Donkey Kong 64 is finally coming to Nintendo Switch Online next week - Engadget

Nintendo announced that Donkey Kong 64 will be added to the Nintendo Classics library on June 4. The N64 emulator for Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack was introduced nearly five years ago, and fans have requested the 1999 Rare collectathon platformer since then. Donkey Kong 64 was the tie-wearing gorilla’s only 3D outing before last year’s Donkey Kong Bananza. The game features large 3D levels filled with collectibles and multiple playable characters, with an open-ended structure. Some players liked the approach, while others disliked backtracking and confusing level design. A wonky camera and awkward controls may make it harder to play in 2026, but it remains notable for its music, including the origin of “DK Rap.” It is the first N64 game added to Nintendo Switch Online in 2026, following Rayman 2 and Tonic Trouble.

"Nintendo has announced that cult favorite N64 platformer Donkey Kong 64 is finally joining its Nintendo Classics library on June 4. The N64 emulator was first introduced to the Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack membership tier nearly five years ago, and Nintendo fans have been asking for Rare's 1999 collectathon platformer ever since."

"Prior to last year's superb Donkey Kong Bananza, Donkey Kong 64 was the tie-wearing gorilla's one and only 3D outing, and remains an important part of Nintendo's history, even if the game itself has always been pretty divisive. Unlike the British developer's far more universally beloved side-scrolling Donkey Kong Country games, Rare's Donkey Kong 64 sees DK exploring large 3D levels that are absolutely stuffed to the brim with collectible items."

"Some people loved the more open-ended approach and multiple playable characters, but those hoping for a Donkey Kong-flavored Super Mario 64 bemoaned the back-tracking and confusing structure of the game. Rare's previous platformer, Banjo Kazooie, which came out a year earlier in 1998, is also in the Nintendo Classics library, and the two are very much in the same mold."

"Like many games of the early 3D era, a wonky camera and awkward controls can also make Donkey Kong 64 a bit of a tough hang in 2026, but if you love Donkey Kong (and who doesn't?) and have ever wondered where Grant Kirkhope's infamous 'DK Rap' came from, you owe it to yourself to at least give it a try next week."

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