To Some All-Time Classics

Since the free trial doesn't include the Expansion Pack, you'll miss out on games from Game Boy Advance, N64, and GameCube. But you can still access games from the NES, SNES, and Game Boy Color. That means you can check out the classic Super Mario Bros. that started it all, or play through the original Legend of Zelda ahead of the series' 40th Anniversary this year.

The original Mario Kart, outstanding Super Mario Bros. 3, and trilogy of Donkey Kong Country games are all available as well. In other words, plenty to keep you busy during that 7-day trial. And the ability to play these games with features like rewind and saving at any time are great if you don't have time for a challenge or get frustrated by some dated mechanics.

Overall, the 7-day trial for Nintendo Switch Online is pretty solid. You get access to online features, which is good, but the real deal is with access to these classic games. So, if you want to check out NSO, sign up for the free trial and see everything the service has to offer. Just be warned — you might get hooked.