10 of the best – Gamecube Games
Eurogamer (http://www.eurogamer.net) recently ran several articles on the best ever games on the original Xbox. Several friends who are planning to buy a Wii but missed out on the Gamecube have recently asked me about the best of the Gamecubes back catalog, so here is my list of 10 of the best the cube had to offer.
Animal Crossing
Although strictly coming on the N64 first, Animal Crossing on the Gamecube was the first version to bring the concept to the masses. Animal Crossing is part sims, part role-playing game and part something entirely new altogether. There’s no time limits, health bars or hit points, the player is left to do pretty much what he or she pleases, be it fishing, digging for fossils or selling fruit to pay off their mortgage. Quirky, sedate yet strangely compelling, Animal Crossing is one of those titles that can make hours seem like minutes. Some people just don’t ‘get it’ but for the rest of us, fond memories of fishing tournaments and writing letters to computer controlled sheep are unlikely to fade any time soon.
Chibi Robo
Chibi Robo came along later in the life of the Gamecube, at a time when many gamers had turned their attention elsewhere. A shame, because Chibi Robo shines as one of the best platform adventures of the Gamecubes hardware generation. Playing as a tiny robot house-maid, you make your way around the Sanderson’s family home, trying to spread happiness. No small task with the Sanderson’s marriage on the rocks and their only daughter traumatised so much that she think she is a frog. As well as the Sanderson’s, Chibi must deal with the houses toys, which come to life after dark and include a lovesick squeaky dog toy, a psychopath teddy bear and Mr Sanderson’s favourite action figure. The game has a wonderful light hearted sense of humour about it, the same kind of humour that endears ‘The Simpson’s’ to adults and children alike. While the main quest is unlikely to pose a great challenge to experienced gamers, there’s more than enough here to justify the asking price and it’s so much fun to play. An essential part of any self-respecting Gamecube owners collection.
F-Zero GX
Microsoft may have muscled into the console race with their big brash X-Box but for the Nintendo fan-boys this was proof that the small efficient little box had some tremendous polygon pushing power under its hood. As fast as any racing title on X-box or PS2 for that matter, F-Zero looks absolutely stunning played on a HDTV at 480p (an option sadly only available in the US and Japanese versions) A futuristic racer with a grid full of comic-book style competitors, various story and grand prix mode and a host of customisation options, including the option to take your own craft design and play it on the superb coin-op version (if you were lucky enough ever to find one) the only disappointment was that it’s not possible to play the game online.
Legend of Zelda – The Four Swords
Played without a GBA owning friend or two, Four Swords can feel like nothing more than an easy remake of an (admittedly rather good) GBA title. Find yourself 1 to 3 friends who also own GBA’s however and this becomes one of the most enjoyable multiplayer titles on the system outside of Wario Ware. Play is split between the main screen and each players Gameboy Advance. When the party is split up, the action continues on the small screen until you are reunited again. You’ll have to cooperate to get through the games many dungeons, and to defeat some brilliantly designed boss creatures. To top it off the irksome but strangely likable fairy Tingle hosts some fantastic mini-games that would make for an enjoyable package in their own right. If you can find enough friends with GBA’s this is an essential purchase for your Gamecube library.
Metroid Prime 1 and 2
A triumph of game design, Metroid prime is a shining example of just how to take a 2D game concept and apply it to 3D perfectly. An absolutely stunning single player first person shooter, Metroid Prime (and its sequel Echos) dispenses with the obsession FPS designers have with emulating reality and instead moulds the games reality to fit in perfectly with the players ability to control Samus (the lead character). Instead of making the player perform awkward jumps and intricate platform sections, which serve to remind just how clumsy you are when trying to control a person just using a joypad or a mouse and keyboard, the platforms and pitfalls in Metroid are perfectly tailored to Samus’s abilities. With free-roaming games becoming all the rage, it is disappointing that the bulk of FPS titles are still limited to getting from point A to point B along a predetermined route. Not so Metroid Prime, which features a huge and vast map to explore across several varied and stunningly beautiful landscapes. While trawling across the huge map to a new area can on rare occasions become tiresome, the overwhelming sense of curiosity you now have to explore the next section of the game easily makes up for that. Add to the package a mixture of huge and brilliantly designed boss characters, a superbly atmospheric soundtrack and it’s easy to see why Metroid Prime became one of the best selling Gamecube games of all time.
Resident Evil 4
Although it was launched on the PS2 as well, it’s the Gamecube Resident Evil 4 that really shines. Graphically it’s noticeably more beautiful than the PS2 version and thus is certainly the version you want to opt for given the choice. The game takes the Resident Evil formula and removes the Zombies, replacing them with faster moving, more lethal humans. “He is not a Zombie” says the game when you search your first corpse, and it isn’t kidding. Be prepared for an intense atmospheric and superbly designed action adventure. Even the post game extras are worth playing through too.
Super Mario Sunshine
No Nintendo software library can be complete without at least one Mario title and this is the Gamecubes. After the sheer brilliance of Super Mario 64, perhaps some critics were expecting too much of this Gamecube offering. In the game, Mario is framed for vandalising the island resort he was visiting, and tasked with cleaning up the island and returning the shines (magical items that make the sun shine on the island.) Bright, bold colourful and happy, occasional awkward moments with the camera dilute, but do not spoil an otherwise hugely entertaining (and on occasion extremely challenging) platform game which is still probably the best platformer of the Gamecubes generation, but not of all time.
Super Monkey Ball
A launch title created by Segas Amusement Vision division, Monkey Ball (and its sequel) remained firm favourites amongst Gamecube users throughout the consoles life. The main game takes the Marble Madness game play concept and brings it up-to-date with bright crisp 3D visuals. Instead of guiding an inanimate marble, you are now tasked with rolling a monkey in a ball through all sorts of hazards and pitfalls. Later levels are insanely challenging and the game will keep average players occupied for months. Furthermore, it offers some of the best multiplayer mini-games on the system (even better than the ones offered with Monkey Ball 2) Monkey Target, as unlikely as it sounds, is one of the most fun post-pub games on any system.
Viewtiful Joe
Sega were the first to use Cel Shading on their brilliant Dreamcast title “Jet Set Radio” Since then other software houses have slapped the style onto all sorts of games. Viewtiful Joe uses the style brilliantly for its comic-book style capers. Essentially a sideways scrolling beat-em-up, with some platforming elements. Viewtiful Joe is an extremely polished product. As the game progresses the player earns VFX powers which allow them to slow down or speed up the action, allowing for some truly spectacular special moves to be executed. In spite of this, the game can be viciously difficult at times, sometimes to the point of feeling unfair. For players who are willing to persevere however, Viewtiful Joe proves to be a superbly designed and extremely exciting action game that is every bit of an adrenaline rush as any title on the other supposedly more ‘grown up’ consoles.
Wario Ware
Explaining Wario-Ware to the unenlightened is sometimes a little difficult. You have around 3 seconds to complete each mini-game, yes you read correctly, around 3 seconds. The mini-games range from snippets from Nintendo’s back catalogue to utterly bizarre tasks like inserting fingers into noses or slicing vegetables. Far more entertaining than it sounds (ask anyone who’s played it) what makes the Gamecube version stand out is its fantastic array of multiplayer modes. “Listen to the Doctor” in particular is a firm favourite with children, in this mode you are required to complete your mini-game challenge while doing something equally as stupid with your body, such as rubbing your head or telling a funny story. Complete your challenge but fail to do your silly task, and the other players will not applaud you by repeatedly pressing their controllers green buttons, resulting in a loss of points. An absolutely essential Gamecube purchase for anyone with a sense of humour.
Honourable mentions must also go to:
Donkey Konga
Donkey Kong – Jungle Beat
Eternal Darkness – Sanities Requiem
Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker
Metal Gear Solid – The Twin Snakes
Paper Mario
Skies of
Soul Calibur 2
Wave Race Blue Storm
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