The Gamecube is certainly the hidden gem of Nintendo’s history. Released in 2001, the Gamecube saw Nintendo embrace a more adult direction with games such as Resident Evil released on the system, alongside its more family-friendly titles such as Super Mario. The console went on to sell 22 million units and is remembered fondly by fans today. Here are the top 10 best Gamecube games of all time.
10. F-Zero GX
It is a travesty that F-Zero GX marks the final entry in the series, with it being released back in 2003. The F-Zero games are very fast-paced and chaotic, with the series being similar to games such as Wipeout, although the F-Zero series does predate Wipeout. Despite Captain Falcon appearing in Super Smash Bros, and F-Zero-themed courses showing up in Mario Kart 8, Nintendo has never shown any interest in reviving the series and has never given any reason why they haven’t created a new entry in almost 20 years.
9. Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door
Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door is often regarded as the best of the series, with the series largely taking a dip in quality since. Nintendo has released a new game in the series on every console since, with the exception of the Nintendo DS, but none have managed to capture the same level of quality of The Thousand-Year Door. If Nintendo ever add a Virtual Console to the Nintendo Switch, or add emulated GameCube games to the Nintendo Switch Online service, this is a game that needs to be included.
8. Luigi’s Mansion
Nintendo decided to try something new with the Nintendo Gamecube and chose not to have a Mario game launch alongside the system, the first time in its history. Instead, we saw his brother Luigi take center stage with Luigi’s Mansion. The game sees Luigi head to a haunted mansion to try and rescue his brother. It was a bold move by Nintendo to not launch with a Mario title, but it certainly paid off.
7. Resident Evil
For many years, Capcom set the standard for what a remake should be with the Resident Evil Remake. Released in 2002, Resident Evil Remake gives us the game that Capcom wanted to make back in 1996. The game has a much larger mansion with new story elements including the new boss Lisa Trevor. Even if you’ve played the original, this feels like a completely new game as it has changed so much from the original. Despite releasing in 2002, it still holds up well graphically, with the game featuring some of the best-pre-rendered backgrounds in gaming.
6. Super Mario Sunshine
Super Mario Sunshine was released in 2002 a year after the release of the Gamecube. The Gamecube marked the first time that a Mario game wasn’t released alongside the new console. Super Mario Sunshine is a game that fans either love or hate, with it focusing on using water to clean up paint, as opposed to simply being a traditional platformer game. Overall, it is a really good game and a departure from the norm, which is great to help keep things fresh.
5. Super Smash Bros Melee
Super Smash Bros Melee is considered by many to be the best in the series, with it still having a loyal fanbase today that plays competitively online by using modified versions of the game. Melee really stepped things up when compared to the first game that was released on the N64. The roster was expanded to 25 compared to the 12 that the original game had. Sakurai was able to fine tune the gameplay and really improve things for the next release, with it setting the standard for future entries in the series.
4. The Legend Of Zelda: Twilight Princess
Following on from the success of Ocarina Of Time and Majora’s Mask, Twilight Princess sold over 8.85 million copies, becoming the best-selling entry in the series until 2017’s Breath of the Wild. Twilight Princess follows on from Ocarina of Time, with the game being set 100 years in the future, even including an appearance from the Hero of Time. The game’s graphics and gameplay improved greatly when compared to the N64 titles, and this is a must-play entry in the series.
3. Mario Kart: Double Dash
Mario Kart Double Dash is often considered to be one of the best entries in the series. The game switched things up by having two characters per vehicle, adding a lot of fun mechanics including using two items at a time, character-specific power-ups, and a weight class system. Double Dash is a fantastic entry in the series and it would be great to see it rereleased or to see Nintendo reuse the two-character mechanic.
2. Metroid Prime
Metroid Prime saw the series go 3D for the first time, with the side-scrolling platformer shooter being turned into an FPS game. Metroid Prime is often regarded as one of the greatest FPS games of all time, with the game being a beloved entry among fans. Nintendo released a trilogy of Metroid Prime games and have been hard at work developing Metroid Prime 4, which has still yet to see a release date.
1. Resident Evil 4
Resident Evil 4 is considered one of the greatest third-person action games of all time, with the game introducing many mechanics, as well as popularizing others, that have become standard in gaming today. The influence of Resident Evil 4 has been felt in hundreds of titles since, and the game has remained a hit with fans, with it being ported to most platforms that have been released since its release.Twilight Princess
