We're getting ever closer to the arrival of the Nintendo Switch 2, which means it's almost time for GameCube games to arrive on Nintendo Switch Online. It's been a tantalizingly long wait since we first saw the news of some of our favourite games for Ninty's famous indigo powerhouse heading to NSO, and we've been receiving a lot of questions as to which games have been confirmed as arriving on the system and which are heading to the platform in the coming months.
So, with that in mind, I've made a quick list of upcoming GameCube games arriving on the system for you to get to grips with, including pictures of game cases from my collection alongside original game trailers for some nostalgic feels!
NB: It's worth noting that GameCube titles will only be available to play on NSO on the Nintendo Switch 2, so you'll need the new console to take advantage of these new games.
1. The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker (Launch Title - June 5, 2025)
- Original Release Date: December 13, 2002
Eiji Aonuma's cel-shaded masterpiece doesn't need any introduction. So many of us have been waiting for Wind Waker to arrive on Nintendo Switch over the years, and as it's been over 8 years since the original Switch arrived, it's about time that it happened!
The Wind Waker joins a huge list of Zelda titles on NSO, from its predecessor Majora's Mask all the way back to the original The Legend of Zelda game on the NES. Playing this in 16:9 widescreen mode will be a real treat!
2. Soul Calibur II (Launch Title- June 5, 2025)
- Original Release Date: March 27, 2003
Nintendo fans got the best deal with the additional character in the GameCube version of Soul Calibur II. I mean, Spawn and Heihachi Mishima were cool characters, but Link wins hands down.
I spent so many hours playing Soul Calibur II with friends back in the day, something you'll hear me saying a lot through this article. Cervantes with his double short swords, Raphael with his fencing sword, Knightmare with the gargantuan Soul Edge blade - this will be a perfect title to bring couch multiplayer gaming back to the fold again!
3. F-Zero GX (Launch Title - June 5, 2025)
- Original Release Date: July 25, 2003
Captain Falcon is one of my favourite-ever Smash Bros. characters (I'm hoping we see that game on this list before long too!), but he's the face of the F-Zero series first and foremost. For anyone wanting a more extreme racer than Mario Kart World with twists and turns that will give you whiplash while sitting on your sofa, the F-Zero GX will be right up your street.
One thing I love about F-Zero GX is the unpredictable nature of the courses - I feel like I know what's coming on Mario Kart 8 Deluxe after playing the levels so many times, but GX is such a fast-paced, white-knuckle ride that by the time you've remembered there's a turn coming up, you've already hit the barrier!
4. Super Mario Sunshine
- Original Release Date: July 19, 2002
For everyone who didn't manage to get hold of the Super Mario 3D All-Stars the first time around, you'll be glad to know that Super Mario Sunshine is set to appear on the NSO platform in the coming months.
Mario's adventures on Isle Delfino are a firm part of my childhood and a welcome addition on the Nintendo Switch 2. This game felt so much more polished than Mario 64 and took everything we loved from Mario's first 3D adventure and supercharged it with a hundred Power Stars. If you've made it this far in life without experiencing F.L.U.D.D, then you're in for a real treat!
5. Pokémon Colosseum
- Original Release Date: November 21, 2003
There was a lot of confusion when Colosseum first came out in 2003. Everyone was expecting this to just be a GameCube iteration of the Pokémon Stadium formula, when in fact it's a 3D Pokémon adventure in the same vein as Sword, Shield, Scarlet, and Violet, except a heck of a lot less advanced.
Colosseum is all about purifying Shadow Pokémon and rescuing them from evil trainers. It does have a similar battle feel to Pokémon Stadium in the multiplayer battle mode, but Colosseum provides so much more than its N64 counterparts.
6. Pokémon XD: Gale of Darkness
- Original Release Date: August 4, 2005
And Gale of Darkness is the successor to Colosseum, giving you a chance to play both games back to back as soon as the Nintendo Switch 2 drops. There are 83 different Shadow Pokémon to capture and purify with action that feels very similar to its predecessor but still provides Pokémaniacs even more reason to buy Ninty's new console.
7. Luigi's Mansion
- Original Release Date: September 14, 2001
It might be a little controversial, but I enjoy Luigi's Mansion much more than Super Mario Sunshine. I think it's because I read about it so much in Nintendo Official Magazine when I was waiting to get my GameCube, and the gameplay was so different from the happy, shiny levels in Mario's previous games. It felt like being permanently in a darker version of Big Boo's haunt.
Sucking up ghosts with the Poltergust 3000 was yet another great memory of my childhood, and it's always nice to play as Luigi in a starring role too as opposed to his supremely famous brother. If you've played Luigi's Mansion 3 on Switch and want to see the game where it all began, then it will be heading to NSO in the coming months.
8. Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance
- Original Release Date: April 20, 2005
Don't worry, Nintendo have got the RPG crowd well and truly covered with Path of Radiance dropping in the near future. The 9th game in the series was the first home title Fire Emblem console that we got in the West, so it holds a special place in our hearts.
If you're looking for something that you can really sink your teeth into and get those grey cells working overtime, then Path of Radiance feels like someone's fused Risk, Stratego, and the most elaborate game of D&D together. Collect, fight, recruit, and strategize your way to victory as you take another Smash Bros stalwart, Ike, on an epic adventure.
9. Super Mario Strikers
- Original Release Date: January 11, 2006
If you've played Mario Strikers Battle League Football on the Nintendo Switch, then Super Mario Strikers is where the series first began. Some people argue that the GameCube wasn't a portable console despite it having a literal handle on the back of it, but I used to carry my console round to my friend's house to play this game for hours on an evening, and we became masters at it.
Super Mario Strikers still looks and plays well today, and in many ways, I prefer it to Battle League because it's much simpler, just like I prefer Smash Bros. Melee to Ultimate. It's FIFA but for Nintendo nerds - what's not to love?
10. Chibi-Robo! Plug Into Adventure
- Original Release Date: June 23, 2005
Chibi-Robo has remained on many gamers' 'play wish-lists' for a long time due to the fact that it's such an expensive game to pick up. Prices start from around $200 and can go all the way up towards the $800 mark, which means that it's not exactly something you can grab on a whim.
Thankfully, gamers will finally be able to experience the adventures of this little electronic butler for the yearly NSO subscription fee, carrying out everyday tasks in a gigantic world when you're essentially a futuristic, rechargeable borrower!
