Nintendo Just Delivered a Brutal Update That Fans Were Not Expecting
Since Nintendo has many extremely passionate followers, there tends to be a lot of excitement about the company's upcoming games. Sadly, however, fans aren't always thrilled with information coming out of the company, and a recent press release is a perfect example of that.
Nintendo Fans Got Exciting News and Then Crushing Disappointment
In January 2026, IGN reported on a Walmart.com image that sparked excitement among Nintendo fans. The image promoting the Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack had gone viral online because it featured two games that aren't available to play on the Switch, Pikmin 2 and Metroid Prime 2: Echoes. Fans quickly and understandably assumed that the games would soon get a Nintendo Switch Online release.
Unfortunately, the hype would prove to be very short-lived. Not long after, IGN updated its article with a statement they'd received from Nintendo clarifying that Pikmin 2 and Metroid Prime 2: Echoes were included in the image by mistake. Furthermore, the company stated outright that those two games aren't planned to be added to the library.
"We recently provided a retailer with an image of Nintendo GameCube – Nintendo Classics titles that incorrectly included games that are not planned for release at this time. The image has been removed, and we apologize for any confusion."
This post has been updated with a statement from Nintendo, with the company saying Metroid Prime 2: Echoes and Pikmin 2 were “incorrectly included games that are not planned for release at this time.” https://t.co/Yp8OGbUjNd
— GoNintendoTweet (@GoNintendoTweet) January 29, 2026
Having been teased with those two games coming to the Nintendo Switch Online, only for that possibility to be ruled out, is a frustrating series of events. After all, both games are beloved by fans and got great reviews. For example, IGN graded Pikmin 2 as a 9.3/10 and Metroid Prime 2: Echoes earned a 9.1/10 rating from GameSpot.
The Rumor Killer Has One Potential Silver Lining
When a traditional Metroid Prime 2: Echoes port seemed to be coming to the Nintendo Switch Online, that was worthy of celebration. However, it would be a lot more thrilling for huge fans of the franchise to learn that the game was going to be remastered instead.
Since Nintendo rarely doubles up on ports/remasters quickly, the more exciting scenario seemed unlikely if the rumor had proven to be true. Now that the company has revealed the port isn't happening, fans have more of a reason to have hope that a remaster could, even though there is no evidence that is happening.