Gale of Darkness Release is a Headscratcher

You can always count on Nintendo to entertain and confuse in equal measure, as the company has just done once again with the announcement that Pokemon XD: Gale of Darkness will be coming to the Nintendo Switch Online Expansion Pack service in March 2026. Make no mistake, Pokemon XD: Gale of Darkness is by no means a bad game, and I would actually assert that it’s one of the series’ more interesting releases (nostalgia plays a role in my analysis, admittedly), but it’s coming at an odd time, that’s for sure.

For those who grew up during the 2000s, Pokemon XD: Gale of Darkness may be remembered primarily as an “edgier” spin on the Pokemon brand, as was the trend of the era. I remember looking at Gale of Darkness’ box art at GameStop, reading that incredibly melodramatic title and seeing that illustration of Shadow Lugia, and my painfully uncool fourth-grade mind thinking that it was the coolest thing ever. The game’s 3D graphics, which were considerably less common for Pokemon during that time, also gave Gale of Darkness a certain next-gen feeling, like it was the next major step for the IP. But while I may have been introduced to this more tween-oriented side of Pokemon via Gale of Darkness, it was actually Pokemon Colosseum that kicked off this spin-off series. So why is Gale of Darkness showing up to NSO solo?

Despite Being Gale of Darkness’ Predecessor, Pokemon Colosseum Isn’t Coming to Nintendo Switch Online Yet

When Nintendo first announced the Nintendo GameCube collection for Nintendo Switch 2, it teased both Pokemon Colosseum and Pokemon XD: Gale of Darkness. It was understood that the GameCube games highlighted for this NSO subscription tier would be added over time rather than straight away, so Gale of Darkness’ arrival so many months after the Switch 2’s launch isn’t exactly surprising. What is surprising is the fact that it is coming first, with no word on when Colosseum, its progenitor, will join it.

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Not only are Colosseum and Gale of Darkness narratively linked (characters like the iconic Miror B. and the organization Cipher appear in both games, for example), but the former sets the mechanical groundwork for the latter. Everything from the games’ art style, to the Snag feature that allows players to capture other Trainers’ Pokemon, to the concept of Shadow Pokemon, were introduced in Pokemon Colosseum and only built upon in Gale of Darkness.

Why Nintendo Might Be Starting With Pokemon XD: Gale of Darkness and Not Pokemon Colosseum, and Why It’s Still Weird

There are many ways in which Gale of Darkness might be considered “better” than Colosseum. For instance, the Purification system, which plays a major role in the new Pokemon training gameplay loop, is refined and streamlined for the better in Gale of Darkness. Level design is also greatly improved, and there are more Pokemon, with more moves, to experiment with. In light of these evolutions, it’s understandable why Nintendo would want players to experience Gale of Darkness rather than Colosseum, as the former feels a bit more modern, so to speak. It’s Nintendo putting its best foot forward.

But what does this mean when players boot up Colosseum after starting with Gale of Darkness? It’s likely that the older game will feel slower and more dated than its predecessor, whereas if players had the opportunity to start with Colosseum, they would be able to play with a blank slate, then better appreciate the improvements of Gale of Darkness.

This is all assuming that Pokemon Colosseum is still going to release on the NSO Expansion Pack service. Launching Gale of Darkness alone could be Nintendo’s way of gauging interest in the spin-off duology.

All in all, the decision to debut Gale of Darkness on NSO before Colosseum isn’t the end of the world, but it is questionable, and indicative of the sometimes baffling approach big companies take to games preservation. By cherry-picking which GameCube games are accessible on the Switch 2, Nintendo seems to be curating its classics catalog, rather than allowing players to make their own informed decisions about which classic titles to check out.