Latest news with #NintendoClassics
SoraNews24
29-07-2025
- Entertainment
- SoraNews24
Mario Paint arrives for Nintendo Switch Online, finally can reach its potential after 34 years
Ahead-of-its-time game's time has finally come. As part of its Nintendo Switch Online service for the Switch and Switch 2, Nintendo gives subscribers access to a library of Nintendo Classics, noteworthy titles from the company's 8, 16, and 64-bit eras. There's a highly appealing nostalgia in playing video games that laid so much of the foundation for what the hobby is today, but the newest old-school addition to the Nintendo Classics lineup is one that's only now going to get the chance to realize its potential for the first time. When Mario Paint first came out in 1992 for the Super NES/Super Famicom, it was a pretty bold experiment by Nintendo. In addition to letting players create illustrations and simple animations, it included tools for making music tracks as well, with a clever format that was easy to intuitively grasp, even for people who had no background in musical composition or reading sheet music. But there were a couple of problems with the concept, largely due to the technology of the day. This being the pre-home Internet era, the Super NES had no online connectivity. If you wanted to show your friends the cool picture you'd spent hours and hours painting, or have them listen to the catchy song you'd composed, they'd either have to come over to your house, or you'd have to take your Mario Kart cartridge over to theirs (assuming your friends also owned a Super NES). Oh, and unless you wanted to take an extended break from creating, you'd have to arrange those meetups quickly, since the cartridge had a very limited capacity for storing the art and music you'd crafted. Games in the Nintendo Classics series are presented just as they originally were, so there are no additional save slots within the Switch Online Mario Paint , at least in the conventional in-game sense. However, Nintendo Classics games do allow the player to utilize a number of save states, effectively multiplying the number of illustrations you'll be able to preserve in their still-editable status. More importantly, though, with the Switch and Switch 2 having built-in hardware capabilities for taking and exporting screenshots and gameplay videos, suddenly the sky's the limit in terms of not only saving completed Mario Paint projects, but in sharing them online with people around the world. ▼ The Japanese Nintendo Classics Mario Paint preview features some different video clips than the English one. But why is Nintendo just now getting around to adding Mario Paint to the Nintendo Classics catalog? Because it was designed to be used with the SNES Mouse add-on, and the recently released Switch 2 is the first Nintendo console to have mouse capabilities as part of its standard hardware, via the edge of its detachable Joy-Con controllers. As for Switch (i.e. Switch 1) users, they can still join in on the Mario Paint fun by connecting a compatible USB mouse, as there's no official mouse for the system. That's also an option for Switch 2 users, if they prefer a conventional mouse to the Joy-Con. Mario Paint is playable right now, having been added to Nintendo Classics as soon as it was announced, since with 34 years of pent-up creativity, there's a lot of art to be made. Source: Nintendo Top image: Nintendo Insert images: Nintendo, YouTube/Nintendo of America, YouTube/Nintendo 公式チャンネル ● Want to hear about SoraNews24's latest articles as soon as they're published? Follow us on Facebook and Twitter!
Newsweek
29-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Newsweek
One of Nintendo's Most Unique Games Just Got a Surprise Release on Switch 2
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Entertainment gossip and news from Newsweek's network of contributors Every once in a while, Nintendo uploads a new game to its Nintendo Classics service, a series of Netflix-like apps that host retro games from the company's past consoles for Nintendo Switch Online subscribers to enjoy. Today, one of the company's most interesting and unique games got released on the service: Mario Paint. Nintendo announced and released Mario Paint on its SNES Nintendo Classics app on both Switch and Switch 2 today, with the game playable after a simple update to the app. A player uses a Joy-Con 2 as a mouse in Mario Paint's coloring book game mode. A player uses a Joy-Con 2 as a mouse in Mario Paint's coloring book game mode. Nintendo Mario Paint is a classic SNES game that was released alongside a curious accessory for the SNES, the Super NES Mouse, which as the name suggests was a computer mouse for the SNES. The mouse plugged into a controller port on the console, and could then be used in various software, including Mario Paint, which was sold bundled with the mouse. The game is a collection of activities and minigames that make use of the mouse, such as a drawing suite, a coloring book, an animation tool, and a fly-swatting minigame called Gnat Attack. The most famous of the activities included in Mario Paint, though, is the music composer, which is a simple but still fairly well-featured music creation tool that lets players place notes of various kinds onto a musical clef to make a song. That song can then be played back, and can be used in the animation tool. It was one of the first music creation tools on a dedicated home console, and is remembered fondly by many in modern times. The game came to Switch 2 likely in part because of the inclusion of the mouse pointer mode on the Joy-Con 2, with each Joy-Con controller bundled with the console able to be used as a standalone mouse. Original Switch players won't be missing out, though, as Nintendo has also added USB mouse support to the app, which works just as well as the Joy-Con 2 in Mario Paint on both Switch and Switch 2. Two other games that supported the Super NES Mouse on the Nintendo Classics service are now able to be played with a Joy-Con 2 in mouse mode or a USB mouse, too, with Nobunaga's Ambition and Mario's Super Picross now updated to include support for the mouse. The update also brought improvements to the app's controls remapping and CRT filter, as well, and changed the name officially to Nintendo Classics rather than being branded Nintendo Switch Online.
Business Wire
27-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Business Wire
Nintendo News: Super Mario Strikers Brings Hard-Hitting Sports Action to Nintendo GameCube – Nintendo Classics on Nintendo Switch 2 July 3!
REDMOND, Wash.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Mario and friends are gearing up for an all-out soccer brawl! Super Mario ™ Strikers is out July 3 on the Nintendo GameCube ™ – Nintendo Classics library, available to play for everyone with a Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack membership on the Nintendo Switch 2 system. The first title in the Mario Strikers series and originally released for the Nintendo GameCube ™ system in 2005, Super Mario Strikers is an extreme soccer game where anything goes. Select your captain from Mushroom Kingdom mainstays like Mario, Luigi, Peach, Daisy, Yoshi, Donkey Kong, Wario and Waluigi, and jump into a bevy of modes like Grudge Match, Cup Battles and Custom Battles. In this arena, matches unfold with white-hot speed and intensity, and with no referees to dish out penalties, the only thing containing the mayhem is the electrified fence that surrounds the field! Plus, obtain familiar items, like shells and mushrooms, to add to the chaos and give yourself a boost during matches. But the real key to winning is the Super Strike: a powerful shot that can net you two points at once! Hone your techniques, deal out big hits and even unleash Chain Chomp onto the field as you aim to score a goal – and crush the opposition. With simple controls, anyone can hit the pitch while playing solo, and in local 1 and online multiplayer matches for up to four players. Additionally, players can make some waves while playing games from the Nintendo GameCube – Nintendo Classics library with a classic-style controller designed after the original. This dedicated wireless Nintendo GameCube controller has modern features like the C-Button, which can open GameChat 2, and the Capture Button. The Nintendo GameCube controller is only compatible with the Nintendo Switch 2 system and is available for purchase by paid Nintendo Switch Online members 3. Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack is a paid membership service that gives players access to a multitude of benefits, including a library of Nintendo 64 games with added online play for up to four players (additional accessories may be required for multiplayer mode; sold separately), a library of select Game Boy Advance games, retro SEGA Genesis games, Animal Crossing: New Horizons - Happy Home Paradise DLC, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe – Booster Course Pass DLC and Splatoon 2: Octo Expansion DLC (full version of game required to use DLC for that game; sold separately). Players who have a Nintendo Switch 2 and a Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack membership can also access upgrade packs for The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition and The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition (full version of games required to use content for that game; sold separately), enhanced features for compatible Nintendo 64 games and a library of classic Nintendo GameCube games – featuring F-Zero GX, The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker and SOULCALIBUR II with more titles coming in the future. Both Nintendo Switch Online and Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack allow members to play online in compatible games like Super Mario Bros. Wonder and Splatoon 3, and Nintendo Switch 2 games like Mario Kart World. Members can also enjoy a curated library of classic NES, Super NES and Game Boy games, including Super Mario Bros. 3, Super Metroid and The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past, among many others. Further, Nintendo Switch 2 players can use the GameChat feature to connect with friends through voice, video or screen sharing. Those without a Nintendo Switch Online membership can still join the fun during the Open-Access Period, ending March 31, 2026. Additionally, members can access the Nintendo Music 4 smart-device app to stream or download Nintendo soundtracks, create playlists, browse music by different categories and more. To find out more about the benefits that come with Nintendo Switch Online, to view membership options and to learn about a free seven-day trial for new users, visit Nintendo Switch Online membership (sold separately) and Nintendo Account required for online features. Free trial automatically converts to 1-month auto-renewing membership at the then-current price unless canceled. Free trial cannot be redeemed for a Nintendo Switch Online – Expansion Pack membership nor by a Nintendo Account with an active Individual Membership or Family Membership. Not available in all countries. Terms apply. 1 Additional accessories may be required for multiplayer mode. Sold separately. 2 Internet, Nintendo Switch Online membership (sold separately) and Nintendo Account required for online features, including GameChat. Not available in all countries. Terms and GameChat requirements apply. 3 Limit one purchase per Nintendo Account with paid Nintendo Switch Online membership. Controller ships to U.S. and Canada only. Offer not available in all countries or for free trial memberships. Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack membership required to access Nintendo GameCube – Nintendo Classics collection of games. This controller is optional and not required to play the Nintendo GameCube – Nintendo Classics collection of games. System update required. 4 Nintendo Switch Online membership (sold separately) and Nintendo Account required. Not available in all countries. Internet and compatible smart device required to use app. Data charges may apply. Terms apply. Super Mario Strikers © 2005 Nintendo. Note to editors: Nintendo press materials are available at a password-protected site. To obtain a login, please register on the site.
Forbes
05-06-2025
- Business
- Forbes
Playing GameCube Classics On Nintendo Switch 2 Is Simply Fantastic
GameCube Classics on Switch 2 Nintendo The Nintendo Switch 2 is officially out as of today, but I was able to secure a pre-order and pick mine up physically last night from GameStop. I then stayed up way too late playing a bunch of different games including Mario Kart World, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild Switch 2 Edition, Street Fighter 6 on Switch 2, and several others, but what actually excited me the most was the small collection of GameCube games added to the Nintendo Switch Online Classics subscription. When the Switch 2 was revealed, Nintendo announced they'd be adding the Nintendo GameCube to the Nintendo Classics lineup with The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker, Soulcalibur 2, and F-ZERO GX kicking off the library. They also confirmed Super Mario Sunshine, Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance, Pokémon XD: Gale of Darkness, Super Mario Strikers, Chibi-Robo! Plug Into Adventure, Luigi's Mansion, and Pokémon Colosseum are all coming up as well. The ability to play these sorts of games with built-in save states, amazing upscaled visuals, online multiplayer, and butter smooth framerate on a brand-new hybrid console from Nintendo is nothing short of spectacular. It's hard for me to overstate just how monumental this feels as someone born in 1990 who grew up playing these three games, and many others, very specifically as an early teen. Since the Nintendo GameCube was a huge part of my gaming background, I'm extremely excited about the potential here. I even made a list of 13 GameCube games I think would be excellent additions to this library. Fingers crossed Nintendo sees this, right? Naturally, I tried all three of the GameCube games on offer so far and came away extremely impressed. Let's talk about it. Soulcalibur 2 on Switch 2 Bandai Namco This was the big one for me. Soulcalibur 2 is one of the few fighting games I ever really got into growing up and that's almost entirely because of Link's guest appearance. I'm happy to report this game still absolutely rocks. The first thing I did was clear the Arcade mode as Link and thankfully the command list in the pause menu explains all the moves well enough. Eventually, the muscle memory started coming back to me. But what I always loved about Soulcalibur 2 are the other modes beyond basic Arcade, specifically Weapon Master. In the Weapon Master mode, you complete specific challenges that have a bit of light narrative setup around them in order to earn cash to spend on unlocking new weapons for characters. You can then take these new weapons into the Extra Arcade mode and other game modes to alter their fighting style. Link gets access to the Razor Sword from Majora's Mask, a bug catching net, and so much more which all have different reach, attack, and defensive properties. Collecting all the weapons is a blast. Add on excellent online multiplayer now via the Nintendo Classics infrastructure and you have one of my favorite games ported to a new platform with better visuals and new features. Can't go wrong there! F-ZERO GX on Switch 2 Nintendo I've never been the biggest F-Zero fan, but I do appreciate what it tries to accomplish. Personally, I usually prefer combat racing like WipEout and Mario Kart, or even the criminally underrated Blur, but F-Zero is still fun for the pure sense of blistering speed and killer music. The GameCube version of F-Zero here is one of the fastest and most difficult racing games I've ever tried to play and that still holds true over two decades later. Multiplayer works great, even though it's of course split screen even online here, and it's a blast to just try out for a while with a friend. There are tons of characters / ships to unlock so there's plenty of content. F-Zero GX on Switch 2 is a game that basically feels like it just got remastered with little fanfare. Framerate is smooth, resolution is crisp, and everything just looks, sounds, and plays phenomenally. You definitely need to check this one out. The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker on Switch 2 Nintendo Now this is probably the one people are most excited about and that's for good reason. Since this is the GameCube original version, however, that means you won't get the quality of life improvements found in the Wii U HD remake or widescreen support, but the tradeoff there is you retain the original art style without the added bloom effects injected into the HD version. FEATURED | Frase ByForbes™ Unscramble The Anagram To Reveal The Phrase Pinpoint By Linkedin Guess The Category Queens By Linkedin Crown Each Region Crossclimb By Linkedin Unlock A Trivia Ladder Personally, I prefer the visual style of the original more. It's cleaner and less busy looking with a really distinct aesthetic. Zero complaints here. The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker probably has my favorite video game soundtrack of all-time and it's one of the best games in the entire Zelda franchise. I really hope more people get a chance to play it this way and the inclusion of things like save states will make it even better of course. Say what you want about the drawbacks of games locked behind subscription services—I largely agree with the criticisms and would prefer to just buy them individually—but I love that Nintendo is preserving their legacy here. It's no secret that the Switch 2 doesn't have a huge selection of new games to pick from at launch. But what it does of are three of the best games from the early 2000s, upgraded, and easily accessible for a small subscription and that's amazing to me.
Forbes
27-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Forbes
13 GameCube Classics That Could Boost The Nintendo Switch 2's Library
Phantasy Star Online The Nintendo Switch 2 is nearing release this summer and one of the most exciting pieces of news to come out of its reveal was the confirmation that we're finally getting GameCube games added to the library of Nintendo Classics. Currently, a Nintendo Switch Online subscription nets you a massive library of Nintendo Classics including games for the original Nintendo (NES), Super Nintendo, and Game Boy. If you upgrade to the Expansion Pack tier, then you also get games for Nintendo 64, Game Boy Advance, and Sega Genesis. Soon, that higher tier will also include GameCube games—but only for the Switch 2. At launch, the GameCube library will include just three games: The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker, F-ZERO GX, and Soulcalibur II. Fortunately, it won't stop there though as Nintendo also confirmed the following games are planned for inclusion in the lineup in the future: Super Mario Sunshine, Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance, Pokémon XD: Gale of Darkness, Super Mario Strikers, Chibi-Robo! Plug Into Adventure, Luigi's Mansion, and Pokémon Colosseum. Judging from how they've handled the other platforms in Nintendo Classics, we can expect a gradual drip feed of games to continue getting added into the catalog over time. I decided to leave off some obvious games like The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess, which seems like a clear choice given Wind Waker is there day one, or Super Smash Bros. Melee because they'd be crazy not to include that one. I'm also leaving off some fan favorites like Viewtiful Joe because it's already on so many other lists out there and is, frankly, not one of my personal favorites anyway. FEATURED | Frase ByForbes™ Unscramble The Anagram To Reveal The Phrase Pinpoint By Linkedin Guess The Category Queens By Linkedin Crown Each Region Crossclimb By Linkedin Unlock A Trivia Ladder Using a mixture of context clues, past additions, current relationships, personal bias, plenty of nostalgia, and a bit of common sense, I came up with a list of 13 games I think would be huge boosts to the Nintendo Switch 2 library worth considering for inclusion. This list could easily be two or three times as long, but I had to make the cutoff somewhere. They're listed alphabetically. The original 1080° Snowboarding on Nintendo 64 is an absolute classic. That era and the era that followed were jam-packed with amazing snowboarding and extreme sport games, so it was a natural evolution for there to be a sequel. While not quite as popular as the first game, this sequel takes everything people loved about the original and cranks it up a few notches with some impressive visuals as well. This would be a great addition, especially since the first game is already on Nintendo Classics for N64. This one might feel like an obvious choice, so I'm mostly hoping it comes sooner rather than later. The original Animal Crossing on GameCube was a landmark release for the platform and is actually an overhauled and revamped version of Animal Forest on Nintendo 64, which only ever got released in Japan. Since Animal Crossing: New Horizons is the second best-selling Nintendo Switch game of all-time at over 47 million units (which is an insane number) I think it's only a matter of time before this one is added to the lineup. I'd imagine around the same time an inevitable sequel is announced would be the ideal time. Now here's one that I really feel like is a bit of an underrated gem on the GameCube. This is a real-time strategy war game spin-off of the turn-based Advance Wars series on Game Boy Advance. Players take on the role of an on-the-field commander in a battalion from a third-person perspective. It's single-player only and has a surprisingly fun and solid campaign. You get to control a large variety of unit types and it really does a nice job utilizing its cel-shaded art style to give a sense of a real, large-scale conflict. While Advance Wars has remained popular, Battalion Wars is kind of forgotten. It did get a sequel for the Wii which added multiplayer, and since it's an exclusive, I could see it coming to the GameCube Classics lineup. I could be wrong, but I feel like this has to be coming to the Nintendo Classics catalog for GameCube on Switch 2. Billy Hatcher and the Giant Egg is a 3D platformer with a great history as its producer is Yuji Naka, one of the co-creators of Sonic the Hedgehog, it was developed by Sonic Team, and published directly by Sega, who of course has a great relationship with Nintendo these days. Previously, it was a GameCube exclusive, but did eventually get a PC port. Since platformers are a huge part of Nintendo's identity historically, this would be a great selection to fill out the library. The only situation I can see this not coming to GameCube classics is if they have a remastered port in the works. You'll probably notice a trend with some of my selections at this point. I'm mostly focusing on games that are not blatantly obvious selections, but due to their history could be slam dunk picks for the Nintendo Classics catalog. Custom Robo is definitely one of those games. It's an action RPG in which you customize and battle robots in a holographic battle arena. The GameCube title is actually the fourth game in the series, and the most recent one, but it's the only one to get released widely outside of Japan. This game was published by Nintendo directly and Shigeru Yamamoto was actually a producer on the title. This is a game that would truly cause some waves if it actually got added to the Nintendo Classics catalog, but it's more likely than you might think. Eternal Darkness is a psychological action-adventure thriller and it's the first Nintendo-published video game to receive an M rating from the ESRB. It features a complex story spanning many eras and timelines, as well as mind-bending moments that really aim to mess with the player's mind and break the fourth wall. Considered a cult classic and one of the most expensive titles in the library to own these days, I would love to see it added. I've still got my original copy and I frequently cite this as one of my favorite horror games of all-time. Since Silicon Knights, the developer, no longer exists, and it was published by Nintendo, I'd consider it a strong possibility. Elden Ring is coming to Nintendo Switch 2, so it would be awesome if FromSoftware dug into their backlog a bit to revive some of their other pre-Souls franchises. Lost Kingdoms is a severely underrated RPG exclusive to the GameCube, featuring a really unique real-time card-based combat system. The game was published by Activision, but since even Soulcalibur II is coming to Nintendo Classics for GameCube, third-party games are clearly not off the table. It also got a sequel as well named Lost Kingdoms II so maybe a surprise double drop like we got with the Golden Sun games for GBA Classics could be in the cards—pun intended. My bias is showing a little bit with this pick, because I am a massive fan of the Phantasy Star series (both the single-player JRPGs and the Online subseries) but I do genuinely think of this as an iconic game that, despite its popularity and impact, far too few people talk about. Getting it to work correctly could be tricky, and I would honestly prefer a full remaster, but this could still be a great pick for the GameCube Classics portfolio. Phantasy Star Online has the honor of being the first online RPG for consoles. It paved the way for MMOs on consoles with its online infrastructure and influenced loot-based RPG design for years to come. I'd wager we wouldn't have games like Destiny without PSO paving the way first. The tricky part is that the GameCube version was playable offline as a single-player game, or you could take your character online via dedicated servers to play with others. You could also play local split screen multiplayer. The original version on Sega Dreamcast did not include local split screen as an option. Given how the Nintendo Switch Online platform works for Nintendo Classics, I think solo or split-screen only would have to be the limitations, so it would lose a lot of the magic. But it's still one of the best GameCube games ever anyway, if you ask me. Next up on the list is another port of an originally Sega Dreamcast-exclusive RPG in the form of Skies of Arcadia. The GameCube version added Legends to the title, but it's functionally just an enhanced version of the same game. This is a more traditional turn-based RPG, but it's highly regarded as one of the best from the era. Given its sustained popularity and the trend of remastering older JRPGs like this (looking at you Dragon Quest, Lunar, Suikoden, and more) I could see a full-on remaster on the way instead, but I'd still be happy to see it added to the GameCube lineup regardless. Yes, I'm picking another game that started out as a Sega Dreamcast exclusive before coming to GameCube. No, I did not plan to have them all in a row but sometimes that's how the alphabet works. With the massive success of the third Sonic the Hedgehog film, as well as the success of Sonic x Shadow Generations, it seems like an obvious pick to put the spotlight on Sonic Adventure 2, the game that first introduced Shadow as a character. As I've mentioned with a few picks on this list though, it's such an obvious choice that instead we might see a remaster instead, which would be pretty cool. You can actually play this game on tons of modern platforms already, including Xbox Series X and PC via Steam, so if you never got around to checking it out and don't have a Dreamcast or GameCube with tons of spare cash lying around, you can already Escape from the City right now in a more accessible way. For whatever reason, a lot of people didn't like this Star Fox on GameCube game very much. I contend that all of those people are wrong because this is actually, in my opinion, the absolute best Star Fox game in the entire series. Featuring incredible visuals that still hold up to this day, extremely fun flight levels, and the debut of ground-based vehicles and on-foot levels, it's the most varied and consistently fun Star Fox has ever been. Star Fox Adventures is another solid pick as it's essentially a Zelda game with a Star Fox coat of paint, so I'd love to see that one too, but if I had to pick I'd choose the one that exemplifies the core of Star Fox more strongly, which is Star Fox Assault. Not to mention the insanely fun multiplayer mode as well being a perfect fit for Nintendo Classics. This is probably the most obscure game I've picked for my list and I'll explain why. For starters, I love this era of Sega games on GameCube (clearly, as evidenced by the rest of my list) and this is an extremely interesting spin-off that no one talks about. If you know anything about the types of games Nintendo eventually adds to these classic catalogs, then you know this is exactly the kind of thing they'd pick. Virtua Quest is a spin-off of the Virtua Fighter series in which players take on the role of a kid named Sei who works as a hunter inside the virtual universe called the Nexus. In this version of the future, everyone uses this approximation of a VR metaverse to escape the horrors of real life. If you think that sounds a lot like Ready Player One, you'd be right. Here's my final selection for this list, another less-loved GameCube sequel to a beloved Nintendo 64 extreme sport racing game. Did you know the first Wave Race was actually released on the original Game Boy? The sequel, Wave Race 64, went on to become a groundbreaking game for its realistic water physics and extremely addictive gameplay and the sequel is no different. It doesn't have the same novelty of its predecessor, but the gameplay feels even smoother with amazing water effects and lots more content and game modes to enjoy in the GameCube iteration. Since we're getting F-ZERO GX on day one, I feel like this one is inevitable at some point since the original is already in the service. As I said earlier, this list could have been way longer but I decided to cut it off at 13 because I like that number. If you have other suggestions for GameCube games you want to see, or reasons why you think my picks are especially terrible (or great) let me know over in the comments.
