Two Decades Later, The GameCube Controller Is Finally Getting A ZL Button, Thanks To The Switch 2

Posted by By our-little-miss-is-home April 5, 2025 41 Views 3 Min Read
Two Decades Later, The GameCube Controller Is Finally Getting A ZL Button, Thanks To The Switch 2



Summary

  • After two decades of waiting, the GameCube controller will finally have a ZL button.
  • Nintendo’s new wireless GameCube controller for the Switch 2 will have a minuscule ZL button, putting to bed one of fans’ biggest wishes.
  • It’s unclear what its purpose will be, though one user theorized it being tied to exploring the menus.

If there’s one thing that stood out from Wednesday’s dedicated Nintendo Switch 2 Direct, it’s the fact that, after years of waiting, GameCube games will finally be playable via the Nintendo Switch Online Expansion Pack.

Pokemon XD_ Gale of Darkness character Michael in front of the Nintendo Switch 2 on an orange background

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Not only will Wind Waker finally be playable on modern hardware, but Nintendo will also be releasing a dedicated GameCube controller. It’ll exclusively be on Nintendo’s site, and it’ll require a NSO membership to even purchase, but it’s official, wireless and also includes something that’s 24 years in the making.

We’ve Been Waiting Ages For The ZL Button

As first spotted on Reddit, the upcoming Nintendo-manufactured and official GameCube controller will have a ZL button, something that the original controller from 2001 never had.

Unfortunately, it’s not a full-sized button, as it’s rather microscopic in comparison to the original ZR button. Still, it’s a pretty massive development, particularly as Nintendo aims to make GameCube games more enhanced and not simple ports.

gamecube controller switch 2

“(We) got (a) GameCube ZL button before GTA 6,” one user cheekily wrote in response.

As for what its purpose could be, that is still to be determined. Because the GameCube controller will have a dedicated “C” button, that means the new ZL button surely won’t be for that. One user theorized that it could be tied to pulling up the menus, which would probably be why Nintendo opted to make it minuscule and not a full-size button so as not to confuse players about its function.

Either way, two decades later and Nintendo fans have finally had one of their wishes granted. If Mother 3 somehow ever gets localized, then fans might have to start thinking of other wishes.

Link from The Legend of Zelda holding the Sand Wand in front of key art from Spirit Tracks, displayed on a Switch 2.

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