GameCube Classic Super Mario Strikers Hits Switch Online

Super Mario Strikers — also known as Mario Smash Football in Europe — is set to join the Nintendo Switch Online GameCube library for the Nintendo Switch 2 next week. This marks the first addition to the library since the Switch 2’s release earlier this month.

Nintendo Switch Online is a subscription-based service for the Nintendo Switch platform, offering online multiplayer for competing or teaming up with friends and access to a vast collection of classic Nintendo games from the NES, SNES, Game Boy, Nintendo 64, and now the new GameCube library. A free seven-day trial is also available.

The current GameCube lineup includes The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker, F-Zero GX, and Soulcalibur 2. Upcoming titles expected to join the service are Super Mario Sunshine, Luigi's Mansion, Pokémon XD: Gale of Darkness, and more.

Nintendo teased, “Mario and friends clash in this intense soccer game, originally released for the Nintendo GameCube in 2005. Matches are lightning-fast and chaotic, with familiar items like shells and mushrooms giving you the edge against your opponents. The key to victory is the Super Strike, a powerful shot that earns two points at once! Easy-to-learn controls let you jump right in, refine your skills, and hit the field with Mario and the crew. Available exclusively on Nintendo Switch 2 for Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack members.”

Back in 2008, IGN rated Super Mario Strikers as “Good” — almost two decades ago now — writing in our review: “Nintendo continues its sports series with Super Mario Strikers, a soccer game like no other.”

And for those craving nostalgia, an impressive replica GameCube controller is also available.

The Nintendo Switch 2 is off to a solid start, with 3.5 million units sold, although a recent analysis of launch week sales suggests a mixed performance for third-party game sales.

As we noted in IGN’s Nintendo Switch 2 review, giving the system a 7/10: “The Nintendo Switch 2 brings essential upgrades over the original, especially for those who’ve relied on the Switch for the past eight years. Still, most updates feel overdue, and the higher price makes this sequel about as exciting as a long-awaited phone upgrade in the grand scheme.”