Rayman 2 and Tonic Trouble Arrive on Nintendo Switch Online December 17

Rayman 2 and Tonic Trouble | Image: Ubi Soft

Ubisoft may be best known today for sprawling open‑world franchises like Assassin’s Creed and Far Cry, but the company’s roots lie in platformers. Two of those classics are about to make a comeback, reminding players of a time when Ubisoft was experimenting with quirky 3D adventures rather than massive maps.

Nintendo has confirmed that Rayman 2: The Great Escape and Tonic Trouble will join the Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack library today, on December 17, giving subscribers access to both titles at no extra cost.

Originally released in 1999, Rayman 2 is widely regarded as one of the standout platformers of its era. It took the limbless hero into full 3D for the first time, tasking players with saving the Fairy Glade from Admiral Razorbeard and his army of robotic pirates. The game’s blend of colorful worlds, inventive mechanics, and surprisingly dark undertones earned it critical acclaim, and it has since been re‑released on nearly every major platform. From PC and Dreamcast to PlayStation 2 and even the Nintendo 3DS, Rayman 2 has proven to be a timeless adventure. Now, Switch owners will get to revisit the game through the N64 app included in the Expansion Pack.

Tonic Trouble, on the other hand, has a more complicated legacy. Developed by Ubisoft and released the same year as Rayman 2, the game stars Ed, an alien janitor who accidentally pollutes Earth’s water supply with a strange tonic. The result is a bizarre adventure filled with mutated environments and oddball humor. While it never reached the same heights as Rayman 2, its return is notable because it has been largely unavailable since its original launch. According to Nintendo’s announcement, this marks the first time in decades that players can officially experience Tonic Trouble on modern hardware.

Accessing these games requires a Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack subscription, which costs $49.99 annually. The service already offers a growing library of Nintendo 64, SEGA Genesis, and Game Boy Advance titles, with Switch 2 adding GameCube support.

While neither game may rival Super Mario 64 in terms of influence, both provide a nostalgic look at Ubisoft’s early experiments in 3D design. Rayman 2 remains a polished, challenging adventure that balances whimsy with darker themes, while Tonic Trouble offers a quirky, if uneven, slice of late‑90s platforming. Together, they highlight a period when Ubisoft was still finding its identity, long before its focus shifted to blockbuster open‑world titles.