If you want to play Nintendo Switch games online, you need to subscribe to Nintendo Switch Online.
We weren't exactly impressed by Nintendo's online subscription service and the convoluted way it implements its features, but it's only $20 a year for online multiplayer, and it offers some nice little extras like the Nintendo Switch Online app and its modest library of classic NES games.
It also offers the "exclusive" opportunity to buy Nintendo's NES Controllers for the Switch, a $59.99 pair of wireless gamepads designed specifically to be used with NES games.
They're a very niche add-on to a still-growing service, but if you missed out on the NES Classic and really want to get your hands on a two-button rectangle for playing your 8-bit games, look no further.
Classic Design
The controllers look and feel just like the NES Classic controllers (and, of course, the original NES controllers), with the exception of the Switch accessory rail on the top.
Otherwise, these are the same rectangular gray-and-black gamepads that have been loved for over 30 years, with the large plus-shaped direction pad, round A and B buttons, and small rubber Start and Select buttons.
The only other design element marring the pristine gray rectangles is a small indentation on the back edge of each controller for the mechanical release button of the rail.
Since the NES controllers never had shoulder buttons, the rail on the top and indentation on the back are fairly unobtrusive; you won't rest your index fingers on the top like you would with the SNES controller or any gamepad that came later.
The rail holds L and R buttons, just like the Switch Joy-Cons.
They won't be used with any of the NES games, but they still serve an important purpose.
Since the NES controllers don't have Capture or Home buttons, the L and R buttons hidden on the rail respectively serve those functions.
Pressing them together also brings up the suspend menu in whatever NES game you're playing, letting you save your state or go to the game selection menu.
Connecting the controllers to your Switch is a matter of physically sliding them into place on the Joy-Con accessory rails.
Once they're in and registered by the Switch, they'll automatically connect wirelessly whenever you press a button while the Switch is turned on.
With two connected, the four indicator lights on the rail will show which controller is Player 1 (one light) and which is Player 2 (two lights).
A small sync button rests recessed on the accessory rail, but this should be seen only as a backup, and you probably won't need to touch it at all.
Sliding the controllers onto the Switch is also how you keep their batteries charged.
Nintendo doesn't state a specific battery life for the gamepads, but considering their simple design and lack of rumble functionality and motion sensors, you can expect some pretty long play sessions between charges.
NES Games Only
The controllers are designed only for use with the Nintendo Switch Online app, ideally with one player holding one controller horizontally like an NES Classic or original NES controller.
Since the gamepads are so simple and lack even analog sticks, they can't provide the full range of controllers offered by Joy-Cons.
However, you can use them connected to the sides of your Switch in handheld mode, if you so choose.
With the two NES controllers attached to the Switch, the left controller's direction pad and right controller's A and B buttons function like game controls, while the left controller's A and B buttons let you capture screenshots and bring up the suspend menu, and the right controller's direction pad brings up the home menu.
Don't expect to find these instructions anywhere in the box, though; we had to look up these configurations on Nintendo's support site.
It's a nice alternative to the typical way of using the controllers, but with the A and B buttons aligned vertically instead of horizontally, they feel very strange to use.
The NES controllers work exactly as intended.
I played through the first few worlds of Super Mario Bros.
3 with one of the gamepads and it felt just like when I was sitting in front of my parents' tube TV on Saturday morning when I was a kid.
The direction pad and buttons feel responsive and firm, admirably mimicking the original NES and NES Classic gamepads.
Two-player gameplay also works easily, both when alternating between Mario and Luigi on the two controllers in Mario 3 and simultaneously when playing Dr.
Mario.
The only slight annoyance is pausing the game when in two-player mode; only the first player can pause or access the suspend menu.
If you're playing as Luigi or the second player in Dr.
Mario, you can't pause the game yourself.
Pressing the L and R buttons at the same time jumps to the home screen rather than the suspend menu, as well.
It's a nuisance that potentially lets the first player troll the other by pausing at inopportune times, but it doesn't directly affect gameplay.
While the controllers aren't recommended for any games other than the ones in Nintendo Switch Online, they can at least potentially work with other games that only need the direction pad and two face buttons.
After some wrestling with button mapping, I managed to play Mega Man 2 on the Mega Man Legacy Collection on the Switch with the NES controller.
Don't expect this to work with many other games, though; if you need more than two buttons to play, or if you can't remap controls, don't bother.
A Niche Nintendo Novelty
The NES Controllers for Nintendo Switch are a fun novelty for die-hard fans of the original NES, but that's ultimately all they can be.
They lack the necessary controls to work consistently with any game that wasn't originally on the Nintendo Entertainment System, so your options with them on the Switch are pretty limited.
That doesn't really justify their steep price of $60 a pair, when fully functional Joy-Con sets are available for $80 (and the NES Classic itself is only $60 retail).
If you're really committed to the two-button rectangle, Nintendo's gamepad two-pack has a certain appeal.
If you want to play more than a handful of 8-bit games, though, there are much better options that still feel retro.
8Bitdo offers the SNES-styled SN30 Pro, a $45 controller that mimics the SNES dog bone design while adding dual analog sticks, a second set of triggers, vibration, and motion controls.
The non-stick-equipped SN30 can be found for $30, sacrificing the more complete control scheme for a price tag identical to the NES controllers (make sure you get the regular, Bluetooth SN30 and not the SN30 2.4G, which is designed specifically for use with the SNES Classic Edition).
The 8Bitdo gamepads have the additional benefit of working with PCs, Macs, and Android devices over Bluetooth, as well.
