By The Verge | Created at 2025-04-03 13:20:04 | Updated at 2025-04-04 21:18:23
1 day ago
Andrew Webster is an entertainment editor covering streaming, virtual worlds, and every single Pokémon video game. Andrew joined The Verge in 2012, writing over 4,000 stories.
One of the most exciting parts of Nintendo’s new console is, well, an old console. GameCube games are coming to the Switch 2 for Nintendo Online subscribers, and it’s starting off with a pretty killer trio of releases: The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker (which somehow was never ported to the Switch), Soulcalibur II (with the all-important inclusion of Link as a playable character), and F-Zero GX (a series in desperate need of a new entry). And after having a few minutes to play F-Zero, I was reminded of just how excellent Nintendo’s little cube used to be.
For the uninitiated, F-Zero is a futuristic racing series that’s only had a handful of entries and is sort of like Wipeout but with Nintendo flavor. That means blazingly fast races and spaceship-like vehicles piloted by a large lineup of memorable characters. GX is the last proper console release since 2003 (there have been some portable entries and spinoffs like F-Zero 99). Because of this, it’s become something of a cult classic, particularly as fans await a new entry.
It’s also a game that has aged incredibly well. Playing it on the Switch 2, F-Zero GX was exactly as fast and smooth as I remember, with graphics that looked crisp and clean. It’s the kind of game where its futuristic landscapes zip by so quickly that you barely have a moment to spot all the cool details, like sand sharks jumping through a desert expanse.
I was able to play the game using the new Switch 2 version of the GameCube controller, which will similarly be available for NSO subscribers on the day the Switch 2 launches (June 5th). It always looked a little funky, but it’s a great controller and now it’s wireless — it’s like a less chunky version of the classic Wavebird. Replaying F-Zero and Wind Waker probably isn’t a reason for most people to buy a new console, but it’s a nice addition if you’re already a NSO subscriber and are planning to upgrade.
While the GameCube was far from Nintendo’s most successful console, it was still home to a defining lineup of games that has placed it firmly in cult territory — and now those games have the chance to hit a much wider audience with the Switch 2.
