Nintendo Switch Online – Nintendo Entertainment System: The Legend of Zelda SP now available

Today saw the first post-launch update for Nintendo Switch Online – Nintendo Entertainment System. As announced previously, three new games were added: Solomon’s Key, NES Open Tournament Golf, and Super Dodge Ball. But it turns out that a 4th, unannounced game was also added: The Legend of Zelda. Now, you’re probably thinking “Wait, this one was available at launch!”, and you’re right. What was added today is not the original version, but instead a special version known as The Legend of Zelda SP.

In this version of the game, you start with tons of ruppes and items right from the start. In fact, you get all the equipment right away, as soon as you start the game. That includes things like the White Sword, the Magical Shield, the Blue Ring, and even the Power Bracelet. You also get 9 keys at the start, which means you don’t even have to look for them in dungeons (though it’s not clear if they can also be found there).

Nintendo calls it a “souped-up version” of The Legend of Zelda, though one might argue it’s more akin to a full cheat version than anything. Still, if you were finding the original game too hard, make sure to give this The Legend of Zelda SP a try. And if it’s still too hard for you, then you can actually buy some more items to make things even easier! One thing that hasn’t changed compared to the original is that Second Quest is unlocked when clearing the game.

Thanks to a mistake on the official Nintendo website, we already know that more “SP” versions of games are coming, though it’s not clear when, and how many. We also don’t know if all the SP versions will simply be easier versions of the original games, or if Nintendo will add various twists to the games.

Here’s some of the “SP” games coming to the service:

Source: Nintendo Switch Online – Nintendo Entertainment System