Need for Speed: Most Wanted (GCN)

We wouldn't be the first to claim that there are simply far too many Need for Speed games at this point, but cards on the table, the original Most Wanted is probably up there as one of the very best.

Its much-improved police pursuits were a true highlight of the game, and the ability to slow down time via the 'SpeedBreaker' perk made for some truly cinematic moments.

It's a solid racing title which, in the absence of Burnout 3, picked up a lot of the slack. We reckon it would be a great fit on NSO.

Nintendo Puzzle Collection (GCN)

What's better than just one great puzzle game? Three, that's what! Yes, with Nintendo Puzzle Collection, you're getting Dr. Mario 64, Yoshi's Cookie, and Panel de Pon.

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It's actually that last title, however, that makes us somewhat cautious about a potential Western release on NSO. After all, it's officially known as Tetris Attack outside of Japan, and to be honest, we reckon that a standalone release on the SNES app is probably more likely.

In fact, we reckon a separate release of all three games would be more plausible, especially considering NIntendo Puzzle Collection was only released in Japan. Still, it doesn't stop us hoping and wishing.

Second Sight (GCN)

In the midst of its excellent work on the Timesplitters series, Free Radical Design created a fascinating third-person stealth-action title called Second Sight. It boasted the same stylised visuals with excellent character animation and varied level design, but the true joy was in the stealth mechanics.

Sure, it’s aged somewhat in the years since, but effectively turning invisible to sneak your way past enemies never gets old. Second Sight feels like the kind of game that might benefit greatly from the ol’ Nightdive Studios remaster treatment, but if we can’t get that, then we think it would have a great home on Switch 2’s NSO catalogue.

Sonic Adventure 2: Battle (GCN)

This enhanced version of the Dreamcast original might not be everybody's cup of tea, but it throws enough winning elements into the bag to outweigh its less-than-brilliant aspects.

With the multiplayer and the Chao Garden accompanying the main game, there's certainly plenty to do, and it's hard to find a purer expression of 'gotta go fast and-to-hell-with-the-consequences' than this.

In many ways, Sonic Adventure 2: Battle is peak 3D Sonic, then — with everything that entails.

Star Fox Adventures (GCN)

Star Fox Adventures was Rare's only GameCube release and the developer's swansong on Nintendo hardware before becoming a Microsoft Game Studio. This game — which began life as Dinosaur Planet on N64 — is a solid adventure with lush visuals and fun characters, but dull controls put a dampener on things and despite so much promise, Star Fox Adventures is lacking when it comes to execution.

There's a sense that it could and should have been so much more, especially considering the pure gold Rare produced the previous generation. Still, taken on its own merits, this is still an engaging action-adventure that gives you a chance to explore the world from outside Fox's cockpit.

It definitely has its fans, and we think it would be a shame if it were to remain stuck on the GameCube. That said, we'd offer up our full support to Star Fox: Assault, too. Either would be very welcome on NSO.

Star Wars Rogue Squadron II: Rogue Leader (GCN)

The N64 original put an arcade-y spin on Star Wars flight games like X-Wing but its sequel took things to a whole other level.

A GameCube launch title and technical showpiece, Rogue Squadron II: Rogue Leader blended original space missions with key moments from the classic trilogy and really showcased the capabilities of the console.

The visuals and audio are still impressive — most impressive — today, and the feeling you get from locking S-foils by squeezing the analogue trigger down to a click and blasting into vast space battles against dozens of enemy fighters is the closest we've come to feeling like we're 'in' the movies.

Other games have come close, but Rogue Leader is still the benchmark for flight-based Star Wars games on consoles, and it could well be the perfect Switch 2 accompaniment for the upcoming Star Wars: Outlaws.

Super Smash Bros. Melee (GCN)

There's a reason that to this day Super Smash Bros. Melee has a dedicated hardcore following in the fighter community.

Fans will say it's tighter, faster, and requires more skill than other entries. More broadly, though, it's a brilliant local multiplayer brawler that sanded the rough edges off the N64 original, added a metric ton of content, and — yes — feels the most balanced of all entries in the series before the roster ballooned.

Smash would continue to grow from here on out, but there's an elegance and purity to the GameCube iteration that makes it worth revisiting if you're knee-deep in Ultimate and want to try a different flavour of superstar brawling.

And let's be honest, if there's one game that's begging to make use of the new wireless GameCube controller for Switch 2, it's Melee.

The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Adventures (GCN)

A collaborative adventure in the Legend of Zelda mould was something many had dreamt of for a long time, and the Four Swords part of the GBA port of A Link to the Past made the jump to the TV screen here in Four Swords Adventures.

There's a single-player game in there, but the real meat of the experience involved four players hooking their own GBA to a GameCube with the requisite link cable and controlling their Link in a screen-hopping adventure long before Nintendo went asymmetric with the Wii U gamepad.

It's a brilliant co-op Zelda game hampered only by the fact that it required so much kit to function. A fine choice, then, for the streamlined online capabilities of the Switch 2.

The Simpsons Hit & Run (GCN)

Often considered a stone-cold classic, and one of the best-licensed video games ever, The Simpsons Hit & Run takes what Road Rage does and amps it up to eleven, sharing a little bit more DNA with the Grand Theft Auto series than SEGA's manic arcade driver, Crazy Taxi.

The shock here was just how well the game depicts the Springfield fans know and love from the show, and how well this GTA parody plays. This game feels like a hilarious episode from the show, and every time you go back to it, you'll find something new, and probably get addicted for a few hours.

For such a phenomenally successful series, The Simpsons has a pretty inconsistent track record with video games, but this is a genuinely pleasant surprise and a stand-out video game in its own right.

TimeSplitters 2 (GCN)

Developed by Free Radical, a studio formed from several of the people behind N64 Rareware hits GoldenEye 007 and Perfect Dark, this sequel built on the foundation of the PlayStation original with a more satisfying story, more refinement... and generally more of everything.

For Nintendo gamers smarting after Rare joined Microsoft's stable of development studios, Timesplitters 2 offered a thrillingly familiar-feeling multiplayer FPS deathmatch experience, and we reckon it would absolutely thrive on the Switch 2 via NSO.

Just imagine those four-player deathmatches with GameChat... Bliss.

Wario World (GCN)

Okay, we know, Wario World isn't necessarily up there with the 2D entries in the series, but if part of the appeal of NSO is to provide some semblance of preservation to games that would otherwise get lost in the pages of history, then heck yeah, we'd love to see it.

The move to 3D wasn't anywhere near as successful as the core Mario games, though there's still plenty of fun to be had here throughout the relatively short runtime. More traditional platformer mechanics have been implemented which means that Wario World lost some of its prior identity, but you can still punch, ground-pound, and charge your way through dozens of unsuspecting enemies as you work to collect those elusive red crystals.

Wave Race: Blue Storm (GCN)

Wave Race: Blue Storm was a dazzling showcase for the GameCube at launch — nothing like a little water tech to showcase a new system.

There's no argument that Nintendo Software Technology's US-developed entry offers a far prettier experience than Wave Race 64's chunky polygons, but the jury's out on whether it takes the lead in the gameplay stakes. For us, the original just beats it, but this is still a great water-based racer.

The Wave Race series doesn't seem to be making any kind of comeback anytime soon, but if F-Zero GX can get a new lease of life on NSO, then we reckon it's only fair that Blue Storm joins it.

Viewtiful Joe (GCN)

Crackling with energy and celluloid action, Viewtiful Joe is a side-on brawler and was one of the fabled 'Capcom Five' exclusives which would end up (for the most part) finding their way to other platforms.

With an intricate combat system, it skirts into fighter territory with a dusting of VFX (Viewtiful Effects) that change the flow of combat and enable you to chain combos and use strategy to beat your way through Movie Land and rescue film-fanatic Joe's girlfriend.

We haven't heard from Joe in a good long while, but it's hard to think of a character who could fit more snuggly into a Smash Bros roster, and we reckon it – along with its excellent sequel – would make a fine addition to the GameCube NSO line-up.

Which GameCube games would you most like to see on the Switch 2 NSO app?

(You may select up to 3 answers)

So there you have it, our list of the GameCube games we'd love to see on NSO for Switch 2. Think we've missed any obvious picks? Do you have a hidden gem of your own you'd like to highlight? Then let it be known with a comment down below.