Ethan Crossfield 
Nintendo Switch Online subscribers have one confirmed GameCube classic left to watch: Pokemon Colosseum. Nintendo has announced the game for the service, but it has not yet joined the lineup. That makes it a title worth tracking for players deciding whether to keep following future Expansion Pack updates, although Nintendo has not provided a release date.
What changed for Nintendo Switch Online
The latest GameCube addition was Super Mario Sunshine, which expanded the service’s available library even though the game was already playable on Switch 2 through the Super Mario 3D All-Stars Collection. Its arrival still adds value for Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack members using the newer console. Other GameCube releases on the service include F-Zero GX, The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker, Soulcalibur 2, Super Mario Strikers, Chibi-Robo, Luigi’s Mansion, Wario World, Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance, and Pokemon XD: Gale of Darkness. Pokemon Colosseum is the notable confirmed game that has yet to appear.
Why Pokemon Colosseum matters to players
Pokemon Colosseum has a direct connection to Pokemon Ruby, Sapphire, and Emerald on Game Boy Advance. Originally, players could link those games to the GameCube title with a Game Boy Advance-to-GameCube cable, allowing Pokemon trades and battles between the systems. That relationship gives Nintendo a natural reason to place Colosseum near the arrival of the Gen 3 games on Switch consoles, if reports about a late-September or October launch window for those games prove accurate. However, that timing remains speculation rather than a Nintendo announcement.
What could come next
Nintendo has not explained why Pokemon XD: Gale of Darkness arrived before its predecessor, and the order may simply be coincidental. There is at least some precedent for coordinating Pokemon releases: FireRed and LeafGreen joined the Switch family on February 27, while Pokemon XD: Gale of Darkness reached Nintendo Switch Online less than a month later. A similar rollout could support a nostalgia-focused holiday period, potentially alongside the Nintendo-related window for The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time remake mentioned in the source material. More GameCube games are also likely to be announced eventually, but no additional titles or dates are confirmed here.
What players should know
- Pokemon Colosseum has been confirmed for Nintendo Switch Online but is not available yet.
- Nintendo has not announced a release date for the GameCube classic.
- A launch near Pokemon Ruby, Sapphire, and Emerald is possible, but current timing reports are not official confirmation.
- Pokemon XD: Gale of Darkness is already available, despite being the sequel to Colosseum.
- Super Mario Sunshine is the latest GameCube addition cited by the source.
Expert View
Pokemon Colosseum is a logical next title for Nintendo Switch Online because of its Game Boy Advance connectivity and its place in the wider Gen 3 Pokemon era. Still, the case for an imminent release rests on timing speculation, not confirmed scheduling. Players interested in the original GameCube library should watch Nintendo’s announcements, but there is no reason to treat an October arrival as certain.
