This week, Nintendo Switch 2 users will get to play a new GameCube game via Nintendo Switch Online. If you’re still playing the original Switch, you might be feeling a little left out, since the GameCube Nintendo Classics app is exclusive to the new system. Thankfully, there’s a sale currently happening on the eShop that runs through July 9th, and it allows buyers to scoop up two beloved games originally released on the system at a significant discount. For those that owned Nintendo’s purple box, or those that missed out on the era, this is a deal worth looking into.
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For just $19.99, Switch owners can get Baten Kaitos I & II HD Remaster, which normally retails for $49.99. The compilation includes two RPGs originally released as GameCube exclusives: Baten Kaitos: Eternal Wings and the Lost Ocean and Baten Kaitos Origins. Not only is this the lowest price ever for the compilation, but it also effectively makes each game just $10, which is a great deal. Those RPGs were both well-received upon their original release, so fans of the genre might want to check them out while the discount is active.
Baten Kaitos might not be well known to those who didn’t grow up with the GameCube, but the developer might be a little familiar to Switch owners; both games were created by Monolith Soft. Nintendo acquired Monolith Soft from Bandai Namco in 2007, not long after the release of Baten Kaitos Origins. In 2010, the studio would release the original Xenoblade Chronicles on Wii, launching an RPG series that has continued on through the Switch era. Unfortunately, the Baten Kaitos series has largely come to an end as a result of that acquisition, but there are some references to the games in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.
Baten Kaitos I & II HD Remaster is compatible with Nintendo Switch 2 in addition to the original system, so even those that have upgraded can take advantage. As of this writing, neither of the games included in the compilation has been announced for Nintendo Switch Online’s GameCube app. It’s possible that could change at some point in the future, though it seems somewhat unlikely, given the existence of this compilation. A lot of third-party publishers have offered limited support for Nintendo Switch Online’s Classics apps, in order to push sales towards their own compilation games instead.
While the Nintendo Classics GameCube app remains exclusive to Nintendo Switch 2, many of the best games released on the purple box have been made available on the eShop over the years. Baten Kaitos I & II HD Remaster is just one example, and there’s actually a whole lot more to find. From first-party classics like Metroid Prime and Pikmin, to third-party games like Cel Damage and Star Wars: Bounty Hunter, GameCube actually received pretty good representation on the original Switch. It might not be as nice as a dedicated app, but it still gives players a chance to experience some of the best games the system had to offer.
Are you planning to take advantage of this discount while it’s available? Did you play either Baten Kaitos game on the original GameCube? Share your thoughts with me directly on Bluesky at @Marcdachamp, or on Instagram at @Dachampgaming!
