GameCube remasters we want on Nintendo Switch or Switch 2
We’re going over a whole bunch of GameCube games we’d love to see ported, remastered, or remade on Nintendo Switch or Switch 2.
It’s well-known that Nintendo has a huge backlog of classic titles available via Switch Online, but one point of contention among fans is that none of those classic games are from the GameCube. Many players who grew up with that console (this writer included) now have extra purchasing power that they didn’t have as kids, and Nintendo is seemingly well aware of this – which is partially why GameCube titles probably aren’t coming to Nintendo Switch Online. On Nintendo Switch alone, we’ve seen many GameCube remasters and just about all of them have been well received. The most notable of these remakes and remasters are Metroid Prime Remastered, Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door, Pikmin 1, and Pikmin 2.
As Nintendo Switch’s life cycle comes to a close (or rather, a continuation with Nintendo’s next hardware), we may see one or two additional GameCube ports to fill up the time. We may even see full-on remakes on Nintendo Switch 2 as major first-party titles. After all, the first few years of Nintendo Switch’s life were full of Wii U ports – we may see something similar (but to a lesser extent) again while studios work on their ambitious new original games.
Animal Crossing
The Animal Crossing series is more popular than it’s ever been. For whatever reason, though, Nintendo doesn’t seem keen on taking advantage of that fact – New Horizons hasn’t received updates since 2021, and there’s been no word of a new title just yet. An easy way to fill that gap would be bringing back older Animal Crossing games to play in the meantime, and the original entry is a perfect contender. It’s got an incredibly unique feel and atmosphere that New Horizons doesn’t quite capture – whereas that game focuses more on customization and wholesome interactions, the original Animal Crossing treats you like a true outsider moving into a new town. Villagers are absolutely out of control here compared to future games; they’ll beat you down with rude comments, snide remarks, and unwarranted jabs for no apparent reason. You really have to work for their friendship, which adds a layer of depth that New Horizons’ villagers just don’t have. The two games are much different experiences to each other and would have a place existing side by side. We’re not sure how multiplayer would work here – chances are it’d be disabled – but even in single-player, this is a fun time. Needless to say, the original Animal Crossing wouldn’t need a remake or remaster – just a straight port would do the trick.
Luigi’s Mansion
This one seems like a no-brainer as we have both Luigi’s Mansion 2 HD and Luigi’s Mansion 3 on Nintendo Switch already. We received a 3DS port of this game instead, which may or may not disqualify it from coming over (most other late-life cycle 3DS points, like Yoshi’s Woolly World and Kirby’s Epic Yarn, did not make the jump either). Upon booting up Luigi’s Mansion, you’ll quickly notice this is very different from the games Nintendo releases today. It’s not super scary, but it’s got an eerie and lonely vibe that modern Nintendo games don’t often capture. If this game were to come to Nintendo Switch, we’d like to see a Luigi’s Mansion 2 HD-esque remaster of the 3DS version with the extra added features. A straight port of the GameCube title would work well too, as its art style is incredibly unique and almost primitive in a charming sort of way.
Super Mario Sunshine
This one is already playable on Nintendo Switch via Super Mario 3D All-Stars, which has not been available for official purchase since 2021. Since it’s already playable on the console, all Nintendo would have to do is release it standalone. Super Mario Sunshine is one of the most polarizing 3D Mario titles; generally, people either love it or hate it. It gets quite difficult compared to future entries in the series, and some might call its performance or controls sloppy or unrefined, but it’s also got a unique sense of charm to it that you can’t get anywhere else. Regardless of your opinion, it’s definitely an important part of Mario history since it marked the introduction of now-common characters like Bowser Jr. and Petey Piranha. We think it’s kind of strange that Nintendo hasn’t bothered to re-release this one – the same goes for Super Mario Galaxy, which was also included as part of Super Mario 3D All-Stars.
Pac-Man World 2
Stepping away from Nintendo games for a moment, this one’s kind of a deep cut and wouldn’t be part of Nintendo’s main release schedule. Still, with the release of Pac-Man World Re-Pac in 2022, a remake or remaster of Pac-Man World 2 is certainly a possibility. It’s one of the more high-quality 3D platformers on the GameCube. Many games from this console are known for being difficult, and Pac-Man World 2 is no exception – it starts out easy, but by the end of the game some of the levels and especially boss battles become tough if you don’t know exactly what to do. Still, it’s pure platforming fun, with many memorable levels and surprisingly good music, too. Given that Pac-Man World Re-Pac’s performance is just a little bit shaky on Nintendo Switch, it might be best to wait until Switch 2 to release this remaster. If it ever happens, that is. Notably, Ms. Pac-Man isn’t present in this game at all, meaning it’d be relatively easy to rework without having to change the character designs like in Re-Pac.
Kirby Air Ride
In all honesty, we may never see Kirby Air Ride again – which is a shame, because it’s one of the most fun multiplayer experiences the GameCube has to offer. It hasn’t received much in terms of official Nintendo acknowledgement since its release, which is surprising because you’d think the developers would eventually revisit Kirby racing as one of their lower budget spin-off titles. Though you can race against other players, the main draw here is City Trial. It’s easy to get lost in Kirby Air Ride’s multiplayer content for hours on end – it’s just pure fun to mess around in. Kirby Air Ride with online multiplayer would be an incredible experience on Switch, plus a nostalgic one for everyone who grew up with the game.
The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess and The Wind Waker
The HD remasters of these titles are technically Wii U games, but we’re including them here anyway since they originally appeared on GameCube. Ever since Nintendo Switch was first released, there have been rumors about ports of both Twilight Princess HD and The Wind Waker HD. But it’s now been close to eight years of Nintendo Switch, and there’s been no official mention of either. It’s certainly strange given the success of Tears of the Kingdom; you’d think they’d capitalize on it and re-release previous games in the series. At this stage in Nintendo Switch’s life span, it’s rather unlikely that we get both of these; we suppose we could see them on Switch 2, but they wouldn’t amount to much more than filler releases. Filler or not, Twilight Princess HD and The Wind Waker HD are fantastic remakes overall, and ones that we hope aren’t forever confined to the Wii U.
Metroid Prime 2: Echoes
This is another game that has been long rumored as coming to Nintendo Switch. Metroid Prime Remastered released in 2023 and it was an absolutely excellent remaster of an already-excellent title. We’d love to see the same level of care brought to the other Metroid Prime games, and Metroid Prime 2: Echoes is first up. If it does come to Nintendo Switch, we’re not sure if it’ll be a full-on remake like Metroid Prime Remastered, or if it’ll be a straight port of the GameCube game with updated controls and a higher resolution. Though the former is definitely preferable, we’ll take either one at this point. Metroid Prime 4: Beyond is coming in 2025, and it’d be great to revisit all of Samus’ 3D adventures before the game finally releases.
Super Smash Bros. Melee
This one is never happening, but we feel like it’s a fun inclusion regardless. At the time of writing, Nintendo seems to consider the Super Smash Bros. series as iterative titles; as in, each new one replaces the last as far as they’re concerned. As a result, we have only seen one re-release of a past Smash game, and that’s the original Smash 64 as part of the Wii Virtual Console. It wasn’t made available on the Wii U Virtual Console, and it’s currently not available on Nintendo Switch Online either. That makes Super Smash Bros. Melee even more unlikely to return, but we think it’s an important part of Smash history. Aside from its huge competitive scene and history (which may unfortunately be another reason why Melee won’t receive a re-release), the game has a whole bunch of unique content, an interesting futuristic art style, and just a generally fun gameplay loop whether you’re playing casually or competitively. A re-release of Melee likely would not cause the competitive scene to move from GameCube to Nintendo Switch, however, so this re-release would likely be aimed more towards the casual audience. Which is another reason why we probably won’t see that happen.
That isn’t the end of the GameCube’s library, either. Mario Kart: Double Dash and Super Mario Strikers are two incredibly popular games for the system, but to a greater extent than Super Smash Bros. Melee we feel these games are likely not coming to Nintendo Switch. There’s already a new Mario Kart on the horizon, plus Mario Strikers: Battle League isn’t that old (even if some players justifiably don’t think it’s a replacement for the original game). You’ve also got plenty of Mario Party games, but these are iterative and the Mario Party titles available on Switch are more than enough to cover the bases. If we had to bet on which of these remasters come to fruition, we’d say Luigi’s Mansion and especially Metroid Prime 2: Echoes are most likely. We probably won’t see the others, but they’d absolutely be welcome additions to the Switch’s ever-increasing library of classic games.
Which GameCube games do you want to see remastered on Nintendo Switch or Switch 2? Which do you think are most likely? Feel free to let us know in the comments down below.
