 Okay, so you've got your Nintendo Switch, you've got your copy of Breath of the Wild, you've got Super Mario Odyssey, you've got Splatoon 2, you've got Super Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, you're waiting patiently for Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. You're planning to get the switches paid online service. After all, Nintendo is pulling out all the stops in trying to make this worthwhile, even and indeed especially for customers who aren't typically fans of playing games over the internet. The company is, let's face it, holding its back catalogue of NES titles ransom. If you want to play balloon fight on the Switch, you've got to sign up for the online service. There's even an exclusive peripheral, designed specifically for playing retro Nintendo games that's available only for customers who pay for the online service. And if you're anything like me, the idea of having two chunky NES controllers hanging off the side of your Switch is probably the most compelling case for the online service yet. I just want those controllers so much. This whole business model, keeping retro games exclusive to the paid online service is an interesting one. It copies the recent trend in subscription services for entertainment media that we're seeing across the board. Spotify, Netflix, Xbox and PlayStation's own game subscription services. It's a smart move for companies as it ensures a consistent stream of revenue as customers keep paying month by month. But Nintendo's likely not that concerned about this constant revenue stream. They're more worried about getting as many people signed up to the online service as possible. The retro games that function like a portable NES classic, the exclusive controllers, the fact that players can use their reward points to make the subscription service even cheaper, they are all there to serve the ultimate goal of trying to convince as many people as possible to sign up upon launch. Nintendo needs you. They're desperate for your love. Because an online service is only sustainable if enough people are turning up regularly. This is why games like Splatoon 2 have regular events. Nintendo needs you to keep coming back month after month. Because if the number of players starts to drop, the online experience suddenly becomes a lot less fun for everyone. It's also why you won't be able to get any Super Nintendo games from the online service at first. Nintendo is holding them off for a moment down the line where you might be tempted to cancel your subscription. Nintendo is desperate to court you. The company knows that if you don't sign up for the online service at launch there's a dwindling chance that you will do so later. But here's the big question. Should you really sign up for Nintendo Switch Online? First off, let me make something clear. My aim here is not to persuade you that you should not get the Nintendo Switch Online service, but rather that you should think about whether or not it's something that you actually want. Nintendo is making this service look very appealing, but in spite of this, the service is not for everyone. You might not actually get all that much out of it. Alternatively, the entire service might be perfect for you. This is certainly an offering from Nintendo that many people have been very eager to see on the Switch. But there's a benefit to holding off. So let me ask you three questions about your preferences and your interests that will help to make it clear whether or not the service in its current form is right for you. If you can answer yes to all three then you're probably going to love this service. If you are hesitant about any of these answers then be advised you might not get what you're hoping for from the Nintendo Switch Online. For the record, if the online service isn't a good fit for you then I'm right there with you. Don't worry, we can both be alone offline together, however that works. So, the first question. Do you enjoy playing games online? Notice that I didn't ask whether you like multiplayer games. The Nintendo Switch is deliberately built around multiplayer. Couch co-op is built into the device's core design, even if the couch is ultimately optional. You can play with a friend anywhere without notice. If you're as old as I am you might remember LAN parties and the joys of getting a room full of computers all set up together. Even more recently you've probably had to bring your own GameCube controller around to a friend's house in order to play a four player game. Or you've been stuck playing on a dodgy third party controller because authentic Nintendo equipment can be pricey if you need four of everything. For more musings on this particular subject feel free to check out our recent video on Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles. The Switch negates the need for all of this equipment hopping. The device comes with two controllers built into its handheld mode so that you can always play with a friend. Maybe you're like me and you feel like this kind of immediate easy controller sharing is a great strength of a Switch. Maybe you don't actually want to play Mario Kart against strangers and the idea of losing access to Splatoon 2's big events won't really bother you. Some of us prefer playing with our friends and we like doing it in the same room. That's just how things are. Alternatively maybe your friendship group is scattered around the world or maybe you actually like competing against strangers in big busy games with rivals and opponents everywhere. If so you are probably going to get a lot out of the online service. It all comes down to personal preference and speaking of personal preference here's question number two. Are you genuinely excited about playing NES games on the Switch? Again notice my phrasing here. If you're eager to play NES games there are so so many other available platforms. If you own an NES classic or you're a collector of older hardware or you've played Animal Crossing on the GameCube or you're a fan of playing ROMs on an emulator I'm hardly going to judge you for this. You've probably already played the vast majority of solid NES titles. But that doesn't mean that there isn't a reason to play them again and on the Switch. Maybe you want the games to be more portable or incorporated into your modern gaming library. My first experience of playing the original Super Mario Bros. came from borrowing a neighbour's copy of the Game Boy Color port of the game. I didn't really get it. It just seemed so small and flat and lifeless. Then I went to a friend's house and he had purchased Super Mario Bros. for the Wii. A group of us all huddled around the TV swapping the controller every time somebody died. It was so much more fun on the big screen as a social event and I finally truly understood what made the game so special. So perhaps you own the NES titles in another format but you want them on the Switch. If so that's completely justifiable. Sometimes the platform can make a game more enjoyable. And hey maybe you've never played these 30 year old games before and their inclusion in the subscription service makes them accessible to you. If that's the case, great. You are absolutely the kind of person that this offer is for and I genuinely applaud you for trying out these relics from the history of the gaming art medium. But these NES titles are not for everyone and you may have already had your fill or simply just not care about the 8-bit era. Personally I feel the 8-bit games are among the best the medium has ever produced. The hardware limitations of the time forced developers to get creative about gameplay in a way that we just don't see anymore. That said I have played enough of these titles on other consoles or handhelds that I don't really think I need to play them again on the Switch. Perhaps you're going to get something from these games being re-released as part of a subscription service. Or maybe you're like me and you're not sure how much you really need to use a Switch as a fancy NES emulator. Also if you're hoping for the eventual release of the SNES... Also if you're hoping for the eventual release of Super Nintendo or N64 games onto this service. Maybe it's better to cross that bridge when Nintendo actually comes to it? Just a thought. So the final question. And this is probably the big one, even if it is a little vague. Do you trust Nintendo? There's no denying that this company's gaming offerings are unique and generally of a very high quality. If you're one of those people who simply gets what they're looking for from Nintendo and nobody else, then you are very justified in signing up for this service on day one or even before. Nintendo makes good stuff, there's no denying that. But if you're anything like me, you might be a little wary when the company tries something new. You might have been burned by the Wii U or the 3DS. Early adoption might have turned out to be a very bad idea in hindsight, followed by a lack of long term support or near immediate price cuts. Maybe you're skeptical because Nintendo has never really shown any interest in online gaming, and has always seemed to drag their feet in offering a worthwhile experience to customers. It's taken a really long time for this paid online service to arrive, so it's clear that it's hardly at the top of Nintendo's priority list. My biggest frustration with Nintendo is that the company is always very slow to respond to customer feedback. Plenty of you disagree with me on this, as the comments in our Waluigi video make clear, and that's fair enough. I just find myself hesitating whenever Nintendo announces something new. I wonder if the company will continue to support it long term, or if the promise of future improvement will ultimately fall flat. Maybe you're not as cynical and jaded as I am. Maybe you inherently trust Nintendo to deliver what it promises, and you're eager to see what the company can do with the paid online subscription offering. If so, I really hope that you enjoy Nintendo Switch Online. I do not begrudge you for having fun. If, though, you're like me in any way, then well, quite aside from anything else, poor you. But more specifically, if you're like me in that you're wary of Nintendo, there is no harm in waiting to go online with your Switch, until you're certain that the entire experience is streamlined and worthwhile, even if you are just extremely tempted by those beautiful NES joy-cons.