GameCube games are officially coming to Switch 2 – here’s the confirmed line-up

Nintendo has announced GameCube games are heading to its online service, led by F-Zero GX and The Legend Of Zelda: The Wind Waker.

The Nintendo Direct for the Switch 2 was stuffed with new games and details around the console, but for anyone old enough to be nostalgic about the GameCube, one announcement might have trumped them all.

After it was rumoured ahead of the presentation, Nintendo officially announced GameCube games will be added to Nintendo Switch Online when the Switch 2 launches on June 5, 2025. The service, depending on the tier you’re subscribed to, currently offers access to Nintendo 64, Game Boy Advance, Sega Mega Drive, NES, SNES, and Game Boy titles.

Access to GameCube games on the service will be exclusive to Switch 2 owners who have a Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack subscription, which currently costs £34.99 for 12 months individually, or £59.99 for a year-long family subscription.

At the Switch 2’s launch, there will be three GameCube games available: The Legend Of Zelda: The Wind Waker, F-Zero GX, and SoulCalibur 2 with Link as a playable character.

While all three are great games, the highlight of the line-up is F-Zero GX, although some might be disappointed it’s not a proper remaster. This version, however, does include small visual improvements and the ability to play with up to four players either locally or online.

The Legend Of Zelda: The Wind Waker has already been remastered for the Wii U, with significant gameplay and visual improvements. A Switch port of this remaster has been heavily rumoured for a while, but it’s unclear if the existence of this GameCube version on Switch makes a port of the Wii U version unlikely.

Nintendo also teased several other GameCube titles coming to the service in the future, although no specific release dates were given. These are listed below.

Beyond the games themselves, Nintendo also announced a wireless GameCube controller will be released on the same day as the Switch 2 on June 5, 2025. This will be available from the My Nintendo Store and will be exclusive to Nintendo Switch Online members, like the previous Nintendo 64 and NES controllers.

As noted on the store’s website though, it will only be initially available to those who are invited to pre-order the Switch 2 console, with the controller priced at £58.99.

While it certainly isn’t cheap to access these games, this does present a viable way to play some GameCube obscurities which are currently very expensive to buy physically, such as Chibi-Robo and Pokémon XD: Gale of Darkness.

It’s harder to excuse the price of actual Switch 2 games though, with the physical edition of Mario Kart World set to cost £74.99, while the digital version costs £66.99. If you’re looking to secure a Switch 2 console, meanwhile, you can check out where to pre-order here.

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