GameCube on Switch Virtual Console: Which of these 20 classics will see a release?

Star Wars Rogue Squadron 2: Rogue Leader

Likelihood: Possible 

Nintendo hasn’t bothered to invest many resources in bringing third party games to Virtual Console on Wii U or 3DS, but pleas from fans don’t get much bigger than this. Rogue Leader is a top Star Wars game and one of the best launch titles of all time. Mid-2017 would be the perfect return, around the release of Rogue One on Blu-ray — I’ll certainly take that over DLC for Battlefront.

It would be tricky, but not impossible, for Nintendo. The publishing rights lie with LucasArts, a division of LucasFilm, which is now owned by Disney. As a fun fact, Activision published in Australia and Europe (but that’s irrelevant). However, the rights to Star Wars games are currently held by EA. Those two parties would need to be involved, with Nintendo, to get it on Switch. It’s similar, but much simpler, than the debacle of re-releasing GoldenEye 007; the N64 shooter has even more parties involved and is such a hassle, Nintendo essentially walked away from the idea.

But good news! This has already happened this generation. Sony struck a deal with Disney for four classic Star Wars games to be released on PS4 – three PS2 games and Super Star Wars from the SNES (previously released on Wii Virtual Console). If Nintendo wanted to do it and gave it a positive marketing push, as Sony did, surely Disney would pick-up the phone.

Tales of Symphonia

Likelihood: Possible 

The timed GameCube exclusive got its first PC release earlier this year, so there’s certainly a strong demand for the classic JRPG. Nintendo has a strong relationship with publisher Bandai Namco, recently mashing up Pokémon and Tekken to create Pokkén Tournament. They’re certainly not averse to working together, so a Switch re-release of Tales of Symphonia is on the cards.

However, the Tales series has since become a PlayStation staple. Tales of Bersiera launched in Japan earlier this year (for PS3 and PS4), and is due out worldwide in January. Tales of Graces was the last instalment on a Nintendo platform in 2009, but the Wii version was exclusive to Japan. None of this precludes a re-release on Switch Virtual Console, but there’s a chance it might only be re-released in Japan — region specific releases have been an issue with previous Virtual Console games.

Beyond Good and Evil

Likelihood: Possible 

Again, we have to assume another rumour is true for this to seem like a formality. If Ubisoft really is developing Beyond Good and Evil 2 as a Switch exclusive, expect to see the GameCube original appear on Virtual Console. There probably won’t be too many multi-platform games in consideration, but this is one of them.

The potential spanner in the works is that a last-gen HD remaster already exists. There’s no proper 1080p HD version, but there is a HD build that was released on PS3 and Xbox 360, which is now backwards compatible on Xbox One. Ubisoft might prefer to touch up that and include it as a pre-order bonus, or even with Beyond Good and Evil 2, as the original Bayonetta did with its Wii U exclusive sequel.

Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door

Likelihood: Possible

Nintendo gave Paper Mario a second lease on life on both Wii and Wii U Virtual Consoles, after it was nearly impossible to obtain on Nintendo 64, due to its late release. There are only 18 Nintendo 64 games on the Australian Wii U Virtual Console —  just 13 in North America — and Paper Mario is one of them.

It stands to reason its popular GameCube sequel, The Thousand Year Door, will get the same treatment on Switch; it would make for an excellent handheld experience. However, it probably wouldn’t be a priority for Nintendo, and there’s a chance it could be given a complete HD remaster. A rumour was floating around earlier this year; although, it was constructed from a Nintendo producer being very diplomatic in side-stepping the question. Nevertheless, I wouldn’t be surprised if we saw a Super Paper Mario + The Thousand Year Door HD combo. Nintendo’s reluctance to release remasters on Wii U has left the door ajar for an abundance on Switch.

Metroid Prime + Metroid Prime 2: Echoes

Likelihood: Possible but borderline (remaster more likely)

The GameCube’s two Metroid Prime games are a prime candidate (sorry) to come to Switch Virtual Console. They left a lasting legacy and we’ve gone a generation without a new instalment – surely Nintendo wants to rejuvenate Samus.

However, it’s not that simple. If Nintendo wants to keep all three games together, it might decide a full HD remaster is best for a Switch re-release. The existence of the Prime Trilogy compilation brings up two distinct possibilities. The GameCube originals were given a Wii control update, which is also the version available on Wii U. The motion controls essentially act as the second control stick the first two games never had. That’s not going to work on Switch, but Retro (or another studio) could adapt that for dual analog sticks and give all three games a full HD remaster as a Switch game, if it wants to keep the trilogy together.

Conversely, perhaps Nintendo will prefer to keep Metroid Prime and Prime 2 in their original states, with their original controls, and release them on the Virtual Console. But that leaves Metroid Prime 3 in the wilderness.

Head back a page for definite re-releases, or over to the next page to see titles that aren’t very likely on Switch.