Nintendo fans have discovered some fun GameCube-themed Easter eggs hidden within the new Switch 2. With the release of Nintendo’s latest console, fans can finally enjoy GameCube classics via Nintendo Switch Online. But, much to the surprise of many, the iconic GameCube startup animation is missing – that nostalgic logo slowly unfurling around the screen while its signature chirpy soundtrack plays. 
Fear not, though, because with a few simple button presses, you can bring that nostalgic moment back.
Thanks to Spawn Wave, we now know that holding the Switch 2’s control stick in any direction while loading the Nintendo Switch Online GameCube app triggers the GameCube’s startup animation. But here’s the kicker: the animation is now presented in stunning 4K! It’s a polished, shiny version of the classic logo first revealed during the Switch 2 Direct earlier this year, when GameCube games were confirmed for the console.
If you’re looking for even more retro goodness, there’s a secondary Easter egg that replicates a second GameCube startup sound. On the original console, you’d hold the Z button to trigger this sound. On Switch 2, tilt the control stick and hold down the R button, especially right when the ‘2’ in the Switch 2 app logo appears. Some fans are now speculating that a third GameCube startup sound might also be hidden behind an even more elusive button combination – perhaps one that once required four GameCube controllers to trigger the iconic Donkey Kong noise.
In addition to these Easter eggs, fans have also discovered that the new wireless GameCube controllers made for the Switch 2 now feature gyro controls, adding new possibilities for retro gaming. At the moment, the GameCube catalog in the Nintendo Switch Online service is still limited, with only a few titles like ‘The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker,’ ‘F-Zero GX,’ and ‘SoulCalibur 2’ available. However, Nintendo has confirmed that more GameCube classics will be added soon, including ‘Super Mario Sunshine,’ ‘Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance,’ ‘Pokémon XD: Gale of Darkness,’ ‘Mario Smash Football,’ ‘Luigi’s Mansion,’ and ‘Chibi-Robo!’