Nintendo is kind of a strange company, isn’t it? It’s not afraid to take risks on its game systems despite suffering major failures, yet it’s oddly unwilling to do step outside of its comfort zone when it comes to how it handles its large library of classics. Nintendo has been consistent here, only ever releasing games from its NES and SNES libraries along with a small smattering of “proven” titles from later systems. For Nintendo, the fact that fans have been practically drooling over the idea of having GameCube games on the go for years now doesn’t seem to matter at all. That’s too bad, because with no confirmation of a Switch successor and relatively few truly exciting games coming in 2022, the Switch needs exciting new additions, and some of these GameCube classics would do the trick.

Eternal Darkness: Sanity's Requiem

Eternal Darkness: Sanity's Requiem would be a great classic release for the Switch.  It's unique mix of horror, thriller, action and mystery elements still has yet to be duplicated, and the story of the Roivas family's centuries-spanning struggles against Lovecraftian horrors still manages to capture one's attention even now. Eternal Darkness is most famous for its fourth wall-breaking insanity effects, so people often forget the robust magic crafting system and puzzles that accompany the story and basic combat. The time is ripe for Eternal Darkness to make a comeback, and an upscaled version on Switch would be a real hit.

Pikmin

The original Pikmin is a classic in every sense of the word and as such deserves to see the light of day again on the Switch. As the first in the series, it's not as complex or fine-tuned as its sequels, but it still retains a certain charm even now. While it's not the easiest of the Pikmin games, it could still serve as an entry-point into the series once more, especially if Nintendo were to choose the "New Play Control!" version that was originally made for the Wii in 2009. For longtime fans, though, it might just serve as a pleasant dose of nostalgia as they wait for news of Pikmin 4. Regardless, Pikmin's presence on the Switch would be a boon for the console.

The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Adventures

The Zelda series got a lot of attention on the GameCube, getting a total of five releases during the console's lifespan. Two of these were re-releases of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time and The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask, but it was still an unusual amount of Zelda for a single system. Not all of these games got proper attention though, with The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Adventures more or less being forgotten immediately after release. It was a shame too, because this was a game that was absolutely packed with interesting ideas. Solo players took control of four Links simultaneously, and could organize them into different formations depending on what they wanted to do, but it's in multiplayer that this one shined.

Players could still form-up, but could also work independently and make their own solutions to the encounters and puzzles. Unfortunately, multiplayer required both Game Boy Advances and a bunch of link cables to play, so not many were able to partake in it. This wouldn't be a problem in a Switch release though, as Nintendo could potentially take full advantage of local and online multiplayer functionality to finally enable The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Adventures to reach its full potential.

Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door

The Paper Mario series has not been having a good...decade. When the series first started, it was a pure RPG that gave Nintendo a chance to explore its classic characters and world in new and interesting ways. Sometimes it was funny; sometimes it could actually be rather dark, but it was always grounded in the idea that its world was still the same Mushroom Kingdom that fans knew and loved. Ever since Paper Mario: Sticker Star on the 3DS, though, the series has slowly abandoned its RPG elements and grounded writing in favor of an ever-more extreme focus on the "paper" part of Paper Mario.

The most recent entry, Paper Mario and the Origami King, took the "lol it's paper!" idea to an even greater extreme, leaving many wondering whether or not the series will ever return to the engaging gameplay, interesting worlds and solid writing it used to be based upon. This is why now, more than ever, Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door needs a release on the Switch. It's widely regarded by many long-time fans as the pinnacle release of the series, and both newer fans and Nintendo need to be reminded of why that is. Its turn-based combat, surprisingly-deep badge system, clever writing and memorable characters all deserve another chance at life, and newer Mario fans deserve a chance to try it all out for themselves.

Metroid Prime

Rumors of a Metroid Prime collection for Switch have been making their rounds on the internet practically since the day the Switch released, which indicates absolutely massive fan interest at the very least. A Metroid Prime collection for the Switch is such a no-brainer that it's genuinely baffling that Nintendo hasn't already released one. Metroid has been a hot IP ever since the original Metroid Prime released in 2002, and it's also one that Nintendo has massively underutilized for whatever reason. Sure, fans finally got a juicy release last year with the fantastic Metroid Dread, but the hunger for a new, fully 3D Metroid still remains unsatiated. Metroid Prime 4 is currently sitting square in the middle of development hell too, so it's likely that a Metroid Prime collection is the only way fans will be able to get their fix.

It's strange that these games haven't gotten more attention from Nintendo over the years. They've only seen one re-release in the form of the Metroid Prime Trilogy for the Wii back in 2009 and one more release on the Wii U eShop. Considering that barely anyone bought a Wii U, the Wii collection is still the best way to play. Nintendo has three classic, immensely popular sci-fi shooters just sitting in its library right now, with fans practically begging for the chance to buy them again. Should Nintendo finally release them for Switch, chances are good that it'll almost drown in the tidal wave of cash that'll get thrown at them.

Of course, there are plenty of other excellent GameCube games that deserve a Switch release. The system may not have enjoyed the same level of popularity as the original Xbox or PlayStation 2, but it provided its players with plenty of classics. What are some that you'd like to see on the Switch?