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The Electronic Entertainment Expo is nearly upon us! E3 is a time for announcements and surprises. And while most people are hoping to see things like The Elder Scrolls VI or Halo 6 (as long as it’s a 6, I guess), I’m hoping for one announcement: I want GameCube games on the Switch.
GameCube on the Switch has been a rumor since before Nintendo’s newest console came out. In China, the Nvidia Shield (which uses similar hardware to the Switch) offers GameCube downloads. We also saw box art leak last week for GameCube controllers for the Switch (although this could just be for the next Super Smash Bros.).
I’ve been teased long enough! The GameCube is one of my favorite systems ever made. And unlike its predecessors, its library hasn’t been easily accessible through Virtual Consoles or plug-and-play machines. If you want to play Super Metroid, you can buy it many different ways. If you want to play Super Mario Sunshine, then you better own the original disk.
Above: It’s not Odyssey, but Super Mario Sunshine is still fantastic.
I want those GameCube classics on the Switch. I get giddy at the idea of having Super Monkey Ball and Super Smash Bros. Melee back on my TV or anywhere else I go. I can see myself making my way back through the system’s library every night before bed.
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It’s one of the greatest gaming libraries ever. You have all-time classics and candidates for best games ever with Metroid Prime, The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker, and Resident Evil 4. You have incredible multiplayer games like Melee, Mario Kart: Double Dash, Soul Calibur 2, and F-Zero GX. You have great RPGs with Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door, Tales of Symphonia, and Skies of Arcadia: Legend.
It’s hard to stop myself from just listing all the games I can think of. Just reminiscing about them makes me all warm and giddy. But my point is that this library deserves just as much love as Nintendo has given to the NES, SNES, and Nintendo 64.
Above: Metroid Prime is one the best games ever.
Nintendo will likely have a strong E3. They have Super Smash Bros. and Pokémon games to show for the Switch. But announcing GameCube games coming to the platform could give their E3 a nudge toward greatness.
I don’t care how they do it. Release them in the eShop. Make them bonuses for the subscription service. Heck, Nintendo could even just make a big collection, à la Sega’s recent Genesis Collection for PlayStation 4 and GameCube.
Just give me my GameCube.
The RetroBeat is a weekly column that looks at gaming’s past, diving into classics, new retro titles, or looking at how old favorites — and their design techniques — inspire today’s market and experiences. If you have any retro-themed projects or scoops you’d like to send my way, please contact me.
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