Why the Loss of Nintendo Switch Online’s First Retro Game Highlights the Need for a Revived Virtual Console

Nintendo is making history. For the first time, it’s removing a retro game from the Nintendo Switch Online service. This change will take place next month.

Since its launch in 2018, the Nintendo Switch Online service has built a nice library of classic games. Subscribers have enjoyed a mix of retro titles. However, gamers in Japan will soon lose a game that many enjoyed, Super Formation Soccer.

On February 27, Nintendo quietly announced that this classic will leave the service on March 28. Even if players have already downloaded it, they won’t be able to play it anymore.

Interestingly, this change seems limited to Japan. In the U.S., the game released as Super Soccer for the SNES. Currently, there’s no word on removing it from the North American service. It looks like a licensing deal for the game is ending in Japan, but it still holds for the U.S. version published by Nintendo.

While not a blockbuster title, it’s concerning to see any game pulled from the lineup. Unlike other platforms, once a game is removed from Nintendo’s service, subscribers lose access completely.

This situation underlines the need for Nintendo to consider a Virtual Console option in the future. It could give players more flexibility to buy and keep classic games, rather than relying solely on subscriptions.

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