Nintendo Switch's Latest Free Online Game Is Worth Over $200

Nintendo Switch Online has gotten some great games over the years since the service was introduced, and that's arguably only gotten better on the Switch 2 and with the addition of the GameCube library. Now, the latest free game to come to NSO is practically a steal, since you could spend $200 or more trying to buy it new, depending on condition and what's included.

Over on the official X account for Nintendo, the company revealed its latest addition to the GameCube library on Nintendo Switch Online. That's Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance, which originally released in 2005. It's an excellent RPG, and one of the best games on GameCube, so having it on NSO is already a big win. But that win only gets bigger when you consider how hard the game is to obtain now.

Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance Isn't Easy To Come By

GameCube games are increasingly difficult to find, especially if you don't want to shell out hundreds of dollars for working copies. And that's especially true for games like Path of Radiance, which weren't as popular as titles like The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker or Super Mario Sunshine and thus cost more now because they're harder to find.

You can still find physical copies of Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance, but it'll cost you. Japanese copies are a bit cheaper and getting incomplete (no box and/or no manual) will reduce the price too. Still, grabbing this RPG isn't going to be cheap.

Legally Obtaining A Physical Copy Is Expensive

If you want a physical copy of Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance, then you'll need to be willing to spend a good bit of money. A new, sealed copy of the game runs about $500 on eBay but varies by seller. If you want it CIB (complete in box) but used, you'll still spend around $200 unless you luck into a low bidding. If you just want the disc, I was able to find one in untested condition for $150.

Bizarrely, if you want a disc that doesn't work, you can get the game for $100. And if you just want the case, you can have that for the low, low price of $45 — but remember, the game isn't included. So, yeah, getting a copy of Path of Radiance that you can actually play is going to cost you a lot of money.

Thankfully, Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance is on NSO now. Yeah, it's digital, and you'll need online access (and an NSO subscription), but that's far easier (and cheaper) than trying to hunt down a working copy of the game and playing it on GameCube. So check it out with Nintendo Switch Online and save yourself a few hundred dollars too.