Nintendo Switch Online’s retro game collection is losing its first game – in Japan at least.
Today, Nintendo announced via a post on social media that 1991 SNES football game Super Soccer will be pulled from the Japanese Nintendo Switch Online catalogue in a month’s time, on 28th March. No reason was given for the removal.
For now, Nintendo is yet to say whether Super Soccer will also similarly disappear from other versions of the Nintendo Switch Online catalogue elsewhere in the world. Eurogamer has contacted Nintendo for comment.
Is Super Soccer being removed due to a rights issue – as is so often the case with other digital subscription services elsewhere? Will this become more common, as the Nintendo Switch Online catalogue ages? Is this anything to do with Switch 2?
Whatever the reason, it’s frustrating to see, yet again, another digital games library meant to preserve access to older games being subject to removals such as this. (It was also not an issue on previous Nintendo consoles, where retro games were sold rather than placed behind a subscription.)
We’ll update if we hear more from Nintendo on why Super Soccer has been removed.
Earlier this month, Nintendo added its first Game Boy Advance title to its subscription service for more than four months. Wario Land 4 arrived on Valentine’s Day, and makes up one of the dozens of games available in the full Nintendo Switch Online catalogue.
