Games Added to Nintendo Switch Online: September 2026
Nintendo dropped three NES classics into Nintendo Switch Online in September 2026, and all of them play on the base membership. The headliner is Ninja Gaiden III: The Ancient Ship of Doom, the third and final chapter of the original NES Ninja Gaiden trilogy.
Everything went live on September 2, 2026. No Expansion Pack required. Here's the full list.
New Additions by Library
NES Library (base Nintendo Switch Online membership)
All three titles are available on any Nintendo Switch Online membership. No Expansion Pack needed.
| Game | Available |
|---|---|
| Ninja Gaiden III: The Ancient Ship of Doom | September 2, 2026 |
| R.C. Pro-Am II | September 2, 2026 |
| Ikari Warriors | September 2, 2026 |
No SNES, N64, Game Boy, Game Boy Advance, or Sega Genesis games were added this month. The September 2026 update was NES-only, and the Expansion Pack tier received nothing new.
Highlights
Ninja Gaiden III: The Ancient Ship of Doom is the one to grab first. It's the closing chapter of Ryu Hayabusa's original NES trilogy, packing the same fast side-scrolling katana-and-ninjutsu action the series is known for, plus the "Tecmo Theater" cutscenes that made these games feel cinematic on 8-bit hardware. Fair warning: the North American NES version was made deliberately harder than the Japanese original by doubling the damage Ryu takes from every hit. This one earns its reputation.
R.C. Pro-Am II is a 1992 overhead racer from Rare, one of the studio's final NES projects before it moved on to bigger things. It bumps the original up to 24 tracks, adds up to two-player simultaneous racing, and lets you spend your winnings on vehicle upgrades. There are bonus challenge rounds for grabbing extra cash and championship points, too.
Ikari Warriors rounds out the trio. SNK's 1986 overhead run-and-gun actually predates Contra, sending soldiers Paul and Vince into an enemy base with limited ammo, resupply drops, power-ups, and drivable tanks and helicopters. It's a piece of shooter history worth revisiting.
The takeaway for subscribers: all three cost you nothing beyond a base membership. If you're paying for Nintendo Switch Online, these are already yours to play.
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Last updated: September 24, 2026. Sources linked below.