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You may be able to play GameCube games on the Nintendo Switch’s Virtual Console

You may be able to play GameCube games on the Nintendo Switch’s Virtual Console

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As we get closer to the next major Nintendo Switch unveiling in January, details about the new console continue to trickle out. The latest is a report from Eurogamer that claims that the Nintendo Switch will be adding GameCube Virtual Console support to the upcoming console.

Eurogamer's sources claim that Nintendo already has Super Mario Sunshine, Luigi's Mansion, and Super Smash Bros. Melee working in an emulated form on the Switch. Animal Crossing is slated to be next.

While Nintendo has included the Virtual Console — a store where emulated versions of legacy Nintendo games can be bought to play on newer hardware — on the Wii, Wii U, and 3DS platforms, none have offered GameCube games for sale. It’s expected that Nintendo will continue to offer games from its NES and SNES consoles on the Switch, but nothing has been confirmed yet. Additionally, the Virtual Console as a concept sits in a very different light when considered against Nintendo’s recently released NES Classic, which offers legacy NES games at a substantial discount from the Virtual Console.

Despite the GameCube's age, it's still an important console in many respects, especially in the professional Smash Bros. scene, where Melee remains the game of choice for many players. Nintendo is also reportedly looking into offering Switch support for the Wii U's GameCube controller adapter as part of its efforts to court the e-sports scene with the Switch’s emulated Melee support.

Nintendo has yet to officially comment on its Virtual Console plans for the Switch, but presumably we’ll hear more in the coming weeks and months as we approach the Switch’s March 2017 release window.