It took a little longer than most fans expected, but Super Mario Sunshine is finally making its way to the Nintendo Switch 2. After first teasing the game during the reveal of the Nintendo GameCube Classics app, Nintendo has officially confirmed that the GameCube classic will join the service on August 13, giving Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack subscribers another chance to experience one of Mario’s most iconic adventures.
The announcement has been a long time coming. Super Mario Sunshine was one of the games shown when Nintendo first unveiled its plans for expanding the GameCube library, but it never made the initial lineup. More than a year later, it’s finally ready to join the growing catalog.
For players who never got to experience it, Super Mario Sunshine follows Mario as he arrives on the tropical Isle Delfino, only to be blamed for a mess he didn’t create. Using the FLUDD water pack, players must clean up the island while tracking down the mysterious imposter responsible for framing him.
Unlike the version included in Super Mario 3D All-Stars, this release is a faithful emulation of the original 2002 GameCube game. Aside from being scaled for modern displays, Nintendo hasn’t added any visual enhancements or gameplay changes.
Fortunately, Super Mario Sunshine has aged incredibly well. Its colorful art direction still looks fantastic today, proving once again that Nintendo’s first-party games tend to stand the test of time. The game will be available exclusively through the Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack, which also gives subscribers access to a growing collection of GameCube, Nintendo 64, Game Boy Advance, Sega Genesis, and other classic titles.
For many fans, this is the first opportunity to legally play Super Mario Sunshine on modern hardware since Super Mario 3D All-Stars was pulled from sale. And with Nintendo continuing to expand the GameCube Classics library, there’s a good chance more fan-favorite titles will follow in the months ahead.
