DBLTAP's Top Nintendo GameCube Games of All-Time
At DBLTAP, we've assembled our picks for the top Nintendo GameCube games of all-time. Let's face it, you already know what they're gonna be.
Ah, the Nintendo GameCube. Though it was up against the likes of the PlayStation 2 and the original Xbox, this little purple wonder still knew how to hold its own. New franchises found their footing with the Nintendo GameCube, such as Animal Crossing and Luigi's Mansion, and many more saw some of their biggest successes come to life.
You've got to admire Nintendo's penchant for weird and colorful console designs. A chunky purple cube that so neatly fits into almost any unit, with a controller that's arguably ugly but equally impressive. A classic staple of any mid-2000s family home.
As we look back on the Nintendo GameCube, we've put together a list of our favorite games to grace the console.
DBLTAP's Top Nintendo GameCube Games of All-Time
The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker
Noam: I've never finished Wind Waker. When I was a kid, I would get frustrated and lost in the dungeons, or stumped on the puzzles, and I would give up for huge stretches of time. Even after trying again as an adult I still have yet to see the end credits. So when I cite it as one of my three or four favorite games of all time, it's usually with some embarrassment.
But how could I resist a game with this much charm and wonder? Catching the wind in your sails with the King of Red Lions; joining a mystical jam with the Koroks of the Forest Haven; playing hide and seek with the children of Windfall Island — this is a world of endless joy. In that spirit, here is the best song in Zelda (and perhaps video game) history looped for 10 hours. This thing works like the Turing Test. If it doesn't make you smile, I have no choice but to doubt your humanity.
Resident Evil 4
Max: The best Resident Evil title, the best survival horror game, one of the most influential video games of all time was originally a Nintendo GameCube exclusive before it was endlessly ported to other platforms. RE4 reinvented the genre and the franchise after fans grew tired of tank controls in previous installments.
Funnily enough, the GameCube was also my gateway to the franchise with Resident Evil Zero. Looking back on it, I don't think I was as excited for a video game release when I was a kid than RE4. And how can you forget that iconic chainsaw controller?
Super Smash Bros. Melee
Jack: There's so many things I can say about this game—some good and normal and others extremely niche and embarrassing. SSBM was one of the only games my brother and I played together cooperatively when we were kids. Games became one of the primary ways we were able to connect and remains that way to this day. This game, in particular, helped me make and solidify lots of friendships into adulthood (because, c'mon, what GameCube owner doesn't remember playing SSBM and fighting for the good controller as a kid?).
I wasn't particularly good at the game, either. I was good enough to beat my half-decade-younger sibling as a Bowser main, but that was it.
Alright, this next part might be a little cringeworthy, but I wouldn't be speaking my truth if I omitted it: I actually used to play with SSBM like some other kids my age would play with dolls and action figures. Using the characters to create my own behind the scenes narrative was a direct pathway into creative writing (since I couldn't use the GameCube all the time in a two-kid household haha).
How serendipitous that it's now all come full circle!
Ralston: Although I never got close to mastering the mechanics that players around the world continue to work on perfecting to this day, Super Smash Bros. Melee. was easily the disc most often in the GameCube for me. The map soundtracks and announcer voice lines are embedded in my brain after countless matches with friends and family growing up.
I remember times when there would be so many people around looking to play; only the winner would be able to stay on for the next game while the other three had to give up their controllers and get back in line. Nothing beats Roy on Big Blue. The Home-Run Bat is one of the greatest innovations in game development.
Disney's Extreme Skate Adventure
Alex: Right, I never had a GameCube, so my cross-platform pick might ruffle some feathers - but hear me out. Disney's Extreme Skate adventure was one of the best games Disney could have gotten behind outside of Kingdom Hearts. Why? I hear you desperately ask. Listen, it used the same engine as Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 4 only with added Disney characters.
Still not convinced? The game had a great (though of its time) soundtrack, an extensive character customization system, and was overall a really well put-together skateboarding game. Its level designs were creative and wonderfully themed to each Disney property, providing just enough challenge to keep you coming back for more. Honestly, in 2003, this game had quite the hold on me.
Be sure to check out some of our other picks, including our favorite PlayStation 2 and Xbox 360 games.