5 Classic GameCube Games We Want To See On The Nintendo Switch
The Nintendo GameCube has quite the legacy: it bridged the gap between more iconic consoles of the 90s and 21st century consoles like the Wii and Switch, was the first Nintendo system to use discs instead of cartridges, and platformed classic games in franchises like "Super Smash Bros." and "Metroid." Its controller is still used as a peripheral for the Switch and other systems.
The Nintendo Switch has a vast and growing library of older titles from consoles like the Nintendo Entertainment System, Super Nintendo, and N64, but there are very few GameCube titles you can play on the Switch. Some fan-favorites like "Resident Evil 4" and "Metroid Prime" have been remastered for the current-gen console, while other GameCube titles are part of playable bundles, like "Super Mario Sunshine" in "Super Mario 3D All-Stars." But many classics have yet to make the transition. Here are some GameCube games we want to see ported to the Switch as soon as possible. The list could be longer, but we're not including games that already have Nintendo Switch counterparts, like "Super Smash Bros." or "Mario Kart."
'The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker'
"Breath of the Wild" and "Tears of the Kingdom" are classics that showcase the full potential of the Nintendo Switch. Twenty years ago, another "Zelda" game did the same for the GameCube: "The Wind Waker." However, its reputation was built over time. While some took to it immediately, others were put off by its cartoonish cel-shaded graphics and the long periods of sailing the game required. Eventually though, the game found its audience and escaped the shadow of previous N64 titles "Ocarina of Time" and "Majora's Mask."
It's only a matter of time before "The Wind Waker" is ported to the Switch, possibly even this year for its 20th anniversary. It already got an HD remaster on the Wii U, and would be an instant hit for Nintendo, especially on the heels of "Tears of the Kingdom." Besides the different cel-shaded "Toon Link" design, which has since been repeated and become a widely-accepted look for the franchise, "Wind Waker" stands out from other "Zelda" games due to its unique story and world building. It involves pirates, a talking boat, Link's sister, and a baton that controls the wind. Switch gamers are having a blast playing in the sky with "Tears of the Kingdom," so it's high time to let them play in the sea with "The Wind Waker."
'Mario Superstar Baseball'
In 2005, two "Mario" sports games were released for GameCube: "Super Mario Strikers" and "Mario Superstar Baseball." Soccer title "Super Mario Strikers" was an instant hit and one of the best Mario entries of its generation, and would be on this list if not for its sequel "Mario Strikers: Battle League" releasing on the Switch last year. "Mario Superstar Baseball," however, failed to escape the shadow of "Strikers" and other "Mario" sports titles. It's also an oddity in that, unlike "Mario Tennis" or "Mario Golf," it isn't a strong franchise for Nintendo's mustachioed plumber. Only one major sequel released for the Wii, and nothing else since.
"Mario Superstar Baseball" shouldn't be overlooked. Like other "Mario" sports games, it has the same basic gameplay mechanics, but dumbs play down so that kids and adults can easily pick it up and play, while adding some fun "Mario"-style power-ups to keep things interesting. It's also impossible for a "Mario" game to not be charming, and "Mario Superstar Baseball" has all the fun characters, voices, and animation you can expect from a premise that will have Luigi pitching a fireball to Bowser, who hits it right-field to a Shy Guy. This game would be a blast to play on the Switch.
'Eternal Darkness: Sanity's Requiem'
Like most Nintendo consoles, the GameCube is remembered for childhood fan favorite games, such as "Mario" and "Pokemon" titles. But it did have more mature-themed horror games, some that were even exclusive and not found on the Xbox or PlayStation 2, like "Resident Evil 4." While "Resident Evil 4" has since been remastered and ported to other systems (including the Switch), one game that, to date, is still only available on the GameCube, is the enigmatic "Eternal Darkness: Sanity's Requiem."
"Eternal Darkness" was an inventive horror game that masterfully employed tropes like creepy monsters, disturbing gore, and spooky settings, but inflicted psychological terror as well. Your character could take sanity damage in addition to physical damage, and as your sanity damage increased, weird things would start happening, like weird noises and statues following you with their eyes. Even crazier, the game would lie to you and pretend that your controller was disconnected or that it was deleting your saved games, which could instill a real, pure terror in the player that something happening "in-game" to your character could not. Games rarely blend with the real world in this fashion, and it was a thrill to play. "Eternal Darkness" was widely praised, but struggled and failed to get a sequel. It would be a slam dunk for Nintendo to bring it back as a Switch port.
'Viewitful Joe'
While some sixth-generation games used advancements in computing power to build bigger 3D games and more realistic graphics, there were still some GameCube titles happy to just be 2D side-scrollers. "Viewtiful Joe" was one of the best of these, employing gorgeous 3D cel-shaded graphics that, like the "Toon Link" look, have aged gracefully. "Viewtiful Joe" was a fun, unique game that combined film, comic, superhero, and tokusatsu aesthetics and was presented as if you were editing it like a film, incorporating a mechanic that allowed you to slow or speed up time in the game to help with its combat and puzzle-solving.
The game's story starred a film buff named Joe, on a quest to rescue his girlfriend from Movieland using a special watch that granted him superpowers. There was depth behind the seemingly-simple gameplay, and "Viewtiful Joe" was ahead of its time in favoring cartoonish graphics over a realistic look that might have aged poorly. These factors alone would make the cool, stylized side-scroller a fantastic Nintendo Switch game.
'Luigi's Mansion'
'Luigi's Mansion' was a major launch title for the Nintendo GameCube, and notably put the green-capped plumber front and center, rather than his more famous brother, Mario. With Luigi ambling his way through a haunted house using a vacuum cleaner to suck up ghosts, the game kept the "Mario" franchise's signature playfulness while also offering a different style of gameplay than a typical "Super Mario" platformer.
The game is fondly remembered, and is a solid playthrough. Considering its legacy in the GameCube's history, and for being a game that promoted Luigi to the lead, "Luigi's Mansion" has earned the right to come back as a Switch remake. Its lighthearted and relatively uncomplicated gameplay also suits it perfectly for when you're using the Switch to pass the time in a waiting room or during your daily commute (which is probably why it was previously ported to the Nintendo 3DS.)