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Report: GameCube games will be playable on the Nintendo Switch Virtual Console

Published Dec 7th, 2016 12:16PM EST
Nintendo Switch Virtual Console
Image: Nintendo

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A new report from Eurogamer claims that the Virtual Console on Nintendo’s upcoming Switch will include support for GameCube games. That’s according to three separate sources, who say that GameCube support is already working on the Switch and that three games specifically are being readied for the Switch.

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If the sources are to be believed, Super Mario Sunshine, Luigi’s Mansion and Super Smash Bros. Melee are all up and running on Switch hardware at the moment.

Animal Crossing is reportedly the next game on Nintendo’s list, which Eurogamer notes is especially interesting because players were able to collect and play full NES games within the world of Animal Crossing. Apparently, the latest build of Animal Crossing on the Switch includes this functionality as well.

Eurogamer’s sources say that the platforms included on the Switch Virtual Console haven’t been finalized, but that Wii U owners will be able to move their Virtual Console purchases over to the Switch for a small fee (as was the case for Wii owners who upgraded to the Wii U in 2012). Additionally, the sources claim that the Nintendo European Research and Development (NERD) is engineering the Nintendo Switch Virtual Console. You might not recognize that name, but it’s the same team that designed the NES Classic Edition.

A few more tidbits from the report:

  • Nintendo is thinking about adding Switch support to the Wii U GameCube controller adapter, but the company still hasn’t made a decision.
  • Giving gamers continued access to Super Smash Bros. Melee was a major driving factor behind the decision to bring GameCube support to the Switch.

Nintendo will reveal more about the Switch in January, before a March release.

Jacob Siegal
Jacob Siegal Associate Editor

Jacob Siegal is Associate Editor at BGR, having joined the news team in 2013. He has over a decade of professional writing and editing experience, and helps to lead our technology and entertainment product launch and movie release coverage.