Despite announcing two new additions to Nintendo Switch Online yesterday morning, Nintendo surprised everyone last night by announcing that Wario World would be joining the NSO GameCube app. Instead of releasing in a week, Wario World is actually available right now, and that’s great. The platformer was one of the more overlooked titles from the GameCube’s library that transplanted Wario into the third-dimension in style.
Originally released in 2003, Wario World was developed by Treasure (of Gunstar Heros and Ikaruga fame) and focuses on Wario being the greedy bastard that he is. The entire plot is about Wario reclaiming all of his gold, because I guess he had a Scrooge McDuck money pit to jump into. While I wouldn’t call it a masterpiece, Wario World certainly represents the more wacky vibe that Nintendo used to give off with its first-party titles.
To play Wario World, you’ll need to be subscribed to Switch Online’s “Expansion Pack” tier and own a Switch 2. It’s unlikely the GameCube app will ever get back ported to the original Switch, sorry to say.
Check out more Switch Online content
Rayman 2 and Tonic Trouble join the Switch Online Expansion Pack lineup this month
Latest Switch Online update brings two NES and two Game Boy titles to the service
Mario & Wario makes its western debut in Switch Online’s October 2025 update
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Written by Peter Glagowski
Peter has been a freelance gaming and film critic for over seven years. His passion for Nintendo is only matched by the size of his collection.
