It’s been more than two decades since Nintendo released the GameCube console. Back in 2001, when it was released, GameCube was more powerful than Xbox and PS2. GameCube was one of the best consoles of all time, with some game titles that have aged so well, like a fine wine. Some of the best GameCube games are part of franchises that are still played today on modern consoles and PCs. Let’s take a deep dive into the age when gaming was fun.
5. Super Smash Bros. Melee
Image Credits: HAL Laboratory, Inc
What made this game stand out was its immense and immersive fighting gameplay that sticks to fingers like glue to paper. You could pick between 26 playable characters, but you had to unlock 11 by beating the game, unlike the previous game where you could only pick 12 characters. Smash Bros. Melee was fun in both single-player and multiplayer. If you had this game and invited your friends for a sleepover, there’d be no sleep, that’s for sure. Super Smash Bros. Ultimate is one of the most popular party games even today, just nowadays it’s played on Nintendo Switch. The funniest thing about this game is that it was developed by HAL Laboratory, Inc., and not Nintendo.
Image Credits: HAL Laboratory, Inc
There isn’t a list without at least one Mario game, and my pick from this franchise is Super Smash Bros. Melee. I was thinking about Mario Kart: Double Dash, but I’m a bigger fan of fighting rather than racing games. Objectively, Mario Melee sold more copies and outperformed Mario Kart according to gaming magazines and websites. This is why Super Smash Bros. Melee is one of the best GameCube games, and that’s why Kart is second in my opinion.
4. Super Monkey Ball
Image Credits: Amusement Vision
Super Monkey Ball is one of those games, just like Super Mario or Donkey Kong, which you can play forever and ever and ever. Gameplay mechanics were natural, and even today when I play this game, it seems like Super Monkey Ball was built for GameCube, even if it was originally an arcade game that later got released for GameCube. The Sega game released for Nintendo was awkward back at the time. The game had 4 modes: main game, party games, and mini-games. The main game was about navigating one of four monkeys who are in a glass ball through a series of challenging elevated platforms and into a goal.
Image Credits: Amusement Vision
Super Monkey Ball was released back in 2001 and was developed by Amusement Vision, now Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio. This was planned for Sega to be a part of the Sega Dreamcast realm, but as the console flopped, it was released for GameCube. Yet another reason why Super Monkey Ball was popular is because it was so fun to play in multiplayer. Super Monkey Ball is similar, and some even call it a “bad copy” of Marble Madness and Labyrinth, two quite famous arcade games.
3. The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker
Image Credits: Nintendo EAD
For all the fans of The Legend of Zelda out there, this was probably the “Golden Age” of your life. It was the golden age for all gamers and gaming genres, but for Zelda fans, it was a New Dawn. The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker took a different path from Ocarina of Time and Majora’s Mask by looking more cartoonish and less realistic than its predecessors. Even today, when you turn it on, it looks amazing. The gameplay and combat systems were fantastic, and it’s one of the best stories from the whole Zelda series. Dungeons in this game, as well as the open world, are so immersive that even today, you’ll be able to play it for hours without needing to put the Wavebird away.
Image Credits: Nintendo EAD
Until World of Warcraft showed up in 2004, this was probably the best open world in games at the time. You could ride a horse and even travel the sea on your boat; you felt like Columbus discovering the Americas back in 2002. It’s something that modern games just lack since most of the things are already done. Playing as Link and rescuing your sister from Ganon is something that not only affected gamers but pop culture in general. Without a doubt, this is one of the best GameCube games from Zelda.
2. Metroid Prime
Image Credits: Retro Studios
After Half-Life, this was one of my favorite sci-fi games at that time, and for a good reason. First of all, it was a great upgrade from 2D to 3D with such great graphics and smooth gameplay. Secondly, you could change the camera from first-person to third-person after you turn into a ball. Finally, the heads-up display that showed you what Samus Aran (protagonist) saw was crazy for that time. You could see things like a radar, a map, the name of the boss, and most importantly, a danger meter used to navigate and bypass hazardous terrains or materials. Now the most jaw-dropping thing about this game wasn’t the X-ray nor Thermal Imaging; it was the Scanner; you couldn’t imagine being able to scan everything in the game in 2002.
Image Credits: Retro Studios
The game was developed by Retro Studios and it’s one of the best GameCube games of all time with sci-fi elements. If you don’t trust me, numbers don’t lie. Metroid Prime is the 6th most popular GameCube game ever, with over 2.84 million copies sold. The only reason why you shouldn’t try this game is if you’re not a sci-fi or action-adventure games fan. Otherwise, if you like games such as Doom, Half-Life, Bioshock, or Prey, don’t miss out on Metroid Prime or other Metroid games.
1. Eternal Darkness: Sanity’s Requiem
Image Credits: Silicon Knights
Probably the most traumatic experience that I had when I was a kid was playing Eternal Darkness. It was one of the first horror games that gave me nightmares. Eternal Darkness was similar to games like Resident Evil and Silent Hill due to its 3rd person gameplay. The game is heavily influenced by Lovecraft’s work, just like most games from the survival horror genre. Eternal Darkness is one of the best horror GameCube games up to this day, and it’s mainly because of the innovative “sanity effect” that made the game scarier. Later on, another game, The Suffering, reused the sanity meter, and it was quite creative at the time. It’s an x-factor that modern games miss.
Image Credits: Silicon Knights
Eternal Darkness sets you in the year 2000 AD on Rhode Island, where you play as Alexandra Roivas. She investigates her grandpa’s murder. During the game, you’ll explore different timelines and places like France, Persia, and Cambodia. Eternal Darkness: Sanity’s Requiem was developed by Silicon Knights, the company that developed Blood Omen: Legacy of Kain and later Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes. This game isn’t the one with the best controls or the smoothest gameplay ever, but it’s worth your time. If you’re a horror lover, you’ve heard and probably played it by now; if you haven’t, just start playing it right away because you’ve missed a hidden masterpiece.
