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 Luigi’s Mansion? Super Mario Sunshine?? Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance??? No, it’s Super Mario Strikers, the inaugural entry in Nintendo’s soccer franchise, arriving July 1. While that might be disappointing to some fans, diehard Strikers will rejoice that there’s 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 didn’t 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 didn’t 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 it’s nice to see that Super Mario Strikers will now be playable on Switch 2 as well, improved by the Switch Online app’s multiplayer options with others on your friends list. We’ll see how the GameCube emulation holds up for it, but if it’s anything like The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker, Mario Strikers should also look and run better on the Switch 2 even though it’s not getting the full-blown remaster treatment. It’s also another reason to pick up Nintendo’s 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...—Anti-Naivety Ed) While Super Mario Strikers isn’t 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 don’t forget about Dance Dance Revolution: Mario Mix. Maybe Nintendo will ship a new dance pad just in time for the holidays.
.