Nintendo’s new GameCube library for Switch Online members was one of the more pleasing and maybe even surprising elements to the Switch 2 launch. It’s not perfect, there aren’t a ton of games yet, and Nintendo did decide to lock out Switch 1 consoles all together, however it is a nice way to bolster the launch lineup for its new console and provide some “new” classic experiences for nostalgic gamers or folks that weren’t around for the GameCube days. But what will be the next game added to the Switch Online GameCube library?
Nintendo clearly could have just debuted its next-generation console, all-new Mario Kart World experience, sprinkled in some upgraded remakes, teased the new 3D Donkey Kong Bananza game and likely sold the same record-breaking number of units as it already has. But the GameCube library has thus far been a success and a (mostly) popular one at that.
The Nintendo Classics GameCube library debuted with three titles: The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker, Soulcalibur 2, and F-Zero GX – a sweet little lineup of launch games, albeit a somewhat thin one.
After that, not even a month after the Switch 2 release date, Nintendo introduced a fourth title to the lineup with the classic Super Mario Strikers experience that delivers 5v5 action on the pitch in a way only the Mushroom Kingdom can.
Okay, but what game will be added to the GameCube library next? How often does Nintendo add new games to Switch Online? And when will the next GameCube game land for Switch 2 owners?
Well, it’s not an exact science here. In fact, there’s hardly even a steady schedule. Nintendo, roughly speaking, brings a new title to the Nintendo Classics Switch Online library once a month or so, but even that is a stretch. Typically speaking Nintendo adds one game, or a small collection of games to each classic console whenever it might decide to do that, and it decides to do that roughly once a month or so.
It just added Super Mario Strikers to the GameCube library in late June, and it just delivered Mario Paint to the SNES library earlier this week for the late July release. Logic stands to reason the next addition to the Switch Online library will hit sometime in August at this point. But it’s really anyone’s guess, and there’s no telling what classic console is up next.
At this point, and now that Mario Strikers is out, the only games already confirmed by Nintendo for the GameCube library are e following:
- Super Mario Sunshine
- Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance
- Luigi’s Mansion
- Pokémon XD: Gale of Darkness
- Pokémon Colosseum
- Chibi-Robo
Perhaps a Super Mario Sunshine release to cap off the summer would make sense? Maybe.
It might make sense for Nintendo to time the release of the classic Luigi’s Mansion for Halloween 2025?
Will it release one or both of the announced Pokémon titles in and around the October launch of the new Pokémon Legends: Z-A? Perhaps it might rather keep the new pocket monster game in the limelight instead.
There are two new game Switch 2 games releasing next month, with the Kirby Switch 2 Edition and Dark X Drive before that on the 14th, but as of right now the September Switch 2 game release schedule, at least as far as first-party content goes is looking particularly thin – perhaps Nintendo will leverage is aptly timed GameCube library to fill the gap here?
It’s not likely we will get any news on the GameCube library tomorrow at the next Nintendo Direct considering it is a Partner Showcase. We can certainly hope, but it looks like we are going to have to wait for another surprise announcement next month before we know for sure what’s next for the Switch 2 GameCube library.
What do you think? What games would you like to see added to the GameCube library in the future?
FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.
Comments