Nintendo Switch 2 Is Real and GameCube Is Back — My Thoughts
After many years of waiting, the Nintendo Switch 2 is finally here, arriving on June 5. A sequel to the original Switch, meaning it's bigger, more powerful, more expensive, and more debatable due to the questionable value of its games.
However, I'm convinced it'll be a runaway success regardless. Many, myself included, have noticed how slow and tired the original Switch has become. You only need to go to the eShop and see how slow it is. So to see games like Metroid Prime 4: Beyond in 4K, as well as seeing ports of Street Fighter 6 and CyberPunk 2077 be announced, is a big finally for me for third-party games.
And, yes, GameCube games are finally here. Announced as part of the Switch Online + Expansion Pack Subscription Service, three games will launch on June 5, the same day as the Switch 2, and will be exclusive to Switch 2 owners. These include:
- The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker
- F-Zero GX
- Soul Calibur II
Overall, a stellar lineup from the get-go from a stellar Direct. I was going to post some thoughts in June once Switch 2 came out, but I wanted to get some initial ones out now.
Nintendo has learned from the Wii U
However it's spun, the Wii U was a confusing mess. It should have built upon the original Wii, but instead, it alienated customers and developers. Many forget that when that first reveal of the Switch debuted in 2016, lots were seeing this as Nintendo's last chance. Wild now, but that's how damaging the Wii U came to be.
But here, the Direct on April 2 brought sequel-vibes aplenty, all in the right way this time, and justifiably so. Everything on the Switch 2 is improved. A bigger display that can render at 1080p and at 120FPS, a microphone, magnetic Joy-Con 2 controllers, and is capable of 4K and ray-tracing. The console's price at £395.99 is high, but understandable, especially with what it offers, and the times we're in. However, the three tiers that games are falling into for Switch 2 are a bit harder to swallow.
I was surprised to learn that the Switch 2 essentially emulates Switch 1 games, so the upcoming 'Nintendo Switch 2 Edition' releases of Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom and Mario Party: Jamboree are essentially native ports. Another tier is just regular Switch games, and the last belongs to games that only work on Switch 2, like Donkey Kong: Bananza. Try explaining those three tiers to your Gran. These have the potential to be confusing to a casual gamer, but keep in mind, over time, we'll settle into two: Switch 1 games and Switch 2 games. Right now, we're in the transition phase. The only question is: how long will it last?
£75 for Mario Kart: World. Unfortunately, it's the way of the world now. PlayStation 5 games have been selling around this price since the console launched in 2020, and more powerful machines mean higher operating costs and salaries for more talented developers to get these games out on time and mostly bug-free.
The third-party game reveals were fantastic. I'm still amazed I'll be able to play Final Fantasy VII Remake and Street Fighter 6 on Switch 2, later this year. The above image is directly from Nintendo, and it looks incredible on Switch 2. Of course, I'm hoping Metal Gear Solid 3: Delta arrives on it, too.
Overall, I was happy with what the Switch 2 Direct offered, and I'm looking forward to what else is going to be announced. I'd be amazed if a new 3D Mario isn't here by the year's end.
GameCube Wishlist
Although I was half-expecting it, seeing the GameCube start-up screen during the Direct was still a big surprise. It's amazing that three titles will be available from day one of the Switch 2 being out — Wind Waker will be the first game I'll be playing — but there are a few more that now have a great chance of being on the new console.
- Kirby’s Air Ride
- Star Wars: Rogue Squadron II
- James Bond: Nightfire
- Phantasy Star Online
- Sonic Adventure 1 & 2
- Skies of Arcadia: Legends
- Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes
- Viewtiful Joe
- TimeSplitters 2
- Resident Evil Remake
- Resident Evil: Code Veronica
- Eternal Darkness
The GameCube era was a time when Sega was throwing in the towel of its console business after a couple of decades and becoming a third-party developer/publisher. But it meant that several Dreamcast ports and sequels could come out on other platforms, such as Sonic Adventure DX on GameCube and Jet Set Radio Future on Xbox. 20 years on, a new opportunity could be there for both Sega and Nintendo, where the Dreamcast could see a slight revival via the GameCube: Nintendo Classics platform.
Overall, I'm happy. It's a console I've been waiting to see for years, and I'm more than ready to replace my launch-day Switch 1, which is bursting at the seams. Its 32GB internal storage is at 98% full, as well as its 128GB micro SD card. But even though I'm playing games at full speed, everything has felt like I've been using a previous generation in a world where I'm playing Half-Life 2 RTX on GeForce Now, a streaming service in 4K. It's time for an upgrade.
I've seen some videos where they're comparing the Switch 2 to a PlayStation 4 or an Xbox Series S. I'll go out on a limb and say it's on par with a Series X. The Switch 2 renders at 4K at 60 FPS. It's capable of DLSS and ray tracing. There's Spatial 3D Sound. Fantastic accessibility features like font sizes, a screen reader, and speech-to-text features within GameChat. It's 256GB of internal storage, but you can expand it up to 2TB in time thanks to MicroSD Express Card support. For a Nintendo console in 2025, that's wild to me, and that's before I've even gone into the improved Joy-Con 2 controllers and new social features. Next time.
And wasn't it great to watch an event that made no mention of AI? Not one. Even as I scrolled through my Bluesky feed for the rest of the week, it was less about stolen Ghibli photos and more about a playable cow in Mario Kart: World. Bliss.
Ultimately, this Direct was Nintendo catching up with itself — thanks to the Switch 2. It's powerful, with plenty of developers already porting their games to the console. The question now is whether Nintendo will be able to repeat the momentum it had in the Switch's first year.
If I were a betting man? I'd say yes.
Thanks for reading.
