The Nintendo Switch Online service has been a great way for players to check out classic games from the NES library. Occasionally, Nintendo will add new games to the list of NES titles to the service for those with an active Switch Online account. Many of the iconic classics everyone will recognize are there to play anytime, especially the big Nintendo first-party titles. But you may not see every major or beloved NES game on the service, even if they were mega hits on the console back in the day.

Some NES games won't be added to Switch Online for various reasons. This will often be due to licensing issues with third-party companies or little to no interest in these games from Nintendo fans. However, just because you won't get to play these games through the Nintendo Switch Online service doesn't mean they are any less fun or interesting for fans of the console. Here are five NES games that are probably never coming to Switch Online.

5 Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde

An infamous bad game

The 1866 novella Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde may have become an iconic Universal horror film adaptation, but it's also an infamously bad NES game to many people. Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde was developed for the Nintendo Entertainment System in 1988 by Advanced Communication Co. The game is a very loose interpretation of the original novella, putting players in the shoes of the world-renowned doctor and his evil counterpart. There are six levels that consist of Dr. Jekyll walking the path to a church to marry his beloved. But along the way, he finds himself encountering multiple obstacles that increase his stress and provoke a transformation into Mr. Hyde. While the good doctor is just trying to get to his destination, the horrific monster fights tons of beings in a demonic world with his powerful Psycho Wave. If Hyde progresses further than Jekyll, then a lightning bolt strikes him down. But if Jekyll reaches the church before Hyde advances further, then the doctor can marry his bride.

This NES title garnered a lot of attention years after its initial release. The biggest spotlight came from when Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde was featured in an online video review by James Rolf, known online as the Angry Video Game. Many critic reviews over the years have stated how bad the game is to play, citing poor controls and a confusing premise. Because of how poorly it was received and the lack of true interest from Nintendo fans, don't expect Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde to be added to Switch Online at any point.

4 A Nightmare on Elm Street

Freddy isn't coming this time

In the 1980s, the horror film genre saw a surge of iconic movie villains appear, including one, Freddy Krueger, from the Nightmare on Elm Street series. A game based on the series was developed by Rare and published by LJN in 1990 for the NES, which was based on the fourth film of the series, A Nightmare on Elm Street IV: The Dream Master. The player takes control of a teenager trying to escape death at the hands of Freddy Krueger, gathering his bones across multiple levels that take place in the real world and the dream world. Up to four players can team up to accomplish this, visiting various locations based on the films and disposing of Freddy's bones. Occasionally, a boss battle against the infamous villain takes place and opens up new locations when he's defeated. A Nightmare on Elm Street took players between both worlds with a sleep meter, which decreased over time while they were in the real world before plunging them into a dream world filled with monsters and horrific obstacles.

The version of A Nightmare on Elm Street we got for the NES was very different from its original concept. At first, players would have controlled Freddy Krueger himself, going after the teenagers trying to collect his bones. However, development shifted towards making the game we know today after Rare possibly wanted to avoid controversy. In 1983, a game based on The Texas Chainsaw Massacre was released and faced massive backlash from retailers refusing to sell it, due to the premise of the game forcing the player to kill teenagers. While scrutiny of this concept has relaxed over the years, it's unlikely that A Nightmare on Elm Street for the NES will ever be added to Switch Online due to licensing for the game and movie title.

3 Dragon's Lair

Duke isn't daring enough

Most arcade players will remember Dragon's Lair as one of the more unique arcade titles to play. It featured beautiful animation from legendary Disney animator Don Bluth and had gameplay that was very different from anything else of the time. After the original's release in 1983, a home port of the game was made for the NES in 1990. Unlike the original, Dragon's Lair on the NES was a side-scrolling adventure with four main stages. The plot of the game was the same as the arcade version, but how players controlled Duke the Daring was very different as he made his way through a castle to save a maiden.

Unfortunately, most critics pan the game for poor controls, harsh difficulty on the NES, and very sluggish overall movement. Different versions of the game have mild improvements from the North American release, such as the PAL and Japanese versions having a better frame rate, but it wasn't enough for players to get over the game's many issues. It's universally agreed that the NES version of Dragon's Lair is vastly inferior to the arcade original, so nobody will lose any sleep if the game is never added to the Nintendo Switch Online service.

2 Batman (1989)

Want to get nuts? Too bad

The first Batman movie, released in 1989, was a cinematic phenomenon. Bat-Mania took the world by storm, introducing a darker version of The Dark Knight and showcasing the incredible talents of Michael Keaton and Jack Nicholson as Batman and the Joker. Many video games were developed following the release of the film, with varying degrees of success. Batman on the NES, developed by Sunsoft, is viewed as a classic movie-based game for the console, with many calling it one of the best superhero games ever made. The game follows the plot of the film loosely, but maintains the dark atmosphere of the film through its cutscenes and presentation. Gameplay in Batman consists of platforming and tons of superhero action, with Batman taking on all sorts of Joker enemies using an array of gadgets at his disposal.

Earlier versions of the game had different characteristics from the retail version that was released. There are different cutscenes, alternative power-ups, and a very different final battle. Although a very popular game among NES enthusiasts, you may not ever see Batman make its way onto the Switch Online service. Third-party licensing is a constant issue for games across many older consoles, especially for movie tie-in games that were big releases back then. And yet, this Batman game still remains a highly-praised title by fans, who still view it as one of the best games based on the character.

1 Street Fighter 2010: The Final Fight

The missing off-brand Ken

Capcom is known for having multiple releases on the NES that many people love. However, not every game they developed was a hit or went on to have a great legacy in the years that followed. Street Fighter 2010: The Final Fight on the NES is one of those titles that just never clicked with everyone. The game was released in 1990 for the console, but had differences between its Japanese and North American regional versions. The protagonist in the Japanese version is named Kevin Straker, while the North American version saw his name changed to Ken. Many believed this was to imply a connection to the Street Fighter games, more specifically, the 1987 arcade release of the first Street Fighter game. However, while some of that is true, the game has almost nothing to do with the Street Fighter series that Capcom fans know.

The game is an action-platformer that takes place in the year 2010. Ken is given cybernetic enhancements to battle an army of cybernetic warriors, while in pursuit of a murderer who killed his close friend. Most of Street Fighter 2010 task players to pursue specific enemies within stages and get to an exit within a time limit. Other than the name of the main character, there are no other references to Street Fighter. While Capcom could possibly still bring this game to Switch Online at some point, it doesn't seem like they have any plans to do so, which may or may not be a good thing.

Missing NES classics for Switch Online

The Switch Online service is constantly growing as Nintendo includes more classics to it. The library of NES titles available on the service is always changing, with more beloved titles showing up eventually. But while the NES still has plenty of iconic game releases to pull from, most of the big games that people grew up playing will likely never appear on the service. That doesn't take away from how great or interesting they might have been to play back in the day. But unfortunately, the good times those NES games gave us may have to remain as long-distance memories.