All things must age, unless your name is Paul Rudd or Keanu Reeves apparently. God, those two are dreamboats. Anyway, there’s a vast library of retro games out there that could easily pass for modern games, whether it’s because of a timeless art style, the fundamental gameplay is still fun and responsive decades later, or because they champion mechanics and design that was miles ahead of time.
The GameCube just happens to be one of the biggest treasure troves of games that haven’t aged a day in their lives, and as purveyors (or Vultures) of retro culture, we’re spotlighting the GameCube games that are still just as incredible today as they were 20+ years ago. Obviously, this isn’t a definitive list of the GameCube’s library of timeless classics, as there’s probably enough room for a part two, but until then, here’s 10 GameCube games that have aged incredibly well.
1. F-Zero GX
History has seemingly done a better job at appreciating the art of a futuristic antigravity racer, considering that F-Zero GX wasn’t a huge success when it launched on the Nintendo GameCube. Compare that to now where everyone loves the antigrav tracks in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, and you have to wonder if a new F-Zero would pop in today’s climate. In fairness, F-Zero GX’s flop might be because the main feedback people gave at the time was that it was bloody hard, but the fact remains that F-Zero GX is the best example of arcade racing on the GameCube.
The adage usually goes that mechanics in games can be “easy to learn yet hard to master”, but F-Zero GX’s difficulty curve feels more like a brick wall at times. The game’s usage of air brakes and drifting take a long time to become accustomed to, as you’ll often slam into barriers trying to take a corner a bit too early, but for those willing to learn, F-Zero GX is a fiendishly addictive experience. It’s timeless because you’ll be playing for an eternity just to get anywhere approaching half decent.
We love it so much.
2. Luigi’s Mansion
It’s a pretty good sign of a game’s timeless qualities if the developer can release sequels that pretty much follow the same pattern with minor changes. While Luigi’s Mansion 2 and 3 added a couple of gimmicks, like LG3’s Gooigi, the core of the game has been the same since the original Luigi’s Mansion on the Nintendo GameCube: stick the green-wearing brother of a plumber in a haunted domicile with a hoover, and tell him you can fight the supernatural with the power of superior suction.
The original game in this spin-off series is still genuinely one of the best entries in the whole franchise, thanks to the titular mansion having bags of character. Luigi’s timid approach to exploration has also become a core part of his character going forward, proving how timeless the Luigi’s Mansion formula is. Honestly, the only way a game like Luigi’s Mansion has aged badly in the twenty years plus since the game’s release is with the idea that a young, unmarried man like Luigi could get onto the property ladder. Then again, of course the Mushroom Kingdom’s economy is better than ours, because someone keeps leaving gold coins everywhere.
3. The Legend Of Zelda: The Wind Waker
Perhaps the one GameCube game that’s still baffling players as to why Nintendo hasn’t ported it to the Switch yet, The Legend Of Zelda: The Wind Waker proved itself to be an ageless wonder unlike most other games when it was ported to the Wii U and managed to cement its place as one of the best games on the platform. While it would be a lie to say that the HD port is a mostly unchanged re-release of the GameCube classic, considering Nintendo implemented a good number of graphical and gameplay changes to try to enhance the experience, the core Wind Waker game remains largely the same. We say try, as the added bloom effects were really egregious at times.
All the hallmarks of a traditional Zelda experience are accounted for here in Wind Waker, with Link setting out into the wider world to gather the Triforce and stop Ganondorf, but the key difference here is that you’re not riding a horse, you’re piloting a boat. The ocean setting gave Nintendo ample opportunity to fill the game with secrets, which makes exploration all the more rewarding, while the story and characters are among the best the series has to offer. Throw in the cel-shaded graphics that still look incredible by today’s standards, and it’s no wonder that Wind Waker is still celebrated as an all-time classic.
4. Super Smash Bros. Melee
When your fighting game still boasts a lively and popular competitive over two decades after the game launched, you must have done something right. That’s without getting into the fact that Nintendo have at best ignored, or at worst, outright hindered grassroots competitive Melee at every turn, yet like a cockroach during a nuclear fallout, Super Smash Bros. Melee just keeps on surviving. Sure, Smash Ultimate might offer a bigger roster and the opportunity for 8 players to get involved, but Melee’s vibes and content are simply unmatched.
From the perfect roster of characters, before the whole list of characters became inundated with Fire Emblem dudes or sword-users, to the Adventure mode that was a beautiful celebration of Nintendo’s history and franchises, Super Smash Bros. Melee was the perfect launch game for the GameCube. Nearly 25 years later, and it’s not hard to find evidence of the top players across the world proving why it’s a timeless classic. There’s a reason why it’s one of the best GameCube games ever made, after all.
5. Soulcalibur 2
2D fighting games probably have the best chance at aging well, considering a lot of fighting games from the 90s still feel responsive and fun by today’s standards. Just look at how much people still love playing Street Fighter 3: Third Strike, the old KoF titles or Capcom VS SNK 2. All of those games haven’t aged a day, but 3D fighters struggle with it a lot more, as the graphics or mechanics can date a game horribly. The early 3D Mortal Kombat games spring to mind, but one series that still feels fresh and fun no matter which entry you play is the Soulcalibur series, with Soulcalibur 2 standing out as a series highlight.
Bandai Namco’s “other” fighting game series, considering it’s often overshadowed by Tekken, Soulcalibur has been the leader of 3D weapons-based fighting games since the release of Soul Edge/Soul Blade, but 1998’s Soulcalibur lifted the series into the stratosphere. Soulcalibur 2 for the GameCube continued the excellent gameplay formula that was fast, fluid and accessible to players of all skill levels. Throw in a cameo appearance of Link from Zelda, and you’ve got a fighting game that became a genuine crown jewel in the GameCube’s library. Soulcalibur 2 might have been on the PS2 and Xbox too, but did they have Link? Checkmate.
6. Mario Kart: Double Dash
Like Luigi’s Mansion before it, the Mario Kart formula has proved itself to be timeless considering that Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is a Wii U game that’s still one of the biggest Nintendo Switch games ever. Turns out, people really like throwing red and blue shells at their mates for hours on end. Who knew? Even though the gameplay has been solid throughout, the graphics of Super Mario Kart and Mario Kart 64 have meant they haven’t aged quite as well, but Double Dash is the first Kart game to have survived the test of time.
While the driver switching mechanics of Double Dash drew a lot of controversy, and are still considered to be a divisive addition that Nintendo never revisited, Mario Kart: Double Dash actually was ground zero for a lot of features and mechanics that have become mainstays in the series now. Double drivers has gone, but the ability to hold two items at once has stayed, while Double Dash also introduced unlockable karts with different stats, something that’s been built on in future games. Characters were also given signature items, some of which have become part of the regular item roster, like Chain Chomp and Golden Mushroom. Thankfully, Bowser’s massive shell has remained in the past.
7. Go! Go! Hypergrind
We’ve mentioned how cel-shading is kind of a cheat code for creating timeless graphics, with Viewtiful Joe and Auto Modellista standing as two incredible examples of how to do cel-shading that still look incredible. One game that the majority of former GameCube owners might not be aware of though is Go! Go! Hypergrind, a skateboarding game developed and published by ATLUS, if you can believe it. If that’s not enough, the game also features art design from Spümcø, the team behind the smash hit cartoon Ren & Stimpy.
Admittedly, the skateboarding gameplay of Go! Go! Hypergrind isn’t the best, especially when the GameCube plays host to a bunch of excellent Tony Hawk’s games that blow it out of the water, but there’s still a timeless quality to Go! Go! Hypergrind that makes it worth checking out. The characters and art style are among the best that the console has to offer, which isn’t surprising given the collaboration between ATLUS and Spümcø, and while Spümcø is no more, ATLUS have only gone on to improve their style and design work even further in future games.
8. Resident Evil 4
A game that’s been ported to every single platform under the sun at this point, it’s hard to really describe what makes Resident Evil 4 so timeless from an angle that hasn’t been broached before. In many ways, RE4 is the perfect action/horror adventure game, perfectly blending story, characters, gameplay and graphics to create a genuine masterpiece. Sure, the remake updated the gameplay and graphics to be more in line with modern Resident Evil releases, but for many, that original trip through Spain for Leon will never get old.
The graphics still look incredible today, even if the environments clearly come from that era where everything was either brown or gray, but it’s the gameplay that’s considered timeless here. Or, at least the gameplay ideas are timeless. “Stop and shoot” combat might be a bit dated these days. Anyway, Resident Evil 4 was the horror shooter that endeavored to move the genre away from the fixed camera perspective horror games, instead following the main character with an over the shoulder camera. While there’s a desire for more old school, fixed camera horror again, the innovation shown in RE4 makes it an ageless beast. Plus, shooting someone in the knee and suplexing them is always an instant serotonin boost.
9. Metroid Prime
Not every video game franchise from the 80s or 90s was able to properly survive the transition from 2D to 3D, but there are some special cases where a franchise arguably improved after going 3D. Is that a controversial statement given how popular Super Metroid and other games are? Probably, but Metroid Prime was a revelatory title for the Nintendo GameCube and a pillar of the console’s portfolio, proving that Nintendo (or at least Retro Studio) were able to deliver huge 3D action games alongside their platformers and party games.
The gameplay on offer here was second to none, retaining all of the classic Metroid gameplay while adding an additional dimension to make puzzles, boss fights and the world itself much more interesting. However, what really made Metroid Prime such a timeless piece of media is the graphics, which still look fantastic even today. Sure, the Remastered version for the Switch helped improve those graphics even further, but that re-release was just building on already incredible work.
10. Super Monkey Ball 2
SEGA tends to be some of the best around when it comes to graphics, with the Like A Dragon/Judgment series being a great modern example of realistic visuals. Still, when SEGA wants to go silly instead, they usually knock it out of the park there too. Sonic Heroes and Billy Hatcher used color effectively, while their work co-developing F-Zero GX led to one of the best looking games on the platform. However, Super Monkey Ball 2 is probably their most timeless piece of work on the GameCube.
Graphically, Super Monkey Ball 2 still looks fantastic, with excellent lighting and good model work on the characters, but that’s to be expected when the game is as simple as “roll the ball into the goal”. That simplicity is what has allowed Super Monkey Ball 2 to defy age, as all the levels and minigames are just as fun now as they were back in the 2000s. It’s great to see SEGA are firmly back in their Super Monkey Ball bag these days too, though we hope there’s going to be more than just another multiplayer game on the horizon.
READ NEXT: Basically…Fallout
Some of the coverage you find on Cultured Vultures contains affiliate links, which provide us with small commissions based on purchases made from visiting our site.
