Nintendo, with this one at hand, has just detonated the biggest retro-gaming bomb: Three majestic GameCube titles were released for the Nintendo Switch 2, but only for those subscribed to Nintendo Switch Online and Expansion Pack. The titles were none other than The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker, F-Zero GX, and SOULCALIBUR II, basically the full triumvirate of GameCube titles available to players at this very moment.
And, yes, people are very much hyped about the whole thing with a pinch of resentment licking their souls.
The first major topic is the game. Wind Waker, the cel-shaded masterpiece with a name carrying along, has elegantly and literally defined a generation; F-Zero GX? One of the fastest racing games and one of the most punishing ever made. SOULCALIBUR II? By far the best fighting game for the GameCube, especially with Link as an in-game guest character.
Only problem-they’re only on Switch 2. Not the original Switch. And thus starts the drama.
Division among gamers. Some, like @SkyloftSword, just want to finish Wind Waker (even if they did have the HD version and never got around to it). The other side, through @lancanal, calls it a “dick move” to lock a GameCube game behind the Switch 2’s paywall. And then there’s @Terry_Kirton, busily chuckling away about Mario Kart World’s pricing in the UK.
Oh, and @lensoftruth013? That user is calling Nintendo cowards for not making Tingle Tuner available. Really, a fair point.
The replies are an utter mess. Some gamers are crying for more obscure GameCube gems like Custom Robo (shoutout @Chaos0nline), while a few are just outright mad because they feel Nintendo is seemingly “abandoning” the original Switch (@alldous). And then there’s @Gnarfledarf, still bitter about the demise of Virtual Console.
Well, there is no consensus: @MegaNerdX4 just says they’re glad these dropped on release day, and @westerns1978 is hyped about retro gaming just getting “leveled up.”
Well, what’s the deal? Nintendo is really in hard promotion for Switch 2, and putting these classics behind the online service is one good (albeit kind of ruthless) way to make people get the upgrade. But for players who just want to replay Wind Waker without shelling out for new hardware? Yeah, this hurts.
More GameCube games? Most likely. Will they be Switch 2 exclusives as well? You can bet on it. And until then, players will have heated debates over whether this is a genius strategy or just another Nintendo move.
But one thing is beyond question—if you own both a Switch 2 and the Expansion Pack, these three are going to make for a lovely line-up to hop straight into. And if you don’t? Well, better go in and dust off that GameCube lying in the attic.
