One of the best surprises of the Nintendo Switch 2’s launch was the debut of Nintendo Switch Online’s GameCube catalogue, bringing multiple games from the company’s 2001 home console to its newest hybrid system through emulation. Since launch, there has been a slow trickle of games, with the eight game for the subscription service being added today – Intelligent Systems’ Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance.

Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance released for Nintendo GameCube in Japan in April 2005, with the English localization releasing in October of the same year for North America. The game is the ninth main entry in the series and the prequel to the Nintendo Wii game Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn, which is a rare direct sequel in the series. Path of Radiance introduced the character Ike, who would later appear in multiple entries of the Super Smash Bros. series.

Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance joins the Nintendo GameCube – Nintendo Classics app on Switch 2 today as part of a free update that is already available. The game features all of the existing Switch Online features such as save states and enhanced emulation, and Nintendo Music users can even access some of its soundtrack through the smartphone app.

Following the explosion of popularity the series received following the release of 2013’s Fire Emblem: Awakening, and a low physical printing of the game, Path of Radiance’s resell prices have skyrocketed, with the game going for as high as $600 USD in mint condition.

Its inclusion in Nintendo Switch Online for Nintendo Switch 2 marks the first re-release for the game, and as a result, the first time many newer fans of the series will be able to legally access it.

Will you be playing Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance on Nintendo Switch 2? Are you looking forward to the recently announced Fire Emblem: Fortune’s Weave? Let us know in the comments below.