The Gamecube is Nintendo's fourth game console, and it found itself in direct competition with the original Xbox and the PlayStation 2. While the GameCube was unable to compete with the hugely successful PlayStation 2 thanks to its built-in DVD player and third-party support, it did have many fantastic games.
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Unfortunately, there are many games that were released on the GameCube that have yet to see a release elsewhere, causing them to be stuck on the console. With Nintendo remaking many of its classic games, there is a possibility that players may see a remake or remaster of some of the games on this list, but only time will tell.
Updated on June 9, 2023, by Ritwik Mitra: The Nintendo GameCube takes the award for being one of the most unique-looking consoles around. The console was packed to the brim with some of the greatest video games ever made, with Nintendo's legacy in the video game industry being bolstered extensively with a wealth of amazing titles that were released on this platform. While the sales numbers of this console may not have been anything special, that shouldn't take away from the positives this console brought to the table.
There are many great games on the GameCube that any fan of brilliant video games should check out. However, most people are well aware of the fact that Nintendo is very stubborn when it comes to re-releasing their games, especially when it comes to first-party titles. As a result, there are several exclusives on the GameCube that have remained trapped on this console, to the great shame of many players who don't want to employ more unscrupulous means to access these titles.
Mario Golf is a long-running sports game on Nintendo consoles that has witnessed its fair share of entries. While Mario Golf: Super Rush was deemed to be a disappointment by many, the game still had solid gameplay once players ignored the huge price tag and the dearth of content, that is.
Many fans look back fondly to the series' past, finding titles like Mario Golf: Toadstool Tour to be a far better game in every way. While the game wasn't a revolution for the Mario Golf series in any way, the solid gameplay and fun visuals made for a great time as players tackled several unique golf courses with their friends.
Fire Emblem is a series of amazing strategy JRPGs that have become synonymous with the Nintendo brand. Pretty much every major Nintendo console has featured at least one Fire Emblem game, and the GameCube is no exception to this golden rule.
In fact, Path of Radiance served as a huge change to the established Fire Emblem formula, being the first game in the series to feature voice acting, 3D graphics, and proper cutscenes to give the story more weight. This was obviously a step in the right direction, with both fans and critics loving the expanded score of the series, even if there were times when the visuals were a bit too drab and uninteresting at times.
Pokemon Colosseum builds up on the success of its predecessor, adding improved 3D graphics and featuring dual battles in a first for this popular spin-off series. The gameplay was as solid as ever, with the story mode being quite fun in its own right despite feeling somewhat threadbare compared to its parent series.
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Multiplayer battles are especially engaging, with players using a ton of strategic thinking to employ their Pokemon's best moves and take out their opponent's roster of strong and imposing Pokemon. It's a shame that this game hasn't seen a release outside of the GameCube, and only time will tell if fans will finally get their hands on this title via Nintendo Switch Online.
The Nintendo GameCube had a few very odd accessories, with the mic being one of them. The mic was used for Mario Party 6 & 7, Chibi-Robo!, Karaoke Revolution, and Odama, with the latter possibly having the most unique use for it.
Odama is a pinball game where players guide their army of soldiers with voice commands so they bring the bell, or the Ninten-bell, to the other end of the screen. The pinball, called the Odama, can destroy enemies and their buildings as well as hit the Ninten-bell, which will knock over all of the enemy soldiers.
Wario World was developed by Treasure, the team behind Ikaruga and Gunstar Heroes. It's a platformer and beat 'em up hybrid where players guide Wario through levels to collect treasure. The premise of the game is that Wario's money has all turned into monsters, and to get it to revert back to cold, hard cash he needs to take them out.
Wario can punch and butt-stomp enemies, as well as pick them up and throw them into other enemies. Each level consists of three parts, with all of them ending in a boss battle.
Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door is the second game in the Paper Mario series that started on the Nintendo 64. Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door tackles many subjects that other games in the series tend to avoid, like the death of a loved one and similarly dark themes.
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Like other Mario RPGs, in Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door battles play out in a way quite like the battle systems in a Final Fantasy game. There's turn-based combat, but players are able to time button presses when attacking or defending to make things turn in their favor.
The very first multiplayer The Legend of Zelda game, Four Swords Adventures can be played with up to three other friends. However, to play multiplayer, people need 2 or more Game Boy Advances, Link Cables, and multiple copies of The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past and Four Swords for the Game Boy Advance.
If the game were to be rereleased, they could make playing with more than one player more feasible by adding online or couch co-op with a second controller.
Super Smash Bros. Melee is the second Super Smash Bros. game and it adds many elements that are still being used in the most recent iterations of the series. Many new characters were added that weren't included in the previous entry like Mewtwo, Falco Lombardi, Ganondorf, and more.
Also added to Super Smash Bros. Melee are trophies that include characters from across the entirety of Nintendo's history, even featuring many characters that weren't added to the game in full. The game is very popular in the competitive fighting game community and is still played heavily to this day.
Like the Resident Evil remake for the GameCube, Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes is a remake of Metal Gear Solid which was originally released for the PlayStation. Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes is a stealth action game with a heavy emphasis on the story. The game was made using the same engine as Metal Gear Solid 2.
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While most of the game remains the same as the original, there is unique recorded dialogue as well as small Nintendo-related easter eggs, like Mario and Yoshi statues and a GameCube hidden away in an office.
Eternal Darkness: Sanity's Requiem is a very ambitious game that takes inspiration from Resident Evil and the weird Eldritch tales of H.P. Lovecraft. Each chapter of the game is played with a different character in a different era, with each character finding the book of the dead - the Necronomicon.
When encountering monsters in the game, the character's sanity meter drains. Once it reaches zero, the game uses some very creative ways to scare players and make them feel like they're losing their marbles. This is done by tricking the player and breaking the fourth wall, using tricks like turning the GameCube off, deleting their save file, and muting the game! Of course, this is all just an illusion and the game's unique way of messing with the player.
The final entry to be released in the series, F-Zero GX takes the fast, futuristic racing established in previous titles and perfects it. Each track requires a generous amount of skill and good knowledge of the track if players want to finish in first place.
There are numerous characters to choose from, all with their own ship, stats, and back story. There are a few different game modes including the Grand Prix mode, with each cup offering varying difficulty. The Ruby, Sapphire, Emerald, and Diamond cups all become increasingly difficult as players progress further in the game.
Mario Kart: Double Dash tries something entirely new with the series. Rather than having a single racer, players have two people in one kart instead. This feeds into the stat system that is heavily emphasized in the game.
If players choose two medium-sized characters, then they'll have more balanced stats. Consequently, heavy characters will allow for higher top speeds and more stability on the track. Finally, lighter characters will improve the car's acceleration. There are many different combinations, allowing players to mix and match characters in a way that perfectly suits their play style.
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