15 years since the Gamecube was first launched. God damn. I’m sure that a great many people have a great many fond memories with the console, so why not throw mine into the mix whilst looking at my ten top games for the Gamecube? In no particular order, of course. Now, whilst my time was spent playing more on the PS2 and the Xbox, I did play a heck of a lot of multiplayer games on the Gamecube, mostly because it had some cracking multiplayer games.
10. Mario Kart: Double Dash
My younger brother and I spent far too much time playing this and a couple of other multiplayer games (that I’ll get to shortly). This was one of my favourite racing games when I was younger. Why? Because I sucked at racing games and this game made it a core gameplay element that I could be useful and not have to race! Instead, as was almost always the case, I rode shotgun. And I gunned down anyone standing in the way of our victory. Good times. Co-operative racing. It’s a great idea and only two games have done it as far as I know. This and the PS2 game Crash Tag-Team Racing. I think this one did it better really.
9. Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance
The Fire Emblem game on the Game Boy Advance was addictive and had an amazingly gripping storyline. And I spent far too much time on it when I should have been doing homework and such. So of course I played Path of Radiance when it came out. I don’t think it was quite as good as its portable counterpart; I didn’t like the characters as much and the story didn’t hook me in the same way. But it played just as well and it was good enough in all other aspects.
8. Soul Calibur II
I did love Soul Calibur II, honest I did. Whenever I played it by myself, I loved it. But my older brother always kicked my ass when we played multiplayer, so the multiplayer mode is soured by this fact. I can play fine when I’m against a dumb AI, but I suck otherwise. This was really the game that got me into this sort of fighting game, I was very much an RPG/FPS sort of gamer in my youth. Although this game would later become overshadowed by the amount of time that I played as Yoda in Soul Calibur IV on the Xbox 360, I still hold fond memories of this game on the Gamecube.
7. Resident Evil 4
Of course this was going to be in here. Though, you’ll be shocked to know I’m sure, I never actually completed Resi 4, I loved it. Horror games freaked (and still freak) me out. Jump scares are cheap and dumb, but they still make me jump and I hate it. This game doesn’t have too much of that and it takes the edge off a bit when you have a small arsenal of weapons to destroy zombie like cultists.
6. Need For Speed: Underground 2
Man, did I love this game. The customization of your car is the coolest gameplay feature racing games introduced in the last decade. It gives you a real sense of ownership. Can’t spend stupid amounts doing it in reality, so do it in a video game. I can’t help but wonder why it wasn’t done sooner. The first game I very much loved because of the customisation, the second game was the first racing game (that I had played) which also had an open world in it. The open-world racing thing was a huge draw for me though and this game looked stunning for its time. I actually think it holds up pretty well 12 years on. So does the previous Underground game, come to think of it…
5. Pokemon XD: Gale of Darkness
I still don’t get why the ‘XD’ part of the title is there, but anyway. There was nothing particularly remarkable about this iteration of Pokemon, for me, but I played it for hours and hours at a time – it was addictive. Most Pokemon games that I use to play were addictive, but this more so. It was the best looking Pokemon game that I’d played and I think that was why I’d spent so much time on it. It was pretty to look at. And then Battle Revolution came along just a year after on the Wii and I started obsessing over that.
4. Super Mario Sunshine
I didn’t own an N64. I know, ‘heathen’, I hear you say – but that wasn’t my fault. Our parents set us on the Playstation path until they finally relented and got us the Gamecube. So we sort of missed out really. In anycase that’s why, outside of the excellent Mario Kart games, my favourite Mario game is Super Mario Sunshine. Again, gorgeous game. But also just wholesome fun. It’s pretty unique too. Running around and cleaning up blobby goop was actually more fun than it sounds.
3. Luigi’s Mansion
How good was this game? The atmosphere of Luigi’s Mansion was ‘kid-friendly scary’ and they pulled it off so well. Couldn’t be too scary so as to put off the younger audience but also had to be kinda scary because that was the whole point. It worked so well. And a vacuum cleaner as a ghost catching machine? Priceless. The puzzles were fun, the collecting various items was (somehow) fun, the catching the ghosts was definitely fun and it was scary in the same way that a ghost ride is scary when you’re 8 years old.
2. Baldur’s Gate: Dark Alliance
One of the best video games of all time; the cold hard truth. Visually stunning, it was years ahead of its time in terms of graphics I think. The soundtrack was ridiculously epic and mysterious. The storytelling amongst the most compelling of any video game that I have played. It was the best co-op experience I had with an RPG, probably still the best if I’m honest. Dark Alliance was incredible. If you haven’t played it (how and why?) – do so, as soon as you can. It’s a masterpiece.
1. The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker
Speaking of masterpieces, this was the only Zelda game that I’ve ever played and had ever intended to play until I saw Breath of the Wild. I’m not sure about paying out for a new console just for one decent (probably) game, but there may be others. But I digress. The Wind Waker captured my imagination and didn’t let go. Sailing across a vast ocean, able to go in any direction, with one island or spit of land in every square of the map? The exploration in this game was incredible. The main gameplay elements that made it a Zelda game were all well and good but it was the beautiful visuals, memorable characters and incredible open world that made me actually take notice of a Zelda game for once (I’m sorry, they’re just not usually my cup of tea). I’d happily buy an old gamecube and a copy of this game so I could play it again. Again, this is a masterpiece.
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