A big highlight during the Nintendo Switch 2 reveal was the introduction of GameCube games on Switch Online. These titles will be exclusive to Switch 2. The first games arriving on launch day will be The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker, Soulcalibur 2, and F-Zero GX, with titles like Luigi's Mansion, Chibi-Robo, and a bunch of Pokémon games to come later. The full list of confirmed games for Switch Online is stellar, but as many have pointed out, there's a ton of iconic GameCube games missing.

Mario Party 4 through 7 are must-haves, along with the hugely popular original Animal Crossing, but one game seems to be overshadowed in the discussion. It's ironic because this game is debatably the biggest and best title on the console: Super Smash Bros. Melee. Melee is one of the best, if not the GOAT of fighting games, revolutionizing the genre while staying relevant for decades. However, there might be a reason why Nintendo hasn't decided to put Melee on Switch Online yet.

Super Smash Bros. Melee Started A Revolution

A Party Title Turned Into A Pure Fighting Game

Looking back, Super Smash Bros. Melee has to be one of the best video game sequels of all time. The first Smash Bros. on Nintendo 64 was really simple, lacking in competitive options, but Melee turned that all around. The movement and controls felt so good that it impacted Nintendo's future. Since then, every Nintendo home console has ed GameCube controllers, and that's because of Super Smash Bros. Melee and the necessity of that pad for much of the playerbase. That shows how much Nintendo nailed Melee's feel.

The ultra-smooth movement and controls made many people realize that with some rule modifications, you can turn Super Smash Bros. Melee into a legitimate fighting game, and that's exactly what happened. Even going back to the Street Fighter 4 era and before Brawl came out in 2008, Super Smash Bros. Melee was a huge competitive fighting game. It toed the line between a fighter and a party title, which was a big debate at the time, considering Smash Bros. was infamously designed as a party game by creator Masahiro Sakurai.

Nevertheless, the game was a blast, whether playing casually or competitively with friends or even in big tournaments. For casuals, it was a fun grind collecting all the trophies, and the game had more content than most other fighters at the time.

Melee Is Still Debatably The Best Super Smash Bros. Game

Will Smash Ultimate Stand The Test Of Time?

One might say that having the older Smash Bros. games isn't needed on Switch Online because Super Smash Bros. Ultimate is already the biggest and best game of the series. Not everyone has that opinion because Super Smash Bros. Melee is still a lot of people's favorite, including pro players. First, the movement still feels the best out of all the games, Ultimate included.

Super Smash Bros. Melee has stood the test of time over two decades later and that matters above all.

Second is the legacy factor. The reason why Melee is considered the fighting game GOAT is because it's the oldest fighting game with the most active community. Other active fighting games over two decades old aren't as big in of current playerbase, though Marvel vs. Capcom 2 is catching up due to the new rerelease. Nobody knows what Smash Ultimate will become in 20 years, but what is known is that Super Smash Bros. Melee has stood the test of time over two decades later and that matters above all.

Why Super Smash Bros. Melee Might Not Be Coming To Switch 2

The Same Problem With Call Of Duty

In a perfect world, Super Smash Bros. Melee would be on Switch 2, and it should be, but there's a potential nasty reason why it hasn't been announced yet. A brand-new Super Smash Bros. for Switch 2 is inevitable, given the system is launching with a new Mario Kart. Smash Ultimate arrived a year after the original Switch released, and the same could happen here.

The issue is that if Super Smash Bros. Melee is readily available on Switch Online, many people who prefer that game would likely play it instead of the newest entry. This same problem occurs in the Call of Duty franchise, which is why Activision shuts down fan-made projects like SM2. The publisher wants all the focus and attention on the newest game. Notice how even the original N64 Smash Bros. isn't available on Switch Online, despite the fact that it's a no-brainer to include.

Frankly, there's no good reason to keep Melee off Switch Online. It's one of the best fighting games of all time, changed the genre forever, and if old Mario Kart games can be on the service, why not Smash Bros.? A Switch Online rerelease for the Nintendo Switch 2 must happen.

Source: Nintendo of America/YouTube