Nintendo Switch Online members can now open the NES - Nintendo Classics app and play three more games: Ninja Gaiden III: The Ancient Ship of Doom, IKARI WARRIORS and R.C. PRO-AM II. The additions are available on both Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2 through the existing app, rather than as separate eShop purchases. The most useful part of this update is its range: it closes the original NES Ninja Gaiden trilogy, adds a two-player overhead shooter, and brings Rare's sequel to its existing R.C. Pro-Am offering. Players with an active membership can download or update the app now.
Three additions with different strengths
Ninja Gaiden III is the final 8-bit chapter in Tecmo's original Ninja Gaiden series. Its arrival means the complete NES trilogy is now in the service's Western library, a practical improvement for anyone who wants to play those games in sequence on one current Nintendo system. It remains a demanding action platformer from a very different design era, so its inclusion is not a promise that it will feel modern. It does, however, make the game easier to revisit without locating an original cartridge or older digital release, and puts its place in the series within reach of existing subscribers.
Ikari Warriors adds a contrasting kind of 8-bit action. The NES version is an overhead run-and-gun game based on SNK's arcade release, with local two-player co-operative play where supported by the app. R.C. Pro-Am II, meanwhile, is Rare's isometric racing sequel from 1992. Game Informer notes that its addition completes the pair alongside the first R.C. Pro-Am, which was already on Nintendo Switch Online. These are not three versions of the same idea, and that makes this a better update for a shared subscription library than a single-series drop would have been.
The membership and regional distinction
The games sit in the NES - Nintendo Classics application, part of the Nintendo Switch Online catalogue. Nintendo's UK catalogue page lists all three in its NES library and says classic games can be accessed through Nintendo Switch Online on Nintendo Switch 2 or Nintendo Switch. In practical terms, subscribers should look for the dedicated NES app from the HOME Menu, not for three individual store listings. A current Nintendo Switch Online membership is required to use the catalogue; the games are not a permanent purchase that continues after a membership ends.
There is one regional wrinkle worth checking before downloading. Gematsu reports that Japan receives Dragon Buster in place of R.C. Pro-Am II in this update. That means the headline Western trio is not a universal three-game line-up, even though Ninja Gaiden III and Ikari Warriors are shared. Nintendo's regional catalogues are the sensible final check if a game does not appear in an account's app. The distinction matters especially for players who read an international announcement but use a Japanese Nintendo Account, where the available third game is different.
A fuller route through two series
For Ninja Gaiden players, the immediate benefit is continuity. The Nintendo Switch Online library already carried the first two NES games, and the third entry now lets subscribers move through the original trilogy without changing platform or collection. Game Informer identifies it as the 1991 finale of that NES run. That historical context is more useful than treating it as a new Ninja Gaiden release: this is an archival addition to a subscription service, not new software or an update to a contemporary series entry. Its value depends on whether players want convenient access to the older game.
The R.C. Pro-Am addition has a similar, smaller-scale appeal. With the 1992 sequel alongside the first game, Nintendo Switch Online offers both NES entries in Rare's racing series. Ikari Warriors is the more social option of the three, provided players use the supported local or online features available through Nintendo Classics. Nintendo says compatible classic games can be played co-operatively locally, online or by local wireless, but individual titles and modes set the actual limits. It is sensible to check the app's game information before arranging a remote session rather than assuming every classic game supports every connection method.
What to do now on Switch and Switch 2
Start by confirming that the Nintendo Entertainment System - Nintendo Classics application is installed and that the console is connected to the internet. If the new games do not appear, select the app on the HOME Menu, press + or -, and use Software Update followed by Via the Internet. The update is relevant to original Switch owners as well as Switch 2 players: Nintendo's catalogue page says the Nintendo Switch Online application is accessible from the HOME Menu on both systems. No Switch 2-specific upgrade, accessory or separate game purchase is attached to these three NES additions.
For most subscribers, the practical decision is simply where to start. Ninja Gaiden III is the choice for anyone filling in the original trilogy, Ikari Warriors offers the clearest local co-operative angle, and R.C. Pro-Am II is the follow-up for players who already enjoy the first game's miniature-car racing. The update will not change a membership's price or tier by itself, and Nintendo has not announced a limited availability window for the games. They are available now, so the best reason to download the app is to see whether these older designs still suit the way you play today.
