The Nintendo Switch 2 GameCube game library - formally known as ‘Nintendo GameCube - Nintendo Classics’, because Nintendo is so good at naming things - arrived on June 5 alongside the launch of the new console.
Part of the Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack subscription tier, the service arrived with three choice games and (at the time of writing) one more in the month that followed. We also know that several more confirmed titles are on the way, and will arrive on the service at, presumably, a cadence of one per month. The games we have now, and those we know will be arriving so far are as follows:
- The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker (available now)
- Soul Calibur 2 (available now)
- F-Zero GX (available now)
- Super Mario Strikers (available now)
- Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance
- Luigi’s Mansion
- Chibi-Robo!
- Super Mario Sunshine
- Pokémon Colosseum
- Pokémon XD: Gale of Darkness
Again, assuming that these games are arriving once per month, there’s enough here until January 2026, and I’ve little doubt the GameCube collection will grow beyond that. It just remains to be seen which titles will receive representation on Switch 2.
But how is the collection doing so far? It’s getting a lot of things right, in my opinion. Games that include native widescreen support (like F-Zero GX and Soul Calibur 2) look fantastic in handheld mode. The Nintendo Switch 2 GameCube controller is also a winner, with excellent battery life and seamless wireless connectivity. I’m also generally happy with the current roster of games, though I do have my own wishlist which I’ll get into later.
There are of course a handful of things that I wish to see improved, particularly in regards to overall performance, but let’s get into it.
The good
We’ve come a long way from the advent of Nintendo Switch Online’s retro libraries. In those initial months, games were plagued with audio and visual issues, exacerbated by the streaming model Nintendo had opted for (these are not downloadable titles like we saw with the Virtual Console, after all).
Things have improved dramatically since then, and overall game stability is very solid for these GameCube titles. No jarring instances of screen-tearing or audio desync that were a frequent point of contention when Nintendo’s retro libraries first landed on the original Switch. That said, I have a fairly decent internet connection, so your mileage may vary here.
Some games, like F-Zero GX and Soul Calibur 2, also retain their native widescreen support. Nintendo has handled this very smartly on Switch 2, and you get a true 16:9 widescreen output on TV and in handheld mode. I was concerned that the company wouldn’t bother putting any work in, with a squashed 16:9 image having to fit within those side borders, but I’m pleasantly surprised to see Nintendo ensured a proper widescreen resolution.
The addition of full custom button mapping is a blessing. The button layouts of the original GameCube controller and the Joy-Con 2 and Nintendo Switch 2 Pro Controller don’t exactly line up. By default, that means you may have to do some awkward button reaching if you’re playing on one of the Switch 2’s official controllers. Thankfully, though, you can remap to a more comfortable layout on a per-game basis, which makes playing these games far more convenient if you don’t own the official Switch 2 GameCube controller.
Speaking of, I’m a big fan of the Nintendo Switch 2 GameCube controller. It almost perfectly recreates the look and feel of the original, right down to the loose pressure sensitive triggers and bumpy analog stick. That is a double-edged sword, though; the d-pad still sucks, and it’s perhaps not quite as ergonomic as some of the best Nintendo Switch controllers.
I also appreciate its modernity. It’s a wireless controller with impressive battery life, and the addition of Switch 2-specific buttons like Home, Screenshot, and GameChat is very welcome.
The bad
In truth, there’s not much that outright ‘bad’ about the GameCube classics library so far. Yes, the selection of games is small right now; but it’s early days. Plenty more fantastic GameCube games will join the roster in the coming months, and hopefully even more beyond that.
The main issue, as is the case in some other Switch Online retro libraries, is input lag. It’s not universal, with the worst of it found in The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker.It’s especially noticeable when moving Link in a direction from a standstill. There’s roughly two-tenths of a second, or thereabouts, before the input is registered.
It’s not unplayably bad, and I’ve begrudgingly gotten used to it in my current playthrough. But those hoping for a smoother play experience may want to stick to original hardware if possible, or the Wii U’s Wind Waker HD port if you have that to hand.
Thankfully, I wasn’t able to find any egregious instances of input lag in Soul Calibur 2 or F-Zero GX, where quick reflexes and decision-making really matter due to their fast-paced, 60fps gameplay. Though I do fear for future titles coming to the collection that are capped at 30fps, such as Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance and Luigi’s Mansion. Like The Wind Waker, these could also suffer from input lag issues if the problem is tied to frame rate.
The wish list
Mostly so far so good, then, but I am also hoping for long term GameCube support beyond the titles we know are confirmed right now. For me, Sega absolutely has to throw its hat into the ring. The company went multiplatform a few years after the Dreamcast released, and so many brilliant Sega games found homes on both the GameCube and original Xbox.
I’d love to see Sonic Adventure 2 Battle, Sonic Heroes, and Sonic Riders land in the Switch 2’s game library. Then, of course, there’s Phantasy Star Online Episode 1 & 2. That one may be a bit difficult due to its online functionality no longer being present, but it does have a fully playable offline mode and local multiplayer.
From the Nintendo camp, Starfox Assault and The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess are both must-haves for me. As would be classics like Wario World, Metroid Prime 2 Echoes, Mario Golf: Toadstool Tour, Animal Crossing, WarioWare, Inc.: Mega Party Games and of course Super Smash Bros. Melee. I’m not much of a Pikmin fan, but those two games would be great to see, too.
There weren’t many RPGs released for the GameCube, at least compared to the PlayStation 2 where the genre was in something of a golden age. But those that did land on the GameCube - Baten Kaitos, Tales of Symphonia, and Skies of Arcadia: Legends, for example - all have a special place in my heart.
Finally, let’s get weird with it. There are some fantastic GameCube games that I don’t see landing in the Switch 2 collection, that I’d nonetheless love to see make a surprise appearance. These include killer7, Eternal Darkness: Sanity’s Requiem, and Super Monkey Ball 2. All stone-cold classics that deserve a spot in the collection.
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