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Super Mario Sunshine is finally coming to Nintendo Switch Online, seemingly letting Switch 2 owners play a worse version than the one Switch has had for 6 years
Nintendo is set to add Super Mario Sunshine to Nintendo Switch Online, giving subscribers access to the GameCube classic through the service’s retro library. The announcement matters because Switch owners have already been able to play a remastered version through Super Mario 3D All-Stars, raising concerns that the newer Switch 2 option may offer an inferior presentation.
Super Mario 3D All-Stars was released for Switch in 2020 and included Sunshine alongside Super Mario 64 and Super Mario Galaxy. The article suggests the Switch Online release is likely to be the original GameCube version, potentially without the remaster’s widescreen support, higher resolution and updated controls; 3D All-Stars was also removed from sale in 2021.
In short
- Super Mario Sunshine is coming to Nintendo Switch Online.
- It may be less polished than Switch’s 2020 remaster.
- Super Mario 3D All-Stars is no longer sold digitally.
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
Switch 2 owners deserve access to the best available version of a game, particularly when Switch owners have already enjoyed the remastered 3D All-Stars edition for years. The remaster offered meaningful improvements—widescreen support, higher resolution, and modernised controls—that represent a significantly better experience than the original GameCube version. Releasing an inferior port on new hardware whilst the superior version remains increasingly inaccessible seems like a failure to ensure backwards compatibility works properly and suggests Nintendo is not optimising for player value.
The case against
Nintendo is making Sunshine widely accessible through an affordable subscription service, which serves players who never owned 3D All-Stars and prioritises accessibility over premium positioning. The original GameCube version has genuine merit and charm independent of whether a remaster exists; remasters are a stylistic choice rather than an objective upgrade, and players have legitimate preferences for how classics should be presented. Nintendo reasonably manages its product portfolio across different services and price points, and this approach actually provides consumer choice rather than forcing a one-size-fits-all strategy.
Explained simply
Super Mario Sunshine is a 2002 game in which Mario explores a tropical island, cleans up messes and searches for stars. It was made for Nintendo’s GameCube, a home console released before the Switch.
Nintendo Switch Online is a paid subscription that includes a growing library of older games. In 2020, Nintendo also released Super Mario 3D All-Stars for Switch, a collection that included Sunshine alongside Super Mario 64 and Super Mario Galaxy; the collection was withdrawn from sale in 2021.
The distinction matters because a game added to the subscription’s retro library may be the original GameCube version, while the 3D All-Stars edition was adapted for Switch with features such as widescreen display and updated controls. How the two versions compare could affect which one players can access on the newer Switch 2.