More than a year after the Nintendo Switch 2 launched with the GameCube Classics library in tow, Nintendo has finally relented and stuck the classic that is Super Mario Sunshine into the catalogue. Forget owning it, though. Like The Wind Waker and Luigi’s Mansion, your access is determined by how much you’re willing to fork over.
By that, we mean how long you’re willing to subscribe to the Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion service. That last bit is important. GameCube Classics, like the rest of the console’s emulators, are reserved for + Expansion subscribers, leaving regular Online members out in the cold. There’s no option to pay it monthly, either.
Walking on Super Mario Sunshine
Dark days loom over Isle Delfino!
Clean up a polluted island with FLUDD at your side in Super Mario Sunshine, coming to Nintendo GameCube – Nintendo Classics on Nintendo Switch 2 for #NintendoSwitchOnline + Expansion Pack members on Aug 13! pic.twitter.com/8j5iWvjnJz
— Nintendo of America (@NintendoAmerica) July 31, 2026
If you want to get hold of Super Mario Sunshine without resorting to the high seas, that’s the easiest way to do it. The GameCube library is specifically exclusive to the Switch 2, too, so Ninty’s older handheld console won’t cut it. If all of that sounds… bad, then you’d be right. But Nintendo knows its audience well, and Mario is a big draw.
It’s also worth noting that the games found on the Classics catalogues are in their original form. No fancy graphics, updated controls, or faster load times are included. The Switch is simply emulating the older console, and charging you for access. Normally, we’d be fine with this. But in the case of Sunshine…
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It’s especially grating considering Nintendo has already done the “hard” part when it comes to polishing up Sunshine for a more modern audience. It was called the Super Mario 3D All Stars collection, which included an HD port of Sunshine — even if it wasn’t technically a remaster. Why can’t we have that version, Nintendo?
That, children, is because Nintendo decided All Stars should be a physical exclusive, with only a few copies ever printed. With copies being so scarce even all these years later, people looking to play Sunshine HD are out of luck. Instead, they’ll have to make do with an annual +Expansion subscription when the game lands on 13 August.
