Daily Debate: Do You Think the Switch Successor’s Online Services Will Add GameCube, Wii, and DS Collections?

As the clock ticks away until Nintendo’s eventual reveal of their Switch successor, we are left to sit here and ponder on what the new system will include when it finally releases. Aside from online service improvements, new features, and even a name, one topic up for discussion is the possible inclusion of more Switch Online console collections. Currently, Nintendo’s online services include a multitude of games from consoles of years past, such as Game Boy, Super Nintendo Entertainment System, Nintendo 64, and Game Boy Advance, just to name a few.

While Nintendo’s release schedule for these collections is very sparse, that’s not to say that what’s currently available isn’t outstanding. Being able to play difficult-to-find retro games on a modern platform has been a key reason for some to sign up for Nintendo’s online services. Titles like A Link to the Past & Four Swords, GoldenEye 007, Earthbound, and Metroid: Zero Mission are just a few titles that gamers have been happy to play again without having to use ROMs or emulators.

Aside from being drip-fed releases, players are always going to want more options. Nintendo fans are now asking the Big N to add GameCube, Wii, and DS collections to their Switch Online library. However, with the system being in its final stretch, it would probably make more sense to have these collections added to that next-generation console. Beyond improved hardware capabilities, an expanded Switch Online library would be another reason to buy the successor. So, why not add three exclusive ones to the Switch successor when it releases?

Then begins the discussion of which games to ultimately add, as some of the titles from the mentioned systems have already been given new life on the current Switch hardware. Donkey Kong Country Returns HD will be making its debut next January, HD remasters of Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door and Skyward Sword have been released over the past few years, and the Ace Attorney series has even seen a return on current-gen systems. Would Nintendo want to waste resources bringing the original titles they’ve already brought back with improved polish?

Well, just take a look at some games from each of these three systems that they could still bring to Switch successor-exclusive collections. Let’s start with the GameCube, as the company could bring back titles like The Wind Waker, Four Swords Adventures, Super Smash Bros. Melee, F-Zero GX, Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance, and Eternal Darkness: Sanity’s Requiem, just to name a few. Even third-party exclusive titles like Soul Calibur II (semi-exclusive because of Link), Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes, and even the original Resident Evil 4 are just some that would be great for this collection.

The Wii is no slouch either, with such games as Twilight Princess, Xenoblade Chronicles, Super Mario Galaxy 2, Punch-Out!!, and Super Paper Mario; these are just a few that people would love to have in a Switch Online collection. And, as shown through the recent release of Castlevania: Dominus Collection, DS games could also work on a modern system, even those titles that are reliant on a touch screen. Bringing in DS games that have never stepped foot off the handheld like Phantom Hourglass, Spirit Tracks, Four Swords Anniversary, New Super Mario Bros. 1 & 2, and Rhythm Heaven would be a big benefit for Nintendo’s next-gen system.

With every year passing by, it gets more and more difficult to find retro games and consoles in good condition. There are those who aren’t even fortunate enough to have local game stores that sell those systems at decent prices. And the releases of HD collections and newly polished ports often come with a price hike. That’s why so many people rely on ROMs and emulators to relive those glory days, or to help the new generation realize why these systems are so special to us. But these methods inherit their own legal, ethical, and technical challenges. Ultimately, the Switch Online collections, while not perfect, are the best way to keep the legacy of these previous consoles going.

Do you think the Switch successor’s online services will add Nintendo GameCube, Wii and DS Collections? If it does happen, what are the odds of one of these collections debuting in the release window of the next-gen system? Let us know in the comments below!

Featured Image: HopesPrince10

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Sorted Under: A Link to the Past, Daily Debate, Four Swords, Four Swords Adventures, Games, Original Content, Phantom Hourglass, Skyward Sword, Spirit Tracks, The Wind Waker
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