Super Mario Sunshine Joins Switch 2’s GameCube Classics App, Closing a Five-Year Gap

Super Mario Sunshine is finally playable on modern Nintendo hardware again. Nintendo confirmed on its official website that the Super Mario Sunshine game is now available to play for Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack members with a Nintendo Switch 2 system, arriving through the GameCube, Nintendo Classics app rather than as a standalone purchase.

The 2002 GameCube original went live in the early hours of August 13, with Nintendo Life noting the Super Mario Sunshine for the Switch Online + Expansion Pack ‘Nintendo Classics’ service is now available on the Switch 2 as of that update. It’s a significant catch-up moment for a title that had spent years without any official way to play it.

Isle Delfino Returns in Its Original Form

Nintendo’s own description sets the scene: “Dark days on Isle Delfino! Mario, Peach, and an entourage of Toads have come to Isle Delfino, a sun-drenched island resort, to relax and unwind. At least, that’s the plan. But when they arrive, someone has made a mess of the whole island and the inhabitants say Mario is to blame!” Armed with the water-spraying FLUDD device, Mario has to clean up the island and clear his name.

Unlike the touched-up version bundled into Super Mario 3D All-Stars, this release keeps the game close to its GameCube roots. Nintendo Wire reported that Sunshine comes in its original form unlike the slightly enhanced port/remaster included in Super Mario 3D All-Stars, meaning a 4:3 aspect ratio, no controller rebinding, and no higher-resolution textures. The trade-off is modern quality-of-life tooling, since players do get save states and rewinds, which will come in handy for some of the more notorious shine sprites.

Closing a Gap That Opened With 3D All-Stars’ Delisting

For half a decade, owning Sunshine legitimately meant hunting down a used GameCube disc or a copy of Super Mario 3D All-Stars before it vanished from sale. Video Games Chronicle detailed that the addition means the total number of GameCube titles on Switch Online now stands at 10, following on from a 3D All-Stars run that was only ever a limited-time release before Nintendo pulled it.

KitGuru pointed out just how long fans had been waiting, noting that the title was originally confirmed for the service well over a year ago, making this one of the slowest additions from the first wave of announced GameCube games. That first wave was unveiled alongside the GameCube Classics app itself before Switch 2 launched.

Pokémon Colosseum Is the Last Game Standing

With Sunshine ticked off, Nintendo’s initial GameCube pledge is nearly fulfilled. KitGuru’s rundown of the rollout confirms Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance, Soul Calibur 2, Luigi’s Mansion and Pokémon XD: Gale of Darkness have all made their way to the service already, alongside earlier additions like F-Zero GX, The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker, Chibi-Robo, Super Mario Strikers and Wario World.

Only one name from that original list is still missing. Video Games Chronicle confirmed Nintendo also previously announced that Pokémon Colosseum is coming to the library, but hasn’t yet confirmed its release date, leaving it as the sole outstanding entry for subscribers still waiting on their most-wanted GameCube game.

Every Home-Console 3D Mario Is Now on Switch 2

Sunshine’s arrival quietly completes a much bigger collection for anyone who owns Nintendo’s newest console. With Super Mario 64 already in the Nintendo 64 Classics app, Super Mario Galaxy and Galaxy 2 available as a Switch release, Super Mario Odyssey playable via backward compatibility and Super Mario 3D World purchasable outright, Sunshine was the last home-console 3D Mario game without a legitimate route onto Switch 2 hardware.

Access still comes with the usual conditions. Technobezz noted that access requires more than just an active Expansion Pack tier. Subscribers need a Nintendo Switch 2 system to play the game, and a Nintendo Switch Online membership sold separately plus a Nintendo Account are required for online features. The Expansion Pack, which also unlocks GameCube, Nintendo 64, Game Boy Advance and Sega Mega Drive libraries, remains a separate paid tier on top of the base Switch Online subscription.

For Kiwi and Australian subscribers who signed up to Expansion Pack largely for the GameCube app, Sunshine’s arrival closes out one of the more conspicuous gaps in the lineup, even as Pokémon Colosseum remains the last domino still waiting to fall.