Nintendo fans are already on high alert for a Nintendo Direct in September. The last major and proper Direct was back in June, and typically, we do get a September Direct, even without all the rumors pointing toward one being imminent. It would be nice to hear when some of these major releases are actually going to come out.
In a classic Direct we get a big look at what’s to come for the console, rather than a singular focus like Tomodachi Life, Star Fox, Splatoon Raiders, or Fire Emblem, all of which were hosted earlier this year.
Now that Nintendo has confirmed the news on X, we know that three games are coming to the service before that potential Direct.
Nintendo just dropped three games free for Switch Online members, and this time, they’re all NES classics. Here are all the games you can grab now on Nintendo Switch, through the Nintendo Classics line:
- Ninja Gaiden 3: The Ancient Ship of Doom
- Ikari Warriors
- R.C. Pro-Am 2
Ninja Gaiden 3: The Ancient Ship of Doom released in 1991 on the NES, and is part of the Ninja Gaiden Trilogy project on the SNES, immortalizing the original three games that started the franchise. Strangely, Ninja Gaiden 3 takes place between 1 and 2, and involves a plot where hero ninja Ryu Hayabusa is framed for murder. It had the wildest plot yet that involved interdimensional travel, but it managed to ensnare fans all the same, just as the two games before it. The entire trilogy cemented that Ninja Gaiden was here to stay.
Ikari Warriors is another interesting release, and originally came out in arcades in 1986 before being ported to the NES later that year. Ikari Warriors has a massive reputation among old-school shooter enthusiasts, and is found in some SNK compilations. You’ll play as a pair of commandos aiming to take down enemies with a variety of firepower options, including vehicles. It’s the perfect kind of arcade experience that’s built for Nintendo Classics.
Finally, we have R.C. Pro-Am 2, which had a lot of play in 1992 when it was released on the NES. Further expanding the original game, R.C. Pro-Am 2 was a highlight in magazines of that era, and arcade racer fans flocked to it at the time, especially when it came to multiplayer. Since it was developed by Rare, it’s made it into at least one compilation project: Rare Replay on the Xbox One. Now, it’s on Switch.
You can grab all three of these games now on the Nintendo Switch family of consoles, since all Switch Online levels support the NES platform.
9/10
- Brand
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Nintendo
- Original Release Date
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June 5, 2025
- Original MSRP (USD)
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$449.99
- Operating System
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Proprietary
