Twelve Gamecube games to be added to the Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack -.

The Switch 2 has been out for a few weeks now and many of us have been able to test the ability to play the Gamecube on it, complete with the ability to use the original controller and also watch the original startup sequence with its various sound effects.

The lineup so far is not exactly huge, but it does include The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker, Soulcalibur II and F-Zero GX – the middle of which is a Bandai Namco title and the latter was developed by Sega. This makes it clear that not only Nintendo games will launch on the service, and that opens up a lot of possibilities when it comes to backwards compatibility.

And this is something I really hope Nintendo will focus on in the future, because Gamecube, with the exception of Wii U, is the biggest console flop Nintendo has had, and that can only be described as insanely undeserved. Although Nintendo gave itself a hard time with small discs and an odd controller, it was an incredibly beautiful piece of hardware that at its best moments offered graphics that even the Xbox (the leading format at the time from a performance perspective) struggled to match.

But it was a flop, and many missed out on the games as a result, and I think it’s now time for a cultural shift where Nintendo and their partners have to offer the best that the format has to offer Switch 2. And keep in mind that this is the starting point, the games should be fun to play today and actually deserve to be added. For example, after the remake of Resident Evil 4, there is less reason to include the original here, which is why it is not included, while a game like Killer7 has unfortunately gotten very old and is therefore missing.

So this is not a list of Gamecube’s best games, but twelve games that should be released for Switch 2 backwards compatibility, because they are games that people should have the chance to experience in all their genius.

1. Eternal darkness: the requiem of Sanity

Genre: Horror / Developer: Silicon Knights / Publisher: Nintendo / Year: 2002
Eternal Darkness: Sanity’s Requiem was almost more than just a game, but also a phenomenon that completely changed what a game could be. The adventure is undeniably outdated, but it still holds up, and making the cult classic Silicon Knights compatible backwards with Switch 2 would preserve a unique piece of gaming history that allows new and old gamers alike to face the darkness once again.

2. Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance

Genre: Strategy / Developer: Intelligent Systems / Publisher: Nintendo / Year: 2005
The Fire Emblem series has always been good, but one of the best games is Path of Radiance, where fan favorite Ike made his grand debut. The game is perfectly adapted for the Switch 2 and just the thought of being able to lie on a beach or trudge on a bus trip with this in your hands makes us drool.

3. Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes

Genre: Action / Developer: Silicon Knights, Konami / Publisher: Konami / Year: 2004
It’s easy to forget how important Silicon Knights were during the Gamecube era, and in addition to Eternal Darkness: Sanity’s Requiem, they also delivered a Western remake of Hideo Kojima’s Japanese masterpiece Metal Gear Solid, subtitled The Twin Snakes. It would be a downright dereliction of duty to let this one-off dust on the file shelf, and we’d love to crouch under cardboard boxes again, press our backs against cold hanging arm walls, hear Psychomantis exclaim, “Now let me read your mind…. ” and see your ‘!” appear on the mirror-like Switch 2 screen.

4. Resident Evil (remake)

Genre: Horror / Developer: Capcom Production Studio 4 / Publisher: Capcom / Year: 2002
In 2002, Spencer Mansion was transformed from blocky nostalgia to a more high-definition and much more stylish nightmare when Capcom used new technology to retell its horror story in an updated state. Although parts two through four received lavish remakes, this Gamecube game remains the only new version of the original, and in fact it still stands tall with the perfect blend of claustrophobia, pixel perfection and icy panic.

5. Skies of Arcadia legends

Genre: Role-playing / Developer: Overworks / Publisher: Sega / Year: 2003
Skies of Arcadia stands as one of the best games for the Dreamcast and clearly showed what magic Sega was capable of with a knife at its throat. When Sega stopped their own console production, they gave their title a chance on the Gamecube under the name Skies of Arcadia Legends, giving a new audience a chance to join the good pirate Vyse in his fight against the Valuan Empire. Unlike so many other series from this era, it is completely devoid of emo and is a thoroughly positive and uplifting adventure with characters that are easy to like and a script that can still be appreciated today.

6. Star Wars Rogue Squadron II: Rogue Leader

Genre: Action / Developer: Factor 5 / Publisher: LucasArts / Year: 2001
Under George Lucas, there were actually no movies and TV series about Star Wars, but the games were very good and numerous. During the Disney era it has paradoxically been the opposite with many movies and TV series, but few and often mediocre games. It would be nice to just sit back and enjoy the sound of Tie Fighters whizzing by, thundering laser cannons and frantic space battles. Rogue Leader wasn’t just technical magic when it was released, it was the dream of actually being in the cockpit of an X-Wing. And guess what? That dream has hardly aged.

7. Super Mario sunshine

Genre: Platform / Developer: Nintendo EAD / Publisher: Nintendo / Year: 2002
This is undoubtedly one of Mario’s weakest adventures. But. that’s not saying much, because a Mario on the rocks is still better than almost all of its competitors. Nowadays we know that Sunshine is nothing like Super Mario 64, Galaxy, 3D World or Odyssey – but it’s still fun and without expectations there’s a different and enjoyable platform game waiting for you that is unfortunately very forgotten.

8. The Simpsons: Hit & Run

Genre: Action / Developer: Radical Entertainment / Publisher: Vivendi Universal Games / Year: 2003
This is not only the best The Simpsons game (what happened to them anyway, when was the last time there was a good game with the family yellow?) but also one of the best licensed games ever. Radical Entertainment delivered a true GTA competitor with more fan service than anyone could reasonably need, which was so downright entertaining that people still talk about it and still play it today. And more would if given the chance for Switch 2.

9. Visible Joe

Genre: Action / Developer: Clover Studio / Publisher: Capcom / Year: 2003
In an era when PlayStation 2 emerged as the best-selling console of all time, Capcom chose to invest heavily first in Dreamcast and then Gamecube. The latter resulted in Capcom Five, a collection of five games, including Resident Evil 4 and Killer7. The only one that fits on this list, however, is Viewtiful Joe, which was a colorful cascade of crazy action and cool slow-motion tricks. It was like stepping straight into a cartoon where every attack felt like an homage to old school comic books. This has hardly aged and Viewtiful Joe would completely charm even today’s gamers – provided they get the chance to play it. Make it happen, Capcom and Nintendo.

10. Virtua Striker 2002

Genre: Sports / Developer: Amusement Vision / Publisher: Sega / Year: 2002
At the time, Virtua Striker 2002 was the pinnacle of arcade soccer and far from super-strategic, slow, realistic soccer. Rather, it was a pure adrenaline rush in the best Sega spirit that got even people like me – who are not really into sports or sports games – to play match after match because it was so genuinely fun and action-packed. Switch 2 could certainly use more sports, and Virtua Striker has a void to fill, if only to remind everyone that you really don’t need simulation, licensing or real players to have fun.

11. WarioWare, Inc: Mega Party Games!

Genre: Party / Developer: Intelligent Systems / Publisher: Nintendo / Year: 2004
This is the game that caused me to still have the Gamecube readily available. It is by far the best game in the series and the reason why so many people still love it. It is ultra-intuitive and offers five-second mini-games at a machine-gun pace. It is also a game that can be played by 16 people by throwing a controller between them, and because the branches are so short, the wait time is minimal as player after player is eliminated. An absolute masterpiece that always gets laughs.

12. Golf Race: Blue Storm

Genre: Racing / Developer: Nintendo Software Technology / Publisher: Nintendo / Year: 2001
Here on the editorial staff, we consider the Nintendo 64 original one of the best games for the console. The same may not be true of Wave Race: Blue Storm, but that doesn’t stop it from being perhaps the most summery game of all time (in competition with the aforementioned Super Mario Sunshine ) with its alluring blue sea, palm trees, sunny weather and expansive beaches. The fact that it’s also great fun to play and supports multiplayer for up to four people on split-screen doesn’t make it any worse. Wave Race: Blue Storm is completely unique and would be a wonderful game to be able to relive via backwards compatibility now that Nintendo seems to have decided it is not a series that will live on.