By Chris Skeldon 
Nintendo Switch Online, which will soon have an expansion with games from the Nintendo 64 era and Mega Drive, has a private library of classic NES (Nintendo Entertainment System) and SNES games for its subscribers. Although the service doesn’t have an area lock, some addresses only debut on the other side of the world for Japanese accounts – with the language fully localized into Japanese, of course, making access difficult for the rest of the world’s audience.
Check out some classic games exclusive to the Japanese Nintendo Switch Online:
Shin Megami Tensei (SNES)
A re-release of the popular Demons saga was released in 1992 for the Super Nintendo, resulting in post-apocalyptic Tokyo and a computer program that can talk to demons. The game is a classic nowadays and only appeared on Switch as well as Japan.
Shin Megami Tensei II (SNES)
The sequel to SMT 1 is also on Nintendo’s Japan service. Released in 1994, the game is still similar to the first in its gameplay, and this time it takes place decades later in the millennial city of Tokyo. The gameplay features the classic elements of the current games, such as the recruitment of demons and the option to combine them into stronger fighters. History has a strong influence on the decisions a player makes, altering the moral alignment of each choice along the journey.
Shin Megami Tensei If… (SNES)
This is the title that will start the series we know today as Persona. As its name suggests, SMT If I imagined a scenario where Shin Megami’s first events would not have happened. By bringing in items already created from the franchise, the story follows the Karukozaka School in the demon world, after an attempt to summon it fails.
Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon and Blade of Light (NES)
The first entry in the Fire Emblem saga retained a Japanese exclusivity for 30 years until it was sold out in the English-language eShop between December 2020 and March 2021. Today, the game remains free and exclusive to the Japanese Nintendo Switch Online services. The first game in this amazing franchise follows Prince Mareth on his journey to regain the throne of his kingdom after exile. The game has many playable characters, each with its own gameplay, as well as 25 chapters of this fantasy classic.
Fire Emblem: The Secret of the Emblem (SNES)
The third game in the series, being the first to reach Super Nintendo, was released in 1994 and it offers a remake of the first title, as well as a continuation of the story that follows Marth and his old friend’s confrontation, now in the re-established universe of Archanea.
Fire Emblem: A Genealogy of the Holy War (SNES)
The fourth title in the Fire Emblem franchise was released in 1996 featuring a new story, this time set on the continent of Jugdral, after two different generations: one with Prince Sigurd, and the second with his son Seliph. The gameplay follows its predecessors with some additions that enhance the existing gameplay.
Famicom Wars (Famicom/NES)
A quirky game that did not appeal to Western audiences, mainly due to the lack of a port and release outside Japan. It is part of the Nintendo Wars series, which still has a huge fan following in the Land of the Rising Sun. Perhaps with the release of Advance Wars 1 + 2 remake, which will soon arrive on Switch, the series will gain more recognition outside of the East.
Review: Davey Souza