Nintendo's Switch Emulations Of N64 Titles Get A Drubbing On Social Media

The expansion pack for Nintendo Switch online that brings several classic N64 and Sega Genesis titles to the Switch is here, but early reports and posts on social media indicate that some of the magic of the old games has been lost in emulation.

The biggest issues players have complained about on launch day are the graphical fidelity of the Switch ports, the laggy online experience, and the inability to map controller buttons. One tweet showed the water textures on the Switch port of Ocarina of Time to be noticeably worse than in previous versions of the game.

Ocarina of Time

N64 vs Wii VC vs Switch

(h/t @zfg111) pic.twitter.com/HM9renorc3

— Stop Skeletons From Fighting | ➕🔥🔥 (@stopskeletons) October 26, 2021

Another user posted a clip of Link slowly fading out of existence before the game crashed.

HAHAHAHA pic.twitter.com/S2h4C7ahtF

— MutantAura (@MutantAura) October 26, 2021

Regarding the controller issue, some users have expressed frustration with the way the N64 controls have been mapped to Switch controllers. C buttons are mapped to the right stick, Z is mapped to ZL, and A and B are matched to the Switch controller's A and B, which are in an opposite layout as the N64 controller's.

Nintendo gonna Nintendo apparently.

Not only do they not allow you to customize the controls, but they don't even maintain the same button layout ensuring some real control issues with N64 games. pic.twitter.com/cHPys0kyeY

— Spooky Sophia~ (@Shiori_Ishimaru) October 26, 2021

Con: The button mapping for N64 on Switch is so terrible that I'm still in disbelief that there's no option to remap

Pro: Star Fox 64 ages so gracefully it's ridiculous pic.twitter.com/9koZVwK7fB

— Blessing Adeoye Jr. (@BlessingJr) October 26, 2021

Other issues have been reported with the online experience, including stuttering and crashing.

#Nintendo64 #NintendoSwitchOnline #NintendoSwitch
AWESOME SINGING pic.twitter.com/jB5lpffurY

— Soupy (@SouperJ64) October 26, 2021

50 dollars for this :) #Nintendo64 #NintendoSwitchOnline #NintendoSwitch pic.twitter.com/flHFpTfQFk

— fuck it phrog phone (@kirbolotl) October 26, 2021

LMFAOOOOOOOO even N64 games got the Nintendo Online PowerPoint treatment 💀💀💀

Nothing but a quality $50 Switch Online Expansion Packpic.twitter.com/3UeoXXd5OX

— Aero (@ActualAero) October 26, 2021

switch online #Nintendo64 #NintendoSwitchOnline #NintendoSwitch pic.twitter.com/y6YAmbuyXT

— Nippo💫 (@nippo4512) October 26, 2021

Many are taking issue with the N64 expansion pack's hefty $50 price tag, plus additional fees if one wants to purchase the N64 Switch controller to avoid the mapping issue. For that much money, most gamers expect a flawless experience, which it seems the N64 ports to the Switch have had trouble providing, at least at launch.