Nintendo Switch Online adding GameCube games exclusively for Switch 2

By Willa Rowe Published April 2, 2025

Nintendo GameCube controller on red background — Nintendo

The Switch 2 direct wasn’t just about all the shiny new games you’ll play, there was also a much requested update to Nintendo Switch Online focused on some great old ones too! Yes, GameCube games are finally coming to Nintendo’s online games service. The major caveat being that this is exclusive for Nintendo Switch 2.

Wind Waker link looking shocked! — Nintendo

This update is part of the Nintendo Switch 2 Online + Expansion Pack service, which to date already lets you play games from past consoles from the NES to Nintendo 64. The first game that will be included is The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker, the classic cartoon looking entry that sees Link setting sail in a world of islands. That itself is pretty exciting, but does mean that the constant rumors of a remake or port of the title are probably dead in the water.

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Soulcalibur II, the second entry in Namco’s 3D fighting game series, is also coming to the service. Link himself is a character in the title so it only feels apt. F-Zero GX was the next title shown off, which is great news for fans of the long dormant racing franchise, and it’ll support online multiplayer! More titles will be added down the line, but a brief carousel showed off the likes of Super Mario Sunshine, Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance, Pokémon XD: Gale of Darkness, and more. The initial lineup of games will launch on June 5, the same day as the Switch 2.

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Willa is a freelance games critic based in NY. She hosts the Girl Mode podcast and previously wrote for Inverse and Kotaku.

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The Nintendo Switch 2 is being held in a pair of hands.

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Jonathan Ore, senior writer for CBC Radio Online, shared a statement from Nintendo of Canada on Bluesky on Tuesday saying pre-orders for the Switch 2 have been delayed in the country to "align with the timing of pre-orders" in the United States. The statement reads as follows: