Nintendo’s retro pipeline may be about to get one of its most requested Pokémon side entries.
Reports suggest Pokémon XD: Gale of Darkness is lined up for Switch 2’s GameCube NSO catalog this March.
If true, it would be a major win for preservation-minded players who’ve spent years asking for cleaner access to GameCube-era Pokémon history.
After waiting for so long, Nintendo Switch Online finally added a classic “Pokémon” work, and it is also a cult masterpiece in the hearts of fans – “Pokémon XD: Gale of Darkness”. The game will be added to the GameCube Nintendo Classics game library in March this year, but please note that this category is currently exclusive to Switch 2. In other words, if you haven’t upgraded to Switch 2, you can’t see this wave but not play it.
For players who used this square purple console to play Dark Pokémon, this sword was quite accurate.
Released earlier than Pokémon Colosseum? The order is a bit counter-intuitive
Pokémon XD: Gale of Darkness is the second of two RPG-style spin-offs from the GameCube era, formerly known as Pokémon Colosseum.
In theory, Colosseum is the starting point, but this time the official let XD debut first, and Colosseum will join the service after booking. This release order is somewhat counter-intuitive, but it may also mean that the official values the popularity and representativeness of XD more.
After all, in the fandom, XD has always been regarded as a more mature game in terms of gameplay and completion.
Core gameplay: Dark Pokémon and Dark Lugia
Like “Pokémon Colosseum”, the core mechanism of “Pokémon XD: Gale of Darkness” revolves around “Dark Pokémon”. Players need to recapture the blackened Pokémon from hostile organizations and then restore them to their original appearance through the purification system.
The most representative existence in this game is of course Dark Lugia. This all-black legendary Pokémon has almost become a symbol of the entire GameCube generation. Back then, many players got into this work just because of it.
Switch 2 Exclusive: NSO GameCube Library Continues to Expand
With the launch of GameCube Nintendo Classics, the NSO lineup for Switch 2 is starting to take shape. The addition of “Pokémon XD: Gale of Darkness” means that the official has begun to bring more heavyweight IP to the table.
Considering the importance of the “Pokémon” series in the Nintendo ecosystem, it wouldn’t be too surprising to see more GameCube-generation titles return in the future.
But the premise is still very realistic – you have to buy a Switch 2 first.