GameCube Classic Super Mario Sunshine Joins Nintendo Switch Online Catalog Next Month

GameCube classic Super Mario Sunshine will join the Nintendo Switch Online catalog next month.

Perfect for the summer break, Super Mario Sunshine sees the Nintendo mascot and his pals on vacation to Delphino Island, until Bowser Jr. and his magical paintbrush spoil the fun. Luckily, Mario has a gadget of his own — the infamous FLUDD powerhose backpack — allowing him to jet around, hover, and clean up the town.

You'll be able to play Super Mario Sunshine from August 13 with a Switch Online subscription — though as a GameCube title you'll of course need a Switch 2 and the beefier Switch Online + Expansion Pack subscription.

August also brings a couple of previously-announced Virtual Boy titles, D-Hopper and Zero Racers, which launch on August 4. These have never seen the light of day before, so are a notable piece of history for long-time Nintendo fans.

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But it's Super Mario Sunshine which will catch the most attention here. Nintendo previously re-released the game as part of its annoyingly time-limited 3D All-Stars collection back in 2020, though otherwise the platformer is now difficult to play legitimately on modern hardware.

The long-awaited follow-up to the legendary Super Mario 64, Sunshine is also notable for featuring the debut of Bowser Jr., as well as Petey Piranha, Piantas, Cataquacks, and Peach's elderly butler Toadsworth — characters and enemies that have all since popped up in numerous other games, as well as the Super Mario movies.

Will you be replaying Sunshine next month — or trying it for the first time?

Tom Phillips is IGN's News Editor. You can reach Tom at [email protected] or find him on Bluesky @tomphillipseg.bsky.social