Super Mario Sunshine Joins Nintendo GameCube Classics on August 13
The addition brings a beloved 2002 GameCube title to the Switch 2's subscription service, expanding the retro catalog with a game that has not been re-released on modern hardware before.
Key Facts
- Super Mario Sunshine will be added to Nintendo GameCube Classics on August 13, 2026.
- The game is available to subscribers of Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack on Nintendo Switch 2.
- Super Mario Sunshine was originally released for the Nintendo GameCube in 2002.
- The game features Mario using the FLUDD device to clean graffiti on Isle Delfino.
- Nintendo announced the addition on July 31, 2026.
Reporting from 5 sources: 4Gamer.net, GAME Watch (Impress), Denfaminicogamer, Automaton, and 1 more.
Nintendo announced on July 31 that Super Mario Sunshine will be added to the Nintendo GameCube Classics lineup on August 13. The game is available to subscribers of the Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack service and can be played on Nintendo Switch 2. Originally released for the Nintendo GameCube in 2002, Super Mario Sunshine is a 3D action game in which Mario arrives on Isle Delfino for a vacation but is mistaken for a graffiti culprit. He uses a water-spraying device called FLUDD to clean graffiti, defeat enemies, and fly through the air while searching for the power of the sun, the Shine. The game includes areas such as Bianco Hills and Ricco Harbor, and features stages where FLUDD is sealed away, forcing players to rely on platforming skills. The announcement was made via Nintendo's official social media and covered by multiple outlets. The addition continues the rollout of GameCube titles to the Switch 2's retro library, following the service's launch.
- FLUDD's water-spraying actions became one of Mario's special moves in the Super Smash Bros. series, a detail tied to the game's legacy.
- The game launched for GameCube in July 2002, with some outlets noting the August 13 addition lands during summer, a seasonally fitting release for the water-based title.
- Isle Delfino is described as a southern paradise, and Mario's promise to clean the island involves pursuing the real culprit to prove his innocence and restore the Shine.
- Areas such as Bianco Hills and Ricco Harbor are among the maps Mario visits while cleaning graffiti.
- Stages where FLUDD is sealed away force players to rely on platforming skills, which one outlet noted "likely gave many users a hard time back then."
- The Nintendo GameCube Nintendo Classics service is playable only on Nintendo Switch 2, per 4Gamer.net.
- Nintendo's announcement came via its official social media account on July 31, with the company posting a link to the news.
Synthesized by Yomimono from the 5 cited sources below, including Japanese-language reporting where cited, then editorially reviewed before publishing.
Sources
- 4Gamer.net 「スーパーマリオサンシャイン」，「ニンテンドー ゲームキューブ Nintendo Classics」で8月13日に配信
- GAME Watch (Impress) 「スーパーマリオサンシャイン」が「ゲームキューブ Nintendo Classics」に8月13日追加！
- Denfaminicogamer 『スーパーマリオ サンシャイン』が8月13日より「ニンテンドー ゲームキューブ Nintendo Classics」に追加。マリオが「ポンプ」を背負い、水を駆使したアクションで南の島を綺麗にしていく
- Automaton 『スーパーマリオサンシャイン』Nintendo Classicsで復刻へ、Nintendo Switch 2で遊べるように。8月13日配信へ
- Game Spark 『スーパーマリオサンシャイン』スイッチ2「GC Nintendo Classics」に8月13日より追加！夏にこそやりたい水を駆使した3Dマリオ