Fan-favorite Pokémon series Pokémon XD: Gale of Darkness is now available to play again via Nintendo Switch 2.
We heard last month that the classic would arrive sometime in March via the Nintendo Switch Online subscription, and today that day has now come. As ever, though, you’ll need the pricier Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack tier to play GameCube titles.
Originally released in 2005, Gale of Darkness is a successor to the Pokémon Colosseum (and earlier Stadium) titles, though it is more notable for featuring a fan-favorite story mode featuring the very cool-looking Shadow Lugia.
The game’s story revolves around the corruption of creatures by Team Rocket, and its depiction and usage of Shadow Pokémon influenced later games in the franchise — particularly the appearance of Shadow Pokémon again in Pokémon Go. (Sadly, Shadow Lugia has not put in another appearance there, though.)
At the time, when Pokémon mainline games had yet to evolve into the big 3D open-world adventures seen today, Pokémon XD: Gale of Darkness was arguably the best-looking game the Pokémon franchise had seen. It’s stuck in the memory of fans since, who have been eagerly awaiting its arrival to a modern aduience.
“Experience The Extra Dimension!” reads an official blurb. “Using Shadow Pokemon, an evil organization has unleashed a sinister plot of world domination. With Eevee as your companion, and with the help of numerous friends along the way, you must fight against terrible foes and race against time to snag and purify the Shadow Pokemon and save the world!”
Nintendo will follow up today’s launch with the addition of Pokémon Colosseum to Nintendo Switch Online at some point in the future, though there’s no word yet on when.
It’s a busy time for Pokémon fans, who have also been kept busy by the launch of brilliant spinoff Pokémon Pokopia. If you’re already playing that, be sure to check out our list of all the Pokémon in Pokopia, and take a look at our Things to Do First in Pokopia guide to make the most of your first few days. To help you get started, we’ve also got a list of 17 things that Pokopia doesn’t tell you, plus How to Raise the Environment Level and How to Raise Pokémon Comfort Level.
Tom Phillips is IGN’s News Editor. You can reach Tom at tom_phillips@ign.com or find him on Bluesky @tomphillipseg.bsky.social
