I have, up to this point, been mostly dismissive of Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pass. It's got some neat things, but there was very little in there that actually caught my interest, especially at the price it's offered. That said, it looks like Nintendo finally got the one that will crack my wallet and get my interest. They added Shining Force 2 to Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pass, one of my top 10 all-time favorite games.
3 classic SEGA Genesis games have just been made available for #NintendoSwitchOnline + Expansion Pack members!
— Nintendo of America (@NintendoAmerica) April 22, 2022
- Space Harrier II
- Shining Force II
- Sonic The Hedgehog Spinball pic.twitter.com/uhD21PEChk
For those who don't know, Shining Force 2 is a gem of the Sega Genesis era. It's a fantasy-fiction turn-based strategy RPG. If you're thinking, "like Fire Emblem?" you're not far off. It was kind of Sega's answer to Fire Emblem. I loved the first game because not only does it feature a cool cast of varied characters each featuring their own narrative, but it also features a lot of classes which which to vary up your army composition. It captured my heart in terms of a game that unlocked my imagination, but also pushed me to think and strategize as to how to beat the game's various battles.
Shining Force 2 is a big fat excellent improvement upon everything in the original Shining Force. It features a whole new cast, new spells, classes, monsters, and the like, plus it has perhaps one of my favorite retro gaming soundtracks of all time. Between battle and the stories that play out inbetween, it's just plain excellent.
With that in mind, I would be remiss if I didn't call this game in particular out when it comes to the Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pass. There's been a lot of interesting stuff, including the Mario Kart 8 Deluxe expansion, N64 games like Star Fox 64, and other cool things. I continue to hope the Expansion Pass grows with further cool content to make the subscription price worth my while, but for now, this? Shining Force 2? That's a heck of an add-on and I just might have to stop sitting on the fence about it.
What do you think? Has anything particularly caught your eye since the Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pass launched? Is there anything like Shining Force 2 is for me where if they added it, it would get your money? Let me know in the comments! In the meantime, I need to go back and have another looksy at squad comps and character tier lists for battle in Shining Force 2!
