Nintendo has confirmed that Donkey Kong 64 will arrive on the Nintendo Switch Online service on June 4, according to Engadget. The 1999 Rare-developed platformer is the first Nintendo 64 game to be added to the service's Nintendo Classics library in 2026.
The N64 emulator has been available through the Nintendo Switch Online Expansion Pack tier for nearly five years. Fans have been requesting Donkey Kong 64 since shortly after the service launched. The Expansion Pack add-on costs $50 per year for an individual membership.
Donkey Kong 64 holds an unusual place in Nintendo history. Until Donkey Kong Bananza was released last year, it was the only three-dimensional Donkey Kong game ever made. Rather than following the side-scrolling style of Rare's Donkey Kong Country series, the 1999 game drops players into large 3D levels packed with collectible items, multiple playable characters, and an open-ended structure.
The game has always divided opinion. Some players embraced its wide levels and variety of playable characters. Others found the backtracking tedious and the overall structure confusing. The game also shares a great deal of DNA with Banjo-Kazooie, Rare's 1998 platformer that arrived a year earlier and is already available in the Nintendo Classics library.
Playing it in 2026 comes with some additional friction. Like many games from the early 3D era, Donkey Kong 64 has a camera that can be difficult to control and movement mechanics that feel awkward by modern standards. Still, it remains historically significant, and is the origin of Grant Kirkhope's DK Rap, which became one of gaming's most recognized and mocked musical moments.
The last N64 titles added to the service were Rayman 2: The Great Escape and Tonic Trouble, both of which arrived in December. Several major N64 titles remain absent from the library, including Diddy Kong Racing and the original Super Smash Bros.
Donkey Kong 64 will be available to all Nintendo Switch Online Expansion Pack members starting June 4.
