Just under a month since it launched, the Switch 2 is getting its first new GameCube game as part of its Switch Online + Expansion Pack library. Is it Luigiās Mansion? Super Mario Sunshine?? Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance??? No, itās Super Mario Strikers, the inaugural entry in Nintendoās soccer franchise, arriving July 1. While that might be disappointing to some fans, diehard Strikers will rejoice that thereās finally a good one of those playable on modern hardware.
See, before Mario Strikers: Battle League came out in 2022, long-time fans were cautiously optimistic. The GameCube original didnāt sell great, but won a loyal following thanks to its simple-but-fun spin on the beautiful game. Mario Strikers Charged for the Wii was decent as well, and depending on who you ask was a clear upgrade over the original, especially thanks to its online multiplayer. Battle League, on the other hand, just didnāt feel like it had the juice. It was light on content and the more strategic gameplay could be a bit soulless compared to the more arcade-y fun of the earlier games.
So itās nice to see that Super Mario Strikers will now be playable on Switch 2 as well, improved by the Switch Online appās multiplayer options with others on your friends list. Weāll see how the GameCube emulation holds up for it, but if itās anything like The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker, Mario Strikers should also look and run better on the Switch 2 even though itās not getting the full-blown remaster treatment. Itās also another reason to pick up Nintendoās modern GameCube controller replica that released alongside the new console.
That accessory will come in handy once Smash Bros. Melee arrives. I mean, Nintendo has to be getting ready to bring that over too, right? (Oh, Ethan…āAnti-Naivety Ed) While Super Mario Strikers isnāt my personal pick for the fourth GameCube game to join the Switch 2’s retro library, there are plenty of excellent games we should be getting now that Nintendo has a solution for porting them beyond individual remasters. That includes a bunch of other sports spin-offs. Mario Superstar Baseball when? And donāt forget about Dance Dance Revolution: Mario Mix. Maybe Nintendo will ship a new dance pad just in time for the holidays.
