Summary
Many gamers of yore will fondly recall theGameCube, which could arguably be one of Nintendo’s greatest consoles of all time. It brought a library of fantastic multi-platform and original games to its players, all held on a minuscule disc, boasting many of Nintendo’s greatest hits.
Titles within theMarioandLegend of Zeldafranchises made their way onto this boxy console, providing more fantastic adventures into worlds of whimsy and fantasy, but theGameCubewas also home to some great horror hits, for those looking for a darker, scarier adventure. With such an eclectic and great collection, it is difficult to say which GameCube games are the best.
TheSuper Smashseries is Nintendo’s very successful and beloved attempt at making a fighting game, and it has entered the hallowed halls of fame amongthe giants of the genresuch asMortal KombatandTekken,bringing Nintendo and other IPs to the world of fighting. The aim of the game is to knock opponents off of the platform stages rather than merely depleting their health bar over a series of attacks.
Melee is the second game in theSmash Brosseries and is often lauded as the best thanks to a more streamlined gaming experience and the inclusion of characters fromFire Emblem. Along with the fun and competitive multiplayer mode that saw up to 4 players competing to see who could be King of the platform, there was also an excellent single-player mode, marking itself as an exemplary fighting game that gamers could enjoy solo or with friends and family.
TheLegend of Zeldafranchise has dabbled in different art styles, with Toon Link injecting a morecutesy and whimsicalstyle into the games. He first debuted in the excellentWind Wakergames, a fun and zanyZeldaadventure that once more sees players stepping into the adorable, small boots of Link, and is once more the hero that will save Hyrule.
Only this time, Link will sail the high seas, travel to different islands, delve into dungeons, and gain the means to save his younger sister from the clutches of the evil Ganon. Although this brave new art style was divisive when the game was first released, it has gone down in history as one of the greatest titles in the franchise, thanks to the amazing music, beautiful visuals, and fun gameplay, which includes the new mechanic of using the Wind Waker instrument.
Mariogames have crossed over with multiple different genres, with the racing franchise Mario Kart being one of the most popular, a new game released with every new console. The GameCube received the fantasticMario Kart: Double Dash,a beloved entry that revitalized the genre with an exciting new mechanic.
Mario Kartgames normally see players competing against friends or AI-controlled characters over a number of themed tracks, collecting items to help them reach and secure the top spot. Double Dash changes the game by having a second character ride the back of the vehicle that can focus on items, while the other character drives, with players being able to switch the characters' position with the press of a button. Though it seems like a minor change, this was a major new mechanic for Mario Kart fans.
Mariogames are nominally known for platforming or kart-racing titles, but thePaper Mariofranchise took the series in a different direction, offering some RPG elements to captivate a larger audience.The Thousand-Year Doorproved a rousing success, thanks to the mystery elements.
This GameCube title sees the Italian plumber games have come to know and love donning a detector hat to once more save the Princess and recover the treasure the duo set out to find together. Rather than jumping over obstacles and stomping on the heads of enemies,Paper Marioinstead makes use of aturn-based combat system, resulting in a truly unique and funMarioexperience.
Despite the plethora of Nintendo titles on offer for the GameCube, it was not withouttitles intended for a more mature audience, withResident Evil 4being among them. Though most gamers are know more familiar with the recent remake, the original released first for the GameCube is worthy of recognition.
American Agent Leon has been promoted from police officer to a member of the President’s security detail, with his first mission rescuing his daughter who has been kidnapped in a remote village in Spain. What should have been a simple rescue mission unravels into a nightmare as Leon and Ashley find themselves embroiled in a cult plot for world domination by infecting everyone with Las Plagas, a parasite that turns ordinary people into unhinged nightmares.
After the divisionWind Wakercaused among the community due to its new art style, Nintendo went back to crafting aZeldagame with a more ground and realistic art style, creating one of the darkest, and arguably the best,Zeldagames in the franchise. Fans to this day stillyearn for a remakein order to enjoy this classic game on new hardware.
In this game, the world of Hyrule is under a new threat of succumbing to permanent twilight, thanks to the dawning of a parallel dimension known as the Twilight Realm. When entering the Twilight Realm, Link assumes the form of a wolf, returning to his original form when in the world of Hyrule, and is aided by the mysterious imp Midna, who offers dark and sarcastic humor. With these duel worlds and a fantastic sidekick, it is little wonder many still pray for theTwilight Princessto return.
2007 was the sunset year, signaling the end of the GameCube’s life, and the beginning of the Wii. Few games were released, but there was still one that many enjoyed, in a series that gamers still enjoy to this day:Madden NFL 08.
This title brought moreAmerican football gameplay goodness, with some new features to set it apart from the rest. A fatigue system was in place which would hamper players' performances, and an implementation of a long-awaited co-op system, allowing friends to team up on the same side and take on a computer-controlled team, or another two players.
