Rare's N64 classic Donkey Kong 64 hit Nintendo Switch Online today, giving Expansion Pack subscribers their first shot at the 1999 collect-a-thon since the Wii U Virtual Console re-release in 2015. The timing is no accident. Donkey Kong 64 lands in the middle of a full-blown DK renaissance.
Nintendo launched Donkey Kong Bananza for Switch 2 in 2025, re-released Donkey Kong Country Returns HD for Switch, and a LEGO Donkey Kong set has been teased. Adding the original 3D platformer to the Nintendo Classics library closes a loop that started 27 years ago.
Developed by Rare before Microsoft acquired the studio, Donkey Kong 64 was the company's final Donkey Kong game. It was also the only 3D platformer in the series until Bananza arrived last year. At launch in 1999, the game scored a 90 on Metacritic, though some critics called it a disappointment compared to Super Mario 64 and Donkey Kong Country. That reputation softened over time, and it's now regarded as one of the N64's best titles. The game required the N64 Expansion Pak, which doubled the console's RAM from 4MB to 8MB. Its infamous "DK Rap" opening became a permanent fixture in video game culture.
Access requires the $50-a-year Expansion Pack tier. There is no individual purchase option on the eShop, meaning subscribers can't permanently add it to their library. The game runs on both Nintendo Switch and Switch 2.
Donkey Kong 64's arrival on the service was considered unlikely for years, but Nintendo has steadily worked through Rare's N64 catalog. GoldenEye 007, Banjo-Kazooie, and Banjo-Tooie all landed on Switch Online after similar skepticism, suggesting a broader licensing agreement between Nintendo and Microsoft.
"Finally all the mainline DK games on the same console," one fan wrote in response to the announcement trailer.
