Foreword – You’ll Have to Pry the GameCube from my Cold, Dead Hands
The Nintendo Switch 2 is out this week, and I am inordinately excited for GameCube games to come back. To be specific, the new GameCube application that’ll be out on Switch 2, alongside the wireless GameCube controller they’re releasing. It’s silly, but I’m seriously jazzed to a degree where I’m like “wait, this is definitely too much”.
And yet, casting my mind back to my youth, I bought a screen-equipped third party GameCube controller so I could play it anywhere with a power outlet, I dreamt regularly about owning one of the many awesome modded portable GameCubes we’ve all seen online, and I’ve attempted to run GameCube games on every Android device that I’ve ever owned. Though this sounds like a life rich with portable GameCube antics and memories, the sad truth is that it never worked out. All my Android devices were woefully underpowered, I never attempted to mod a GameCube to be portable, and that screen controller? The darn screen never even worked. The store wouldn’t accept a return either, since the item had been opened and I had no way to prove I wasn’t the one who damaged it. As a kid with limited cash, losing $60 on a mediocre controller with a heavy non-functioning screen was a really sad moment, and the device has been not much more than a bad memory for me ever since. Despite my endless longing for portable GameCube games, it was never in the cards for me.
Nowadays, of course, there are so many devices you can get that can handle nearly the whole library with no real issues. On PC, you get access to Dolphin, a truly incredible GameCube/Wii emulator with a shocking slew of hardware features. As an avid GameCube emulation user/pusher, I wonder why I’m so excited for a subscription-service based GameCube emulator that’ll trickle out games for years? Is it just me, or is there some different, hard-to-put-your-finger-on feeling that an official release on your console family of choice brings out? I kind of feel like there is! I have no qualms with pirating games that aren’t on sale and stuff, anyways, so I’m a little surprised I feel this way. Maybe I shouldn’t be, though, as I’ve been routinely pumped to see my old favourites show up on their earlier Switch apps. Regardless! Happiness is a pretty fleeting thing, and you have to be sure to grab onto it whenever you can. Who am I to deny myself this happiness and excitement because I could pirate these games elsewhere? I won’t spoil it for myself!
Actually, I have one guess as to part of my excitement. Perhaps it’s a bit uncharacteristic of me, but I had surprisingly pessimistic feelings towards an official GameCube emulation platform ever happening. Genuinely, I thought there was a solid chance we’d never see the day. Let me explain!
I really think that as you trawl the history of game consoles, when you arrive at GameCube, PlayStation 2, and Xbox, the game design and general artistic qualities begin to get so modern that with a relatively small amount of work a much smaller team of developers can shake these games out and resell them for a tidy profit. Capcom and Square-Enix have made untold tens of millions off of RE4 and FFX ports alone, and Nintendo themselves have gotten in on this with releases like Luigi‘s Mansion for 3DS, both of the 3D GameCube Zeldas for Wii U, and the first two Pikmin titles for Wii (and more recently for Switch).
I strongly believe that around that point in time, games that were pushing top-notch graphics for the era were finally technically compelling enough that they could hold up long-term in front of a very general gaming audience much better than the generations that came before. Don’t get me wrong, there are endless beautiful games out there in gaming’s past that hold up excellently. I just think that if you put a hundred average gamers in front of StarFox Assault and the original StarFox, there’s a solid chance Assault would come out on top and the visual makeup (both the art/graphics and performance profile) would be a big factor. Games like that still look really good to this day, especially if you bump the resolution a little (which the new Switch 2 app supports).
In summary, because I think so strongly that this era of games is so very viable for successful remasters and remakes, I was really not sure we’d ever get GameCube (or Wii) titles released on NSO. Now, I think even the Wii is just a matter of time, and I’ll be lining up on day one for whatever adapter I need to plug a sensor bar into my Switch 3.
To get back on the topic of my excitement, rather than my pessimism, holy fuck. The announced list of games is already excellent. Though there are only three games at launch, the selection is pretty excellent. Wind Waker alone is straight up like a 30+ hour adventure. They could have probably gotten away with releasing just that on its own. To be flanked by the unbeatably good F-Zero GX and the never-before-re-released GameCube version of Soul Calibur II (Which features Link as a guest character with an array of unlockable Zelda weaponry) is just wild to me. You could legit buy a Switch 2 and just enjoy GameCube games for dozens and dozens of hours from day one without needing to buy a single Switch 2 title (though until Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance releases it’s probably still cheaper to just buy a GameCube and the original games than a Switch 2).
One thing that really excites me about these new releases is that in this newfangled internet era, I think these games will get a lot of conversation and thorough re-examination. Everybody knows about legendary ‘Cube titles like Chibi-Robo, Odama, or Cubivore, but for a lot of people, it’s kind of a pain to get emulators going. Some people have a real aversion to pirating games as well (even if they’re ancient and don’t make any money). I’m really keen to see thousands and thousands of people explore these games online together, and I’m hopeful that with how popular retro Nintendo speedrunning is in particular, this will welcome a new generation of GameCube title runners. I even have to admit that although I don’t think I’m much of a mean-spirited person, I’m beyond excited to watch hordes of streamers get absolutely filtered by F-Zero GX’ vicious story mode difficulty. YouTube wasn’t even a thing when that game debuted, so it’ll be a fun bit of schadenfreude for all us F-Zero GX sufferers.
As far as the games that are actually on the way, I’m particularly pumped for the RPGs. Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance and the pair of Genius Sonority-developed Pokémon RPGs (Colosseum and XD: Gale of Darkness) are dead-on in my teenage RPG nostalgia strike zone and I haven’t touched any of them in many years. Although I’ve enjoyed the RPG selection on the other NSO apps (Breath of Fire and Paper Mario are all-time favourites of mine), I can’t deny that outside of my nostalgic faves, I find many of the RPGs available on the older systems to be quite antiquated, so I’m hoping we get a lot of the GameCube ones. Skies of Arcadia Legends? Pretty please?
Speaking of wishful thinking, beyond the announced list of bangers I’m actually really optimistic about what could be coming down the pipe. Besides obvious stuff like your Wario Worlds and your Custom Robos, I’m excited that we probably have a good chance of seeing games like Kururin Squash (a Japan-only Nintendo title with minimal text), Cubivore (which was published by Atlus in the west, but is a Nintendo title in Japan) and even Pokémon Channel (a strange but enjoyable Pikachu friendship simulation game). With the Switch 2 having a microphone, I’m hopeful that more people can experience the magic of Odama, too. My big prayer is Animal Crossing. That was a huge childhood game for my sister and I. We played it so much, and I really fondly remember visiting each other’s towns and growing increasingly jealous of whatever cool new piece of furniture the other stumbled into. As a big Nintendo household, we had the full GBA setup with e-Reader and a handful of cards, so we really took that game through its paces. It’s a really unique title whose tone and vibe has never really been matched by future releases (which in many respects have improved otherwise), so I’d love for more people to get to experience it.
On the third-party side, with Xbox fully onboard with releasing NSO titles, I’m extremely hopeful we have a real shot of seeing the two Activision-published Lost Kingdoms titles sometime down the line. Those were published by From Software in Japan, so I’m not totally sure it’s as much of a slam dunk as the truly Activision-owned titles, but I’m willing to believe there’s a real chance. With Capcom and Konami actively participating in NSO releases on the other retro platforms, I’m hopeful to see games like Gotcha Force, P.N.0.3., Megaman Network Transmission, the incredible Bloody Roar: Primal Fury, and both 3D Bomberman games. If we’re extremely lucky, maybe even Yu-Gi-Oh! The Falsebound Kingdom or Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes as a treat. That’d be fucking awesome.
For anyone who’s not aware, we will likely see a bit more news on confirmed titles once the app launches on the Switch 2. More industrious people than I will likely datamine it immediately, as with previous NSO emulator applications. Assuming it’s set up like the other ones, the games will be arranged in an alphabetical list with empty spaces left where there are planned titles. This allows for people to compare the internal list to the wider GameCube catalog and suss out a few upcoming unannounced titles. With any luck, and if the team hasn’t changed the way they handle this info internally, we’ll likely be able to sleuth out a dozen or more titles through this method when the service launches. Up until now this has been a surprisingly reliable method, so I’m hoping for more news on this front soon!
Are you guys feeling half as excited about this GameCube stuff as I am? Have you ever felt this way for a new release of a retro game you could just as easily pirate? Surely I’m not alone on this! Either way, can’t wait to play me some Wind Waker again. Now, if I can just figure out how to get my hands on a Switch 2…
-Liam
Screenshots sourced from publishers and Mobygames uploaders.
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9 responses to “MAY 2025”
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Oh honestly I am almost as excited for Gamecube games as I am for the new Mario Kart.
Gamecube was aslo a big childhood console of mine, while I might have been more on the licensed game side of things (Spongeboy BFBB and Spide-Man the movie game were GOATed I dont care) I always LOVED playing Mario Kart Double Dash at friends houses and Smash Bros Melee was the coolest game to chip away at and find shit to unlock in it.
When my best friend no longer had a way to play his games he gave me his entire Gamecube collection, thats where I got to play games like Start Fox Assult (never finished it) and this one game called uh… what was it… I think it was like “Kirby Flies in the Air” or something like that? Anyways, I got a mightly collection now from that and other friends giving me their games when they were downsizing their collections, but even then my Black Gamecube with the eject button that gets stuck has definetly seen better days, so having the NSO Gamecube app will definetly be a more convenient way to play these games when Im not to concerned with the ritual of using a real Gamecube.
Im personally hoping for Billy Hatcher, Smash Melee (even if thats not likely), and maybe some multi platform games from back then like Sonic Riders and Vieitiful Joe 1 and 2.
Regardless, I am just as hyped as you are for Gamecube games on the switch 2, and considering my Fiance forbids me from playing Mario Kart World without her, I probably will be putting a lot of time into the Gamecube games day after launch!
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OH MAN THE SPIDER-MAN MOVIE GAME I FEEL YOU DUDE. Glad I’m not the only GameCube obsessed one around haha.
I hadn’t even thought of Billy Hatcher! Would be over the moon with that one! I have it back in Montreal but I never did get very far in it… Viewtiful Joe would be tight as hell but I suspect with Kamiya back under Capcom there’s a real chance we see a proper collected release… still, I’ll hope for the best!
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I really like seeing official emulation releases, whether through dedicated new releases and compilations or Nintendo’s general-purpose system emulation efforts (though I definitely preferred being able to buy releases to the current subscription model). I definitely think it provides more of an incentive for many to try out older games, though my unrealistic ideal would be for more people to want to pick up older systems and physical copies.
I’m definitely in a minority in my belief that these games look better at their original resolutions, and it’d be great to me if Nintendo offered a way to run them without the resolution boosts (like they’re adding with the CRT filter to the N64 emulator in Switch 2). That said, I’m still one to pick up the physicals when I can and play them on my CRT, which puts me in a very privileged minority. Generally, though, I want more people to give that era of games a shot and get some more appreciation for the uniqueness, beauty and shameless “gameyness” of even the biggest releases from that era, let alone the niche ones. On top of all of its other strengths, F-Zero GX feels great in ways that other racing games just don’t, with a handling model that focuses on making you feel barely in control of impossibly fast machines that are trying to kill you.
I have a couple of worries, really: I feel like the subscription model (and the crazy abundance of video games these games) might somehow cheapen the games to many people trying them, in that there won’t be an incentive for people to put the time into learning and improving at the games (and will thus be incentivised to judge the games on first impressions, unlike when a load of money is sunk into your one game for the next however many months); and, I feel like many will be turned-off by the general gameyness and weirdness of GameCube-era stuff, before the current era of general normalisation within genres. I just don’t want this stuff to lead to a greater public sentiment against that era of games, or to further the current narrative of older games needing remakes to be palatable.
I’m probably just being very pessimistic, and it’s not like the emulation offerings are anything but added value to hardware that many are really excited about (I really wish I could afford a Switch 2 right now). I want more general excitement around old games, and want to see younger people giving them a shot, so I’m really glad that you wrote this (and hope other people online share some positivity around this stuff, too). Nice post, anyway, Liam. Hope you’re doing good.
(…Also, P.N.03’s a weird one… I wrote-up some thoughts about it a while ago, and while I really respect its strangeness, there are some parts of its loop that I wish were handled differently…)
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P.N.03 sure is a strange beast, huh? I just read your article on it after reading that you wrote it and I can’t help but agree with just about everything, haha. It really is a game that’s only fun in spite of itself! I’ve actually never finished the darn thing because I always get so sidetracked doing the side missions every time I try! Still, would love to have that back in a non-Cube shaped form factor lol.
I really get you on the subscription thing. I think bar-none that’s kind of the worst element of the otherwise excellent setup Nintendo has now with their retro emulators. If the cost of entry weren’t so good I’d probably be more mad about it. Maybe I should be more mad about it, anyways, haha!
I tend to be of the opinion that most people who engage with a collection of games (be it a game collection like Namco Museum or apps like the Nintendo ones), the vast majority of players only dabble in each one. The amount of users who even finish a single game is pretty miniscule. I think because of that, though there may be people whose opinion is diminished as they bounce from title to title before leaving, they usually don’t form super strong opinions either way. I understand your concern though. We really don’t need more demand for remakes of perfectly playable games, haha.
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Oh, thanks a bunch for reading it – you really didn’t have to (I went back after posting my comment to remember what I’d written and really wasn’t keen on the prose, so sorry to put you through that!). And yeah, the pacing was destroyed by the side mission stuff, so I also didn’t finish it. At least the save file is waiting there if I’m in the mood again, I suppose.
Yeah, the entry price for NSO is pretty great, especially considering how many genuinely fantastic games people get access to (your subscription comparison write-up demonstrated as much). I wish I could get people to try the games I’m paying for them to access in the family plan, but I only really have one friend with any interest in older console stuff.
And yeah, I absolutely agree with you there. That stuff definitely saddens me, especially considering that relatively few people are willing to even give the games a shot. It’s generally part of my massive concern about the industry’s future, with shrinking minorities of players keeping older stuff alive memetically. Probably shouldn’t leave the reply on a sad note, but hey ho :¬(LikeLike
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Hi Liam. I found your blog recently and I’ve spent the last few evenings reading through your posts. I’ve especially enjoyed reading about your life in Japan. Maybe a bit late for this, but congrats on getting married! It sounds like you two are very happy together.
I resonate with your experience as a solo developer. I’m roughly the same age as you, maybe a year or so younger, also married, also with a history of anxiety, also living in a foreign country, and also pursuing a dream of self-employment in software development (though in my case it’s web and mobile apps, not games). Most days I feel a low-hanging pressure, a sort of dread that I’m still not where I want to be just yet. If you get that way too sometimes, remember that you’re still young. You have a loving spouse, supportive family and friends back in Montreal, and most importantly, you absolutely have the passion needed to succeed.
Make sure to get feedback on your prototypes, the broader the better. Hone in on what people find cool and let your inspiration take over from there. You’re a naturally funny and creative man, and you have a lot to be confident about.
Hope I’m not out of line with any of that. I’ve liked you ever since you first appeared on the old channel over a decade ago, and I’m so happy to see you succeeding on your own terms. Keep up the good work!
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Not out of line at all! It’s really so kind and touching that you took the time to write me such a kind message. Genuinely, thank you so much. I really appreciate it. ❤
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Was over the moon when they announced Soul Calibur 2 was coming to NSO. Was the defining factor in me finally upgrading to the Expansion Pack tier. I own SC4 and SC5, but never really took to them the way I did with SC2. SC2 Was a game I replayed endlessly growing up, and had no qualms doing so, throughout the otherwise soul-crushing, common place experience of corrupted 3rd party memory cards (ponied up and got a first party one about a decade ago that’s still going strong, thankfully.)
Honestly, I still had my GameCube set up a few years back just so I could keep playing this one 7 enemy gauntlet in Weapon Master. Must’ve had 300 attempts or so going at it. The original stage you face off against 7 female characters with minimal healing between each, but the “2nd Quest” has who you facing off against who’d I consider the more iconic characters from the franchise all wielding their version of the Soul Edge. It didn’t matter how many times I lost, how many times I won…would just get right back in there and let the whole experience wash over me. Was downright a meditative experience for me.
Speaking of production, the gameplay is just so fluid, and you really feel the impact of every strike. Great stage design, gorgeous graphics, killer soundtrack that pulls from all over, wide weapon array for each character that lets you tailor the game to a more defensive or offensive approach. Aesthetically, it rides the line between realism and style very well. I feel the later entries tried to get more flashy, but instead of being fun and campy, they come off as more of an oversexualized, distasteful mess. Absolutely excellent voice acting as well. Talim main here, mind boggling her English VA, Julie Parker, only has other credits in Shadow of Memories and an unspecified role in Smash for 3DS & Ultimate (she’s mysteriously missing from Smash for Wii U’s credits). This time round, I’ve decided to finally take a minute and read through the Weapon Master lore for the first time and oof..it reads like unedited middle school fanfiction. Very emblematic of the times, its definitely nostalgic.
Needless to say, I quickly reached the Edge Master ranking on Switch 2 and am overjoyed by the prospect of being able to jump into one of my favourite games with plenty of ease. I do feel with GameCube games, we’re at a point where these games just look so good upscaled in HD, where as N64 and prior suffer in myriad of ways when not displayed on a CRT.
Probably won’t happen, but my pipedream for the service would be the Baten Kaitos duology. The remaster (that I also once considered a pipedream) unfortunately lacked the English dubbing. It has a reputation for being cheesy, but man oh man, imo its really quite solid and adds a lot of charm to the game. The characters are quite chatty during gameplay so can’t imagine not hearing those voices I was so accustomed to (their voice clips echo in my ears as I type this). Unfortunately, I’ve never actually beat the original game since my last save file kept crashing about 50hrs in. You definitely should check them out if you get the chance, feel like they’re totally up your alley.
I know there are many skeptics who believe games like Melee, Animal Crossing, or Double Dash won’t come to the service. Reason being, they’re of the mindset that Nintendo wouldn’t want to cannibalize the sales of those series’ current entries on the market as these classics have a bit of reputation for being better than their current offerings. I feel like Nintendo has strong confidence on building new worthwhile experiences with each entry, while their older titles still hold up with giving a unique experience for fans. Add in them wanting to redefine their franchises over the course of the Switch era, and I feel we have very little to worry about. Though, I’m betting Melee will just come to the service with little fanfare. 10years ago would be a different story, when Nintendo was hosting their own Smash tourneys, but nowadays they’d probably like to keep their distance from the competitive community as much as possible
Any who, been loving reading your entries. Your writing style on here really carries your voice and is a fun playground to bounce off of. It’s not often I’m inspired to write out my gaming thoughts in such a way. Thanks for taking the time to do this and respond to comments and all! Cheers! Excited for the next entry!
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Thanks for taking the time to write such a long reply!
Man, I feel you big time on SC2. I played 4 and 5 a fair bit, but 2 just hit different (and admittedly I was a kid at the time, haha). I can’t say I think I’ve ever played it as much as you seem to have, but it’s been so nice to just be able to randomly hop into it easily now. Agreed about the art- it holds up insanely well to this day.
For Melee, AC, and Double Dash, I personally think it’s more of a matter of time but I get why people have been skeptical. Seeing as they’ve already released three (GBA, SNES, N64) MK games on the service, I think that one’s a total lock. The first Smash has been both implicitly datamined and leaked, so that series its at least on the table, too. AC… well, I just don’t see any reason to doubt it! One day! I really love the original AC, but I’ll be a bit sad to have no GBA and e-Reader features- I was lukcy enough to have that stuff as a kid! The “mainline” Pokemon games are the ones I’m personally a bit more uncertain about given it’s been years with nothing so far. I wonder if we’ll ever see them…
oh and yeah baten kaitos FUCKS. I never played the second one, though! Maybe I’ll get to it in the collection…
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