Super Mario Sunshine Joins Switch 2's GameCube Classics on August 13 — A 24-Year-Old Gem Returns From the Premium Aftermarket

Nintendo is bringing the 2002 GameCube standout Super Mario Sunshine to GameCube – Nintendo Classics on Nintendo Switch 2 on August 13. It arrives for Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack members, returning a 3D Mario favorite — long saddled with a premium on the physical aftermarket — to easy, subscription-based access 24 years on.

• ▶Sources: Nintendo Everything — release date announced · Nintendo Life — GameCube library expands · My Nintendo News · 9to5Toys

At a Glance

Super Mario Sunshine sends Mario to the tropical resort of Isle Delfino, armed with the water-spraying FLUDD pump — a defining twist on the 3D platformer formula.

What's Being Added

The news is simple: starting August 13, Super Mario Sunshine joins the GameCube – Nintendo Classics library on Nintendo Switch 2. It isn't a separate purchase — it's a perk of the NSO + Expansion Pack subscription, so anyone already subscribed can play it at no extra cost.

The GameCube Classics library is a service introduced with the Switch 2 generation. That means it's Switch 2 only — the original Switch can't access it. Super Mario Sunshine slots in as one of the marquee 3D Mario titles filling out that lineup.

What Super Mario Sunshine Is

Super Mario Sunshine first launched on the GameCube in 2002 as a mainline entry in the 3D Mario series. Set across the tropical resort of Isle Delfino, it hands Mario a back-mounted water device — FLUDD — to scrub away pollution and clear each stage. By layering hovering and rocket-boost movement onto the series' jump-centric tradition, it remains the most distinctive — and divisive — chapter in the 3D Mario canon.

Its punishing secret stages and singular summer atmosphere earned a devoted following, yet the original rarely resurfaced after the GameCube era. It appeared once in 2020's Super Mario 3D All-Stars, but that collection's limited-run sales ended, making access hard again — which is exactly why a permanent library slot matters here.

Why It Matters Now — A Gem With a Premium

Super Mario Sunshine has long been a title whose physical value kept climbing. Loose GameCube copies and secondhand 3D All-Stars listings alike carried a steady markup, precisely because legitimate digital access was so narrow.

The GameCube Classics addition upends that. Offered permanently on a subscription basis, it effectively erases the "rare and expensive" barrier to entry. For newcomers meeting the game for the first time, it's the cheapest and most stable way in.

Why It Matters for Players

Two takeaways. First, cost: if you already own a Switch 2 and the NSO Expansion Pack, you can play a landmark 3D Mario instantly, with nothing more to buy. Second, accessibility: Isle Delfino's summer mood and FLUDD's tactile controls make it approachable even for first-timers, despite its tougher optional challenges.

One thing to verify: because GameCube Classics is a Switch 2-exclusive service, owners of the original Switch aren't covered. Details such as language support and any frame-rate or resolution enhancements are best confirmed through Nintendo's official listing.

The GamePeak Bottom Line

The point isn't a new game — it's access. After 24 years of climbing physical prices, Super Mario Sunshine slides into a subscription library, opening Isle Delfino at the lowest barrier yet for anyone visiting for the first time.