The GameCube console concentrated on doing just one thing well: playing games. This was also the last time Nintendo put itself in direct competition with Sony and Microsoft in pure spec terms before changing tack with the Wii.
We've compiled a list of the very best GameCube games of all time to help you fill any essential gaps in your collection, or just take a comprehensive trip down memory lane.
We've done this for every Nintendo console, so make sure you check out the best Nintendo DS games, the best 3DS games, the best Game Boy games, and even the 50 best Switch games — each and every one is a fluid list that changes over time.
On this page: 50 Best GameCube Games Of All Time
The 50 Top GameCube Games
50. Mario Power Tennis (GCN)
Mario Power Tennis was packed with cool courts, items, and effects that had forms or simpler equivalents on N64 but this entry nevertheless stepped it up a notch. It really was the core experience from the 64-bit entry once again, but powered up.
In addition to Mario Kart-esque items and quirky court types there were also plenty of modes, with various tournaments that were straight-up tennis or 'gimmick' focused. There were also eight minigames, some of which were fun diversions, but like with its home console predecessor, many fond memories revolve around local multiplayer.
49. Capcom vs. SNK 2 EO (GCN)
Excellent Opponent? Everlasting Ownage? Actually, the 'EO' addendum to this updated version of Capcom vs. SNK 2 refers to 'Easy Operation' (although the European box art references 'Extreme Offence' - probably so as not to put off sensitive fans in the West deathly afraid of baby games for babies) - a control addition where GameCube players could hit a direction on the right stick to easily perform complex attacks.
This crossover fighter was a very welcome addition to GameCube's fisticuff roster, bringing fighters from the two hallowed studios together for the second time. The arcade original version is coming to Switch in 2025 as part of Capcom Fighting Collection 2, so keep an eye out for that.
48. Viewtiful Joe 2 (GCN)
Coming from Clover Studio, Capcom's starry development team behind the likes of Okami and God Hand with members who would go on to form PlatinumGames, this sequel continues movie-obsessed Joe's story as he becomes a superhero and teams up with his girlfriend, Sexy Silvia, to defend humanity from an alien invasion.
Very similar to the first game, Viewtiful Joe 2 oozes style and energy from every pore, although it lacks a co-op multiplayer mode you might expect from a sequel. Still a belter, though.
47. Sonic Adventure 2: Battle (GCN)
This enhanced version of the Dreamcast original might not be everybody's cup of tea, but it throws enough winning elements into the bag to outweigh its less-than-brilliant aspects.
With the multiplayer and the Chao Garden accompanying the main game, there's certainly plenty to do, and it's hard to find a purer expression of 'gotta go fast and-to-hell-with-the-consequences' than this.
In many ways, Sonic Adventure 2: Battle is peak 3D Sonic, then — with everything that entails.
46. Donkey Kong Jungle Beat (GCN)
The first 'mainline' DK game following the end of Rare's stewardship of the character, and an under-appreciated gem from director Yoshiaki Koizumi and the EAD Toyko team that would go on to make Super Mario Galaxy, Nintendo is at its best when it's doing something no one else would do — and a platformer you play with a pair of bongos is something you're unlikely to find elsewhere.
Yes, you control Donkey Kong Jungle Beat using arguably the best/silliest official controller ever made. You can play with a standard GameCube pad if you want, but it's best to keep the neighbours awake with this one. You move DK by hitting the drums or clapping, which is detected by the bongos' in-built mic, bounding through the 2.5D levels collecting bananas, bashing baddies, and building combos to score 'beats'.
It's short, but brilliant fun and is superior to the (still excellent) Wiimote-controlled New Play Control! version because bongos beat motion controls. Always.
45. Mario Smash Football (GCN)
Proving that there's little that the portly plumber can't turn his hand (or foot) to, Next Level Games' Mario Smash Football (or Super Mario Strikers in the US) offered solid soccer action in a colourful package with Mushroom Kingdom residents brightening up the beautiful game and adding a little flair and excitement to proceedings - no nil-nil draws here!
The polar opposite of the simulation-style that 'proper' football games were going for, this is a fast-paced five-a-side frenzy that did well enough to get a similarly satisfying sequel on Wii.
44. Killer7 (GCN)
One of the infamous 'Capcom Five', Suda51's Killer7 launched for the GameCube back in 2005 and, in time, became a cult classic. It revolves around the titular group of assassins and a noir-heavy story that delves into governmental conspiracies and murdering lots of folk, naturally.
It's an acquired taste, that's for sure, thanks to its slightly stilted on-rails, first-person gameplay that blends gunplay and puzzle-solving with eye-catching cel-shaded visuals.
It's an intoxicating mixture and one that makes for an unforgettable slice of video gaming violence and adventure. Even if you don't jibe with it, you certainly won't forget Killer7.
43. Resident Evil 2 (GCN)
Squeezing RE2 onto N64 required a Herculean effort, but this is essentially a port of the PlayStation version with very little in the way of bells and whistles.
The greatness of the base game shines, of course, and arguably makes it worthy of placement here, but anyone expecting a REmake-style overhaul was left sorely disappointed by this barebones version. Resident Evil 2 is a great game, though, however threadbare the presentation.
42. Sonic Mega Collection (GCN)
Bringing together the best of Sonic's Mega Drive catalogue (and Sonic 3D Blast), this disc also includes Dr. Robotnik’s Mean Bean Machine, Ristar and Flicky for good measure (plus Comix Zone and The Ooze in Japan).
Originally a GameCube exclusive, an even larger collection was eventually released on other consoles named Sonic Mega Collection Plus with more Sonic goodness from the Game Gear, as well as the Japanese exclusives above.
A shame these weren't included originally, but the games you really want were here and Sonic CD and a bunch of other rarities would come along in the Sonic Gems Collection, so after watching him for years on rival consoles Nintendo gamers could gorge on blue hedgehog on GameCube.
41. Baten Kaitos Origins (GCN)
The first and only sequel to Baten Kaitos: Eternal Wings and the Lost Ocean, this offered some gameplay tweaks but didn't fundamentally alter the base experience from the first game. It was released in 2006 when the GameCube was on the very last of its last legs and the developers made the decision not to move it to the upcoming Wii.
With hindsight, that was an obvious error; Baten Kaitos Origins would have gotten significantly more attention than it found at the time on the then-ailing purple box, even though Wii was backward compatible. Both games are available on Switch in HD remastered form.
Interestingly, this was one of the first games localised by 8-4, the localisation house who would go on to work with Nintendo on the excellent Fire Emblem: Awakening and Xenoblade Chronicles X, among others.
40. Pokémon XD: Gale of Darkness (GCN)
The follow-up to Pokémon Colosseum, Pokémon XD: Gale of Darkness released in 2005 and had you catching Shadow 'mon and 'purifying' them.
Using the GBA-GC link cable, it was possible to connect any of the Game Boy Advance mainline entries to XD for battling and trading and, although it didn't change things significantly from its predecessor, it still provided a decent 3D Pokémon experience before the mainline games went into the third dimension.
39. Mega Man X Collection (GCN)
Compiling the first six Mega Man X games into one package, this disc was a great way for longtime fans to replay the best games in the series or to catch up for those who might have missed entries due to them being on PlayStation.
Even ignoring some of the lesser entries, just having the first three on one disc was a treat for fans, and it's the only way to officially play Mega Man: Battle & Chase (think 'Mega Man Kart') on a Nintendo console, too.
38. Spider-Man 2 (GCN)
Spider-Man 2 took the basic premise of Treyarch's first Spider-Man movie game and fixed practically everything that was wrong with it. Spidey no longer shot webs into the clouds and magically traversed the sky — each web shot connected to a point on a building in a properly open-world New York, and for the first time swinging around the city just felt right.
The inimitable Bruce Campbell returned for comical narrator duties, and all the leads from the film provide their characters' voices with varying levels of enthusiasm/success. If we're honest, we've always had a soft spot for Maguire's delivery, although some people find it flat.
Regardless of its flaws, the success of that core web-swinging mechanic and the satisfaction derived from simply swinging around the city helped gloss over the bog-standard and repetitive fetch quest gameplay and delivered the finest example of a Spider-Man game available on a Nintendo platform.
In fact, there's an argument to be made that this game's webslinging wasn't bettered until Insomniac's PS4 entry in the Spider-Man canon a whopping 14 years later, and it still holds up today.
37. Super Mario Sunshine (GCN)
Mario's decades-long run of hit after hit after hit is incredible when you think about it. The expectations each new mainline entry creates are astronomically high and we're continually gobsmacked that, more often than not, those expectations are surpassed with the next one.
Available on Switch if you have a copy of Super Mario 3D All-Stars, Super Mario Sunshine lacks the immaculate polish we've come to expect from the Mario series thanks to its rushed development. However, there's a unique charm and brilliance to its mechanics and setting which make it an underdog Mario game, and who doesn't love one of those?
As a direct sequel to Super Mario 64, it is not the genre-defining classic everyone hoped for. However, decades later we can look back and appreciate the many things Sunshine does superbly. The Sunshine Defence Force may be overcompensating — it's certainly got its flaws — but at the very least, it's still very good in our eyes.
The joyful, bouncing Isle Delfino theme alone makes it worth revisiting, so if you've skipped this entry in Mario's back catalogue, don't let its reputation put you off.
36. Burnout 2: Point of Impact (GCN)
Despite the frequency with which we do it, crashing your car in a video game is usually a sign of failure, but developers Criterion injected the Burnout games with high-risk thrills that rewarded you with boost for being cavalier, and made bad driving a virtue with its addictive 'Crash' mode.
This sequel improved on the original in almost every way and is this a blast to (crash and) burn through today.
35. Viewtiful Joe (GCN)
Crackling with energy and celluloid action, Viewtiful Joe is a side-on brawler and was one of the fabled 'Capcom Five' exclusives which would end up (for the most part) finding their way to other platforms.
With an intricate combat system, it skirts into fighter territory with a dusting of VFX (Viewtiful Effects) that change the flow of combat and enable you to chain combos and use strategy to beat your way through Movie Land and rescue film-fanatic Joe's girlfriend.
We haven't heard from Joe in a good long while, but it's hard to think of a character who could fit more snuggly into the Smash Bros. Ultimate roster, coupled with a cheeky Switch remaster of this game and it's sequel, of course. Make it happen, Capcom!
34. Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 (GCN)
It's easy to look back with rose-tinted specs and imagine things were better in the past. For most genres that's a fallacy, but when you look at Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3, it's arguably true.
Some might prefer Pro Skater 2 or Pro Skater 4 (it's tough to go wrong with any of them, really), but this is a classic in the skateboarding genre — the focal point and pinnacle of a skating X gaming cultural crossover before the series went off the boil and started trying a bit too hard in the mid-2000s.
Even people with zero interest in skateboarding know who Tony Hawk is, and it's thanks to these brilliant games, of which Pro Skater 3 might just be the best. Ah, the memories...
33. Phantasy Star Online: Episode I & II (GCN)
While GameCube had the capacity for online play thanks to an adaptor which plugged into a port on the bottom of the console, very few games supported it.
Phantasy Star Online: Episode I & II was the main reason to own the adaptor (as well as the rather brilliant ASCII Keyboard controller which essentially split a standard GameCube controller down the middle and welded keyboard between the two halves).
Online RPGs are a dime-a-dozen these days on consoles, but Sonic Team's game was many console gamers' first brush with an online world and it developed a loyal following until Sega shut down servers in 2007.
32. Mario Golf: Toadstool Tour (GCN)
We're quite partial to the Nintendo 64 entry in the series, but developer Camelot didn't do much wrong when it came to the GameCube iteration, either.
Featuring sixteen characters and courses containing Mushroom Kingdom staples such as warp pipes and Chain Chomps, Mario Golf: Toadstool Tour takes things up a gear without reinventing the game, making every bunker and green look suitably lovely and introducing some fun extra modes.
Hardly revolutionary, but there's only so much you can do with golf and there aren't many better ways to spoil a walk than this.
31. Beyond Good & Evil (GCN)
A classy action adventure from Ubisoft and Rayman creator Michel Ancel, Beyond Good and Evil spins a potent yarn of political intrigue, puzzle-solving, and investigation.
Protagonist Jade must stealthily acquire evidence as she explores the planet of Hillys in an effort to aid the resistance and bring down the DomZ, a bunch of evil aliens suspected of pulling the strings of a military dictatorship that's risen to power.
The base gameplay is fantastic, but it's the worldbuilding and atmosphere that sets BG&E apart and makes us excited for the prequel that's been in the works for many years.
30. TimeSplitters Future Perfect (GCN)
The third entry in the Timesplitters series, this release continued iterating on the multiplayer-focused gameplay from many of the makers of GoldenEye 007 and Perfect Dark.
Future Perfect added a co-op story mode to proceedings, as well as enabling players to create outdoor maps in an undated Mapmaker.
The game offered GameCube owners another fine dose of deathmatch FPS goodness, although unfortunately they missed out on the online play enjoyed by PS2 and Xbox owners.
29. Baten Kaitos: Eternal Wings and the Lost Ocean (GCN)
Co-developer Monolith Soft would go on to have great success on Nintendo systems with the Xenoblade Chronicles games, but this Namco-published JRPG still has its fans and stands out thanks to a relatively slim library of GameCube RPGs.
Baten Kaitos fused turn-, action- and card-based mechanics into a unique battle system. Playing as an overseeing guardian, the player interacts directly with the characters rather that ‘controlling’ them, which gives it a unique flavour apart from other games in the genre.
28. Super Monkey Ball (GCN)
Times they were a-changing back in the early 2000s and for gamers there was no surer sign than a Nintendo console launching with a game from its arch-rivals.
Fortunately, Sega hit the ground running (or should that be rolling?) on other companies' hardware with Super Monkey Ball, a fantastically surreal and vibrant new series that had you tilting the terrain to guide a monkey in a ball to a goal. Natch.
As it has been for years now, it really is all in the title, and while Sega fans might have felt blue at the time, this was a great indication that the company's spirit would live on.
27. TimeSplitters 2 (GCN)
Developed by Free Radical, a studio formed from several of the people behind N64 Rareware hits GoldenEye 007 and Perfect Dark, this sequel built on the foundation of the PlayStation original with a more satisfying story, more refinement... and generally more of everything.
For Nintendo gamers smarting after Rare joined Microsoft's stable of development studios, Timesplitters 2 offered a thrillingly familiar-feeling multiplayer FPS deathmatch experience which we'd love to see return in some capacity on modern systems, especially handheld hybrid ones produced by Nintendo.
Until then, we'll have to make do with this, the GameCube original.
26. Pikmin (GCN)
Shigeru Miyamoto takes up gardening and before you know it he's cracked out Nintendo's inimitable version of the real-time strategy genre.
Featuring for the first time those tiny little plant creatures that you order around in groups to pick up rubbish, harvest fruit, and battle bugs and other beasties, it's disarmingly charming and utterly bloodthirsty at the same time.
You become very protective of the little critters that do your bidding and there's an immense feeling of guilt when you accidentally command a legion into a watery grave or awaken a nest of sleeping monsters that proceed to munch through great swathes of your army.
The sequel might have had some great refinements and additions — and did away with the finite time limit — but there's something to be said about the taut design and focus of the original Pikmin. We like it a lot.
25. Super Monkey Ball 2 (GCN)
Super Monkey Ball 2 saw original developer Amusement Vision adding something that was lacking in the original game: a Story Mode.
Yes, if you were wondering how or why these simians were trapped inside transparent balls and being flung around on surreal floating stages, this sequel now provided a much-needed narrative context and Monkey Ball lore was born.
Joking aside, it offered more of the same great gameplay from the original and proved to be just as brilliant a party game. There's nothing not to like! Did the Monkey Ball series really peak with the second game? Quite possibly.
24. The Simpsons Hit & Run (GCN)
Often considered a stone-cold classic, and one of the best-licensed video games ever, The Simpsons Hit & Run takes what Road Rage does and amps it up to eleven, sharing a little bit more DNA with the Grand Theft Auto series than SEGA's manic arcade driver, Crazy Taxi.
This is a stone-cold classic, and it seems you agree!
The shock here was just how well the game depicts the Springfield fans know and love from the show, and how well this GTA parody plays. This game feels like a hilarious episode from the show, and every time you go back to it, you'll find something new, and probably get addicted for a few hours.
For such a phenomenally successful series, The Simpsons has a pretty inconsistent track record with video games, but this is a genuinely pleasant surprise and a stand-out video game in its own right.
23. SoulCalibur II (GCN)
The Dreamcast original SoulCalibur was a momentous fighting game for home consoles that brought arcade-quality visuals into the home that had even the staunchest fanboys on other consoles gawping jealously at Sega's ill-fated system.
Fortunately for them, a multiplatform sequel would arrive in 2003 and GameCube got a bonus that made it the definite pick of the bunch. Yes, the impressive visuals and weapon-based brawling was all present and correct, but Nintendo gamers were treated to Link from The Legend of Zelda joining the roster with the Master Sword in hand.
That single detail was enough to draw in players who might never have touched it otherwise, and very glad they were, too. Take Link out and it's still an excellent fighting game, but he really was the cherry on this rather delicious cake.
22. Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time (GCN)
Ubisoft's 3D take on the iconic 2D original spawned several sequels, but arguably none of them had the finesse and focus of Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time.
Using the same engine that powered Beyond Good & Evil, a rewind mechanic was sewn into the very fabric of the game which let you unstitch mistakes and gave the Prince a wonderful new gameplay gimmick to play with which felt exceptionally fresh back in 2003. There's an elegance to the gameplay here that got lost in the subsequent entries, where everything went a bit emo.
This was one of several top-notch multiplatform releases which came to GameCube and it's definitely worth winding the clock back and taking another look at, especially as the announced-then-delayed remake seems to be stuck in a loop.
21. Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes (GCN)
Seeing Metal Gear Solid — a game synonymous with Sony's PlayStation — on a Nintendo console was a very welcome, if jarring, experience back in 2004.
Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes was developed in the main by Silicon Knights, the same studio behind Eternal Darkness, and incorporated aspects of gameplay from Sons of Liberty into the original MGS game.
It also boasts obvious graphical upgrades and entirely re-recorded dialogue featuring almost all the original cast. The new additions were generally well-received, although the gameplay additions arguably trivialised some of the original game's difficulty.
Still, it's a fine version of a classic and well worth adding to your collection (although tracking it down for a sensible price these days is a mission worthy of Solid Snake himself).
20. Resident Evil (GCN)
The original Resident Evil was a zombie B-movie classic which cemented the idea of survival horror in the minds of a generation, but also had a gloriously dodgy script and goofy characters that the series steered away from in subsequent entries.
With REmake Capcom sought to realign the original with the upmarket production values of the later games, and boy did it succeed on that count. A complete overhaul of the PlayStation original, the power of the GameCube was put to use in conjunction with the beautifully repainted static backgrounds that still hold up today to produce a moody, evocative version of the Spencer Mansion we knew.
With nods to its shlocky past, the game held surprises for veterans who knew the original inside out and arguably represents the best of the classic style, pre-RE4 entries in the venerable Biohazard series.
For a system which looked so kid-friendly, the GameCube sure had some cracking M-rated games.
19. Tales of Symphonia (GCN)
This entry in Namco's Tales series, Tales of Symphonia, could be fairly described as one of those GameCube RPGs for non-fans of the genre.
The battle system is active and forgoes the static menus you might expect in favour of the 'Multi-Line Linear Motion Battle System' which makes things more dynamic for players who like that sort of thing.
This was the first entry to feature 3D graphics and although the plot might be a little workaday if you're at all familiar with the genre, there's a lot to love here.
The game was also released for PS2 in Japan, and PS3 worldwide, so the Nintendo GameCube isn't the only place to catch up with Lloyd and the gang.
18. Luigi's Mansion (GCN)
Had it been released now, Luigi's Mansion would arguably be lauded for the charming and affectionate genre parody it is and its short length would arguably be an asset in an era when we have more games than time to play them.
As a launch game for GameCube, though, it wasn't what Nintendo gamers were expecting in 2002 after the genre-defining Super Mario 64 which launched Nintendo's previous console.
It took a while to be appreciated after the initial bafflement that it wasn't a Mario platformer, but after a 3DS sequel (not to mention a remake) and the upcoming Luigi's Mansion 3 on Switch, it's safe to say the original has since received the appropriate levels of love and it still plays beautifully 18 years on.
17. Metroid Prime 2: Echoes (GCN)
Often considered to be the weakest entry in the Prime trilogy, Metroid Prime 2: Echoes nevertheless boasts the same brand of explorative first-person action that made the first game such a success, although with an increased difficulty and lacklustre multiplayer mode which took the shine off it for some players.
We'd recommend playing it on Wii with the added bonus of pointer controls if the difficulty is an issue, but however you play, this sequel is still an incredibly good game.
16. Star Wars Rogue Squadron II: Rogue Leader (GCN)
The N64 original put an arcade-y spin on Star Wars flight games like X-Wing but its sequel took things to a whole other level.
A GameCube launch title and technical showpiece (alongside Wave Race: Blue Storm), Rogue Squadron II: Rogue Leader blended original space missions with key moments from the classic trilogy and really showcased the capabilities of the console.
The visuals and audio are still impressive — most impressive — today, and the feeling you get from locking S-foils by squeezing the analogue trigger down to a click and blasting into vast space battles against dozens of enemy fighters is the closest we've come to feeling like we're 'in' the movies.
It's challenging, too. Turns out that finding tiny whining spacecraft against a starfield backdrop is hard (let alone hitting the damned things!), but the tight controls and authentic feel of Factor 5's game make finally nailing that wily TIE worth the effort.
Other games have come close, but Rogue Leader is still the benchmark for flight-based Star Wars games on consoles. Given the chance, we'd jump on an HD re-release faster than a mynock on a power cable. Red Five standing by.
15. Mario Kart: Double Dash!! (GCN)
Your favourite Mario Kart game tends to depend very much on which one you played first, or which one you've played the most in multiplayer. This can lead to much contentious debate, but we have wonderful memories of Mario Kart: Double Dash!! despite it often getting short shrift from many.
While not overflowing with new ideas, the racers were presented as gorgeous fully 3D models for the first time, the two-driver gimmick was extremely satisfying and introduced a new layer of strategy as you switched characters and juggled items, and it has some great courses, including DK Mountain (ah, that little shortcut at the end!) and perennial favourite Baby Park, the hilariously hectic mini-course.
It might lack a certain je ne sais quoi if you're devoted to other entries in the series, but make no mistake, this remains a chaotic karting classic. We love it.
14. Skies of Arcadia Legends (GCN)
If there was a positive to Dreamcast's untimely demise, it was that other consoles benefited from Sega's misfortune. A port of the Dreamcast original, Skies of Arcadia Legends was made by Sega studio Overworks, a starry team of Sega veterans, and was billed as a 'director's cut' of the turn-based JRPG.
With minor improvements across the board, Skies of Arcadia made exploration a central part of the gameplay as opposed to other games in the genre and fans have been calling for a modern remaster of air pirate Vyse's adventures for a long time, although it's failed to materialise.
Until it does, the GameCube is the best way to revisit Arcadia.
13. Eternal Darkness: Sanity's Requiem (GCN)
Eternal Darkness: Sanity's Requiem is a brilliant psychological horror game that blends Resident Evil-style survival horror with Lovecraftian Old World magick and an era-hopping historical narrative to create something quite unique and only available on GameCube.
It may take you a while to get into its spellcasting and unusual mix of styles (and that may be the reason second-hand copies cost mere pennies for so many years), but once it gets under your skin it's a hard game to shake.
The fourth wall-breaking sanity effects always steal the column inches, but the ambitious, dread-soaked story deserves just as much recognition, and whether you're a hardcore horror aficionado or a novice that needs a walkthrough with the lights on, we recommend playing this any which way you can.
12. Animal Crossing (GCN)
It's arguable that this series really came into its own in a portable context with the wonderful Animal Crossing: Wild World on Nintendo DS, but the N64 original nailed most of the systems first time out and this GameCube port of that Japan-only release introduced Animal Crossing's pleasant real-time village antics to the west.
It's a series that you play a little bit every day and that's much more easily accomplished on a handheld system which you can whip out on the bus or take on your lunch break. It's hard to return to a village tied to a home console these days, but then again it's hard to return to any previous entry once you've become accustomed to the myriad quality-of-life improvements of the next.
We'll always have the memories, though, and this first taste of village life was sweet.
11. Pikmin 2 (GCN)
Removing the 30-day time limit that so irked players in the first game, Pikmin 2 expands on the original in every way, creating a larger adventure with more of everything you liked before, plus a host of extra modes (including a surprisingly addictive two-player component).
Wingman Louie joined Captain Olimar this time around and the game also introduced White and Purple Pikmin, expanding the puzzling possibilities and the options available to you as the diminutive spacemen and their plant-based charges ran around gardens fighting beasties and collecting tasty-looking fruit, discarded objects, and ship pieces.
Some players might miss the tight focus of the original, but this is an excellent sequel and absolutely worth digging up.
10. F-Zero GX (GCN)
While debate forever rages as to whether the N64 entry or its Sega-developed GameCube sequel is better, we can all agree that both games are rather special in their own right.
F-Zero GX's story mode helps paint a picture of the 'F-universe' and those cutscenes featuring Captain Falcon and the gang sure add some pizzazz. The series also certainly never looked better than on GameCube.
The breakneck speed and brutal difficulty might put some people off, but racing doesn't get much purer than this, and seeing as this was the last full-blown retail entry from the franchise to come to a home console, this is still arguably the hottest take on F-Zero going. Track it down.
9. Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance (GCN)
The first home console Fire Emblem to be released in the West — and only the third to be localised — GameCube's Path of Radiance introduced us to Ike, leader of the Greil Mercenaries and rocker of a blue barnet.
The game was the first in the series to feature fully 3D graphics, and features (in our opinion) the strongest story of any game in the series.
Ike would go on to join the fight in Super Smash Bros. Brawl and gain notoriety there before returning in the Wii sequel to this game, Radiant Dawn. Unfortunately, this luminary pair of home-console Emblems aren't too easy to find these days, with both of them still exclusive to their original hardware and fetching eye-watering prices on the secondhand market.
By modern standards, Path of Radiance is lacking somewhat when it comes to presentation, but how we'd love to be able to play it anew without having to crack out the 'Cube! We like Ike.
8. The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess (GCN)
The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess took the series back to an art style closer to Ocarina of Time, albeit a little earthier and benefiting from the power of the 'Cube.
For many fans, it was the 'realistic' Zelda they'd been pining for after Nintendo took a left turn with The Wind Waker's cel-shading, and although it didn't quite strike all the right notes, it still features some breathtaking dungeons, memorably oddball characters, and a unique atmosphere.
Setting a precedent that Nintendo would later repeat with Breath of the Wild, Twilight Princess straddled generations, bookending the GameCube and launching the Wii with some added waggle and widescreen.
We'd recommend Wii U's HD remaster over this, but if you happen to have a copy of the (now very expensive) GameCube disc to hand, TP still delivers.
7. Super Smash Bros. Melee (GCN)
There's a reason that to this day Super Smash Bros. Melee has a dedicated hardcore following in the fighter community. It wasn't just one of the best multiplayer GameCube games, it's an all-time great across all platforms.
Fans will say it's tighter, faster, and requires more skill than other entries. They'll point to it being far more entertaining to watch than its successors, down to this faster pace. They'll point out its better balance. All compelling arguments for why this remains one of the most popular GameCube games of all time.
More broadly, though, it's a brilliant local multiplayer brawler that sanded the rough edges off the N64 original, added a metric ton of content, and — yes — feels the most balanced of all entries in the series before the roster ballooned.
Smash would continue to grow from here on out, but there's an elegance and purity to the Nintendo GameCube iteration that makes it worth revisiting if you're knee-deep in Ultimate and want to try a different flavour of superstar brawling.
6. The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time / Master Quest (GCN)
'Ura Zelda' - an expanded 'Second Quest' version of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time with remixed dungeon elements and other minor alterations - was planned for the ill-fated 64DD console, but thanks to that system's commercial failure, it got shelved.
Fortunately, GameCube owners would get the chance to play it on this special disc that was available as a pre-order bonus with The Wind Waker (and was actually packaged in that game's box in some regions).
There's not much to say beyond the fact that it gave fans the chance to play previously-unreleased Zelda content, so it's no wonder it ranks so highly in GameCube owners' memories.
A variation of the Master Quest was later made available in Grezzo's Ocarina port on 3DS, but this is the only way to play it with those classic N64 visuals (albeit with the resolution doubled on GameCube compared to the 64-bit original).
5. The Legend of Zelda: Collector's Edition (GCN)
A promotional disc that was bundled with hardware or made available in a variety of ways to GameCube players across the globe, it's hard to argue with the quality of the games on offer here.
It contains the original Legend of Zelda and Zelda II for NES as well as the N64 entries Ocarina of Time and Majora's Mask.
The emulation of the latter two wasn't perfect, but as a means of playing past Zeldas on your shiny new GameCube for the pleasing entry price of $0, it was a very fine collection indeed.
4. Resident Evil 4 (GCN)
Resident Evil 4 was a watershed moment for survival horror Capcom's series.
Shedding the genre-defining fixed-camera gameplay of the previous titles, it traded a little of that survival horror for a boatload of tight, tense action and not only revitalised the series, but set the blueprint for a decade of third-person actions games. So brilliant was RE4 that it's taken until relatively recently for the series to escape its shadow.
The game was designed with Nintendo's hardware in mind and despite going on to appear on practically every other home console produced since the GameCube, the original system is still one of the best places to play it, with the GameCube controller marrying the design perfectly (although the recent Switch version isn't bad, either).
The series has had its ups and downs like any other, but it's hard to argue that RE4 isn't the best it's ever been.
3. The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker (GCN)
Given the 'Cel-da' controversy that blighted the game at its initial reveal, it's fitting that The Wind Waker has come to be so loved and admired over time.
Where other games of the era struggle under the weight of modern high-definition scrutiny, Toon Link's maiden voyage looks almost as fresh as the day we first set out from Outset Isle to discover what had happened to the Hyrule we once knew.
It's not without flaws (and the HD remake on Wii U addressed many of them) but thinking back, we don't dwell on the repetitive wind conducting, the infamous Triforce shard hunt, or Tingle's sea chart extortion. No, it's the rainbow colours of the tempestuous ocean, the breezy panpipes of Dragon Roost, and the salty self-reflection our voyages brought about that stick in the memory.
Beneath the surface, it's very much a continuation of the 3D Zelda template laid down in Ocarina of Time, but there's undeniable magic in The Wind Waker, and despite its imperfections, it's still one of our very favourites of the series.
2. Metroid Prime (GCN)
Metroid Prime is the kind of game that people say 'shouldn't' have worked. Despite finding the 2D heart of both the Mario and Zelda franchises and transplanting them into 3D, somehow there was extreme scepticism that it could also be done with the Metroid series as well.
Perhaps it was because second-party studio Retro Studios was at the helm rather than Shigeru Miyamoto and his band of wizards at Nintendo HQ, but Retro managed to produce one of the finest games on the system, or indeed any system.
The design, extraordinary atmosphere and sense of exploration and progression of the 2D games all transfer incredibly well into a first-person shooter and while the Wii version might have added the IR pointer control scheme of Metroid Prime 3: Corruption, there's still something to be said for experiencing the original using the controller it was designed for.
With Metroid Prime 4 in development for Switch, now is a great time to rediscover the original and what made it so great — and with the sublime Metroid Prime Remastered now available, it's never been easier.
1. Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door (GCN)
The power of GameCube enabled greater fidelity of its paper-based art style than the original, but otherwise Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door stuck closely to the original's blueprint.
It's a wonderfully colourful adventure packed with clever callbacks to the portly plumber's history and the same irreverent spirit which makes so many Mario RPGs refreshingly different from the mascot's platformers. Where other entries have dropped the ball in an area or two, Thousand-Year Door gets everything right; plot, writing, battles, presentation - the lot.
Prices for a GameCube disc have skyrocketed in recent years and given the quality, it's not hard to see why. Treasure your copy if you've got one, and perhaps lend it to a trusted friend who never visited the town of Rogueport.
And if you don't have a copy or a GameCube? Well, that's what the Switch version's for!
That wraps up our pick of the best GameCube games of all time!
Nintendo GameCube FAQ
Whew! Well done for reading this far! To finish things up we'll answer some of the most common questions our readers have about the Nintendo GameCube.
When was the GameCube console released?
Your own particular GameCube release date depended very much on which region of the world you lived in at the time.
Unfortunately, those of us in Europe had to wait almost eight months longer than those in Japan to get our hands on Nintendo's latest hardware!
Here's when the GameCube released in all three of the major gaming regions back in 2001 / 2002:
- Japan: September 14th 2001
- US: November 18th 2001
- Europe: May 3rd 2002
How many GameCube games are there?
According to Wikipedia’s list of GameCube games, a total of 651 Nintendo GameCube games were released during the console’s entire lifespan.
There’s some variation in the number of releases between the Europe, Japan and US territories, but you'll find all GameCube games listed by region on that page.
What were the best multiplayer GameCube games?
The Nintendo GameCube was a fantastically portable system (it even had a little handle for easy transportation), and so it should come as no surprise to learn it was supported by some equally fantastic multiplayer games. Just pick it up, take it to your pal's house and play.
Here's our pick of the best multiplayer GameCube games that made it into this article. Just scroll up if you'd like more detail on each one - we’ve included the rankings to help you find them nice and quickly.
- #49 - WarioWare, Inc: Mega Party Game$!
- #30 - TimeSplitters Future Perfect
- #27 - TimeSplitters 2
- #16 - Mario Kart: Double Dash!!
- #6 - Super Smash Bros. Melee
Are there any good four-player GameCube games?
Need a GameCube game to entertain four players in particular? These are the titles that we recommend for the largest multiplayer sessions supported by the console:
- #49 - WarioWare, Inc: Mega Party Game$!
- #27 - TimeSplitters 2
- #16 - Mario Kart: Double Dash!!
- #6 - Super Smash Bros. Melee
What are the best GameCube exclusive games?
If we're talking about the best GameCube exclusive games that only ever came out on this particular console, we'd pick the following from this collection:
- #16 - Mario Kart: Double Dash!!
- #14 - Animal Crossing
- #12- F-Zero GX
- #9 - Eternal Darkness
If, on the other hand, you're interested in GameCube games that were exclusive at the time, but then were also released on subsequent Nintendo consoles...
- #1 - Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door
- #2 - Metroid Prime
- #3 - The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker
- #5 - The Legend of Zelda: Collector's Edition
- #6 - Super Smash Bros: Mele
In other words, the first five entries from our list of top GameCube games, minus Resident Evil! That's the power of Nintendo's game design magic for you.
Where can you buy GameCube games?
If you’ve dusted off your old Nintendo GameCube and you’re looking for some original boxed games, your best bet is to head to an online marketplace like eBay or Facebook Marketplace.
There you’ll find thriving communities of collectors, but just be ready to pay a premium for some of the rarer or the most popular GameCube games.
Alternatively you can try your local gaming stores for second-hand stock, although this is increasingly difficult to come by as time goes by.
How big are GameCube games?
As you’d expect, the size of an individual Nintendo GameCube game varies greatly between individual titles.
In terms of physical media capacity though, Nintendo chose to release its GameCube console games using the mini-DVD technology.
That puts a maximum file size limit of 1.4 Gigabytes on any given game.
How can I add a game to this article?
Disagree with the ranking? Well, you can do something about it by searching for your favourite games in the box below and voting for them instead!
Note. In order for games to become eligible, they need a minimum of 50 User Ratings in total. Don't forget that you can browse all GameCube games in our massive database too
Until then, check out our Hardware Classics feature on the GameCube for a brief history of the console and then crack out the Wavebirds and enjoy some of the beauties on this list.
Comments 270
Gamecube is my favorite console (SNES close 2nd) . Many of what I consider the best games of all time are on this list. WW is an excellent choice for top game. Viewtiful Joe 1 and 2 remaster please.
My Top Thirteen Gamecube games :
(Bold = i have the games)
1. Harvest Moon Magical Melody (7/10)
2. The Sims Bustin' Out (7/10)
3. Muscle Champion Kinnikuto no Kessen (7/10)
4. The Sims (7/10)
5. Paper Mario The Thousand Years Door (7/10)
6. Hello Kitty Roller Rescue (6.5/10)
7. Kao the Kangaroo Round 2 (6.5/10)
8. Crash Bandicoot Wrath of the Cortex (6.5/10)
9. Bomberman Generation (6.5/10)
10. Super Mario Sunshine (6.5/10)
11. Billy the Hatcher and Giant Egg (6.5/10)
12. PK: Out of the Shadows (6.5/10)
13. Pokemon Channel (6/10)
Y’all did Kirby Air Ride dirty
@Anti-Matter Where’s all the M rated games?
A little sad none of the Gamecube Harvest Moon games made it, A Wonderful Life has always been one of my top Gamecube games.
Very happy both Baten Kaitos games made the list, though! I personally preferred Origins but the first game was wondeful too. I really hope the seires gets a reboot at some point in the future.
I still can't believe Ocarina of Time was only available with Wind Waker pre-orders.
We have indeed spoken
It’s a good top ten. But is my vision correct or did Killer 7 not even make the top 50? C’mon lovely people we can do better than that. One of the most innovative narratives for the time.
Odd to see resident evil 4 so high on this list when the Wii added so much to the title gameplay'wise.
Totally forgot about the Zelda collections. This isn't what I would have expected but I'm glad to see Wind Waker do so well.
Just a great console and a beautiful Saturday. The sun is shining
Some of these in top 20 really are overdue for remakes and hd ports already
Another reminder that I really ought to play Paper Mario: TYD and Eternal Darkness at some point. Unfortunately, unless Nintendo start re-releasing their gamecube library and/or whoever owns the rights to Eternal Darkness release a remaster/port of the latter, I'll probably never get the chance.
On another note, is Skies of Arcadia really that good?
Resi 4 should have been 1st
I think I’m possibly alone in wishing more people rated P.N.03. Loved that game despite it’s repetitive nature- almost felt like a rhythm action game in the combat at times and a really satisfying thing to play
Should be Pikmin 1 over 2
Luigi's Mansion not in the top ten? puts foot through monitor screen, sends Nintendolife the bill
Surprised not to see Super Smash Bros. Melee at number one I know a lot of people that only bought a GameCube just for that game alone
Star Wars Rogue Squadron II: Rogue Leader was my best game for GameCube game IMHO. Metroid Prime would be a close second and then Twilight Princess and then Windwalker. I would have rather seen a poll rather than one person's opinion. Today in the day of HD remakes, Resident Evil for GameCube may have been the first and made that game even better.
Great to see thousand year door at 4, well done all!
My top 3 Gamecube games will always be:
1) Metroid Prime
2) Eternal Darkness
3)Timesplitters 2
Ports like OOT/MQ and the Collector's Edition have no place on these lists IMO. They always steal the show, when they are just rereleases. I guess, at least OOT Master's Quest was a new experience for us, but still.
Animal Crossing, Paper Mario TTYD, and Twilight Princess are my favorite GCN releases. Sad to see Animal Crossing didn't get ranked too high. It was the largest highlight of the GCN for me.
This was my first home console and so I have very happy memories of many of the games on this list.
I know some people don't like it because of the disruptive Power Moves, but I really like Mario Power Tennis. There's a really good game of tennis underpinning it all in a lovely and wacky Mario universe.
Alas, none of my friends had any of the TimeSplitters games, so our main multiplayer FPS was 007: Nightfire. I didn't think all that much of it, but maybe that's because I was rubbish and lost every time...
No Kirby Air Ride or Gotcha Force? This whole thing is invalid.
Not a bad list, but...
No Kirby Air Ride?
Pikmin 2 over Pikmin 1?
Metroid Prime over Metroid Prime 2?
You guys are weird.
Oh, and collections shouldn't really be on this. Neither ports like Resi 2. In my opinion.
Whoever’s downvoting Wave Race: Blue Storm - ‘What are you thinking?!?’
This has to be the only Nintendo console that has a third party game rated so high on the list! Good for RE4!
There are a lot of games lower down that I was initially annoyed by them being so low, but when you consider just how many truly quality games the GC had it's inevitable that some will get pushed lower than seems fair (though it always pains me how disregarded Sunshine is, and the lack of Pokémon Colosseum is a real oddity imo).
Was pleasantly surprised by the Zelda collectors and Master Quest ranking so high though.
Also, regarding Tales of Symphona; "although the plot might be a little workaday if you're at all familiar with the genre, there's a lot to love here". I'd actually argue it's one of the best storys in the Tales franchise; the way they subtly show the effects of racism in its varying forms, as opposed to battering you over the head with dialogue about it, means that by the time you meet the overall 'villain' you completely understand his motives. It's a really effectively told story, especially compared to some of the more recent games. Xillia for example recycles a lot of Symphonias plot points but the accompanying story is so convuluted and needlessly dense that you very quickly tune out. That's why the HD port was so disappointing; with a little love and attention it could have been the best Tales game, instead it comes across as lazy.
@Krisi "The Mega Man collections and Sonic are on it, but not the Zelda one?"
Zelda Collectors Edition is 5th, OoT Master Quest is 6th
I love the GameCube. It would be nice to get some of these great games on Switch, or Switch 2, or maybe Switch 3. It's like Nintendo is waiting for every fan to give up hope.
Wow... no Killer7? It was so innovative and original, with a really bold narrative. I'm really surprised to see it missed out completely. I'm still hoping for the remaster to hit the Switch.
@Krisi @Riderkicker @DayOfLavos
Kirby Air Ride is a wildly charming and fun proof-of-concept, but it had a laundry list of issues. Like Pokémon Snap, though, it more than deserves another outing.
And not a few technically-minor ones that keep a franchise from working like Meteos where Brabbit was a pain in multiplayer, the story and characters were just a touch too strange, and the controls didn't survive technological advancement and consumer preference.
@Krisi
Metroid Prime is much, MUCH better than Prime 2.
Pikmin 1 vs. Pikmin 2 is debatable since they're very different, but I can definitely respect ranking Pikmin 2 over 1.
@FullMetalWesker
Skies is a wonderful classic JRPG that feels like a 16-bit classic with a 128-bit coat of paint. The game has a colourful cast of characters and a unique, charming world that is fun to explore.
With that said, the encounter rate is atrocious. You get in random battles constantly, including when you're flying your airship. A HD remake that tweaked the encounter rate / sped up battles would be an easy 9/10. As is, it is still a worthwhile play through if you can tolerate constant random battles.
I love the GameCube and regret selling all my GameCube stuff nearly every single day. One of my biggest mistakes in life. I just want to play TTYD and Jungle Beat again. Long live the DK Bongos!
Gamecube has a ridiculously good library when you see a 3D Mario game relatively low then find it hard to argue against many of the games above it, even though it is a fantastic game in it's own right.
My own personal top 10 in no particular order would be
Luigi's Mansion
Mario Sunshine
Resident Evil
Resident Evil 4
Metroid Prime
Smash Bros Melee
Star Wars Rouge Leader
Zelda Windwaker
Eternal Darkness
Super Monkey Ball 2
I could write a top 30 and have little difference in quality between number 1 and number 30, the system was that good
@placidcasual another great game, definitely should have been on that list ahead of a few others as should Wave Race, frankly compilations shouldn't be on there
Gotcha Force, where are you Gotcha Force? ;w;
I can't avoid to wonder if it didn't make in the top 50 cause of how unknow it is or if this is just proof that the GameCube simply had way too many good games for some hidden gems to shine.
I find it weird Rogue Squadron 2 made the list when Rogue Squadron 3 didn’t. Mostly because Rogue Squadron 3 had all of Rogue Squadron 2’s missions but with two player added.
Also #50 would be in my top five.
And Def Jam Fight For NY would have probably made my top 10.
"Playing as an overseeing guardian, the player interacts directly with the characters rather that ‘controlling’ them". I take it you never actually played either of the baten kaitos games. while yes, you do play as a "spirit" that the main character interacts with (many of the characters in fact stop and address the player at times) you do control the main character in the traditional sense where you drive them about and tell them what to do in battle.
@FullMetalWesker Nintendo owns it completely; SK made it for them, and they've been habitually renewing the trademark for years. Alex is a Spirit in Smash Ultimate for a reason.
And yes, Skies of Arcadia is fantastic.
@Roam85 Agreed regarding Four Swords Adventures. 4-player top-down Zelda = legendary.
number 1 is great but i thought Double Dash would have been higher.
The 'Cube was a fun system to experience in its time. The game that got me to buy the system is also what I think is the system's best game. That is Metroid Prime. That game exceeded all my expectations and all the hype, for me. I also found the controls to be so natural. They made perfect sense to me, perhaps more than any game from that period. Metroid with motion controls felt like a tremendous downgrade when I played it. Obviously, that's up to individual players what they like, but I hated Prime 3 because the controls didn't feel natural and constantly got in my way.
Wind Waker is my number-two game on the system. I thought Resident Evil 4 started out great, and got progressively less fun the more I played it. It devolved into QTE hell later in the game. Super Mario Sunshine and Zelda - Twilight Princess were also disappointments to me. I can see why people like those games, but they had issues that made it hard for me to enjoy them. But the system was great and I did get to play some great games on it.
@NotTelevision agreed. This is unacceptable.
@Roibeard64
Yes, I want a new Skies of Arcadia or at least a full on remake.
I also want Paper Mario: TTYD to be ported to Switch. I was an idiot back when it released. I was starting to get into Xbox and heavily into 3rd party games and a lot of them used full voice acting. When I was playing PM:TTYD and had to read so much text I was like, nah, I’m done with that, I want voice acting now. So I traded the game in.
Fast forward to today, and it’s so darn expensive that the only way I’ll get to play it now is if it comes to the Switch. 😞
@RushDawg No way. Prime had some things over Prime 2, but I felt that 2 was much more coherent and interesting. Not to mention first person platforming is just the worst thing ever, and Prime 2 has much less of it, and even then, you get the Space Jump MUCH sooner, making it much more manageable.
Pikmin 2 is great, and just like in the previous case, it definitely has stuff that's better than in the first game, but I feel that Pikmin 1 has much better level design and a better atmosphere. It's kind of a quality versus quantity case for me, as Pikmin 2 has much more content, but what 1 has is comparatively better and more interesting in my opinion.
Nintendo Life Community - “We love the GameCube, has me of the best systems ever!!!”
Also Nintendo Life Community - “Lets vote N64 games as the 5th and 6th best GameCube games ever”
😉😂
@Anti-Matter if you expanded your horizons, you would have some 8s and 9s.
I do disagree on the gamecube version of soulcalibur being the definitive due to the controller. The GC controller is the best way to play smash, but soulcalibur really needs a traditional layout.
This list right here is why the GameCube has such staying power. You have Shmups, RPGs, Adventure games, fighting, horror, platformers and FPS games and all of them are amazing. The GameCube and Original Xbox get overshadowed by the PS2 in the popular discussion because... well I mean look at the sales of that PS2 in comparison more people grew up with it in comparison. But the GameCube will always be home to a unique, and fantastic library of games that people will always remember.
Wow this list is... bad
Crowdsourcing scores is messy, but valid to see what people really loved back in the day. No sense getting upset about aggregated nostalgia. I loved Bloody Roar, but had no illusions that most would give it the score I did.
I'm honestly surprised that neither Star Fox game for the GameCube made it onto the list. Sorry for the length of the comment, BTW.
Despite it being retooled from the unreleased Dinosaur Planet for the N64, along with the majority of the game being on foot, as well as it being very similar to The Legend of Zelda, Star Fox Adventures featured solid gameplay, memorable music, likable characters (some VERY likable, if you get my drift), and graphics that pushed the boundaries of the system's hardware. It stands as one of my favorites on the system.
Star Fox Assault did not have the solid controls as its predecessor, as one minor flick of the joystick could send you tumbling off a ledge, but it still had a killer soundtrack (played by an orchestra, no less!), great graphics, memorable characters, and a multiplayer mode that kept you coming back for more, even after you completed the notoriously short story mode.
I'd love to see remasters for these games, albeit with some changes:
For example, in Adventures, it would be nice to see Fox rescue Krystal earlier in the game so you can play as both, maybe with Fox taking to the skies in his Arwing while Krystal handles the on foot portions, as well as an actual boss fight against General Scales. Furthermore, you can have two-player co-op, either locally or online, where one person controls Fox and the other person controls Krystal.
In Assault, quite a few changes would improve the game. For one, tightening the controls so they're not as overly sensitive, adding 5-10 more missions in the story mode that expands on the Lylat System in a way not seen since Star Fox 64 (for example, infiltrating the ruins of Andross' base on Venom to find the plans for a weapon that becomes the Aparoid-destroying weapon seen later in the game), as well as an expanded multiplayer mode, with more characters, maps, vehicles, weapons, and the ability for online gameplay.
So, while not the best games on the GameCube, I feel they still hold up on their own, and could have easily made the list over some of the other games here, and they would be well-deserving of modern-day remasters that improve upon them to iron out the flaws of their original counterparts.
Let's see how many people agree with my assessment, of course.
@May_Nyan Its not a bad list if you could only have 50 GameCube games to play this is a rather nice list. Though I would probably take out RE2 and replace it with RE0, and add games like Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles, Harvest Moon A Wonderful Life, Killer 7, StarFox Adventure/Assult, Battalion Wars and Billy Hatcher. But, it's not a bad chunk of games and you will always have some odd choices on a list made by picks by hundreds of voters.
Though I did with they did not allow collections in the voting so we could get more games like the above on the list that were developed for the system.
Great list. Overall. I've got 2 game cubes under my bed but my new style TV wont allow me to connect it. Only allows for HDMI. Modern tech, eh 🙄. Its such a shame the wii U couldn't play cube games.
Another Gamecube list that features ports and retro compilations despite being on other consoles and no Star Fox Assault. People really don't like that game despite the decent amount of content it offered as well as control options. "Quality" list as usual, Nintendolife.
@Wexter That's my main problem with the list really, for example Sonic Mega Collection was great at the time but it's irrelevant now :/
Otherwise I just find the ordering odd
@electrolite77 How many Zelda games are already on this list?
There should be better guidelines when making a list like this.
@BakaKnight What gets me is how more folks were able to forgive the backwards jump/shoot buttons of the Mega Man Collection than get into Gotcha Force.
@KingBowser86 The Mega Man Collection had the jump & shooting buttons reversed. It was virtually unplayable to Mega Man vets especially since Mega Man Zero was still ongoing at the time. Yet that made the list & Kirby's Air Ride didn't? Come on, man....
Where's PN03 what a game
@Retron metroid would be my #1 too 🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆
@Krisi
Prime 2 was a big step backwards. The dark world was a real slog for most of the adventure and too many bosses were located pretty far from the nearest save point. That's just bad design.
I actually found Prime 1's platforming enjoyable and pretty generous, so to each their own.
It's like the list was made by anti-Sonic fans who happen to love SEGA.
It's OK Sonic Heroes you'll always be #1 to me!
The fact that Paper Mario TTYD scored so high by the readers speaks VOLUMES as to how the first two titles fall in compared to later titles. I'm not impartial to Super Paper Mario and I HAVE played the later titles, but the original two hold a dear place with me and TTYD just improved on the predecessor in SO many ways. Mustve collectively dumped almost a thousand hours across several playthroughs throughout the years. I got it in my head at one point I could farm Amazy Dayzees and hit the level cap. I gave up somewhere around level 60 but I have SO many fond memories over the original entries in the series.
Timesplitters, Resident Evil, Zelda, so happy to see all these games here
I’m just going to take it since the game didn’t sale all that well, that’s why it is so low on the list because Bateman Kaitos Orgins is a top 10 game and one of the greatest RPGs of all time. To me, it was by far the best RPG on the GameCube and in that era. Also, F-Zero GX not in the top 10 😯. Again, got to be due to sales. Four big games that are missing in this are NBA Street 2 (or 1), NFL Street, Def Jam Vendetta, and Capcom vs SNK 2!!!!
Reveal 51-100!
@Riderkicker I didn't talk about the list's usage (look at all the Zelda on Top 10), I was explaining why Kirby Air Ride would have been rated so low by users.
I'm just pleased by the lack of games I'm not familiar. That DS vote broke my wallet, but nearly all of these that I want I either own or were planned purchases already.
@Woomy_NNYes You are probably from a different continent than Europe. Ocarina of Time was available to everyone here (Europe), not just by pre ordering.
Rigged, I demand a recount.
Florida failed me again.
@Cosats
Oh, wow. I'd say region exclusivity trikes again, but that was like 16 years ago. Craziness.
@Wavey84 I have seen you talk about lag before. I believe you said you hate emulation recently. I don't feel the same, but I respect your opinion on lag. The only reason I even bring that up is to make a point that what isn't an issue to someone could be a major issue to another, and it's not necessarily some imagined thing. I've been on both sides of it. I believe you know what you're talking about and it matters to you.
I will take your word that there is lag in the typical setup that hurts the game. I never measured the lag on that TV, so I'll assume it added some. But it was more than lag that led to my disappointment with Prime 3. They had to simplify the game due to the lack of buttons. I didn't like that. And I didn't like the motion controls in practice. I started on Metroid Prime with the Gamecube controller. Though others may disagree, the controls felt perfect for me. It didn't feel like I was using a controller. It felt so natural, it seemed like my mind was fully connected to the game. Motion controls constantly remind me of what I'm physically doing, and prevent me from fully getting into games. I hated having to mime actions like unlocking doors. I hated having to sit in a specific way to make sure the sensor bar picked up the controls, or end up spinning around(which happened to me a lot, the way I hold controllers). I didn't like the concept of the motion controls. I know others liked them in those games, but they took my brain out of the games. That was my experience. Since the series started on the Gamecube, I think it would have been nice if they had offered optional gamepad control using one of their classic controllers for those wanting an experience like the previous two games. Lower lag may have helped, but wouldn't have solved everything for me.
Still such a great console ! We had a discussion onthe gamecube, it's history and games on our podcast: https://nerdweltenpodcast.com/2019/06/14/folge-38-der-gamecube/
#5 and #6 have nothing to do here. They take up spots for actual GC games when those two are mere bonuses.
Eternal Darkness only in 9th spot? Clearly a lot of you must have missed out.
Shocked at this list. Ridiculous in parts.
Where is wave race for a start??
@May_Nyan That makes perfect sense to me! The ordering I'm fine with because that seems more based on how many times something was picked rather than a clear best-to-worst order. But, the number of straight ports (RE2) or collections of older games is disappointing. Rather than highlighting the truly odd and delightful gems, it does seem more grab-bag these are great games rather than great games of that generation. But, as a whole while not my top 50 GCN games, it is a rather solid collection of where to start for those new to the system wanting to maybe start a collection. I mean it has Ikaruga that alone is a win on this list!
Honorable mention for Alien Hominid, maybe the first indie game on a Nintendo system
I like how two of the top 10 are Ocarina ports lol.
TTYD all day long.
Very pleased to see Path of Radiance, one of my favourite games of all time and still my favourite FE game, on this list as well as both Baten Kaitos games. I still feel that the Switch would be PERFECT for both a Baten Kaitos collection, since I believe quite a significant part of the potential audience missed out on that one back in the day, as well as a PoR and a Radiant Dawn Collection, seeing as this still stands as one of the strongest "arcs" in FEs' entire saga, which is now more popular than ever with plenty of folks (esp. younger fans starting with Awakening) never having played this, which is a shame.
I'm not all that keen on double-dipping, something I avoided so far on the Switch, but I don't think I could resist neither Xenoblade nor TMS#FE nor the aforementioned FE and BK collections ... no, actually for the latter I am positive I could not resist. I don't have my Gamecube hooked up by default, and even though, I still have it around, the convenience of having (a visually improved) version of two all-time favourites right at hand would be irresistible. I'd actually pay full price for either one to be honest.
I've already played PoR a bunch of time, but just like Incubation or Baldur's Gate 2, it's one of those (tactic) games, I apparently never stop coming back to. Just pinnacles not just of their generation, but their entire genre.
Make it happen, Nintendo! Take my money!
The image for Super Mario Sunshine (not the box art) isn't even an official image from the game. It's literally just Mario from NSMB2 with a FLUDD attached to him. Does no nodody notice this? Why use a fake image?
I wonder if wind waker would still be #1 if it didn't get the wii u remaster?
Oh, and rogue squadron 2 all the way!
I was halfway through this top 50, big grin on my face, reminiscing about and agreeing with practically all the games on this list, already relishing the "fact" that both 1080 Avalanche and Wave Race Blue Storm were going to end up really high on this list, and then it all fizzled out when I reached the last page and... nothing? No 1080? No Wave Race?
Were there any ACTUAL GameCube fans and/or GameCube exclusive appreciators participating in this quest to rank the very best of them?
I think that it's no over-exaggeration to say that to this day Wave Race Blue Storm is still one of the best, if not THE best (semi-)realistic Jet Ski game ever made (not counting the futuristic ones), and 1080 games, both the N64 and GameCube outing got that real snowboarding feel SO amazingly right, that as a winter sports enthusiast, it totally brought me back into the spirit of the real thing, where SSX games were definitely also great, but still had a far more over-exaggerated, arcadey feel about them, and had a lot of unrealistic stuff in them. And snow felt great in the 1080 games.
All in all, great list regardless, but I'm still MASSIVELY disappointed that these two absolutely stellar classics weren't included. If you have a GameCube and you like racing and/or arcade games, then these are simply must-haves, and they shouldn't go missing on any list regarding the GameCube.
No offense, but the people that caused the lack of these two amazing games have zero taste or sense about what makes a console classic.
@electrolite77 I sensed a disturbance in the force there: may even be a lot of underlying desire for an N64 Classic Mini...
I thought Resident Evil 4 would be #1 for sure
Metroid Prime will always be #1 for me, and not just when comparing GC games.
I’m surprised RE4 is at #2. I remember all the buzz it had at the time and perfect scores, but didn’t think that still held today. Obviously I’m wrong. I’ll always prefer REmake to RE4, REmake perfected the old style of RE games.
Great list. Yes it includes compilations and ports, but unlike other lists, every single game here is excellant. Could easily have a Top 100 without a dud. Def Jam, PN03, Donkey Konga/Jungle, Lost Kingdom II, and Billy Hatcher, need some loving. Special mention to the R:Racing limited double disc edition which included the first ever release of Pac-Man VS.
Whoa, no Buffy in the top 50???
I almost forgot how many great games there were on this system.
My own list would go...
8. Wave Race: Blue Storm
7. Rogue Leader
6. Wind Waker
5. F-Zero GX
4. Resident Evil 4
3. Smash Melee
2. Super Mario Sunshine
1. Metroid Prime
Now when are we going to see a new Wave Race? And what about Rogue Squadron? Doesn't Disney like money?
Some absolute criminal rankings here. Sunshine and Luigi’s Mansion being in the 20s? A robbery.
Viewtiful Joe, Metroid Prime, Mario Kart: DD, RE4... the GameCube has absolutely incredible games, true experiences.
I'm sad my childhood game Star Fox Adventures didn't make this list.
@astrofan1993 I feel you. I rated Adventures 9 and Assault 7, so am disappointed the former didn't make top fiddy.
Don't know if anyone has mentioned, but Metal Arms was a solid hidden gem, also.
Te top GameStop of the Gamecube are easily RE4 and Metroid Prime. Wind Waker is #4
This list is a good indication as to why we’ll never get another Wave Race or 1080. Because as much as these games were highly coveted by “fans” and critics alike at the time, where is the love for them now!? How are they rated so low by the community when they are 2 of the best and most polished games on the GameCube...
Shame on everyone who rated those games so poorly.
@NintndoNik I think this list is a perfect example of what is wrong with a lot of entertainment: the blind loyalty to franchises. There's several games on this list that I believe would be considered mediocre if there wasn't a big Nintendo IP attached to it. And of course, not to pick on Nintendo or its fans, look at any other major publisher like EA or Activision (everyone calm down, I'm not talking about loot boxes). They went from having a wide and varied portfolio to a just a few core franchises that they beat like a dead horse. And the same thing is going on in movies.
Nice to see Sonic Mega Collection, Animal Crossing, and Mario Kart Double Dash make the list, those were favorites of mine I voted for.
Pikmin 2, Custom Robo, Kirby Air Ride, Naruto: Clash of Ninja 2, Sonic Adventure 2 Battle, Pokemon Colosseum, Lord of the Rings: Return of the King, and Spongebob: Battle for Bikini Bottom would all be great picks too.
But if GameCube is only 17 in the UK, how can it enjoy the pub?
Tiger Woods PGA Tour is a superior game in every way to Mario Golf: Toadstool Tour. I know this community doesn’t rank sports games very high, but those Tiger Woods games are fantastic.
Metroid Prime is still no1 on my Gamecube list. It was ahead of it's time. A real one of a kind game that they still don't make today.
Love the Cube. I'm surprised its amazing library hasn't been mined more by Nintendo yet. The Switch is perfect for it. I wanna beat Baten Kaitos!!
Sad face. Crystal Chronicles didn't make the cut..
Oh well, Switch version coming out soon. Can't wait. ^^
@Ooyah Prob cuz it's garbage like most Suda games.
I can relate to this.
Would have put the 2 baten kaitos & ToSymphonia higher up, as well as MG solid, but glad to see so many great games made it anyway.
Fond memories
A great list! But my number 1 will always be Super Mario Sunshine. Spent too much of my childhood on that game.
Where on earth is Donkey Konga and Jungle Beat? Billy Hatcher? Sonic Adventure 2 DX?
In my opinion Twilight Princess is the winner but The Thousand-year Door really deserves to be high. Intelligent Systems did a wonderful thing back then with Mario characters and new characters and the game is consistent, long and entertaining from start to end. It's one of those games that is enjoyable all the time. Super Mario Sunshine and Resident Evil Remake deserve to be higher!
@RushDawg I respect your opinion but have to disagree. I enjoyed Prime 2 much more than Prime 1. In my opinion almost everything was better and was everything a sequel should be.
However I do see why some might not enjoy it,the difficulty being one of them.(Curse the Spider Guardian and Boost Guardian)
Wow, this is the worst Gamecube list I've seen. Because of the way it was created, of course. Killer7 and Resi 3 didn't make the top 50! Pikmin in place 27! Metroid Prime Echoes in place 17! And so on.
The Top 10 is wrong! It should something like this:
Metroid Prime
Tales of Symphonia
Eternal Darkness
F-Zero GX
Paper Mario
Resident Evil 4
Luigi's Mansion
Zelda - The Wind Waker
Viewtiful Joe
Baten Kaitos
Pikmin 2
(can be in any given order, as long as Metroid Prime is first place)👍
Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door is the best game I’ve ever played period, so pleased to see it so high up the list! Well deserved.
Wow just an absolute amazing list of games! The GameCube was my favorite home console of all time, until the switch. Even then the switch is a hybrid and not purely a home console so the GameCube still has an argument imo.
@Woomy_NNYes Well...it's also available on Fleabay now!
I lol'ed when I read that Luigi's Mansion's short length (back then viewed as a negative) would today be viewed as a positive! Amazing how times change...
I own 22 of the games on this list. My game cube collection sits at around 60 games. Such a wonderful system that deserved more attention for the texture and sound compression that made those discs so amazing.
Shame none of the 007 games entered the top 50...
If I made my own top 5 GameCube games, I'd rank both 007: NightFire and 007: Everything or Nothing on there!
Top 3 should be METROID PRIME, WINDWAKER, and RE4.
Metroid Prime will always be the GC's crowning game for me, nothing else comes close to the magic of that game.
I can't see any other console beating the Gamecube as my fave console ever, it has so many of my fave entries in my fave series from Sunshine, Double Dash, Wind Waker, TTYD. Resi 4, Pikmin 2, i could go on, i think it's a shame Battalion Wars, XIII and Metal Arms didn't make the top 50 though, they definitely deserve to be there.
I'm sad that Star Fox Adventures didn't make the list. Am I the only one who absolutely loved that game?
Mario Sunshine at 23!? That is harsh people.
>4 slots in top 10 are zelda
we know the writers favorite franchise
I always find it dumb ranking games like this. It's like getting asked "what's your favorite anime". There's countless genres of games just like there are books, TV shows, etc, so ranking them all together is pretty dumb because it's more of a combined question of "what are the best games in each genre" and "what is your favorite genre".
My favorite games on gamecube in no particular order are:
@baller98 seriously
@xmrmeow
Read the top again. This is based on user's ratings across the site.
And that said, it's interesting that Wind Waker, a game so derided in its time for its different art style, is now a bonafide classic.
Honestly It's are rights to pick whats better..
@baller98 - Inexplicably absent.
@personauser93 Sorry, Metal Gear is Playstation (Sobs)
I bought a Gamecube for F-Zero (easily my #1 for this console), which is interesting because I didn't really like the original and never played the one for N64. I went on to discover many, many amazing games, most of which didn't make this list at all or are at best ranked much lower than I had hoped. Oh well, everyone is entitled to their own opinion, but the fact that Cubivore didn't make the top 10 means everyone else's opinions are WRONG.
P.S. it wouldn't make my top 10, either, but I had hoped it would have been somewhere on this list. I am happy that Skies of Arcadia made it, though. Even though they forgot to finish the game (I was like 95% of the way through my game when my memory card died and erased my progress on ALL of my Gamecube games, which I assume was simply a cover-up so that I wouldn't see that they didn't get around to making an ending).
Good to see Metroid Prime so high (and Windwaker on 1). I expected Luigi's mansion to be higher. And Mario Sunshine should be lots higher!
Pretty good list, I remember saving up money just for Soul Caliber 2 on GC just to play as link, My top will always be SSBM though tbh since I spent years playing that game even after the GCN wasn't a new console anymore
Spongebob battle for bikini bottom was too good for this list
I'm sorry, but Killer 7 deserves to be in the top 50.
Doshin the Giant not in the top 10? Disgrace!
Man I love gamecube its one of best consoles along with n64 and snes with great games like smash bros melee, legend of zelda.
I really hope one day they will port some of these games on nintendo switch
It would be nice to see how different this list would be if all the games that have been ported elsewhere were removed. So many great games that are stuck on the cube. Weird not seeing the Star Fox games on here or Pokémon Colosseum and its sequel
When does NGC come to NSO? 20th anniversary would a great time for it. But I doubt we will get it any time soon …
For me my favorites would be (in no particular order)
-Super Mario Strikers
-Sonic Adventure 2 Battle
-Pokémon Colosseum
-Mario Kart: Double Dash!!
-Kirby Air Ride
-Metroid Prime
-Metroid Prime 2: Echoes
-The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess (technically I played the Wii version, but it's still a GC game)
-Mario Superstar Baseball
-Luigi's Mansion
-Donkey Kong Jungle Beat
-Mario Party 5
-Super Smash Bros. Melee (I like it, but it's my least favorite Smash in the series. I recently replayed it after years and I can see various things wrong with it that I hadn't seen before)
-F-Zero GX (though this one might be my least favorite of my favorites. I mean, I really like it, but the difficulty sometimes is too much for my aging skills)
I'd include Eternal Darkness, I recently got it but I haven't played enough to determine if I like it as a favorite or not.
more love for mario sunshine <3
@GKO900
I know right?!
Excellent list. My favorite console to this day, and massively underrated. I can't imagine anyone looking at this list and not appreciating the wealth of titles exclusive to the console. Reading through this list, I said to myself "great game" to every entry. It's astounding. Probably the least appreciated title, especially because it's multiplatform, is Burnout 2. It remains the best racing game to this day. Most people didn't catch onto Burnout until Revenge, and to a lesser extent Takedown. Both are excellent. But they're all missing out on perfection. If you haven't played Point of Impact, you will be amazed if you get the chance. The game I feel is missing from this list is 007: Nightfire. It almost matches the brilliance of Goldeneye.
@NotTelevision lol I read this as "doth my eyes deceive me?", as questioned by the genie.
@TheRealKyleHyde Nightfire was excellent. So much fun. I commented about it as well before I read yours. Glad to see it has other appreciators. Let's setup friendlies somewhere.
Mario Sunshine at 48?! We must fix this, people.
P.S Glad to see people are giving Twilight Princess a bit of recognition.
@Placidcasual great username - SFAOK!
@Fandabidozi 64 and Blue Storm are technological masterpieces. No game has replicated their wonder to this day. And no game has dynamic level design. You're constantly adapting. It's probably the series I most wish Nintendo would make a sequel to because it's so unique and deserves a new entry.
While I'm thinking of it, two other games come to mind: Star Fox Armada and Smuggler's Run: Warzones. Is Armada as good as 64? Of course not. But it's easily second best and well worth playing in it's own right. Smuggler's Run is still one of the greatest racing franchises ever made. It's freaking fun as hell. Warzones is the worst entry in the series, but still awesome.
DDR Mario Mix
Donkey Kong Jungle Beat
F-Zero GX
Metroid Prime 2: Echoes
Pikmin
Resident Evil 4
SSX 3
Timesplitters 2
Tony Hawk 3
Viewtiful Joe
This is my top 10. Still some of my favorite games of all time. Echoes is my #1 Gamecube game.
@justin233 Holy crap Jungle Beat. I feel privileged to have played Jungle Beat. That's how incredible it is. It's just excellent. The bongos work perfectly, proving that it's not the controller that matters, but how it's used.
@Kang81 Wii U, dude. Wii U. Most underrated console ever.
@RumblePak I loved Bloody Roar. Now that I think about it, that's probably when I first became a furry. I remember thinking Shina was sexy as hell.
Ah so many memories. Glad to see Eternal Darkness placing fairly high on the list. I'd love to play that game again, but it's ridiculously expensive now.
@AlienX ANOTHER GameCube game I need to catch up on. I guess I didn't have the means when it first released, and now it's $70
@Paraka Lol!
Nice list. The GC is still my favorite Nintendo console. But! We will never be as lovely as Alex from Nintendo Life.
@Jayofmaya I'm STILL waiting for StarCraft Ghost.
Not a bad list. A few things I may ebay and pick up.
@xmrmeow Holy cow is Mario Party 6 not on this list?
This list honestly makes me want to cry. I don't think games overall are worse now, but that's thanks to indies. First party titles cannot match what they once were. There are exceptions of course, like Ghost of Tsushima, but look at this GameCube list, honestly.
@ConanLives What has the Wii Resident Evil 4 got to do with the GameCube? The context is GameCube nothing more.
Great list. Glad to see Sunshine is very low on it (although it shouldn't on the list at all) - that game was awful. Never build an entire game around a gimmick like that. It's as if Nintendo had built a sequel to Mario 3 where you wear the kuribo shoe (a fun diversion) the entire game.
There are many things I think should have been higher when I first look at them, but then I realize that the top list of games is so jam-packed with incredible quality that it doesn't really make much difference.
@Gryffin
Wait, is Paper Mario: TTYD on Wii U?
Is the store still up? If so I'm checking it out tonight.
I loved my Wii U, though admittedly, it doesn't get used at the moment.
@Meteoroid Yeah, RE remake definitely deserves to be higher, that game absolutely blew my mind back in the day. RE4 is also excellent, but REmake remains my fav in the series to this day.
@Gryffin I said Mario Party 4-7, as in 4 through 7 (4,5,6,7).
@Kang81 It is! It's time for me to buy it too. Get your Wii U games while you still can.
@xmrmeow right lol. I just meant that I hadn't noticed that they were missing, and 6 in particular is the best Mario Party.
One of these days I’ll get to play Chibi Robo….
I still haven't played my copy of RE4 .. and I have the chainsaw controller. Life flys by
This list is completely wack. I don't get it....
@Gryffin Oh yeah definitely one of the best. I think the Bowser and DK Boat board is my fav in the whole franchise
Hey, Four Sword Adventures moved up from #50 to #49 since the last posting.
Which is still weird because it’s my #1
@xmrmeow for sure. And I think the trap capsules added a lot of strategy. And it had the best collection of mini games. I don't think I've played a single Mario Party since, but from what I understand none can match up. It's really too bad.
Super Mario Sunshine at #48 😂
@baller98
It is there early. It is Mario Smash Football
as someone who went from the N64 to the PS2 and Xbox, I'm sad I missed the GC. It had such a great library and it is an immense fracking shame that Nintendo does not seem to care about the GC library either. I'd love to have a reason to play these games on Switch
@Mando44646 you can find GameCubes pretty cheaply, and Wiis. You'll probably need an HDMI adapter now though. All of the best games are going to be really expensive though. Your best bet is to get a Wii U and buy them on the virtual console.
I would've put Metroid Prime in the first place. Not a bad list, though.
I owned 32 of these
@Gryffin
Awesome!
I did not know that! Thanks for letting me know!
@allduhype I'm concerned that you used past tense...
My favorite console and time of gaming all-around, ever! Golden age of 3 big companies battling it out got lots of innovation and creativity!
Gamecube deserved to be so much better off through -especially next to the pitiful original XBOX.
Mine is still hooked up on a classic GXTV in the bedroom.
The Gamecube was my first home console. Used, with RE0, Windwaker, Freedom Fighters, Hitman 2, Luigi's Mansion...
And later some of my other all time favourites such as Killer7, RE4, P.No3, Eternal Darkness, Timesplitters 2 and 3, MK:DD, Mario Sunshine, Soul Calibur 2 with Link, Pacman VS, Splinter Cell Chaos Theory, BG&E... And some other obvious ones, I'm sure that no matter how hard I think back or look through my collection that is not here in my current home, I'll forget some very important games.
Before that I had every Gameboy, but not even a tv (not complaining, just saying). I still love the Gamecube, and actually every Nintendo console that followed. They were always my main system, and very late in a 'generation' I'd get a Playstation to play some games I couldn't play otherwise, at a much lower price, and skipping all the 'hype' driven disappointments or thirteen in a dozen 'realistic' shooters, race games, sports games,... as those rarely appealed to me anyways (with the exception of games like Brothers in Arms, Spec Ops The Line,...). I guess even back then I was more interested in the games just outside of the 'mainstream'.
And also a PS2 later, to play more horror games, it was the genre's golden age.
Skies of Arcadia, so good.
In the past, whenever I've seen discussions of best games on the Cube, it usually comes down to RE4 and Metroid Prime. Usually, I see RE4 take the spot. It's always been popular. I always preferred Metroid Prime, and it has always been my favorite Gamecube game since I played it. Wind Waker was a reasonably-close second, but Prime was always the best thing in the system in my opinion. While Resident Evil 4 was very good in a lot of ways, I thought the game fell apart in the second half, especially with some really obnoxious and consequential quick-time events(QTEs). While they may have been clever to some, I've never been fond of that reliance on QTEs. I recall not liking other aspects of the latter stages of the game as well. When I still thought I liked the game, I could only replay it to a certain point and then realized I wasn't having fun anymore. Perhaps other people don't have this problem, but I do, so there's no way I could rate RE4 so highly. Metroid Prime on the other hand was a magical experience for me when I played it, and I've been able to replay it many times since. I always loved the implementation of the controls. When I played Prime 3, I thought the motion control really got in the way and it's the one entry in the series I didn't like. I hope they re-release that eventually with the option for button controls.
@sdelfin for the life of me, I cannot get through Prime 3. I've tried several times, but I've never advanced past a couple of hours. I guess I don't enjoy it. Maybe the level design is no good for me? I feel bad because I loved 1 and 2, and I feel like it's my fault that I don't enjoy 3, not the game's.
I’m impresswd by how many of these I’ve played. I think it’s only a handful that I haven’t.
@Sev_07 me too! Pokemon, Batman Beyond, Card Captors, Yu-Gi-Oh. Then I'd play Burnout 2. Does anyone else feel that they had good taste in games, even as a child?
@Gryffin yeah but prices on games are utterly absurd. Fire Emblem is ~$150 or more. I just want Nintendo to sell me their back library
@Gryffin
Yeah for whatever reason critics tend to diss on prime 2 in favor of 3, but it seems that most people (myself included) believe that prime 3 is a little iffy. The atmosphere isn't as good and the game isn't quite as well designed. The worst part of the game is the first couple hours, so I encourage you to push through and make it to Skytown where the game just gets better. Nun-chuck controls are a little frustrating, but if you can look past what it doesn't do so well you can see how the game holds up even compared to the other two games. I had trouble with the first bit of prime 3, but once I got to the good parts I couldn't stop playing. 😃
What an amazing library. I miss this time of my life so much!! A game I loved a lot not here was: Freedom Fighters
@I_commented thanks for the encouragement. I think I'll give it another shot when the time is right. Always too many games to play am I right?
1. Metroid Prime
2. Resi Evil 4
3. Windwaker
4.
Mario Sunshine being that far back just feels...wrong. It's lower than a compilation of old Sonic games you can play anywhere!
This list is proof that people don't know squat about videogames. Super Mario Sunshine down at number 47? It should be in the top 5. And where are Mr Driller: Drill Land, Gun, and Lego Star Wars II: The Original Trilogy?
@Gryffin Too many! 😅
What I would do for a skies of arcadia return...
I haven't played it since the Dreamcast original release. I haven't touched it since, I'm afraid it would have aged very poorly. But a new coat of paint and interface update would be an instant buy for me.
wHeN ThE zElDa BoAtInG sImUlAtOr Is bEtTeR ThAn pIkMiN 2 AnD lUiGi’S MaNsIoN
Looking at this list again, it seems to have a few odd things in it, such as Super Mario Sunshine being in a surprisingly low position, (though I guess it's ranking is mostly due to universally high scores and it being generally considered one of, if not the weakest of the 3D Mario games), and the inclusion of re-releases like Zelda Collectors edition is also a bit suspect (but seems to be the norm here); but the thing that really throws me is Metroid Prime 2 not only ending up all the way down at 25th, but is apparently 'considered the weakest in the Prime trilogy'. Really? Has Prime 2 fallen in recent years, to the point where it's now considered worse than Prime 3? I dunno, maybe I missed something *shrugs *
Still, it's clear that Gamecube library is very beloved here, when the lowest placed game here has a score of 8.16 and over 5 titles have a 9/10 or higher.
@Bizaster should be way higher
What a first class hipster list this is. How Smash melee isn't first place followed by Wind Waker is beyond me.
Strange list. Sunshine in 47th? Metroid Echoes nowhere near top 5? Let alone top 10.
As of September 15, 2021 the top ten (without collection ports) is;
10: Eternal Darkness
9: Mario Kart: Double Dash
8: Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance
7: Skies of Arcadia Legends
6: Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess
5: Super Smash Bros: Melee
4: Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker
3: Metroid Prime
2: Paper Mario: Thousand Year Door
1: Resident Evil 4
I only played (and own) five of them.
I was disappointed with the Gamecube at the time and still enjoyed playing my n64 so missed out on quite a few games but my top ten list is;
10. Eternal Darkness
9. Star Wars Rogue Leader: Rogue Squadron II
8. Pikmin
7. Mario Kart: Double Dash
6. Super Mario Sunshine
5. F-Zero GX
4. Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker
3. Super Smash Bros: Melee
2. Metroid Prime 2: Echoes
1. Metroid Prime
Twilight Princess I had on Wii. Others I’d like to add to my collection that could challenge my top 10?
Resident Evil 4
Timesplitters 2
Pikmin 2
Mario Power Tennis (was still playing n64 version)
Mario Golf Toadstool Tour (was still playing n64 version)
Viewtiful Joe 1 & 2 (have since added 1 but not played through)
Paper Mario (is it really that good?)
Luigis Mansion
Super Monkey Ball 1 & 2
Seriously? No "Star Fox Adventures" or "Star Fox: Assault?"
Say what you want about "Adventures," it was a solid game, with great graphics, tight controls, memorable characters, music, and locations. And it gave us the biggest furry mascot since Space Jam's Lola Bunny, and my favorite video game character of all time: Krystal.
"Assault" was also pretty solid, despite some touchy on-foot and Landmaster controls. Even if the campaign was short (which really was more or less standard fare for a Star Fox game), the multiplayer mode more than made up for it. I spent countless hours with friends at sleepovers just exploring the maps alone; we wouldn't even try to kill each other.
The lack of Custom Robo is very disturbing.
It's hard to imagine how Resident Evil 4 beat out EVERYTHING else.
And yeah, no Custom Robo? No Star Fox Adventures OR Assault? No Final Fantasy: The Crystal Chronicles? Boo.
Super Mario Sunshine at 47, ouch. D: I quite like Sunshine, a shame.
My favorite GCN game by a wide margin is Animal Crossing. Animal Crossing was the first game of its type I played and it was just perfect for me, who didn't always want action, but also wanted room to be creative and focus on characters' lives and the like.
I disagree that Animal Crossing came onto its own on the handheld. I have never played an Animal Crossing game as much as the GCN version. It was a really special game. It's dated now, but its charm sadly was never fully replicated in later games. and Animal Crossing sequels have always been a mixed bag. The only ones I can say are legitimately better games than the GCN version are NL and NH.
Otherwise, Paper Mario The Thousand Year Door, Twilight Princess and Super Smash Bros Melee are top notch. The GCN was a fantastic console. A shame Nintendo doesn't make them like that anymore.
@Gryffin Yeah, we're in the same boat with Prime 3. I didn't love the world design, but it's hard to properly judge it since the motion controls really get in my way. If they restored the pad controls, I'd love to retry the game and see if I like the stage design. There were other things I didn't love. They simplified the game to make it work with the remote's lack of buttons. And it was odd having a Metroid game with that much story via other characters. It hurt the sense of isolation a bit. But again, hard for me to just fairly since the motion controls bothered me so much.
Prime should be number 1, also rogue squadron ii, f zero gx, and remake are way down. Also where is sunshine?
@Kang81 oh no! I'm so sorry I just double checked, and the thousand year door is not on Wii U.
@Gryffin
Boo! 😭
I know one of them is on there, I just don't remember which.
No one in the comments seems to realize that these are based on user-submitted scores, not official NL reviews/staff rankings or anything.
@BakaKnight gotcha force and ultimate muscle. 2 hidden gems right there.
❗️My Top 5️⃣ GC Games:
1️⃣P.N.03
2️⃣True Crime 2: NYC
3️⃣True Crime 1: Streets Of L.A.
4️⃣Super Mario: Football
5️⃣Metroid: Prime 1
Zelda games taking the top? Woah...
Something's wrong with this list, it's missing Sonic Heroes.
1. Sonic Adventure DX
2. Sonic Heroes
3. Melee
4. SA2: Battle
5. Shadow the Hedgehog
6. Sonic Riders
7. Wind Waker
8. Mario Sunshine
9. Twilight Princess
10. Fire Emblem 9
11. TTYD
Priorities, man.
Im sure the data is sound but some of those release dates are off.
I distinctly recall PSO, Metroid Prime and Resi 0 all launching on the same day in the UK.
a sleeper title is GUN
wasn't reviewed on NintendoLife so makes sense not to have it on this list but one heck of a game even though it is short
No love here for a list without Battalion Wars
The quality in that library is immense.
Yeah and there’s still games not in this top 50 that I still love to play. The GameCube was the most fun I had with a console but I’d say a large part of that was I had less responsibilities and more friends around. Some others not mentioned that I sank a lot of time into are gauntlet dark legacy, 007 night fire and everything or nothing, X-men legends 1 and 2, wrestlemania 19, freedom fighters, nba street vol. 2, def jam fight for ny, to name a few.
Solid Top 10
Congratulations everybody
"The cube-ular console and its launch lineup was let loose in Europe on 3rd May 2022". Yikes! That's one heck of a wait for the Europeans to get their hands on the GameCube!
Totally agree with top 3, but feel Prime 2 and Mario Sunshine should round out that top 5
Thousand year door is not better than both wind waker, and twilight princess.
@Nontendo_4DS
I was in the same boat as you with thousand year door. I recently played it for the first time, and it is a great game. But it is overrated. My main problems were the boring main story( side story’s were great) and after chapter three every chapter amounted to 90% backtracking. Except for chapter six. That is the exception.
Baten Kaitos Eternal Wings and the lost ocean is the best gamecube game for me. And then Paper Mario Thousand year door would be my second choice.
Also hello people who comes by this article in the future from the next repost. XD
Kirby Air Ride not being on this list is criminal. Also seriously disagree with Metroid Prime 2 being as low as it is (it's personally my favorite Metroid game).
This list is also a reminder that I still have to play Paper Mario 1&2, my two biggest holes in my classic backlog
I owned 14 of these.
Never has a feeling in my life been reciprocated than when i was in toys r us & the smash bros. Melee demo was there and I was able to play Pirncess Zelda.
My dad bought me a GameCube that very day. The amount of good times I spent with that game is irreplaceable.
@Axecon to be fair that teen titans game, Digimon rumble arena 2 & sims urbz should also be on the list. Multiplatform or not
Sad to not see either Pokémon Colosseum or XD: Gale of Darkness on this list, but not surprised either. I will fully admit I am super biased towards those games, as Colosseum was not only my first GameCube game, but my first 'game' period.
@baller98 They refered to it as "Mario Football" on this list. The rest of the world sees it different form America.
Nintendo should re-release Four Swords for free as part of the Expansion Pass. I mean the DLC is nice, but we should get at least one game a year. The base package got Tetris 99, PacMan 99, and Mario 35. Not many,.somewhat similar, but all bangers! Some suggestions would be Four Swords, Super Mario Run, and Mario Galaxy 2.
Metroid Prime is the highest rated game of the bunch.
No Killer 7 lol
@TheRealMr_Carpainter I picked mine up yesterday
No WaveRace Blue storm and 1080 Avalanche has put me in a bad mood.
Yu-Gi-Oh Falsebound Kingdom...The one that isn't another card game and is an actual RPG.
Paper Mario #1, really?! Hahaha. Glad it is apparently worth a lot of money now though...
Anyway, other than that, a good list.
I would have:
1. Resident Evil 4
2. Metroid Prime
3. F-Zero GX
4. Smash Bros
Also good but missing: XIII, Warioware.
The fact that 007: Nightfire isn’t on here ANYWHERE is an embarrassment
@TheRealMr_Carpainter
That was standard back then. We got the SNES, N64 and Gamecube six months after the US. The DS was 4 months later. Games were usually late or in cases like Super Mario RPG, Custom Robo or Excitebots never released in Europe at all. This modern Nintendo approach of simultaneous releases and no region locking is a big improvement!
I skipped this entire generation, to drink a lot. No matter how much I spend on gaming nowadays, it is always cheaper than my drinking was.
There is a mistake in the article conerning Metroid Prime. Shigeru Miyamoto WAS involved in the development. He was in constant communication with Retro Studios, and without his influence the game could have been just another generic shooter.
I’m embarrassed to say, but when I got my GameCube the first game I bought for it was Die hard vendetta. Lol
To be fair to it, I had fun with it at the time
@NeonPizza
That is true, especially at the end of the game, the combat can get tiresome. That and the amount of backtracking. But it is still an excellent game, just not one of the best of all time. It is third place among paper Mario games for me, behind oragami king and super paper Mario.
Where's Sonic Adventure 2 Battle?
Fantastic system, backed by an all-star library of games, the likes of which we've never seen since! This was the peak of Nintendo, and arguably of gaming in general.
As a bit of a flex: I picked up 42 of these top 50 titles back in the day. 44-45, if you count releases on other platforms.
At time of writing (after the announcement of the remake) TTYD is no 1!
I assume this is in part because of the high barrier to entry nowadays.
Hopefully Nintendo will get round to a Radiant Collection so I can finally experience that as well!
ugh people just think this game is the best. It's not here's why
1. making me repeat my steps its pain to walk somewhere "oh you need to go back and get this" its the whole Game.
2. painful walking speed and painful fights the game speed is fine the fights are mostly painful
( I have the real edition listen to me)
Eternal Darkness: Sanity’s Requiem. It needs a remaster! It needs a remake! It needs a sequel!
However, the IP is likely suffering endless torment in the void at the end of space and time. Can it be rescued? That in itself would probably be a lengthy and insanity-inducing quest.
Paper Mario TTYD being #1 is totally deserved, what a masterpiece!
Chibi Robo at 47 is insane. Top 10 GameCube game easily, maybe top 5
My Top 20 are
1) Super Mario Sunshine
2) Luigi's Mansion
3) Sonic Adventure 2: Battle
4) The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker
5) Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Chaos Bleeds
6) Mario Kart Double Dash
7) The Simpsons Hit & Run
8) Sonic Heroes
9) Spider-Man 2
10) Kelly Slater's Pro Surfer
11) Pikmin
12) Looney Tunes: Back in Action
13) Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door
14) Sonic Adventure DX
15) The Simpsons: Road Rage
16) The Legend of Spyro: A New Beginning
17) Kirby Air Ride
18) Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3
19) The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess
20) Mario Golf: Toadstool Tour
I would love to see 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Chaos Bleeds', 'Sonic Heroes' and 'The Simpsons: Hit & Run' on modern consoles.
Star Fox Adventures appears to be missing…
What the actual what, NintendoLife?!
I like this list, but. . .I'm sorry, the GBA, DS, and Wii are still better for me.
@Placidcasual
Product Number 03 was practically "Dat Ass" before Dat Ass meme )
P.S. Not a great game but the Aesthetics rocks!
There are so many great games here that İ know and that İ do not know.
2 games İ have played at my friends Mario Kart Double Dash and Super Smash Bros Melee. Super Smash Bros Melee that game İ have played a lot with my friends. İncredible game that is Super Smash Bros Melee. That was the best Super Smash Bros game ever made.
F-Zero GX was fun but İ have played a little.
The F-Zero X on the N64 was better.
Prince of Persia sands of time played on the original Xbox. This game was for the first time incredible beautiful game.
The Legend of Zelda Twilight Princess İ have played so many times İ do not know how many times. Maybe 8, 9 or 10 times. İ have this played on the Nintendo Wii with the Wii Remote and the Nunchuck. Not the Nintendo Gamecube one and later The Legend of Zelda Twilight Princess HD on the Nintendo Wii U.
Resident Evil 4 played on the Nintendo Gamecube and later again on the Nintendo Wii. This game is still incredible İ think.
İ have played many The Legend of Zelda games but not this one and that is the The Legend of Zelda The Wind Waker. İ had not interesting in this game and still do not have it because it looks for me a cartoon game. İ still do not want to play this game.
Nintendo Gamecube had some good games.
You're all lunatics. Obviously the games I played as a kid are the best games and the rest are just ok.
Sarcasm aside, my top 10 would look pretty different. Despite my best efforts, I just can't bring myself to like Wind Waker or Metroid Prime. Twilight Princess, Melee, and OoT can stay, but I don't have much interest in the rest. I'd probably throw Double Dash, Wave Race: Blue Storm, Mario Party 5, Sonic Adventure 2, Animal Crossing, and LEGO Star Wars up there with Super Mario Sunshine taking the number one spot.
Great list. For me personally as much as I love the resident evil series I'd take resident evil 2 out the list and put in wwe day of reckoning in its place. Underrated wrestling game made for the game cube. My brother and I lost countless hours playing it. Good times
@Anti-Matter
Muscle Champion Kinnikuto no Kessen is a great game, lots of fun and plenty to unlock. Still have my 100% save file.
Sorry, but no Eternal Darkness in the top 10 is a fail imo.
Where is Crazy Taxi?
This list is questionnable.
-Sonic Adventure 2 Battle, as fun as it was back then, is a crappy port of SA2 from the Dreamcast, with many things botched due to the porting process. Not as much as SADX did to SA1, but still.
-NO Kirby Air Ride??
-Mega Man X Collection's emulation is quite flawed. Not as much as Anniversary Collection did for the Classic games, but you can tell there are some issues there if you're familiar enough. Also, they had a chance to fix X6's script and they didn't. Also, X2's title screen is botched.
Prime above WW..?? That’s absurd
5 years later, and this is still a great list.
Seems like many of my personal favorites still didn't quite make the cut, although I'm glad Sonic Adventure 2 Battle has since been added.
The Gamecube's library is absolutely stacked, and this list shows it. A top 50 list and still many great games have to be left off.
This time I'll shout out Cubivore and Evolution Worlds as interesting titles worth playing.
@Kienda For you and everyone else hereafter, so I will caps lock it to make it stand out. So I am not doing it to sound like a smartypants towards you, but...
THIS LIST IS BASED ON USER SCORES AND THEREFORE SUBJECT TO CHANGE
So if a game is missing, not enough people have given it a score.
My biggest regret is never having owned Fire Emblem for the GameCube. All others in the top 20 are part of my collection. I think the main reason was that I just never heard of the series before the GBA title.
"If, on the other hand, you're interested in GameCube games that were exclusive at the time, but then were also released on subsequent Nintendo consoles...
#1 - Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door
#2 - Metroid Prime
#3 - The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker
#5 - The Legend of Zelda: Collector's Edition
#6 - Super Smash Bros: Mele"
Sorry if I am being thick! What was Melee later released on? The DS? Genuine question as always thought it was GC only.
TTYD is really good, easily a top ten for the Cube, but its place at the top of this list seems very “re-recency bias.” I said it.
Solid overall picks, though I don’t particularly think compilations should be included.
I'm missing out on the Extreme G Racing series here. It is in the shadow of F-Zero, for sure, but no way a bad game.
Actually, when I revisit my GC is actually Extreme G Racing I play, and not F-Zero (mainly due to the music in Extreme G Racing is so well curated)
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