With the release of theNintendo Switch 2, the Nintendo Switch Online subscription service added the GameCube as a category of its Nintendo Classics app. Although these games are unfortunately limited to only the Switch 2, it is an exciting prospect to think of getting to replay games that were available on the GameCube which have not been released anywhere else. Sadly, the GameCube wasn’t quite as popular as many of Nintendo’s consoles, yet it still featured many exclusive titles that players wish they could experience again.
The Nintendo GameCube had a library of over 650 titles on the system, although not all of those were exclusive.At the time of writing, there are only three games in the GameCube Nintendo Classics app:The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker,F-Zero GX, andSoul Caliber 2.Several more have already been announcedas being on the way sometime in the future, but with a library as big as the GameCube had, there are many favorites missing from that list. Here are some of the best games that need to come to the Nintendo Switch Online service.
to access Nintendo GameCube - Nintendo Classics, you must have a Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack membership and be playing on a Nintendo Switch 2.
As we all know, Mario is a man of many talents, including being a star at many popular sports. Among these is theMario Baseballseries which, sadly, hasnot seen a new entry since 2008.Mario Superstar Baseballwas a 2005 sports game for the GameCube whichbrought together many characters from theSuper Mariouniverseand allowed players to challenge opposing teams in Challenge Mode, with the final game being against Bowser.
With the lack of anyMario-themed baseball games available currently, havingMario Superstar Baseballcome to Nintendo Switch Online could be a popular addition. Perhaps even more so if online multiplayer were enabled for it.
Sonic Adventure 2: Battlewas an enhanced port of the Sega Dreamcast game,Sonic Adventure 2.This title marked the first time aSonic the Hedgehoggame was released for a Nintendo console, and is still considered as one of the best games in the GameCube library.
The story features the villainous Eggman joining forces with Shadow and Rouge to attempt to conquer the world, and deal with Sonic once and for all. Players could choose to either play as the heroes or the villains.
8Super Monkey Ball 2 Was One Of The Best
2002 Puzzle Platformer For The GameCube
Super Monkey Ball 2was thefirst in the series to feature a storylineto go along with the ball-rolling action. Its single-player Story Mode featured levels grouped by ten with cutscenes after each tenth. AiAi, MeeMee, GonGon, and Baby chase down the evil scientist Dr. Bad-Boon after he stole all the bananas from Monkey Island.
Any of theSuper Monkey Ballgames can be a blast to play, particularly with friends. If this one could be brought to Nintendo Switch Online’s service with online multiplayer enabled, it would be a blast to play with others.The game featured 12 multiplayer mini-games, including the hilariously funMonkey BowlingandMonkey Golf.
TheLuigi’s Mansionseries all started with this original game that was released asa launch title for the GameCube. It was hoped that this would happen again and a new entry in the series wouldcome alongside the launchof the Nintendo Switch 2, but sadly, that did not occur and no announcements of any upcoming game have been made.
Although no new game was announced, the image of the GameCube’sLuigi’s Mansionwas briefly shown asone of the games to be coming to the Nintendo Switch Online service. As of the time of writing, this has not happened yet and there has been no further information about it since that image was shown, but there is at least hope that this classic title will be playable soon.
WhenDonkey Kong Jungle Beatwas releasedfor the GameCube, it used the special controller of DK Bongos, which might make many assume that it would be difficult to play on a modern console. However, in 2009,the game was brought to the Nintendo Wii with updated controlsthat used the Wii Remotes instead. This means that it possibly wouldn’t be too difficult to map the controls to also work with the Nintendo Switch 2’s joy-cons, although a pro controller may not function for it.
With the upcoming launch of DK’s newest game,Donkey Kong Bananza, bringing a classic title likeDonkey Kong Jungle Beatto the GameCube Classics selection could be a great way to help get people excited to experience the new game as well.
5Metroid Prime & Metroid Prime 2 Are Must-Haves For The Service
2002 And 2004 Action-Adventure Games For The GameCube
The originalMetroid Primewasreleased as a remastered gamefor the Nintendo Switch, so it may not be as important to bring to the GameCube Nintendo Classics service.Metroid Prime 2: Echoesstill needs to make the leap to modern systems though. These FPS versions of the classicMetroidgames are masterpieces with a large and devoted fanbase.
While we not-so-patiently wait for the anticipated launch ofMetroid Prime 4: Beyond, being able to replay the originals would offer a wonderful diversion. For people who are looking forward to the upcoming title but perhaps have never tried the originals,these games could be enough to tempt many to get subscriptions to the service.
The main gimmick of the Hyrulean adventure,The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Adventures,was to play in a cooperative multiplayer mode with anywhere from one to four players, preferably having all four. Sadly, this posed a problem for many, asgetting that many players together to play was not always an easy task.
TheZeldagames are always fun to experience, and ifFour Swords Adventurescould not only come to the GameCube Classics service, but also make use of the online connections for players to enjoy the game with friends all over, it could give this game a whole new life.
Super Smash Bros. Meleeis hands down one of the best games to have been released on the GameCube, andsome still argue that it is the bestSmash Bros. experienceoverall. This makes it surprising thatit has not been announced as comingto Nintendo Switch Online. While the firstSmash Bros. game was a fun party game,Meleetook the experience to a new level and made it feel more like a Nintendo version of a classic fighting game.
Even without it being available on the Nintendo Switch consoles,Super Smash Bros. Meleecontinues to have an active community of players, many of whom would likely be more than happy to use the subscription service for a more modern way of accessing the game.
Animal Crossing: New Horizonshad the good fortune of being launched at the beginning of the 2020 pandemic, and that title served to introduce many people to the world of gaming. The game remains incredibly popular, and has inspired some to try going back to previous titles in the series. Unfortunately,accessing the originalAnimal Crossinggame requires a GameCube and the physical copy of the game, which may be a bit too difficult for some of these curious fans to try.
Right now there are many people anxiously twiddling their thumbs while waiting for an announcement for a new entry in theAnimal Crossingseries. Giving them easy access to the game that started it all may be a way to appease some of the anticipation, while also letting people see how far the game has come.
LikeLuigi’s Mansion,Super Mario Sunshinewas one of the games included in the announcement for GameCube Classics on Nintendo Switch Online. While this game is still expected,the fact that it was not available when the service launched came as a surprise to many. Despite the delay,Super Mario Sunshineis likely to be one of the most popular games on the service once it arrives.
There are many more GameCube games which hopefully will be added to Nintendo Switch Online’s service in the future, especially as the limited offering of only three titles at the moment is far too few. Even without getting all 650 games, hopefully Nintendo will at least add the above games and bring these fan favorites to theNintendo Switch 2.
