Nintendo is rolling out a new idea to help make their Nintendo Switch Online service more appealing. Starting on August 7th, any current subscribers to NSO will be able to play Mario Tennis Aces for free, using Nintendo's newly introduced Game Trials. You'll be able to play as much of the game as you want until August 13th, in which the trial will end, and afterward, Nintendo will hold a 33% off sale for those interested in buying the game, following the week-long demo. Any progress you make in the Game Trial version of the game will be carried over to the full product, should you choose to purchase it. Currently, this deal has only been announced for the EU/UK, while Japan will be offering Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker as their first Game Trial title. There's no word on if this will be coming to North America yet.

Edit: North America will be getting this too.

Source

 

[Deleted User]

About time. Nintendo is finally taking lessons on how to make an online subscription actually good. Even if they are babysteps.

 

[Youkai]

Sadly this game is not even half as good as the GBA one

 

[Chary]

It's no PS+/XBL Gold/Humble Bundle...but, it's certainly better than a handful of D-list NES games.

 

[SkittleDash]

Nice! I haven't connected to their servers in a long time though. Don't even know if I'm banned or not. lol

 

[aarti]

Guess who's on vacations on this week.

 

[x65943]

I think it's short sighted to require an online subscription to demo a game

Yes it's the full game, not a traditional demo

But ultimately if the whole point is to get people to buy it - a bigger audience is a better idea

 

[IncredulousP]

It's no PS+/XBL Gold/Humble Bundle...but, it's certainly better than a handful of D-list NES games.

Super Mario Bros. 3 is not D-list. Unless you mean "it's so good, it's the dick", to which I agree.

 

[Chary]

Super Mario Bros. 3 is not D-list. Unless you mean "it's so good, it's the dick", to which I agree.

I mean currently. Of course some NES games are true classics, but every recent month has been bottom of the barrel NES games.

Donkey Kong 3? Volleyball? Star Soldier? Ever since Feb. of this year, they've reached the end of the line when it comes to standout old-school Nintendo games. That's not to say that some of the newer offerings aren't good, but...

An extremely short demo window for a new Switch game seems far more appealing than the addition of Volleyball, for the NES. Nintendo needed to do something to make their service more than just dusty NES games and jank online, because they apparently refuse to move on to the SNES despite it being a smart choice.

 

[duwen]

Certainly a step in the right direction for Ninty's online program, but how succesful it is in terms of luring in new subscribers will hinge on whatever future titles they provide as 'demos' being made available. If it's a succession of first party and triple A third party offerings it should do well.

 

[IncredulousP]

I mean currently. Of course some NES games are true classics, but every recent month has been bottom of the barrel NES games.

Donkey Kong 3? Volleyball? Star Soldier? Ever since Feb. of this year, they've reached the end of the line when it comes to standout old-school Nintendo games. That's not to say that some of the newer offerings aren't good, but...

An extremely short demo window for a new Switch game seems far more appealing than the addition of Volleyball, for the NES. Nintendo needed to do something to make their service more than just dusty NES games and jank online, because they apparently refuse to move on to the SNES despite it being a smart choice.

I agree. Except I think the volleyball game is a classic as well.
But yes, they should release old titles up to and including n64, in my opinion.

 

[duwen]

I agree. Except I think the volleyball game is a classic as well.

Personally, I'd play Star Soldier over 98% of the NES titles they've released so far.

 

[DSoryu]

I think it's short sighted to require an online subscription to demo a game

Yes it's the full game, not a traditional demo

But ultimately if the whole point is to get people to buy it - a bigger audience is a better idea

If they want to make a difference for the online subscribers and appeal to a wider public, they should go for the demo system they had on the Nintendo 3DS, with the no-subscribers having a limited uses for the demo and maybe not the full game.

Regarding the whole topic, I maintain my words that I only use my yearly subscription for Smash, Splatoon and Mario Kart (being Smash the worst experience), otherwise I would not have bought anything, at this point this "service" has the lowest appeal compared to other similar services from the competence.

 

[x65943]

I agree. Except I think the volleyball game is a classic as well.
But yes, they should release old titles up to and including n64, in my opinion.

I'd rather have an N64 classic, hopefully with some ninty made controllers with better sticks

 

[kumikochan]

How is this new when they already did this on the 3ds ? Wondering what Nintendo is smoking calling this new when they have been doing trials for quite some years now

 

[Scarlet]

Damn, Japan were getting Captain Toad. Was hoping we'd see the same! A week is definitely long enough to beat the adventure mode, so it's definitely worth trying if you haven't already.

Just a shame this one's already sat on my Switch lol

 

[Glyptofane]

Sadly this game is not even half as good as the GBA one

It's okay, but just okay and probably the best one since GBA, but that one is legendary.

 

[Scarlet]

It's okay, but just okay and probably the best one since GBA, but that one is legendary.

This one has far better tennis than any other game in the series. The gameplay is absolutely on point, but the GBA version's adventure mode was just so fun. I don't understand why they don't go back to something like that, though the adventure mode on offer here is a step in the right direction.

 

[Tom Bombadildo]

That's nice I guess, but I'd much rather they give out better games to keep. NES games are cute and all, but it's time to start pulling in games from the substantially better SNES library, Nintendo, which is what you should've done in the first place.

 

[lordelan]

To make it [Nintendo Online] more appealing, just f*cking rework your netcode.