While there was plenty to be excited about in theNintendo Switch 2direct, GameCube coming to NSO is something that players have been waiting for ever since the Nintendo Classics feature was first announced as a feature on the original Switch. At the moment, only 10 GameCube games have been announced, with only three of those launching the same day as the system.
WhileThe Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker,F-Zero GX, and the unexpectedSoulCalibur IIare all great launch day options, there’s no ignoring that a few notable GameCube titles were missed in this NSO lineup announcement. That being said, Nintendo will likely begin slowly updating the feature with new titles during future directs, as they have with all other retro consoles for NSO, so there’s still a chance we’ll see some of the GameCube’s other notable mentions.
10Phantasy Star Online Is A Long Shot, But Worth It
PSO Likely Won’t Happen For Several Reasons, But It Would Still Be Great If It Did
Phantasy Star OnlineEpisode 1 & 2would undoubtedly be a great addition to the Nintendo Classics GameCube library, butit’s highly unlikely it’ll ever happen due to the need for servers. While NSO does offer the ability to enjoy some multiplayer features, the majority of online features inPhantasy Star Onlinewould remain unusable if no active servers were available.
Nintendo Switch 2’s Full GameCube Game List Is Missing The Best One
The addition of GameCube games to the Nintendo Switch Online service is an amazing move, but its starting lineup is missing one key title.
That being said,it could still be added simply with a disclaimer that the online features would not be available, but given the lack of attention the game and its sequel,Phantasy Star Online 2: New Genesis, have received from SEGA, it’s unlikely Nintendo would go to such great lengths to make the game available on modern consoles. However, nothing is impossible, so there is still a chance Nintendo might see the benefit in adding a game that was significant to GameCube players.
9Star Fox Assault Was Overshadowed By Its Predecessor
Following Disappointing But Memorable Entry Predecessor, Star Fox Assault Is Often Forgotten
WhileStar Fox: Assaultwas a great entry in theStar Foxseries with gameplay features that upheld that classic feel you expect from these games, it’s often forgotten about by many when discussing top GameCube titles. Unfortunately, this is largely due to being overshadowed by the more memorableStar Fox Adventures, which came out before it and also launched on the GameCube.
Star Fox Lives On In Newly-Announced Spiritual Successor, Wild Blue
An original Star Fox developer is working on Wild Blue, an on-rails spiritual successor to Star Fox, per an announcement by Humble Games today.
WhileStar Fox Adventureswasn’t exactly as faithful to the franchise in terms of what to expect from aStar Foxgame, the variety is precisely why it stood out. SinceStar Fox: Assaultdidn’t have its proper chance to shine on the GameCube, reviving it on NSO would not only give new players a chance to experience it but also give it the spotlight it deserves. Furthermore, this could be a great chance to spark player interest in aproper revival of theStar Foxfranchise.
8Mario Golf: Toadstool Tour Is A Standout Entry In A Popular Series
Mario Golf: Toadstool Tour Remains An Incredible Golf Game, Even Beyond Mario
While theMario Golffranchise has no shortage of entries,Mario Golf: Toadstool Tourremains one of the best. Despite being the sixthMario Golfgame, the unique amount of control over shots that the GameCube title offers makesToadstool Tourboth fun and challenging. UnlikeMario Tennis, which received a great sequel on the Nintendo Switch,Mario Golf: Super Rushwasn’t exactly the upgrade it should’ve been.
Mario Golf: Super Rush’s Last Free Update Adds Shy Guy, Wiggler, Courses & Modes
The final free update to Mario Golf: Super Rush adds Shy Guy and Wiggler as playable characters, in addition to new courses and modes.
Super Rushdid away with the classic three-click system that helped makeToodstool Tourgreat, which involved setting up the shot, adjusting the power of the swing, and finalizing the accuracy of each shot. In doing away with this system,Super Rushlost the difficulty aspectand made the game too easy to be enjoyable.Toadstool Touris a great title that overall would’ve benefited from a few course and character upgrades, but since that hasn’t happened, the originalMario Golfthat’s currently available on NSO is a decent secondary option.
7Super Smash Bros. Melee Is A Classic In Smash Bros. History
Despite A Limited Roster, Melee Is A Fan-Favorite In The Smash Bros. Lineup
Even though the Nintendo Switch houses what is arguably one of the greatest iterations ofSuper Smash Bros.,older games in the franchise often hold a nostalgic soft spot for many players, especiallySuper Smash Bros. Melee. WhileSmash Ultimatehas a lengthy rosterand an active online community that keeps the game popular, despite being nearly 7 years old at this point, Melee offered a fast-paced environment and a level of control that still feels unmatched.
I’m Worried About This One Inevitable Switch 2 Game
Super Smash Bros. is one of Nintendo’s most beloved franchises, but it’s hard to see the next entry surpassing what Ultimate accomplished.
Compared to the other games in the franchise,Meleeprovides precise controls that allow an individual player’s skills to shine. Although it seems that Nintendo has seemingly said goodbye toSuper Smash Brosfor now, and there are no talks of a sequel toUltimate, hope has never wavered that Masahiro Sakurai may eventually come back for another game. This might be even more possible now thatKirby Air Ridersis nearly here. There’s no better way to keep fans patient than to add a major title in the franchise to NSO in the meantime.
6Mario Party 6 Contains Some Of The Best Boards & Mini-Games
All Mario Party Titles Deserve To Be On Modern Consoles
It’s no secret thatMario Partyis one of the longest-running and most successful franchises for Nintendo. The most recent addition to the franchise,Mario Party Jamboree, has already been confirmed for a Nintendo Switch 2 upgrade with expanded content, andmany of the originalMario Partygames have already been added to their corresponding Nintendo Classics libraries.
This One Mode Stops Mario Party Jamboree From Being The Perfect Party Game
Super Mario Party Jamboree is jam-packed with content, and most of it’s great; there’s just one mode that seems to have been an afterthought.
Therefore, there’s no reason not to add the GameCube releases, which includeMario Party 4,5,6, and7, to the new GameCube Nintendo Classics library. While it is likely that they’ll all be added at some point,Mario Party 6in particular has some of the best in-game boards and mini-gamesand should make it to NSO even if the others don’t. At the very least, it should be the first to be added.
5Eternal Darkness Is A Significant Piece Of The Horror Genre
The Horror Of Eternal Darkness Still Holds Up
Horror is perhaps one of the biggest genres when it comes to gaming, andEternal Darkness: Sanity’s Requiemis still credited as one of the most memorable games in this genre, despite being over 20 years old. Asthe first Nintendo-published game to receive a Mature rating,Eternal Darknesscertainly made a splash when it came to the GameCube. Despite this and its success in the eyes of critics as one of the greatest horror games of that time, it was unfortunately still marked as a failure due to low sales.
Switch 2 Is The Perfect Chance To Revive This Nintendo Lost Horror With A Metacritic Score Of 92
Now that Nintendo has revealed the Switch 2, it’s the perfect time to breathe new life into a forgotten game that earned a 92 on Metacritic.
Numerous attempts to make a sequel have been made, but none have come to fruition, and perhaps that’s for the best at this point. While a sequel might’ve been great,Nintendo is unlikely to support a full remaster, and there’s no guarantee that it would embody what made the original so wonderful. That being said, the original is still something modern horror fans deserve the chance to experience, and adding it to NSO would make it more accessible than ever.
4NSO Would Make The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess Accessible Again
WhileThe Legend of Zelda: The Wind Wakeris no doubt a great addition to Nintendo Classics, even if it isn’t the HD remake version that players were hoping would be ported to the Switch,another notable legacy Nintendo gameis missing from the starting lineup.The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess,a launch title for the Wii and one of the final major releases on the GameCube, is unfortunately facing the same fate thatWind Wakerhad up until its recent NSO announcement.
I Still Desperately Want Zelda: Twilight Princess On Switch For One Obscure Reason
I’m still, perhaps foolishly, holding out hope that Twilight Princess will come to the Nintendo Switch, because I’ve only ever played it backwards.
Despite receiving an HD remake on the Nintendo Wii U,Twilight Princessis now stuck on what could be considered dead consolesat this point. While it would still be preferable that theHD remake ofTwilight Princessbe ported to the Switch 2, if that’s not a possibility, adding the original to NSO is still an acceptable middle ground that would at the very least makeTwilight Princessavailable on modern consoles again.
3Mario Kart: Double Dash Is A Forgotten Gem
Double Dash Is A Unique Mario Kart Everyone Should Play
While there are plenty ofMario Kartgames in the series,Double Dashis one that oftenstands out among the rest with its companion racing featurethat allows players to select two characters instead of just one and even enjoy a unique Co-op mode. Additionally, as opposed to the currentMario Kart 8 Deluxeand therecently announcedMario Kart World, character choices affect much more in the game than just stats.
Mario Kart World’s New Grand Prix Is Going To Make The Series’ Biggest Problem Worse
Mario Kart World has a new endless track mode, but this mode might hurt players who get stuck in the back with no chance to recover.
While there are common, well-known items that any character can receive, each character also has a unique item that’s special to only them, adding another element of strategy when it comes to picking characters. Although it offers limited content compared to new releases and the enormous array of tracks and characters that are present inMK 8 Deluxe,Double Dash’s unique gimmicks and nostalgic charm make it worthy of a spot in the Nintendo Classics lineup.
2Now Is The Perfect Time For Kirby Air Ride
With A Sequel On The Way, Players Deserve To Re-Experience The Original
While some may have had a glimmer of hope that the opening reveal forKirby Air Riderswas a newSuper Smash Bros.,there’s no doubt that this nearly 22-years-in-the-making sequel is big news. It’s no secret that Sakurai wanted to makea sequel toKirby Air Ridefor a while now, but given the large time gap between now and the original, most had given up hope that it would ever see the light of day.
Do the Nintendo Switch 2 features make it worth the upgrade?
Right now, I’m iffy on whether I’d be willing to buy a Switch 2 upon release. It’s likely going to depend on how strong the reviews are for initial release games like Mario Kart World. I don’t feel a specific need for a graphics update or screen size improvement, as I generally play on a TV anyway, and most games look fine as is. It’s mostly going to come down to game availability to me, but I’m curious to hear other people’s thoughts.
That being said, now thatKirby Air Ridershas been revealed and will soon be making its debut on the Nintendo Switch 2, it isthe perfect time to give players a chance to experience the original. Given how massive a reveal this was, I can only assume that it may have been left out of the initial lineup to avoid spoiling what was to come, but now that we know, addingKirby Air Rideto Nintendo Classics is the perfect way to reintroduce the series while players wait for the sequel.
1The Original Animal Crossing Belongs On The Switch 2
Considering ACNH Popularity, Animal Crossing On NSO Seems Like An Obvious Choice
Perhaps the most shocking title missing from the Nintendo Classics GameCube lineup is the originalAnimal Crossing. Even though the franchise is huge for Nintendo in general,Animal Crossing: New Horizonswasone of the biggest first-party Nintendo titles on the original Switch, making it strange that the game that started it all would be left off this feature on the Nintendo Switch’s successor.
Animal Crossing’s Next Game Can’t Repeat A Day-One New Horizons Problem
The first time a player turns on a new game can make or break their experience, even with a cozy, laid-back game like Animal Crossing: New Horizons.
While it is vastly different fromACNH,and there’s no guarantee that the fanbase for the current iteration would translate to the original, we also haven’t heard any news about a sequel. If there’sno sequel toACNHin the worksfor theNintendo Switch 2, adding the original to Nintendo Classics at least offers fans of the franchise the chance to play something different and those newer to the franchise a chance to see where it all started.
Nintendo Switch 2
The Nintendo Switch 2 is the successor to Nintendo Switch, scheduled for release in 2025. Confirmed as backwards compatible, it will play both physical and digital Nintendo Switch games. A full reveal is pencilled in for July 07, 2025.
