Mega Drive NSO Expansion Pack
Image: Ancient / Game Arts / Shiny

Nintendo has added three more Sega Mega Drive / Genesis titles to its Nintendo Switch Online Expansion Pack.

The three games are Alisia Dragoon, Beyond Oasis (AKA The Story of Thor) and Earthworm Jim. This trio is also available for Japanese subscribers.

Released in 1992 and coded by Game Arts, Alisia Dragoon features artwork by the legendary Japanese animation studio Gainax, and is widely regarded as one of the best action platformers on Sega's 16-bit system. It wasn't a commercial success at the time of release and this has led to second-hand prices hitting silly heights (especially for the Japanese version, which has far superior cover artwork), but it has become a cult classic, and its inclusion here will make it accessible to millions more people.

Beyond Oasis is a wonderful action RPG from Ancient, the studio founded by Yuzo Koshiro. Boasting bold, colourful visuals, challenging puzzles and great combat, it's one of the stand-out releases on the Mega Drive / Genesis. A sequel followed on Saturn a few years later.

Finally, Earthworm Jim surely needs no introduction. Released towards the end of the console's lifespan, it became a critical and commercial smash, turning developer Shiny into one of the hottest studios on the planet.

Earthworm Jim isn't all that hard to find today, but Alisia Dragoon and Beyond Oasis are pretty expensive on the secondary market, so getting them on Switch is a real bonus. To play these games on your Nintendo Switch, you'll need to have a Nintendo Switch Online membership and a subscription to the higher-priced 'Expansion Pack' tier.

[source nintendolife.com]