Super Mario Sunshine joins Switch 2's GameCube library
Nintendo announced that Super Mario Sunshine, the 2002 GameCube release, will join the Nintendo GameCube – Nintendo Classics catalog on Nintendo Switch 2 on August 13, 2026. Access requires an active Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack subscription. Coverage indicates the Switch 2 edition is pure emulation rather than a remaster, in contrast to the now-defunct Super Mario 3D All-Stars release, though prior GameCube Classics have included resolution improvements and Nintendo's initial teaser did not show gameplay. The addition brings the GameCube collection on Switch Online to 10 titles; Pokémon Colosseum has been confirmed but has no release date.
Two unreleased Virtual Boy games revived
On August 4, 2026, Nintendo will release Zero Racers and D-Hopper through the Virtual Boy – Nintendo Classics app. Zero Racers was an F-Zero spin-off originally developed as the planned first sequel to the SNES original; a former Nintendo producer has said the title was completed before the Virtual Boy's commercial failure led to its cancellation. D-Hopper, originally Dragon Hopper, was developed by Intelligent Systems—the studio behind Fire Emblem, WarioWare, and Paper Mario—and was cancelled for the same reason; it was originally targeted for an August 23, 1996 release, meaning the Switch debut comes just short of the project's 30th anniversary. Nintendo first confirmed the revival of both titles in January 2026.
Virtual Boy app customization and Nintendo Music additions
Alongside the new games, the Virtual Boy app will receive an update on August 4 that lets players customize screen color. Per Nintendo's trailer, users hold the right control stick while pressing L or R to cycle palettes, fulfilling a feature teased when the app launched earlier this year. Nintendo also released a new Virtual Boy commercial and added five Virtual Boy soundtracks to the Nintendo Music app: Virtual Boy Wario Land, Mario Clash, Galactic Pinball, Teleroboxer, and Mario's Tennis.
Library context and what remains off the service
The Virtual Boy – Nintendo Classics app launched earlier this year and requires a physical accessory to play on Switch and Switch 2. With this update, the majority of the Virtual Boy's original library has been brought to Nintendo Switch Online. Eight Virtual Boy titles remain unconfirmed for the service: Nester's Funky Bowling, Panic Bomber, SD Gundam Dimension War, Space Squash, Virtual Fighting, Virtual Lab, Virtual League Baseball, and Waterworld. Reporting notes that several of those games featured licensed IPs, making future appearances unlikely.
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