Games
Nintendo’s boxy beauty may have lost to the PS2, but it was blessed with some amazing games.
The GameCube occupies an unusual place in Nintendo's history, arguably marking the last time that the Japanese veteran genuinely tried to compete with Sony and Microsoft in the technological arms race. Despite offering similar power to the PlayStation 2 and Xbox, it failed to clock up the kind of numbers that Nintendo were hoping for, and its lukewarm commercial fortunes would force a drastic rethink in the company's Kyoto headquarters. With its successor, the Wii, Nintendo would use last-gen tech alongside innovative motion-control to win the next hardware war with over 100 million consoles sold worldwide – not bad for something with practically GameCube guts. One might assume that this means Nintendo’s cube is something of a dead end in terms of software, but that couldn't be further from the truth – the console is bursting with classic games, some of which have found a new lease of life on subsequent Nintendo consoles. Here are 10 that you really should play before you shake off your mortal coil.
Super Mario Sunshine
When Nintendo releases a new console, the first title most people set their hearts on is the latest Super Mario adventure. While this usually comes early on, Nintendo made fans wait a little with the GameCube; Luigi's Mansion was the closest they got at launch, but that wasn't really a Mario game in the strictest sense. When Super Mario Sunshine eventually arrived, the weight of expectation was intense; this was the follow-up to Super Mario 64, one of the most beloved and influential video games of all time, so only something truly remarkable would make the grade. As it was, Super Mario Sunshine perhaps wasn't as groundbreaking as its direct forerunner, but it did introduce some interesting concepts – such as the water-spraying F.L.U.D.D. backpack and a gorgeous tropical setting – and therefore remains a firm favourite in the GameCube's library of titles.
Metroid Prime
While the PlayStation 2 had Solid Snake and the Xbox had Master Chief, the GameCube was stuck with Nintendo's series of family-friendly characters and therefore was at risk of being ignored by gamers obsessed with death and destruction in a sci-fi setting. Thankfully, that situation was changed when Retro Studio rebooted the famous Metroid franchise with this first-person shooter. Ditching the side-scrolling perspective of the NES, SNES and Game Boy originals, Metroid Prime put you inside Samus Aran's visor, allowing you to target enemies and scan locations for clues. The action was tight and enjoyable, while Metroid's trademark elements – such as the ability to morph into a ball to access certain areas – remained intact. Hailed as one of the best FPS titles of all time, Metroid Prime proved beyond all doubt that the GameCube had what it took to compete with its console rivals.
F-Zero GX
F-Zero is one of those franchises which has been dormant for much too long, and one hopes that Nintendo will see fit to revive it on the Switch some time soon. Until then, this superb GameCube outing is your best bet – it holds up even today, despite being almost 15 years old. Developed in conjunction with arcade racing expert Sega, F-Zero GX combines gorgeous visuals with astonishing speed to deliver one of the most brutally satisfying racers on any system; as if to prove its arcade heritage, a coin-op edition was released under the title F-Zero AX which featured a massive sit-down cabinet. They really don't make them like this anymore – and that's a crying shame.
Eternal Darkness: Sanity's Requiem
Developed by North American studio Silicon Knights, Eternal Darkness: Sanity's Requiem was always an odd choice for a Nintendo-published game, purely because it's packed with so much disturbing and mature material. Set across several different periods in human history, this ambitious survival horror tests your reactions, puzzle-solving ability and resolve – as your character's sanity meter gets eaten away, cracks in their besieged mind begin to manifest themselves in-game; some are audio cues such as crying children or slamming doors, while others break the fourth wall in spectacular fashion, making you think your TV set or GameCube is on the blink. These "Sanity Effects" were so effective that Nintendo even patented the concept, but the company has sadly done nothing with the Eternal Darkness brand since. Silicon Knights founder Denis Dyack is currently working on a spiritual successor to the game, but its release date is uncertain.
Star Wars Rogue Squadron II: Rogue Leader
The GameCube lacked a proper Mario game at launch (Luigi's Mansion was great but it wasn't quite the same) so it fell to this Star Wars to sell the console to the masses – and it's fair to say that it succeeded. Critically lauded at the time of release, Rogue Leader served as an utterly dazzling representation of the raw power Nintendo's box-like console was packing, allowing players to recreate some of the most famous space battles from the Star Wars trilogy. 2003’s sequel Rogue Squadron III: Rebel Strike was a bit of a disaster however, so avoid that one.
The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker
Thanks to the fact that the internet never forgets, we can look back with the benefit of hindsight at the initial online reaction to The Wind Waker's unveiling. At the time, fans were holding out hope that Zelda on the GameCube would be blessed with realistic visuals and an epic setting, but instead they got a cartoon-like world packed with cute, big-headed characters. The reaction was vitriolic at times, but when the game finally arrived critics were utterly silenced. The Wind Waker's cel-shaded visuals looked utterly gorgeous (and, thanks to a recent HD port on the Wii U, continue to dazzle more than a decade later) and the seagoing gameplay was totally unique in the franchise. The Zelda series has now taken a giant leap forward with Breath of the Wild but the same intoxicating sense of exploration is present and correct in this classic GameCube outing.
Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door
Mario is no stranger to dipping his toe in genres other than the action platformer, and Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door is just one of many RPG-themed adventures the portly plumber has indulged in. As the title suggests, the lead character has been turned into paper, and this lends the visuals a unique edge – everything looks flat and folded, but is animated in 3D. With an addictive turn-based battle system, a great storyline and plenty of humour, Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door is one of the GameCube's best RPGs and makes for a pleasant change from Mario's typical outings.
P.N.03
P.N.03 was apparently envisaged as a quick-turnaround title to bolster Capcom's poor financial year, but it ended up being such a niche release that it failed to register commercially and therefore made little difference to the balance books. However, it has since gone on to become one of the GameCube's cult classics thanks to its gorgeous sci-fi visuals, challenging gameplay and cool lead character, mercenary Vanessa Z. Schneider. The controls take some getting used to – you can't move and attack at the same time – but when combined with the fact that enemies give off clear signs of when they're going to attack, this system lends the game a glorious rhythm, with the goal being to gracefully evade incoming attacks while planning your own counters and combos. P.N.03 has never been released on any other console, making it one of the GameCube's true hidden gems.
Viewtiful Joe
Capcom's early support for the GameCube was commendable, and while this side-scrolling action title was later ported to the PlayStation 2, most fans directly associate it with Nintendo's machine. Showcasing a comic-style cel-shading aesthetic and some amazing visuals, Viewtiful Joe's real hook is the main character's "VFX" powers, which allow him to slow down and speed up time to solve puzzles and defeat hordes of enemies in inventive ways. Stylish, slick and impossibly fun to play, this is one of the finest Capcom titles of the past few decades – it's just a shame that more wasn't made of the IP before it was put out to pasture.
Super Smash Bros. Melee
Super Smash Bros. Melee is held in such high regard by fans of the series that it's still played at competitive level even today; while the N64 original was the one that laid down the concept of Nintendo characters beating the seven shades out of one another, Melee truly refined the idea, introducing more complexity, levels and characters to the mix. While Smash Bros. on the Wii U has dialled up the graphical intensity, there are still many hardcore fans who swear that the GameCube outing has never been bettered – making it a must-have release for anyone with any interest in the system.
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