Nintendo is set to add N64’s Paper Mario to its Switch Online Expansion Pack service next week.
As shared on Twitter by Nintendo, the N64 classic will become the latest game that Switch Online subscribers holding a premium membership will be able to get their hands on. Available from December 10, Paper Mario is set to join a number of other games available to fans through the service including Super Mario 64, Star Fox 64, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, and more.
Adventure through the Mushroom Kingdom to save Princess Peach from Bowser’s clutches as a paper-thin version of Mario!
Paper Mario unfolds on #NintendoSwitch for #NintendoSwitchOnline + Expansion Pack members on 12/10! #Nintendo64 pic.twitter.com/2DIatjGtTU
— Nintendo of America (@NintendoAmerica) December 3, 2021
Paper Mario was originally released for the N64 in 2000, becoming the first in a series of Paper Mario spin-off titles to launch. Offering a different perspective to the Mario franchise through its paper-thin characters, RPG-style gameplay, and turn-based combat, the new look quickly became popular with critics and fans alike. Nintendo’s latest entry into the series, Paper Mario: The Origami King, was launched for Nintendo Switch last year.
Earlier this month Nintendo said that it would continue to improve and expand on its Switch online service. The pledge came shortly after the company launched its premium Expansion Pack membership, which experienced a turbulent start to life after receiving backlash from fans.
The service, which launched in October, grants fans access to an expanding catalog of N64 and Sega Mega Drive games as well as paid DLC (currently in the form of the Animal Crossing: New Horizons – Happy Home Paradise pack) for a premium fee.
Complaints from fans at the time were varied. However, the most common issues seemed to revolve around issues with input lag, sound delays, frame rate, and incorrect controller layouts. While Nintendo hasn’t specifically mentioned the backlash from fans as a reason for its desire to improve the service, the company will likely be hoping that the addition of further popular N64 games such as Paper Mario will help improve reaction.
Jared Moore is a freelance writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter.