25 Best Gamecube Games

The original Wave Race was a brand new spin on the usual racing game. Instead of cars, we had jet-skis and we could do flips and barrel rolls and duck under obstacles. Blue Storm took this concept to a whole new level and provided tons of Gamecube owners with wild spills and thrills. Without a doubt, Wave Race: Blue Storm deserves a place on our list of the 25 Best Gamecube Games.

Not too many fighting games have really embraced the idea of weaponry. Where other fighters rely on fists and feet, the Soul Calibur series relied on cold hard steel. Soul Calibur 2 was one of the best of the series and expanded on the move sets of some of your favorite characters and offered brand new arenas. If you wanted a weapon based fighting game on the Gamecube, it had to be Soul Calibur 2.

Rogue Squadron was one of the very best games for the N64, and Star Wars: Rogue Leader for the Gamecube didn’t disappoint. It was a phenomenal game that carried the best of its predecessor into the new generation. It gave us a brand new story in the Star Wars universe complemented by great graphics. At the very least, it wasn’t one of those prequels.

This space based shoot-em-up was released on the Dreamcast in Japan but made it to the rest of the world via the Gamecube. Featuring a really unique system of polarity, your ship has the ability to absorb like colored energy and turn it into power. It quickly becomes a frantic matching of colors to destroy your enemies and avoid being obliterated yourself. It's also one of the hardest games you'll ever play.

A classic was reborn on the Gamecube and it had never looked better. Seeing the old horror classic updated and back to form was a wonderful time for anyone a fan of the series. The new graphics, sound, and gameplay allowed us to experience fear in a brand new way. It was the perfect improvement of a legendary game. And that is a feat in and of itself.

When you have a unique and engaging game as Viewtiful Joe, you can’t help but make a sequel. Expanding on where the first game left off, the land of Movieworld is being invaded by a malevolent alien fleet called the Gedow. It is up to Joe to defend the world and protect the seven Rainbow Oscars. As charming and colorful as the first, Viewtiful Joe 2 is worth dusting off and playing again on your Gamecube.

While no Mario title will come close to the superb Super Mario RPG, the Paper Mario series is the best you’ll find. Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door is one of the best of the series. The combination of the 2D characters and 3D environments works wonderfully and the story deviates from the usual save-the-princess format. It is unique, action-packed, and one of the 25 Best Gamecube Games.

This game asks you, “Who you gonna call?” and surprisingly, the answer is Luigi. It isn’t often that we get new games from Nintendo. But when they aren’t turning out endless sequels and remixes, they can make a really great game. Luigi’s adventures through the haunted mansion vacuuming up ghosts is a wonderfully fun time and an experience that can’t be found in any Mario game.

The one thing that would have made A Link to the Past even better would have been a bit of multiplayer. Thankfully, The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Adventure allows for something damn close as long as you have three friends and a couple of Game Boy Advances. Harnessing the classic top down view and a dash of Wind Waker, Four Swords Adventure is the perfect blend of the old and new Zelda games.

A remake of the original Metal Gear Solid game, Metal Gear Solid: Twin Snakes takes the improvements of the second installment in the series and applies it to the classic story. The graphics, gameplay, and voice acting were all overhauled to create the ultimate version of the classic. You could now get into shootouts using the first person view. Metal Gear Solid: Twin Snakes easily makes it onto our list.

The cult following of this game has extended up into the current gen of Nintendo handhelds, but the original title still has a place in the hearts of gamers. Animal Crossing for the Gamecube set up an improbable series. A sort of Harvest Moon with anthropomorphic animals, Animal Crossing is endlessly addictive. Being able to manage a whole town in real time has a sort of zen-like quality.

An oddball of the Mario dynasty, Super Mario Sunshine is one of the few Mario games to really take some chances. Instead of sticking with the usual formula, they mixed it up with a jetpack full of water and a serious clean freak attitude. You had the familiar gameplay of Mario 64 but a brand new setting and a clever twist on the usual kidnapping of Peach. Super Mario Sunshine is the comfort food of the gaming world, with a hint of spice to make things interesting.

This game is the genesis of the action platformer you know, love, and are probably sick of today. The Sands of Time is the template for countless games, but as it is with almost everything, the original is always the best. Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time deftly rebuilds the original with astounding gameplay and the best usage of a time bending mechanic in any video game. Following the Prince on his journey to save Farah is one of the best times you’ll have in gaming.

The second outing for Samus in the Prime series is another classic of the Gamecube years. Samus’s quest to destroy the Ing is an action packed adventure that will have her utilizing every weapon in her arsenal. Metroid Prime 2: Echoes is proof that sequels in video games don’t always disappoint. It took everything you loved from the original and provided you with more Metroid action.

Viewtiful Joe is the classic story of lowly geek being transformed into ass kicking, girlfriend-saving, and wildly colored hero. The gameplay was taut and fun, while the graphics provided a colorful feast for your eye holes. It was a triumphant return to the beat-em-up games of yesteryear. Viewtiful Joe was a bright and brash title that was more fun than watching a movie.

When the original game came out, a lot of gamers looked at it with curiosity and a considerable amount of confusion. But, by the time Pikmin 2 came out, the series had developed cult like status among the initiated and no other game would satisfy them. Pikmin 2 expands and enhances all the lovely strategy and microcosmic exploration you loved from the first one.

It is a travesty that this game hasn’t seen a sequel. Beyond Good & Evil was one of the very best action adventure games on any console. The graphics were superb, and the gameplay was so varied and exciting that it was almost impossible to become bored. Also, who doesn’t like a game where you can drive a hovercraft? For being singularly unique and adventurous, Beyond Good & Evil earns a place on our list of the 25 Best Gamecube Games.

How could our top 10 not be complete without including an F-Zero game? Action packed futuristic racing was now at your fingertips. Honestly, the Gamecube controller looked like it was something you’d find in the cockpit of a one of the ships. Featuring blazing fast racing thrills and weaponry fit for leveling a city, you didn’t even have to be skilled at clipping the apex, but rather, you could simply shoot your opponents out of the sky. Falcon Punch!

By far the most strangest game you’ll play on the Gamecube, Killer 7 is nothing short of genius. You play as a hitman with multiple personalities tasked with taking out people of importance. You can swap between personalities that each have different abilities, but you can’t deviate from a set path since this game is surprisingly on rails. Did we mention that it features invisible enemies? This completely bonkers game is genius.

This is the dark and moody teenage years for Legend of Zelda. But unlike our pimply and overly emo tantrums, Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess is thoughtful, beautiful, and mature. It marks an interesting step in the Zelda franchise and one that they haven’t followed up with. It is a Zelda title that you’ll want to play over and over.

This game is a loveable jerk that loves to mess with your head. Eternal Darkness: Sanity’s Requiem is one of the most frightening, disturbing, and enjoyable games that you’ll only find on the Gamecube. The sanity meter and its effects are brilliantly laid out to really keep you on your toes. The story is engaging and interesting with all the right spine tingling details. It is unique, wonderful, and is something that anyone with a Gamecube should play.

What could be better than beating up your friends with all the characters you know and love from the Nintendo Universe? The Super Smash Bros. franchise has turned out a number of spectacular titles, but one of the best has to be Melee. The selection of characters complemented by tight gameplay provided by the unique controller made the Gamecube edition of this franchise an instant classic.

Many people have fond memories of Ocarina of Time, but those same people may forget the most unique and adventurous Legend of Zelda. The Wind Waker gave us a Hyrule transformed and a whole new world for us to explore. The story provided brand new twists on the usual proceedings and some charming new characters. Not only that, it just felt fantastic to sail the high seas of Hyrule.

Resident Evil 4 was easily one of the best survival horror games in recent years. It perfectly balances dread, gore, gameplay, and a suitably bonkers storyline. Playing as Leon, you’re more than capable of taking down angry villagers with brain rot, but the gameplay still keeps the action tense. Resident Evil 4 is the pinnacle of the modern Resident Evil series, and it hasn’t been equaled since.

Was there any doubt in your Samus worshipping mind that Metroid Prime wasn’t going to make it right to the top of our 25 Best Gamecube Games list? It is action packed, has a fantastic story, and the controls are taught. They let you blast away at enemies with gleeful and effortless abandon. At the very least, it doesn’t have the baby. We’re looking at you, Other M.