Skip to main content
Join The Community
- Join our community
11
Premium Benefits
24/7
Access Available
21K+
Active Members
Commenting
Join the discussion
Exclusive Articles Coming Soon
Member-only articles
Weekly Newsletters
Weekly gaming & entertainment news
Member Badges
Earn badges as you go
Exclusive Competitions
Members-only prize draws
Curated Deals Coming Soon
Tech and gaming deals worth grabbing
GET COMMUNITY ACCESS QUICK
For the quickest way to join, simply enter your email below and get access. We will send a confirmation and sign you up to our newsletter to keep you updated on all your gaming news.
By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.
FIND OUT ABOUT OUR MAGAZINE
Want to subscribe to the magazine? Click the button below to find out more information.
Find out more
GET Community ACCESS QUICK

Join the GamesRadar community for quick access. Enter your email below and we'll send confirmation, and sign you up to our newsletter.

By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

Background
Welcome to GamesRADAR+ Community !
Hi ,

Your membership journey starts here.

Keep exploring and earning more as a member.

MY ACCOUNT

Badge picture
Earn your first badge
Read 1 article to unlock your first badge.
Keep earning badges
Explore ways to get more involved as a member.
Latest Games News

Latest Games News

Breaking gaming news and updates

Read Now
Latest Games Reviews

Latest Games Reviews

Expert verdicts on the newest releases

Read Now

See what you’ve unlocked.

Explore your membership benefits.

Explore
Member Exclusives

Stay Ahead with GamesRadar+

Get the biggest gaming news, reviews, and releases straight to your inbox.

Explore

Sign Out
GamesRadar+ GamesRadar+
US EditionUS CA EditionCanada UK EditionUK AU EditionAustralia
Sign in
  • View Profile
  • Sign out
  • Games
    • Game Insights
      • Games News
      • Games Features
      • Games Reviews
      • Games Guides
      • Big in 2026
      • The Big Preview
      • On The Radar
      • Indie Spotlight
      • Future Games Show
      • Golden Joystick Awards
    • Genres
      • Action Games
      • RPGs
      • Action RPGs
      • Adventure Games
      • Third Person Shooters
      • FPS Games
    • Platforms
      • PS5
      • Xbox Series X
      • PC
      • Nintendo Switch
      • Nintendo Switch 2
      • Tabletop Gaming
    • Franchises
      • Grand Theft Auto
      • Pokemon
      • Assassin's Creed
      • Monster Hunter
      • Fortnite
      • Cyberpunk
      • Red Dead
      • The Elder Scrolls
      • The Sims
  • Entertainment
    • TV Shows
      • TV News
      • TV Reviews
      • Anime Shows
      • Sci-Fi Shows
      • Superhero Shows
      • Animated Shows
      • Marvel TV Shows
      • Star Wars TV Shows
      • DC TV Shows
    • Movies
      • Movie News
      • Movie Reviews
      • Big Screen Spotlight
      • Superhero Movies
      • Action Movies
      • Anime Movies
      • Sci-Fi Movies
      • Horror Movies
      • Marvel Movies
      • DC Movies
    • Streaming
      • Apple TV Plus
      • Disney Plus
      • Netflix
      • HBO
      • Amazon Prime Video
      • Hulu
    • Comics
      • Marvel Comics
      • DC Comics
    • Toys & Collectibles
    • Lego
    • Dungeons and Dragons
    • Merch
  • Hardware
    • Insights
      • Hardware News
      • Hardware Reviews
      • Hardware Features
    • Computing
      • Desktop PCs
      • Laptops
      • Handhelds
    • Peripherals
      • Headsets & Headphones
      • TVs & Monitors
      • Gaming Mice
      • Gaming Keyboards
      • Gaming Chairs
      • Speakers & Audio
    • Accessories & Tech
      • Gaming Controllers
      • Tech
      • SSDs & Hard Drives
      • VR
      • Accessories
      • Retro
  • Deals
    • Game Deals
    • Tech Deals
    • TV Deals
    • Buying Guides
  • Video
    • Video
    • GR+ Replay - Submit Your Clips
  • Newsletters
    • Quizzes
    • About Us
    • How to pitch to us
    • How we score
    • Newsarama
    • Retro Gamer
    • Total Film
  • home
  • Games
    • View Games
      • Games News
      • Games Features
      • Games Reviews
      • Games Guides
      • Big in 2026
      • The Big Preview
      • On The Radar
      • Indie Spotlight
      • Future Games Show
      • Golden Joystick Awards
      • Action Games
      • RPGs
      • Action RPGs
      • Adventure Games
      • Third Person Shooters
      • FPS Games
    • Platforms
      • View Platforms
      • PS5
      • Xbox Series X
      • PC
      • Nintendo Switch
      • Nintendo Switch 2
      • Tabletop Gaming
      • Grand Theft Auto
      • Pokemon
      • Assassin's Creed
      • Monster Hunter
      • Fortnite
      • Cyberpunk
      • Red Dead
      • The Elder Scrolls
      • The Sims
  • Entertainment
    • View Entertainment
    • TV Shows
      • View TV Shows
      • TV News
      • TV Reviews
      • Anime Shows
      • Sci-Fi Shows
      • Superhero Shows
      • Animated Shows
      • Marvel TV Shows
      • Star Wars TV Shows
      • DC TV Shows
    • Movies
      • View Movies
      • Movie News
      • Movie Reviews
      • Big Screen Spotlight
      • Superhero Movies
      • Action Movies
      • Anime Movies
      • Sci-Fi Movies
      • Horror Movies
      • Marvel Movies
      • DC Movies
    • Streaming
      • View Streaming
      • Apple TV Plus
      • Disney Plus
      • Netflix
      • HBO
      • Amazon Prime Video
      • Hulu
    • Comics
      • View Comics
      • Marvel Comics
      • DC Comics
    • Toys & Collectibles
    • Lego
    • Dungeons and Dragons
    • Merch
  • Hardware
    • View Hardware
      • Hardware News
      • Hardware Reviews
      • Hardware Features
      • Desktop PCs
      • Laptops
      • Handhelds
    • Peripherals
      • View Peripherals
      • Headsets & Headphones
      • TVs & Monitors
      • Gaming Mice
      • Gaming Keyboards
      • Gaming Chairs
      • Speakers & Audio
      • Gaming Controllers
      • Tech
      • SSDs & Hard Drives
      • VR
      • Accessories
      • Retro
  • Deals
    • View Deals
    • Game Deals
    • Tech Deals
    • TV Deals
    • Buying Guides
  • Video
    • View Video
    • Video
    • GR+ Replay - Submit Your Clips
  • Newsletters
    • Quizzes
    • About Us
    • How to pitch to us
    • How we score
    • Newsarama
    • Retro Gamer
    • Total Film
Trending
  • Crimson Desert
  • Pokopia
  • Arc Raiders
  • The Boys S5
  • Starfield
  • Submit your clips. Win prizes
Don't miss these
Nintendo Switch 2 console, games, and accessories on a blue background with big savings badge
Nintendo Switch 2 Amazon Big Spring Sale Nintendo Switch 2 deals live: all the biggest savings across games and accessories
Mario faces the camera with a thumbs up pose in Super Smash Bros. Ulimate.
Games Nintendo says "the cost of physical games is not going up" in the US, digital Switch 2 games are getting cheaper
Hands holding 8Bitdo N64 controller in front of Nintendo Switch 2 with Zelda Ocarina of Time gameplay on screen.
Retro The gray 8Bitdo N64 controller is a thing of beauty, but if you don't share my dorky passion for retro colors, you'll want to grab the cheaper white version
Nintendo Switch 2 playing Donkey Kong Bananza with Pro Controller to the left
Gaming Controllers The best Nintendo Switch 2 controller 2026: Compatible gamepads road tested with Ninty's new handheld
Switch 2 launch games: a close-up of Mario and Luigi racing each other during Mario Kart World.
Racing Games The real-life F1 car's new boosting feature is "like the mushroom in Mario Kart," drivers say
Nintendo Switch Pro Controller
Gaming Controllers The best Nintendo Switch controllers in 2026
Four pictures of games from our selection of the best Switch 2 games list, showing Donkey Kong, Cloud from Final Fantasy, Mario and Luigi, and three starter Pokemon.
Games The 20 best Switch 2 games to play in 2026
Hand holding gray 8Bitdo N64 controller in front of original console connected to Sony PVM CRT with Banjo Kazooie intro on screen.
Retro 8Bitdo's gray N64 controller pays a perfect tribute to Ninty's colorful '90s gamepad, but I really wish it came with a dongle
Bee Wario pops a trick off Crown City Bridge in Mario Kart World
Super Mario Mario Kart World suddenly gets a new game mode after Nintendo ruined its own surprise, alongside a buff for blue shells
Super Smash Bros Ultimate
Puzzle Games Best local multiplayer Switch games to play in 2026
N64
Games The 25 best N64 games of all time
Image of the Nintendo Switch OLED on a table with a headset and gaming earbuds siting around it, taken by writer Rosalie Newcombe.
Nintendo Switch The best Nintendo Switch accessories 2026: all the top gadgets for your consoles
Character art from F-Zero GX
Games Nintendo has finally fixed the Switch 2 GameCube emulator's terrible analog stick mapping
Spike closely staring at the camera in a Mario Kart World screenshot.
Super Mario Mario Kart World's Bullet Bill power-ups "actually work like they're supposed to" now, players say
Original GameCube with Blueretro Wireless Adapter in port next to Sony PVM CRT with hand holding Switch 2 GameCube controller in front.
Retro I've finally found a way to use the Switch 2 GameCube controller with an actual GameCube
  1. Games
  2. Racing

Nintendo Switch Online's Mario Kart 64 still wants you to insert a Controller Pak

News
By Connor Sheridan published 26 October 2021

The first set of N64 games has some issues

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

Nintendo Switch Online Plus Expansion Pack
(Image credit: Nintendo)
  • Facebook
  • X
  • Pinterest
  • Flipboard
  • Email
Share this article
Join the conversation
Follow us
Add us as a preferred source on Google
Sign up to the GamesRadar+ Newsletter

Weekly digests, tales from the communities you love, and more


By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

You are now subscribed

Your newsletter sign-up was successful


Want to add more newsletters?

GamesRadar+

Every Friday

GamesRadar+

Your weekly update on everything you could ever want to know about the games you already love, games we know you're going to love in the near future, and tales from the communities that surround them.

GTA 6 O'clock

Every Thursday

GTA 6 O'clock

Our special GTA 6 newsletter, with breaking news, insider info, and rumor analysis from the award-winning GTA 6 O'clock experts.

Knowledge

Every Friday

Knowledge

From the creators of Edge: A weekly videogame industry newsletter with analysis from expert writers, guidance from professionals, and insight into what's on the horizon.

The Setup

Every Thursday

The Setup

Hardware nerds unite, sign up to our free tech newsletter for a weekly digest of the hottest new tech, the latest gadgets on the test bench, and much more.

Switch 2 Spotlight

Every Wednesday

Switch 2 Spotlight

Sign up to our new Switch 2 newsletter, where we bring you the latest talking points on Nintendo's new console each week, bring you up to date on the news, and recommend what games to play.

The Watchlist

Every Saturday

The Watchlist

Subscribe for a weekly digest of the movie and TV news that matters, direct to your inbox. From first-look trailers, interviews, reviews and explainers, we've got you covered.

SFX

Once a month

SFX

Get sneak previews, exclusive competitions and details of special events each month!


Join the club

Get full access to premium articles, exclusive features and a growing list of member rewards.


An account already exists for this email address, please log in.
Subscribe to our newsletter

Nintendo Switch Online N64 games have gone live, but the new way to play classic games hasn't made the transition entirely without issue.

The new set of nine games went live via the latest Nintendo Switch system update earlier today, and Eurogamer immediately noticed some issues upon putting them through their paces. One of the most glaring issues comes in Mario Kart 64, which repeatedly displays a warning message that it won't be able to save ghost data (that is, a playthrough of your previous races which you can more directly compete against) without an N64 Controller Pak.

This is an authentic error to the original version of the game, but there's not much players can do about it when they're playing on Switch. This is probably the first time many people playing have even thought about the now-forgotten concept of dedicated memory cards for game saves, or at least the first time in a decade or so. The only way to fix the issue will be for Nintendo to make some tweaks to how it handles emulating Super Mario 64 on Switch.

Article continues below
You may like
  • Hand holding N64 controller and 8Bitdo controller with Analogue 3D in backdrop with Donkey Kong 64 cartridge inserted. You can now use Nintendo's N64 Switch online controller with the Analogue 3D, but I've got a few better options worth looking at
  • Animal Crossing: New Horizons Animal Crossing: New Horizons' pitiful selection of retro games can only be accessed with a Switch Online subscription
  • Mario Kart World screenshot featuring Birdo New Mario Kart World update finally adds team races to the Switch 2 game's Knockout Tour mode

Another major issue pops up in Sin & Punishment, an arcade shooting game which was originally released exclusively in Japan. If you're playing with a standard Switch controller, the button for shoot is also perplexingly used to remap the face buttons into the C buttons, temporarily changing which button you need to press to strafe right.

You shoot and move at the same time a lot in Sin & Punishment, so your best bet to play right now is just to sync up a Switch N64 controller, though that will cost you an extra $49.99 / £34.99 on top of the increased price for a Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack membership. Hopefully Nintendo fixes up these emulation issues soon.

Prepare for savings with our early guide to Black Friday Nintendo Switch deals.

Sign up to the GamesRadar+ Newsletter

Weekly digests, tales from the communities you love, and more

By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.
CATEGORIES
Nintendo Nintendo Switch Platforms
PRODUCTS
Nintendo Switch Mario Kart 64
Connor Sheridan
Connor Sheridan
Social Links Navigation
Former GamesRadar+ News Writer

I got a BA in journalism from Central Michigan University - though the best education I received there was from CM Life, its student-run newspaper. Long before that, I started pursuing my degree in video games by bugging my older brother to let me play Zelda on the Super Nintendo. I've previously been a news intern for GameSpot, a news writer for CVG, and was formerly a staff writer at GamesRadar+.

Read more
Hand holding N64 controller and 8Bitdo controller with Analogue 3D in backdrop with Donkey Kong 64 cartridge inserted.
Retro You can now use Nintendo's N64 Switch online controller with the Analogue 3D, but I've got a few better options worth looking at
 
 
Animal Crossing: New Horizons
Animal Crossing Animal Crossing: New Horizons' pitiful selection of retro games can only be accessed with a Switch Online subscription
 
 
Mario Kart World screenshot featuring Birdo
Super Mario New Mario Kart World update finally adds team races to the Switch 2 game's Knockout Tour mode
 
 
Photo of the NSO N64 controller sitting in front of a Switch 2.
Gaming Controllers The NSO N64 controller isn't the most authentic option, but its made me feel like a kid again in the best possible way
 
 
Character art from F-Zero GX
Games Nintendo has finally fixed the Switch 2 GameCube emulator's terrible analog stick mapping
 
 
Photo of the Switch N64 controller sitting on a real N64 console.
Gaming Controllers I bought the NSO N64 controller purely for Ocarina of Time, and I've never been a happier Zelda fan
 
 
Latest in Racing
The Crew
Racing Games Ubisoft sued over The Crew shutdown by French consumer group backed by Stop Killing Games
 
 
Switch 2 launch games: a close-up of Mario and Luigi racing each other during Mario Kart World.
Racing Games The real-life F1 car's new boosting feature is "like the mushroom in Mario Kart," drivers say
 
 
Star Wars Galactic Racer big preview
Racing Games "Our tracks are not procedurally-generated": Why replayability is at the heart of Star Wars: Galactic Racer
 
 
Star Wars Galactic Racer big preview
Racing Games Star Wars: Galactic Racer looks every bit the Burnout: Takedown revival I've been waiting 20 years to play
 
 
MOZA
Racing Games Sim racing innovator MOZA unveils new AI-powered tools to make you feel a professional driver
 
 
Anarchy Road at the Future Games Show Spring Showcase
Racing Games Drive to survive through a post-apocalyptic wasteland in cinematic action racer Anarchy Road
 
 
Latest in News
Macduff running from a monster during the upcoming PS5 game, Crimson Desert.
Open World Games Crimson Desert is "opposite" to most open-world games because the "magic kicks in" later, says Arkane Lyon boss
 
 
Billy Butcher using his tendril powers
Superhero Shows Karl Urban says The Boys season 5 is "The Boys at its best" heading into the series finale
 
 
Arc Raiders character grimacing
Third Person Shooters Arc Raiders boss promoted to Nexon chief backs AI push for "redesigning game development"
 
 
Pokemon
Pokemon Nintendo's Pokemon battling claim is too "obvious" to stand, US patent office says
 
 
World of Warcraft
World of Warcraft WoW lead asks how players would feel about playing on controller, fans fear it'll "get worse" on PC
 
 
Caleb poses with the Love and Deepspace main character against a pink background
RPGs After gracing Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 with his voice, Ben Starr is ready for Love and Deepspace
 
 
LATEST ARTICLES
  1. Arc Raiders character grimacing
    1
    Arc Raiders boss promoted to Nexon chief backs AI push for "redesigning game development"
  2. 2
    Nintendo's Pokemon battling claim is too "obvious" to stand, US patent office says
  3. 3
    MTG Secrets of Strixhaven finally fixes a problem I've had with Magic for years
  4. 4
    Nearly 2 weeks after Crimson Desert's launch, tons of players are still in the first region
  5. 5
    WoW lead asks how players would feel about playing on controller, fans fear it'll "get worse" on PC

GamesRadar+ is part of Future US Inc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site.

Add as a preferred source on Google Add as a preferred source on Google
  • Terms and conditions
  • Contact Future's experts
  • Privacy policy
  • Cookies policy
  • Accessibility statement
  • Careers
  • About us
  • Advertise with us
  • Review guidelines
  • Write for us
  • Accessibility Statement

© Future US, Inc. Full 7th Floor, 130 West 42nd Street, New York, NY 10036.

Please login or signup to comment

Please wait...