{"id":45374,"date":"2026-08-14T23:17:39","date_gmt":"2026-08-14T18:17:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/?p=45374"},"modified":"2026-08-14T23:17:39","modified_gmt":"2026-08-14T18:17:39","slug":"a-10-10-gamecube-game-from-2002-is-free-via-nintendo-switch-online-now","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/?p=45374","title":{"rendered":"A 10\/10 GameCube Game From 2002 Is Free Via Nintendo Switch Online Now"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><script>\r\n  atOptions = {\r\n    'key' : '644b717812d811d6a1c1fc5b6ccd6fa6',\r\n    'format' : 'iframe',\r\n    'height' : 90,\r\n    'width' : 728,\r\n    'params' : {}\r\n  };\r\n<\/script>\r\n<script src=\"https:\/\/www.highperformanceformat.com\/644b717812d811d6a1c1fc5b6ccd6fa6\/invoke.js\"><\/script>\r\n<br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div xmlns:default=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\">\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/screenrant.com\/tag\/nintendo-switch\/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Nintendo Switch<\/strong><\/a> Online has a lot of great games, but only a select few can be considered truly best-in-class. Typically, they represent the expected strengths of classic Nintendo games, delivering peak platforming experiences or thrilling fantasy adventures. Any <a href=\"https:\/\/screenrant.com\/nintendo-switch-online-free-games-masterpieces\/\" target=\"_blank\">list of the service&#8217;s masterpieces<\/a> could easily be filled up with <em>Mario <\/em>or <em>Zelda <\/em>titles, however predictable that might be.<\/p>\n<p>    <!-- No AdsNinja v10 Client! --><!-- No AdsNinja v10 Client! --><\/p>\n<p>In one case, though, things are very different. Among the limited selection of <a href=\"https:\/\/screenrant.com\/tag\/gamecube\/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>GameCube<\/strong><\/a> titles currently available to Switch 2 owners through a Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack subscription, no one should ignore a fantastic option that occupies a central place in fighting game history.<\/p>\n<p>    <!-- No AdsNinja v10 Client! --><\/p>\n<h2 id=\"is-this-one-of-the-gamecube-39-s-best-games\">\n                        Is This One Of The GameCube&#8217;s Best Games?<br \/>\n               <\/h2>\n<div class=\"body-img landscape mobile-optimized\">\n<div class=\"responsive-img  image-expandable  img-article-item\" style=\"padding-bottom:56.770833333333%\" data-img-url=\"https:\/\/static0.srcdn.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/nightmare-and-yoshimitsu-fighting-in-soulcalibur-ii.jpg\" data-modal-id=\"single-image-modal\" data-modal-container-id=\"single-image-modal-container\" data-img-caption=\"&quot;&quot;\">\n                                                                                            <picture><source media=\"(max-width: 480px)\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/static0.srcdn.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/nightmare-and-yoshimitsu-fighting-in-soulcalibur-ii.jpg?q=49&amp;fit=crop&amp;w=500&amp;dpr=2\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static0.srcdn.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/nightmare-and-yoshimitsu-fighting-in-soulcalibur-ii.jpg?q=49&amp;fit=crop&amp;w=500&amp;dpr=2\"\/><source media=\"(max-width: 767px)\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/static0.srcdn.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/nightmare-and-yoshimitsu-fighting-in-soulcalibur-ii.jpg?q=49&amp;fit=crop&amp;w=800&amp;dpr=2\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static0.srcdn.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/nightmare-and-yoshimitsu-fighting-in-soulcalibur-ii.jpg?q=49&amp;fit=crop&amp;w=800&amp;dpr=2\"\/><source media=\"(max-width: 1023px)\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/static0.srcdn.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/nightmare-and-yoshimitsu-fighting-in-soulcalibur-ii.jpg?q=49&amp;fit=crop&amp;w=825&amp;dpr=2\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static0.srcdn.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/nightmare-and-yoshimitsu-fighting-in-soulcalibur-ii.jpg?q=49&amp;fit=crop&amp;w=825&amp;dpr=2\"\/><img width=\"1650\" height=\"936\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Nightmare and Yoshimitsu fighting in Soulcalibur II\" data-img-url=\"https:\/\/static0.srcdn.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/nightmare-and-yoshimitsu-fighting-in-soulcalibur-ii.jpg?q=49&amp;fit=crop&amp;w=825&amp;dpr=2\" src=\"https:\/\/static0.srcdn.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/nightmare-and-yoshimitsu-fighting-in-soulcalibur-ii.jpg?q=49&amp;fit=crop&amp;w=825&amp;dpr=2\"\/>\n        <\/picture>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><em>Soulcalibur 2<\/em>, available through Nintendo Switch Online, is unlike anything else on the GameCube. While it wasn&#8217;t the only fighting game on the platform \u2014 <em>Super Smash Bros. Melee <\/em>is, perhaps, the most notable example \u2014 <em>Soulcalibur 2 <\/em>did things its own way.<\/p>\n<p>The original <em>Soulcalibur <\/em>was a maverick title, introducing an eight-way movement system that showed how much 3D graphics could offer the genre. It also leaned into a variety of weapons that helped set it apart from <a href=\"https:\/\/screenrant.com\/best-games-like-similar-street-fighter\/\" target=\"_blank\">competitors like <em>Street Fighter<\/em><\/a><em> <\/em>and <em>Mortal Kombat<\/em>. When the game made its way to home systems, it garnered widespread acclaim, setting an intense standard that sequels might struggle to match.<\/p>\n<p>Against all odds, <em>Soulcalibur 2 <\/em>managed to raise the bar again. Fast and fluid gameplay, stellar graphics, and a great roster of characters all upped the ante, along with a huge variety of modes. For many GameCube owners who liked fighting games, <em>Soulcalibur 2 <\/em>was a no-brainer, but it also reached across the aisle to appeal to those who weren&#8217;t yet invested in the genre.<\/p>\n<p>    <!-- No AdsNinja v10 Client! --><\/p>\n<h2 id=\"it-even-has-link-as-a-playable-character\">\n                        It Even Has Link As A Playable Character<br \/>\n               <\/h2>\n<div class=\"body-img landscape \">\n<div class=\"responsive-img  image-expandable  img-article-item\" style=\"padding-bottom:56.770833333333%\" data-img-url=\"https:\/\/static0.srcdn.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/link-in-soulcalibur-ii-on-the-nintendo-switch-2-gamecube-classics.jpg\" data-modal-id=\"single-image-modal\" data-modal-container-id=\"single-image-modal-container\" data-img-caption=\"&quot;&quot;\">\n                                                                                            <picture><source media=\"(max-width: 480px)\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/static0.srcdn.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/link-in-soulcalibur-ii-on-the-nintendo-switch-2-gamecube-classics.jpg?q=49&amp;fit=crop&amp;w=500&amp;dpr=2\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static0.srcdn.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/link-in-soulcalibur-ii-on-the-nintendo-switch-2-gamecube-classics.jpg?q=49&amp;fit=crop&amp;w=500&amp;dpr=2\"\/><source media=\"(max-width: 767px)\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/static0.srcdn.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/link-in-soulcalibur-ii-on-the-nintendo-switch-2-gamecube-classics.jpg?q=49&amp;fit=crop&amp;w=800&amp;dpr=2\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static0.srcdn.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/link-in-soulcalibur-ii-on-the-nintendo-switch-2-gamecube-classics.jpg?q=49&amp;fit=crop&amp;w=800&amp;dpr=2\"\/><source media=\"(max-width: 1023px)\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/static0.srcdn.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/link-in-soulcalibur-ii-on-the-nintendo-switch-2-gamecube-classics.jpg?q=49&amp;fit=crop&amp;w=825&amp;dpr=2\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static0.srcdn.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/link-in-soulcalibur-ii-on-the-nintendo-switch-2-gamecube-classics.jpg?q=49&amp;fit=crop&amp;w=825&amp;dpr=2\"\/><img width=\"1650\" height=\"936\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Link in Soulcalibur II on the Nintendo Switch 2 GameCube Classics\" data-img-url=\"https:\/\/static0.srcdn.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/link-in-soulcalibur-ii-on-the-nintendo-switch-2-gamecube-classics.jpg?q=49&amp;fit=crop&amp;w=825&amp;dpr=2\" src=\"https:\/\/static0.srcdn.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/link-in-soulcalibur-ii-on-the-nintendo-switch-2-gamecube-classics.jpg?q=49&amp;fit=crop&amp;w=825&amp;dpr=2\"\/>\n        <\/picture>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>A big part of that crossover appeal came from <em>Soulcalibur 2<\/em>&#8216;s guest character on the GameCube \u2014 <em>The Legend of Zelda<\/em>&#8216;s Link. The guest characters were cool on every console, as the PlayStation 2 got <em>Tekken<\/em>&#8216;s Heihachi Mishima and the Xbox received the comic book antihero Spawn, but Link felt like the most unbelievable addition. At a time when many Zelda fans were disgruntled with <em>The Wind Waker<\/em>&#8216;s lovable cartoon rendition of Link, <em>Soulcalibur 2 <\/em>delivered the edgier alternative that they sought.<\/p>\n<aside class=\"w-promotion-offer promo-article-content-3\/4-depth w-promotion-widget\" data-popup=\"false\" data-sentinel-tracking=\"false\" data-promotion-zone=\"TmV3c2xldHRlciBBcnRpY2xlIENvbnRlbnQgV2lkZ2V0\" data-nosnippet=\"\">\n                                        <link rel=\"stylesheet\" href=\"https:\/\/static0.srcdn.com\/assets\/promotions.099cca01.css\"\/>\n<\/aside>\n<p>Decades later, the collaboration feels harder to believe than ever. While Xbox and PlayStation have explored PC or even multi-platform releases and plenty of character crossovers, Nintendo&#8217;s ecosystem is as closed-off as ever, and Mario and Zelda don&#8217;t casually appear outside their expected environments. Having <a href=\"https:\/\/screenrant.com\/after-23-years-you-can-play-as-link-again-in-this-classic-game-thats-not-zelda\/\" target=\"_blank\"><em>Soulcalibur 2 <\/em>on Nintendo Switch Online<\/a> presents a rare opportunity to see Link in a different context, which fans of both <em>Soulcalibur <\/em>and <em>The Legend of Zelda <\/em>should be able to appreciate.<\/p>\n<p>At any rate, Switch 2 owners with a <strong>Nintendo Switch<\/strong> Online + Expansion Pack subscription have nothing to lose by checking out <em>Soulcalibur 2<\/em>. At worst, you&#8217;ll spend an hour or two learning some interesting fighting mechanics before deciding it&#8217;s not for you. At best, you&#8217;ll fall in love with one of the <strong>GameCube<\/strong>&#8216;s most compelling classics.<\/p>\n<div class=\"display-card type-video-game large\" data-show-streamrentbuy-links=\"true\" data-include-community-rating=\"true\" id=\"f39d-4875-a6bb40dab3f8\">\n<div class=\"display-card-main-content-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"display-card-main-content\">\n<div class=\"display-card-content image-column\">\n<p>                        <!--    Rating block community and brand ratings --><br \/>\n                        <!--  Image --><\/p>\n<div class=\"w-img  has-image-group\" data-stnl=\"%7B%22category%22%3A%22Click%20Interactions%22%2C%22name%22%3A%22Display%20Card%22%2C%22action%22%3A%22Fullscreen%20Image%20Load%22%2C%22once%22%3Atrue%7D\" data-stnl-group-once=\"rPGh8ccGMn\">\n<div class=\"body-img portrait \">\n<div class=\"responsive-img  img-article-square\" data-img-url=\"https:\/\/static0.srcdn.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/sharedimages\/2024\/12\/mixcollage-23-dec-2024-12-48-pm-6280.jpg\" data-modal-id=\"single-image-modal\" data-modal-container-id=\"single-image-modal-container\" data-img-caption=\"&quot;&quot;\">\n                                                                                                                                                            <picture><source media=\"(max-width: 480px)\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/static0.srcdn.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/sharedimages\/2024\/12\/mixcollage-23-dec-2024-12-48-pm-6280.jpg?q=49&amp;fit=contain&amp;w=300&amp;dpr=2\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static0.srcdn.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/sharedimages\/2024\/12\/mixcollage-23-dec-2024-12-48-pm-6280.jpg?q=49&amp;fit=contain&amp;w=300&amp;dpr=2\"\/><source media=\"(max-width: 767px)\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/static0.srcdn.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/sharedimages\/2024\/12\/mixcollage-23-dec-2024-12-48-pm-6280.jpg?q=49&amp;fit=contain&amp;w=400&amp;dpr=2\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static0.srcdn.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/sharedimages\/2024\/12\/mixcollage-23-dec-2024-12-48-pm-6280.jpg?q=49&amp;fit=contain&amp;w=400&amp;dpr=2\"\/><source media=\"(max-width: 1023px)\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/static0.srcdn.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/sharedimages\/2024\/12\/mixcollage-23-dec-2024-12-48-pm-6280.jpg?q=49&amp;fit=contain&amp;w=320&amp;dpr=2\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static0.srcdn.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/sharedimages\/2024\/12\/mixcollage-23-dec-2024-12-48-pm-6280.jpg?q=49&amp;fit=contain&amp;w=320&amp;dpr=2\"\/><img width=\"960\" height=\"1440\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"mixcollage-23-dec-2024-12-48-pm-6280.jpg\" data-img-url=\"https:\/\/static0.srcdn.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/sharedimages\/2024\/12\/mixcollage-23-dec-2024-12-48-pm-6280.jpg?q=49&amp;fit=contain&amp;w=480&amp;dpr=2\" src=\"https:\/\/static0.srcdn.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/sharedimages\/2024\/12\/mixcollage-23-dec-2024-12-48-pm-6280.jpg?q=49&amp;fit=contain&amp;w=480&amp;dpr=2\"\/>\n        <\/picture>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>                        <!-- User Rating widget --><\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"display-card-content info-column\">\n<p>                        <!--  Display card community and brand rating widget --><br \/>\n                                                                         <!--  Display card open critics widget --><\/p>\n<p>                                        <!--  Display card main info widget --><\/p>\n<div class=\"w-display-card-info main-info\">\n<dl>\n<p><dt>\n                                            <strong>Released<\/strong>\n                                        <\/dt>\n<dd>\n                                            <span><\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tJuly 5, 2002<br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n                                        <\/dd>\n<\/p>\n<p><dt>\n                                            <strong>ESRB<\/strong>\n                                        <\/dt>\n<dd>\n                                            <span><\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t\tt<\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t<\/span>\n                                        <\/dd>\n<\/p>\n<p><dt>\n                                            <strong>Developer(s)<\/strong>\n                                        <\/dt>\n<dd>\n                                            <span><\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tProject Soul<\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t<\/span>\n                                        <\/dd>\n<\/p>\n<p><dt>\n                                            <strong>Publisher(s)<\/strong>\n                                        <\/dt>\n<dd>\n                                            <span><\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tProject Soul<\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t<\/span>\n                                        <\/dd>\n<\/p>\n<p><dt>\n                                            <strong>Engine<\/strong>\n                                        <\/dt>\n<dd>\n                                            <span><\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t\tunity<\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t<\/span>\n                                        <\/dd>\n<\/p>\n<p><dt>\n                                            <strong>Multiplayer<\/strong>\n                                        <\/dt>\n<dd>\n                                            <span><\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tOnline Multiplayer, Local Multiplayer<\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t<\/span>\n                                        <\/dd>\n<\/p>\n<p><dt>\n                                            <strong>Franchise<\/strong>\n                                        <\/dt>\n<dd>\n                                            <span><\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tSoulcalibur<\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t<\/span>\n                                        <\/dd>\n<\/p>\n<\/dl><\/div>\n<p>                                        <!--  Display card main info widget end --><\/p>\n<p>                    <!--  Display card media widget start --><\/p>\n<p>                                        <!--  Display card media widget end --><\/p>\n<p>                                        <!-- Where to play button preview --><\/p>\n<p>                    <!-- Where to play preview end --><\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>            <!-- Extra content section, display hidden by default --><br \/>\n            <input type=\"checkbox\" id=\"extra-content-f39d-4875-a6bb40dab3f8\" name=\"extra-content-f39d-4875-a6bb40dab3f8\" class=\"expand-extra-info-checkbox css-menu-checkbox\"\/> <!-- Checkbox: control the expandable behavior  of the extra info --><\/p>\n<p>            <!-- Display card footer --><\/p>\n<p>            <!-- PROS and CONS section --><\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<script async=\"async\" data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"https:\/\/pl30214220.effectivecpmnetwork.com\/9ab3d4df8a7e1a6171e16ddbf732cc19\/invoke.js\"><\/script>\r\n<div id=\"container-9ab3d4df8a7e1a6171e16ddbf732cc19\"><\/div>\r\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Nintendo Switch Online has a lot of great games, but only a select few can be considered truly best-in-class. Typically, they represent the expected strengths of classic Nintendo games, delivering peak platforming experiences or thrilling fantasy adventures. Any list of the service&#8217;s masterpieces could easily be filled up with Mario or Zelda titles, however predictable&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":45375,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/static0.srcdn.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/gamecube-switch-2-controller-1.jpg?w=1600&h=900&fit=crop","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[19],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-45374","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-newsweek-trending"],"brizy_media":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/45374","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=45374"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/45374\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/45375"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=45374"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=45374"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=45374"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}