Wario World Crashes Onto Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack

12 December 2025
Nintendo Switch 2
10 min.
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Wario World Crashes Onto Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack

Summary:

Nintendo has officially pulled Wario World out of the vault and dropped it into the Nintendo GameCube – Nintendo Classics library for Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack members on Switch 2. That means Wario’s loud, greedy 3D adventure from 2003 is now playable on modern hardware for anyone with the right subscription, without hunting for a used GameCube disc or old hardware. Nintendo confirms the game as the latest update to its GameCube lineup inside the Nintendo Classics app, framing it as a garlic-fueled rampage through warped worlds filled with coins, traps and Spritelings to rescue. For long-time Nintendo fans, this is more than a nostalgic nod. It is the first official re release of Wario World since its original GameCube launch, and it lands as the seventh GameCube title on the service alongside heavy hitters like The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker, F-Zero GX, Soulcalibur II and Luigi’s Mansion. Developed by cult favorite studio Treasure, Wario World blends 3D platforming with brawler style combat and a constant shower of coins, making it a perfect fit for quick sessions on a subscription library where value is no longer tied to a full price disc. A new trailer is already circulating online and through Nintendo community sites, and with GameCube games locked to Switch 2 owners who have the Expansion Pack tier, this launch also highlights how aggressively Nintendo is using retro favorites to add weight to its highest subscription level.

Wario World crashes onto Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack

Wario World has officially arrived on the Nintendo GameCube – Nintendo Classics app for Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack, giving subscribers on Switch 2 a fresh way to experience one of Wario’s strangest adventures. Nintendo’s own news page introduces the update with a wink, asking what that garlicky smell is before pointing straight at Wario and his new place in the classics lineup. If you hold an active Expansion Pack membership and have the Nintendo GameCube – Nintendo Classics app installed on your Switch 2, Wario World is waiting there as a selectable title, ready to download at no extra cost beyond the subscription. The move continues Nintendo’s strategy of rolling out GameCube titles gradually, using surprise drops like this to keep interest high around the service while expanding its retro library into the 128 bit era for the first time through a subscription model.

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Getting to know Wario World on GameCube

Wario World originally launched in 2003 on GameCube as a 3D platformer that leaned heavily into brawling and treasure hunting. You play as Wario, whose newly built castle and hard-earned riches are corrupted by a cursed jewel known as Black Jewel, twisting his home into strange worlds filled with enemies and loot. Instead of slow, exploration-heavy platforming, Wario World focuses on short, punchy stages where you shoulder charge, piledrive and spin throw enemies while scooping up coins, treasures and collectible Spritelings. The game is divided into four main worlds that each hold multiple levels, hidden challenges and secret trapdoors that pull you into short platforming or puzzle rooms. Those rooms lead to new treasures and, in the original release, even unlocked minigames linked to WarioWare via the Game Boy Advance link cable.

How Nintendo GameCube – Nintendo Classics works on Switch 2

To reach Wario World on modern hardware, you first need the Nintendo GameCube – Nintendo Classics application on a Switch 2 system, which is available exclusively to Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack members. GameCube support launched alongside Switch 2 in June 2025 and sits on top of the same service structure that already offers NES, SNES, Game Boy, Game Boy Advance, Nintendo 64 and Sega Mega Drive titles. Once you have subscribed to the Expansion Pack tier and downloaded the GameCube app from the eShop, you simply open it from the home menu and scroll through the library, where Wario World now appears as part of the available lineup. Memberships are priced annually at around $49.99 / €39.99 / £34.99 for the Expansion Pack tier, with the base Switch Online plan offering earlier systems at lower monthly and yearly prices.

What you need to start playing Wario World today

Getting Wario World running on your Switch 2 is straightforward. First, make sure your system firmware is up to date and that your Nintendo Account has an active Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack subscription attached. Then visit the eShop, search for the Nintendo GameCube – Nintendo Classics app if you have not installed it yet, and download it just like any other software. After that, open the app from the home screen, and you will see a carousel of GameCube box arts that currently includes Wario World along with other supported titles. Selecting Wario World lets you download the game file and launch it directly from the Classics hub. Saves are handled within the app itself, so you can suspend play at any time, create save states and return later without juggling physical memory cards or worrying about aging hardware. For anyone who skipped GameCube or sold the original disc, this is easily the most convenient way to experience Wario’s wild adventure.

Why this re release is a big deal for Wario fans

Wario World has never been as famous as Super Mario Sunshine or Luigi’s Mansion, but it has quietly built a cult following over the years. For a long time, the only way to play it was to track down a GameCube and a secondhand disc, and prices on the used market reflected that scarcity. Nintendo’s addition of Wario World to the Nintendo Classics lineup marks the first official re release of the game since 2003, finally breaking that long streak of exclusivity to original hardware. For Wario fans, this also fills an important gap. Modern audiences mostly know Wario from the WarioWare microgame series, where quick-fire gags take center stage. Wario World instead puts him in a full 3D platforming role, complete with voiced grunts, over-the-top wrestling moves and treasure-obsessed personality beats that show a side of the character we rarely see now. Having this adventure accessible on a current Nintendo system lets newer players understand how Wario’s persona evolved and why long-time fans have been calling for a re release for years.

Treasure’s touch and what makes Wario World feel different

One of the biggest hooks behind Wario World is the team that built it. The game was developed by Treasure, the studio behind action favorites like Gunstar Heroes, Radiant Silvergun, Sin and Punishment and Alien Soldier. Treasure is known for tight controls, flashy combat and quirky ideas, and that DNA is easy to spot here. Wario grabs enemies, spins them overhead and slams them into the ground, using his foes like battering rams to smash through obstacles or knock other enemies flying. Pickups rain across the screen, secret rooms hide behind suspicious walls and each world has a slightly twisted theme, from spooky funhouses to glittery treasure realms. The structure is leaner than many platformers, which once drew criticism for length, but inside a subscription library that shorter, replay friendly design suddenly feels like a strength, making Wario World a game you can enjoy in a few evenings without feeling rushed.

How Wario World plays on Switch 2 today

On Switch 2, Wario World runs inside the Nintendo GameCube – Nintendo Classics wrapper, which reproduces the original GameCube version with modern conveniences like save states and quick resume. Nintendo describes the Classics line as reproductions of the original games that may have minor differences in performance and presentation compared to original hardware, but the core experience remains intact. While Nintendo has not promoted specific new visual features such as widescreen or high resolution rendering for this release, the game benefits from the cleaner output and stable image of Switch 2 hardware and modern displays. Controls are mapped to the Switch 2 pad in a way that keeps Wario’s punches, throws and dash moves comfortable, and the short stage structure makes it ideal for hopping in and out between other releases. For returning fans, the muscle memory of wild swing-ding attacks and piledrivers comes back quickly, and for newcomers, the combo of fast combat and generous coin drops can feel surprisingly modern despite the game’s age.

Where Wario World fits in the current GameCube lineup

With Wario World’s arrival, the Nintendo Classics GameCube library on Switch Online now features seven titles: Chibi-Robo, F-Zero GX, The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker, Luigi’s Mansion, Soulcalibur II, Super Mario Strikers and Wario World. That lineup covers a nice spread of genres, from high speed racing to adventure, football, 3D platforming and fighters, but Wario World still manages to stand out. It is the only 3D platformer in the group that stars Wario and one of the few GameCube era outings where he leads instead of playing a supporting or party role. Spanish outlet Meristation even highlights how this release finally moves the game beyond the system it launched on back in 2003, underlining how long it has taken for Wario World to break out of its original niche.

What this move hints at for future GameCube additions

The arrival of Wario World does not exist in a vacuum. Nintendo had already confirmed plans to bring several more GameCube titles to the Nintendo Classics library, including Super Mario Sunshine, Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance, Pokémon XD: Gale of Darkness and Pokémon Colosseum. Nintendo Life notes that since the GameCube service launched, Nintendo has steadily padded out the lineup with games like Super Mario Strikers, Luigi’s Mansion and Chibi-Robo, and now Wario World joins as another fan favorite that previously had no modern port. Seeing a shorter, quirkier platformer like Wario World arrive so early in the service’s life suggests Nintendo is willing to experiment beyond obvious headliners and that more offbeat choices could follow. That is good news for fans that grew up with GameCube oddities and would love to see them find a second audience on Switch 2 through the same subscription model.

Is Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack worth it for this game

Whether Wario World alone justifies an Expansion Pack membership comes down to how much you value retro access across multiple systems. The Expansion Pack tier not only unlocks GameCube games like Wario World, Chibi-Robo and F-Zero GX, but also Nintendo 64, Game Boy Advance and Sega Mega Drive libraries, alongside selected downloadable add ons for certain modern games. If you were already interested in those collections, Wario World arriving as part of the same package feels like a strong bonus rather than the sole selling point. For players who have nostalgic memories of renting Wario World in the early 2000s or always wanted to try it without spending collector prices, the value is easier to see. You are no longer buying a short full price platformer. Instead, you are sampling it inside a much larger library, where its brisk length and replayable structure match the drop in style of retro browsing that the Nintendo Classics apps encourage.

Wario World joining Nintendo Classics

With Wario World now live on Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack, one more missing piece of the GameCube puzzle has slid into place on Switch 2. The combination of Treasure’s signature action feel, Wario’s over-the-top personality and the convenience of modern subscription access gives this once overlooked game a real chance to pick up new fans. The new release also sends a reassuring signal about how Nintendo views its GameCube back catalog. Instead of focusing solely on legendary best sellers, the company is carving out space for weirder, experimental games that show how varied that era really was. Wario World might not be the longest game in the library, but it is the sort of punchy, character driven experience that suits quick sessions and rewards players who love hunting for every last coin and secret. For anyone holding an Expansion Pack membership, it is hard not to smile at the idea of firing up Switch 2, catching that familiar Wario laugh and heading back into a castle that has finally escaped from 2003.

Conclusion

Wario World’s debut on Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack feels like a small update on paper, yet it quietly fixes a long standing gap for Wario fans and GameCube enthusiasts alike. After more than two decades locked to its original console, this 3D platformer is finally easy to access, easy to replay and bundled into a broader retro service that takes the sting out of its short runtime. Between Nintendo’s official support, Treasure’s finely tuned combat and a GameCube lineup that keeps growing, there has never been a better moment to give Wario’s loud, greedy, garlic-scented quest a try. If you already have the Expansion Pack or were sitting on the fence, this chaotic little gem is a strong reason to open the Nintendo GameCube – Nintendo Classics app and let Wario crash your evening.

FAQs
  • How do I play Wario World on Nintendo Switch 2?
    • To play Wario World on Switch 2, you need an active Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack subscription and the Nintendo GameCube – Nintendo Classics app installed from the eShop. Open the app, find Wario World in the GameCube library, download it and launch it directly from the Classics hub using your Switch 2 system.
  • Is Wario World included at no extra cost with the Expansion Pack?
    • Yes, once you have paid for a Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack membership, Wario World is included as part of the Nintendo GameCube – Nintendo Classics library. There is no separate purchase required for the game itself, so you can download and play it as long as your subscription remains active and your Switch 2 is linked to your Nintendo Account.
  • Which other GameCube games are available with Nintendo Classics?
    • Alongside Wario World, the current GameCube lineup on Nintendo Classics includes Chibi-Robo, F-Zero GX, The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker, Luigi’s Mansion, Soulcalibur II and Super Mario Strikers. Nintendo has also announced more titles on the way, such as Super Mario Sunshine, Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance, Pokémon XD: Gale of Darkness and Pokémon Colosseum, which will join the library in future updates.
  • Has Wario World been re released before this Switch Online version?
    • No, this Nintendo Switch Online release is the first official re release of Wario World since its original GameCube launch in 2003. Before it arrived on the Nintendo GameCube – Nintendo Classics app, the game was only available on physical GameCube discs, which made it relatively rare and pushed some players toward the used market or older hardware to experience it.
  • Is Wario World worth playing if I never owned a GameCube?
    • Wario World is a great pick if you enjoy character driven platformers with a focus on punchy combat and treasure hunting rather than sprawling worlds. It is shorter than many modern games, but that actually suits the subscription model, letting you finish it in a handful of sessions while still having plenty of time to explore other classics. If you are curious about Wario beyond WarioWare and want to see what Treasure’s action design feels like in 3D, it is an easy recommendation on Switch 2.
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