Nintendo Switch Online Expansion Pack Is Adding a Classic…

Summary

Excitebike 64, the classic Nintendo 64 racing game, will be added to the Nintendo Switch Online Expansion Pack on August 30, 2023.
The game is the sequel to the original NES Excitebike and the first 3D installment in the Excite series, offering 17 unique tracks and six different riders to choose from.
The new trailer for Excitebike 64 captures the nostalgic feel of the Nintendo 64 era and highlights the local and online multiplayer options available for up to four players.

The classic Nintendo 64 racing game, Excitebike 64, will be coming to the Nintendo Switch Online Expansion Pack on August 30. This release date was confirmed in a recent trailer, which also gave a brief look into how it functions on Nintendo's cloud subscription service. Nintendo Switch Online Expansion Pack added two classic Pokemon N64 games earlier in August, and the service has been expanding throughout 2023. Now fans can soon play the 3D racing game, Excitebike 64, as well.

Excitebike 64 is the sequel to the original NES Excitebike game and the second installment in the overall Excite series. It is also the first 3D game in the series, where players can choose between six riders of varying attributes and have them race around 17 unique tracks. Like the original NES game, Excitebike 64 requires the player to properly adjust their racer while navigating the terrain in order to get the best results. It was a critical hit back in the day, and now newer fans can experience this game for the first time, while older fans get a chance to re-experience a classic.

In a new trailer from Nintendo, it confirms that the game will be coming to the Nintendo Switch Online Expansion Pack on August 30, 2023. This video for Excitebike 64 starts off with a very excited Motorsports announcer, who goes over the mechanics of the game in a promotion that feels ripped from the late-1990s to early-2000s. This includes some of the tracks that can be raced on, along with the variety of aerial and racing maneuvers that players can pull off on the bikes. Many fans loved the trailer that Nintendo put together for this game, some feeling nostalgic about how it replicated the tone and advertising that was prevalent during the Nintendo 64's prime.

The trailer notes that Excitebike 64's can be enjoyed either locally or in online multiplayer with the Nintendo Switch Online Expansion Pack, which supports up to four players like the original. Players are required to have the upgraded Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack membership tier in order to play the game on the service.

The Excite series of games is one of Nintendo's smaller properties, having five games in total released in its lifetime. The most recent entry in the series is the Excitebike: World Rally Wiiware title, which released back in 2009. The reception of World Rally was mixed to positive, with many calling it a simple retro-styled title that benefited from being exclusive to the Wii Shopping Channel. Nostalgic fans reminisced about Excitebike 64 itself, sharing some of their favorite memories of the racing game on social media after the trailer was dropped.