Nintendohas confirmed that it won’t commit to bringing classic GameCube games to Switch Online. Just recently,two classic GameCube Games shadow-dropped for the Nintendo Switch, but it appears not every game will be making the jump.
Each year, more and more titles are considered to beretro games. For some, the likes of Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 would already fall under that bracket, and because of this, the preservation of these titles becomes more important each year. There are different ways for this to be done, and historically, emulators have been one of the leading solutions. However, backwards compatibility in future consoles goes a long way toward solving the issue of preservation, which is why it’s often such a big selling point for gamers.
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The news was first reported by Go Nintendo, including a transcription from a Q&A event at Nintendo’s 83rd Annual General Meeting of Shareholders. When asked whether gamers would be able to play software released for the GameCube on Switch, President ofNintendoShuntaro Furukawa simply pointed out that “the HD versions ofPikmin 1andPikmin 2just recently became available on June 22 for Nintendo Switch.” While it’s not a denial of things to come in the future, it’s equally not a confirmation in any way, shape, or form.
The news doesn’t spell doom and gloom for Nintendo fans. Shadow-droppingPikmin 1and its sequel was certainly a step in the right direction, even ifPikmin 2’s Switch port made a massively controversial change. There’s clearly an interest on Nintendo’s side for making these games available - it’s just a delicate balancing act of getting them out in a timely manner without putting too many resources into it. No doubt these rereleased games sell good numbers, but Nintendo is a busy company, and likely has bigger priorities. It’s understandable that it can’t definitively commit to every game making the transition over to Nintendo Switch, as it could end up being an empty promise.
Gamers will have to exercise patience to see how many GameCube titles make their way to Nintendo Switch. The library won’t come all at once - the games that do come will likely be released over the course of several years. The GameCube has a massive library of games, so it’s certainly not a small task to bring them all over. There is one massive piece of good news though: just recently, a reputableNintendo leaker revealedF-Zero GXandPaper Mario: The Thousand-Year Doorare coming to Switch. This rumor is yet to be officially confirmed, but it’d be another great step if it turns out to be true.
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