Rayman 2 And Tonic Trouble Bring Classic N64 Chaos To Nintendo Switch Online

13 December 2025
Nintendo Switch 2Nintendo Switch
10 min.
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Rayman 2 And Tonic Trouble Bring Classic N64 Chaos To Nintendo Switch Online

Summary:

Nintendo is giving fans of 3D platformers a very specific kind of present, and it comes with floating limbs, goofy aliens, and a whole lot of late nineties charm. Rayman 2: The Great Escape and Tonic Trouble are joining the Nintendo 64 – Nintendo Classics app for Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack members, bringing two Ubisoft favorites to both Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2 in one neat drop. Rayman 2 is often held up as one of the strongest platformers of its generation, with tight level design, expressive animation and a surprising amount of atmosphere. Tonic Trouble, on the other hand, leans into slapstick humor and bizarre situations, offering a slightly rougher but still entertaining ride.

For players who grew up with these games on original hardware, this is an easy way to revisit old saves in spirit and see how well those jumps and camera angles hold up on modern screens. For everyone else, it is a chance to finally understand why people still talk about Rayman 2 whenever the best N64 era platformers come up. With Nintendo 64 – Nintendo Classics steadily growing and new features like rewind and CRT filters on Nintendo Switch 2, this duo feels perfectly timed. Below we walk through what is coming, why these additions matter, and how you can make the most of both games when they hit the service.

Rayman 2 and Tonic Trouble arrive on Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack

Nintendo is expanding the Nintendo 64 – Nintendo Classics library with a pair of Ubisoft platformers that feel like they were built for this kind of nostalgic drop. Rayman 2: The Great Escape and Tonic Trouble are being added for Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack members, giving subscribers instant access to both games through the dedicated N64 app on Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2. Rayman 2 puts you in control of the limbless hero as he tries to free the Fairy Glade from robot pirates, mixing tight platforming with cinematic camera angles and dramatic set pieces. Tonic Trouble follows Ed, a clumsy alien whose spilled drink has warped Earth’s environment, and it leans into oddball humor and surreal scenery. Together they offer a snapshot of how ambitious third party N64 platformers were during that era, and having them just a few button presses away makes it much easier to appreciate that history today.

When and where you can play these N64 classics on modern hardware

Both Rayman 2 and Tonic Trouble are joining the Nintendo 64 – Nintendo Classics app for Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack members in December 2025, arriving as part of the service’s continuing end of year updates. Once the update lands, you simply open the Nintendo 64 – Nintendo Classics icon on your home menu, scroll through the library and you will see both games lined up alongside the rest of the N64 catalog. If you own a Nintendo Switch, you can play them at home on TV or on the go in handheld mode with save states and wireless controllers. If you are on Nintendo Switch 2, you also benefit from newer features that let you rewind gameplay and apply a CRT style filter, so those chunky late nineties polygons feel closer to how they looked on older televisions. There are no extra purchases once you have the Expansion Pack membership, which makes jumping in for just a quick stage or two surprisingly tempting.

Why Rayman 2 still shines as a fan favorite 3D platformer

Ask long time players to list their favorite Nintendo 64 era platformers and Rayman 2: The Great Escape comes up with almost suspicious regularity. There is a good reason for that. The game nails the basics, with responsive controls, varied movement options and levels that constantly toy with pacing, pushing you from careful exploration into frantic chases and then back into quieter platforming runs. The story is simple enough, yet the way it is presented through cutscenes, environmental detail and the soundtrack pulls you in more than you might expect from a cartoonish platformer. This is also a game that loves to surprise: one moment you are bouncing through forests, the next you are riding missiles or navigating eerie mechanical ships. On Nintendo Switch Online the appeal is twofold, because you can revisit the original N64 version many remember while also taking advantage of suspend points and emulator tools that smooth out some of the roughness that came with older hardware.

Tonic Trouble’s oddball charm and cult following on Nintendo 64

Tonic Trouble never hit the same critical highs as Rayman 2, yet it carved out a small but stubbornly loyal fanbase over the years. You play as Ed, an alien whose spilled experimental tonic twists Earth into a world full of bizarre plants, warped vegetables and cartoon villains. The result is a 3D platformer that feels like someone fed a Saturday morning cartoon too much sugar and set it loose on your N64. Some of the level design can be uneven, and you can see where Ubisoft refined ideas before taking them further in Rayman 2, but that is part of the charm. There is a scrappy energy to the way Tonic Trouble experiments with gadgets, environmental puzzles and shifting perspectives. On Nintendo Switch Online it becomes easier to appreciate its quirks without worrying about original cartridges, aging controllers or faulty save batteries. You can dip in, play a level or two, laugh at the weird dialogue and move on, or commit to seeing just how strange things get by the end.

How these Ubisoft titles strengthen the Nintendo 64 – Nintendo Classics lineup

Every time Nintendo 64 – Nintendo Classics adds more than just first party titles, the whole lineup feels a bit healthier. Rayman 2 and Tonic Trouble represent a slice of N64 history that is easy to overlook if you only focus on Nintendo’s own games. These were ambitious third party efforts that pushed 3D platforming beyond mascot collectathons, exploring different tones, structures and visual styles. Putting them on Nintendo Switch Online sends a clear signal that the service is not just about replaying the same handful of big names over and over. It is also about showing how varied the N64 library really was, especially in Europe, where Ubisoft’s presence on the platform felt more prominent. For subscribers this means more variety when browsing the app and a better chance of stumbling on something that feels fresh even if it is technically older than many players using the service today.

What this means for Nintendo Switch and Switch 2 owners

For existing Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack members, this update is essentially a bonus that raises the overall value of the subscription without any extra cost. If you mainly play on Nintendo Switch, you gain two substantial single player adventures that are perfectly suited to handheld play, with levels that can be tackled in short bursts on commutes or longer sessions on the couch. On Nintendo Switch 2 the appeal goes even further, because the extra system power unlocks quality of life features like rewind and CRT filters that pair nicely with slightly tougher retro platformers. It is also worth noting that these games run across both systems, so if you upgrade later, your save data can travel with you through cloud backups. For people who have been on the fence about the Expansion Pack tier, seeing more third party N64 games appear can be the nudge that makes the yearly fee feel easier to justify.

Features, controls, and visual options in the N64 Nintendo Classics app

One of the big advantages of playing Rayman 2 and Tonic Trouble through Nintendo 64 – Nintendo Classics is how flexible the app has become. On both Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2 you can bring up an overlay to view and remap controls, which is incredibly helpful for N64 games that were originally designed around the three pronged N64 controller. You can assign camera functions and actions to buttons that feel natural on Joy-Con or a Pro Controller, and those preferences are saved per game, so you only have to tweak them once. Save states let you create suspend points just before tricky jumps or boss fights, so you are not forced to replay huge sections when you make a mistake. On Nintendo Switch 2 you also have optional CRT filters that soften the image and add subtle scanlines, which can make these older games blend more nicely with modern screens. Add in the ability to rewind if a jump goes wrong and it becomes much easier to recommend both games to players who did not grow up wrestling with old cameras and limited continues.

Local multiplayer, save options, and online play for Expansion Pack members

While Rayman 2 and Tonic Trouble are primarily single player adventures, they still benefit from the broader feature set that comes baked into Nintendo 64 – Nintendo Classics for Expansion Pack members. You can hand a controller to a friend or family member and simply swap turns after each level or death, which is how many players experienced N64 platformers back in the day. If you want to turn it into more of a shared experience across distances, the app’s online functionality lets you invite friends into a virtual couch session where you can watch each other play, chat and take turns. Save states and cloud backups mean your progress is not tied to a single console, which is especially handy if you jump between a Switch and a Switch 2 within the same household. Even if you are playing solo, there is something cozy about knowing your Rayman 2 rescue mission or your latest Tonic Trouble misadventure is waiting exactly where you left it, ready to resume at a moment’s notice.

Why third party additions matter for the long term value of the service

It is easy to think of Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack as a place where Nintendo simply rotates through its own back catalog, but the long term appeal of the service depends heavily on third party support. Rayman 2 and Tonic Trouble are strong examples of how much richer the library feels when publishers like Ubisoft are willing to bring their older games back in an accessible way. Many of these titles have been trapped on aging cartridges or scattered across inconsistent ports for years, making them hard to experience legally on modern hardware. By folding them into Nintendo 64 – Nintendo Classics, Nintendo helps preserve a broader swath of gaming history while also giving subscribers more reasons to stick around month after month. It also sets a precedent that could encourage other publishers to dust off their own N64 era projects, especially if they see engagement spikes whenever new third party games hit the app.

What Rayman 2 and Tonic Trouble might hint about future N64 releases

Whenever new N64 games are announced for Nintendo Switch Online, speculation immediately shifts to what might be coming next. The arrival of Rayman 2 and Tonic Trouble fits neatly into a pattern where previously rumored or leaked titles slowly become official as licensing details are sorted out. It also shows that Nintendo is comfortable highlighting N64 games that sit outside the usual first party rotation, which bodes well for fans hoping to see more cult favorites resurface. While nothing is guaranteed, updates like this keep hope alive for releases that have been whispered about for a while, from long requested 3D platformers to multiplayer heavy curios. At the very least, Rayman 2 and Tonic Trouble prove that the door is open for more collaborations between Nintendo and third party rights holders, and that alone keeps the monthly Nintendo 64 – Nintendo Classics updates far more interesting than a simple checklist of expected names.

Helpful tips for newcomers trying these platformers for the first time

If you are jumping into Rayman 2 or Tonic Trouble for the first time through Nintendo Switch Online, a few small habits can make your experience smoother. Take a moment at the start to tweak the control layout so that camera movement and jumps sit where your muscle memory expects them to be from more modern games. Do not feel shy about using save states before tricky sections, especially in stages that mix platforming with moving hazards or limited visibility. In Rayman 2, keep an eye out for hidden cages and side paths, because rescuing creatures and exploring often leads to extra health or shortcuts later. In Tonic Trouble, lean into the silliness and do not worry if the physics or camera occasionally feel a little unpredictable, since the emulator tools give you room to experiment without losing lots of progress. Most importantly, give yourself time to adjust to the rhythm of older 3D platformers, and you are far more likely to see why players still speak fondly of these games decades later.

Conclusion

Rayman 2: The Great Escape and Tonic Trouble landing on Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack is more than just another pair of retro uploads. It is a small celebration of how weird, creative and surprisingly ambitious late nineties 3D platformers could be, especially when studios like Ubisoft were eager to stand alongside Nintendo’s own heavy hitters. By folding both games into the Nintendo 64 – Nintendo Classics lineup, Nintendo makes it easier than ever to revisit old favorites or discover them for the first time with modern comforts like save states, remappable controls and, on Nintendo Switch 2, rewind and CRT filters. For subscribers it is an easy win, for preservation it is another step in the right direction, and for anyone who loves colorful, personality packed platformers, it is a very good excuse to clear some space in the holiday backlog and let Rayman and Ed crash back into your life.

FAQs
  • Do I need the Nintendo Switch Online Expansion Pack to play Rayman 2 and Tonic Trouble?
    • Yes, both Rayman 2: The Great Escape and Tonic Trouble are part of the Nintendo 64 – Nintendo Classics app, which is only available to Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack members. A standard Nintendo Switch Online subscription without the Expansion Pack will not grant access to these N64 games.
  • Can I play these games on both Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2?
    • You can play Rayman 2 and Tonic Trouble on both Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2 as long as you use the same Nintendo Account with an active Expansion Pack membership. Save data can be backed up via the cloud, so you can move between systems without losing your progress as long as cloud backups are enabled for your profile.
  • What extra features do I get when playing on Nintendo Switch 2?
    • On Nintendo Switch 2, the Nintendo 64 – Nintendo Classics app includes additional features such as a rewind function and an optional CRT filter, alongside the control remapping and save state options available on both systems. These extras can make tougher platforming sections more forgiving and give the visuals a look closer to classic CRT televisions.
  • Are these the original Nintendo 64 versions of Rayman 2 and Tonic Trouble?
    • Yes, the versions included in Nintendo 64 – Nintendo Classics are based on the original Nintendo 64 releases of Rayman 2: The Great Escape and Tonic Trouble. While the emulator adds convenience features like suspend points, online play and visual options, the core gameplay, level layouts and story beats are faithful to the N64 originals.
  • Do Rayman 2 and Tonic Trouble support online features through Nintendo 64 – Nintendo Classics?
    • Both games are designed as single player adventures, but the Nintendo 64 – Nintendo Classics app lets Expansion Pack members create online sessions where friends can watch, chat and take turns in a virtual couch setting. You can use this to share playthroughs, swap the controller digitally and experience the games together even if you are not in the same room.
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