The GameCube was Nintendo's first foray into a completely disc based technology, using mini discs. The system itself derives its name from its box like shape.
[img width=640 height=480]https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d1/GameCube-Set.jpg/1024px-GameCube-Set.jpg[/img]
One area it stood out from its 6th generation counterparts was in its compatibility. Gameboy Advance's could be used on the system for enhanced features in some games, and the Gameboy player periphial allowed fans to play any type of Gameboy title on the console.
But with any console, it comes down to the games, and for this list six RFGen members voted on their favorites-
Crabmaster2000
shaggy
Disposed Hero
Fokakis79
SpriteCell
Wempster
Those who have followed this series know there's always a few surprises, and while some of the games you'd expect to see make this list in fact did, there were also a few that might not be on a casual fans radar. It was also interesting that while there was a definite top 3, with a chasm to the rest, there wasn't necessarily an universally loved title. Only two games made five lists, and neither finished #1.
[img width=480 height=500]https://media.techeblog.com/images/nintendo-game-boy-player.jpg[/img]
Before diving into it, a big thanks to those who participated, and a shout out to Wempster and Disposed Hero for their great companion video. You can see it here-
https://youtu.be/bNVeUolWByMAs with all the systems, there are plenty of great games that don't make the top 20, so be sure to check out the submissions thread for those that just missed the cut.
http://www.rfgeneration.c...topic=19495.msg277585#new. And if you're into the PS2, be sure to join our submission thread here-
http://www.rfgeneration.c...topic=19510.msg277576#newNow let's get to it!
The Honorable Mentions23. Mario Kart Double Dash3 lists (#19, #16, #14)
"Riding 2 to a kart was lots of fun and let more than just 4 people play at once. I wish I could have tried it maxed out at 16 humans, but nobody else had the broadband adapter…"22. Super Monkey Ball2 lists (#9, #4)
"I played this for so many hours and I still never knew the last difficulty mode existed until many years later."21. Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance3 lists (#18, #18, #12)
"As someone with thousands of hours in Diablo 2 this felt similar, but slower, simpler, and with much less of everything. Still fun to plan a build out."
"One of my favorite Diablo clones. Not incredibly long, but very very fun either solo or co-op."-----And Now for Your Top 20-----20. Prince of Persia: Sands of Time (45 pts)
[img width=640 height=480]https://www.mobygames.com/images/shots/l/56115-prince-of-persia-the-sands-of-time-gamecube-screenshot-title.jpg[/img]
Released- 2003
Genre- Adventure
3 lists (#20, #15, #11)
"Still one of the best 3D action adventure games around. Time rewind mechanics were on point."19. Viewtiful Joe (48 pts)
[img width=640 height=480]https://www.mobygames.com/images/shots/l/93348-viewtiful-joe-gamecube-screenshot-the-main-menu.png[/img]
Released- 2003
Genre- Action, Beat-em Up
3 lists (#17, #15, #11)
"The idea of making this a super hero movie that you control was super fun and I loved that when you lost your power up suit it went from crisp super colorful graphics to grainy black and white like old old movies."18. WarioWare, Inc.: Mega Party Game$! (58 pts)
[img width=640 height=480]https://www.mobygames.com/images/shots/l/605733-warioware-inc-mega-party-games-gamecube-screenshot-title-screen.png[/img]
Released- 2004
Genre- Party
2 lists (#4, #9)
17. Super Mario Sunshine (61 pts)
[img width=640 height=480]https://www.mobygames.com/images/shots/l/30650-super-mario-sunshine-gamecube-screenshot-title-screen.jpg[/img]
Released- 2002
Genre- 3D Platformer
4 lists (#20, #18, #13, #10)
"While it's enjoyable overall, there's just too many shines that I hate doing and feel unfair. Also nearly impossible to get every blue coin without making a checklist."
"I seem to have a love/hate relationship with 3D Mario titles, with some being among my favorite platformers of all time and others really falling flat for me. This entry lands in the latter category."16. Baten Kaitos: Lost Wings and the Eternal Ocean (64 pts)
[img width=640 height=480]https://www.mobygames.com/images/shots/l/101029-baten-kaitos-eternal-wings-and-the-lost-ocean-gamecube-screenshot.png[/img]
Released- 2004
Genre- RPG
2 lists (#5, #5)
"Tries a lot of new things and succeeds at most of them. Refreshingly weird."
"The GameCube may have lacked RPG in comparison to the Playstation 2, but it did have a few truly great titles. A one of a kind battle system involving a card based system that that also has a strong focus on time mechanics and card combinations. Maybe some of the worst voice acting of all time, but the great characters, beautiful graphics and jaw dropping plot twist all overshadow that."15. Animal Crossing (64 pts)
[img width=640 height=480]https://www.mobygames.com/images/shots/l/86017-animal-crossing-gamecube-screenshot-title-screen.jpg[/img]
Released- 2002
Genre- Sim
2 lists (#8, #2)
"'Ahh where it all started. I bought this game just before I moved across the country for college, and I remember the game asking me "Where ya headed?" so I could name my town. So I named it Florida because that's where I was moving to in real life in a few weeks. This is a game series I play for a while and then fall off on, only to pick it back up eventually and then repeat. But it was fun that my new college roommates could all play to get to know each other.
"Animal Crossing, a game that hadn't been done before it's release, where you live in a village and... live your life. It's that simple and was just relaxing. You didn't have to worry about timers or shooting things. you just went around the village and talked to other villagers, pulled some weeds, and picked some fruit. As a sweet added bonus, you could get 10+ NES games that you could actually play in the game and it made use of the GBA link cable to travel to Cap'n's Island. Such a great game and why it is so high on my list."14. Ikaruga (68 pts)
[img width=640 height=480]https://www.mobygames.com/images/shots/l/90966-ikaruga-gamecube-screenshot-title-screen.png[/img]
Released- 2003
Genre- Shoot-em Up
2 lists (#7,
#1)
"Hard as hell, but so stylish and fun. Great couch co-op!"13. Resident Evil 0 (74 pts)
[img width=640 height=480]https://www.mobygames.com/images/shots/l/52684-resident-evil-0-gamecube-screenshot-main-menu.jpg[/img]
Released- 2002
Genre- Horror
3 lists (#12, #8, #6)
"A twist on the classic RE formula with two interchangeable characters makes for some neat puzzle solving opportunities. Also twice the inventory space!!"
"An experimental entry in the series with mixed results, but I still really enjoy this game."12. Luigi's Mansion (75 pts)
[img width=640 height=480]https://www.mobygames.com/images/shots/l/25083-luigi-s-mansion-gamecube-screenshot-title-screen.jpg[/img]
Released- 2001
Genre- Action
4 lists (#20, #19, #12, #3)
"I kinda wish I picked this up at launch, but I only had the money for 1 game and it was gonna be Star Wars. Sucking up ghosts was fun and I wish I hadn't slept on it for so long."
"I’ve never been a big fan of this game or the series in general."11. Resident Evil (76 pts)
[img width=640 height=480]https://www.mobygames.com/images/shots/l/67075-resident-evil-gamecube-screenshot-main-menu.jpg[/img]
Released- 2002
Genre- Horror
2 lists (#3,
#1)
"Capcom didn’t just remake their original survival-horror classic but totally reinvented it and turned it into a completely different experience that somehow still feels faithful to the original. It still stands as my favorite game in the series, my favorite game in the genre, and one of my favorite games of all time."
"Until recently this was unarguably the best remake of all time. Still holds up and takes the original ideas and improves them in every way."10. F Zero GX (83 pts)
[img width=640 height=480]https://www.mobygames.com/images/shots/l/49269-f-zero-gx-gamecube-screenshot-the-track-can-get-very-crowded.jpg[/img]
Released- 2003
Genre- Racing
3 lists (#17, #4, #3)
"I've been a big fan of F-Zero since the SNES and had high hopes for GX. After playing through Mute City and seeing how amazing it looked and sounded I then put hours and hours more into unlocking everything. I unlocked all the custom race parts, the story modes, and even found an arcade about an hour away in Orlando that had the arcade version of the game. So I brought my memory card along and got some of the arcade exclusive parts too. An amazing and amazingly fast racer. You will need to learn all the mechanics to be competitive in this game."
"We havn’t seen a proper F-Zero in years, but at least it went out on a high note. Wicked tracks, pumping music, crazy high speeds and a ton of cool challenges to keep the single player interesting."9. Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess (85 pts)
[img width=640 height=480]https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/screen/full/3/6/6/1199366.jpg[/img]
Released- 2006
Genre- Adventure
3 lists (#15, #4, #3)
"One of my favorite Zeldas to this day. Structurally similar to Ocarina of Time, but improves upon it. Story starts strong with an interesting vibe but disappoints by the end."
"It’s been a long time since I’ve played this one, but I have always remembered it as one of my favorites in the series, and easily my favorite of the 3D entries."8. Metroid Prime (87 pts)
[img width=640 height=480]https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/screen/full/1/3/1/496131.jpg[/img]
Released- 2002
Genre- First Person Shooter
4 lists (#19, #12, #9, #4)
"I didn't play much for the 2D Metroid games but with all the hype surrounding this as a First person Metroid game, I figured I'd check it out. Am I glad I did. I was immediately hooked. I loved scanning the lore and getting more and more history on the series and the lock on mechanics for my arm cannon were great."
"A bold reinvention of the series that turned out way better than anyone thought it would."
"Pretty stellar 3D take on the classic Metroid style. Very cool atmosphere and settings."7. Star Wars: Rogue Squadron II- Rogue Leader (92 pts)
[img width=640 height=480]https://www.mobygames.com/images/shots/l/22465-star-wars-rogue-squadron-ii-rogue-leader-gamecube-screenshot.jpg[/img]
Released- 2001
Genre- Flight Simulation Shooter
4 lists (#16, #12, #7, #5)
"One of the best launch games around. Absolutely gorgeous. Doesn’t quite capture the magic of the first Rogue Squadron, but a great effort."
"A great flight-combat sim set in the Star Wars universe, although it didn’t quite live up to the N64 original in my opinion."
"My first Gamecube game. Bought this with my Gamecube at midnight launch. I remember playing the next night and only then realizing I never bought a memory card. I had been used to my N64 and never really needed one before. Back to Walmart..."6. Pikmin (99 pts)
[img width=640 height=480]https://www.mobygames.com/images/shots/l/68118-pikmin-gamecube-screenshot-notice-the-detail-on-the-leaves.png[/img]
Released- 2001
Genre- Puzzle, Strategy
4 lists (#17, #10, #8, #2)
"A twist on the RTS genre that finally works exceedingly well for a console game. Some may dislike the time limit, but I love the sense of urgency it adds to the exploring each day."
"The time pressure stressed me out greatly when I first played this, maybe I could handle it better now."
"This game just radiated charm and I knew when I saw it this would be fun to play. Once the controls are understood combat becomes much easier and this game will definitely teach you to multi-task."5. Resident Evil 4 (100 pts)
[img width=640 height=480]https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/screen/full/1/8/3/452183.jpg[/img]
Released- 2005
Genre- Horror
3 lists (#7, #4, #2)
"Capcom took one of my favorite franchises and took it in a bold new direction, and the result is one of the best and most influential action games ever created in my opinion."4. Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door (106 pts)
[img width=640 height=480]https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/screen/full/9/0/5/984905.jpg[/img]
Released- 2004
Genre- RPG
4 lists (#14, #10, #6, #2)
"Fun and easy to grasp battle system. Great music and surprisingly charming cast."
"A simple but very nice turn based combat system that relies on timed button presses, excellent characters and sense of humor, and a badge system that gives you some interesting choices to make."
"I haven’t played every entry in the Paper Mario series, but this is easily my favorite. Retains the RPG mechanics we all wish the series still had, and expanded upon the original in all the right ways resulting in a bigger and better experience."3. Eternal Darkness: Sanity's Requiem (136 pts)
[img width=640 height=480]https://www.mobygames.com/images/shots/l/36435-eternal-darkness-sanity-s-requiem-gamecube-screenshot-more.jpg[/img]
Released- 2002
Genre- Action, Horror
5 lists (#14, #10, #7, #5, #2)
"What a great game. Interesting characters and a new style to combat where you could target specific parts of an enemy to chop off. The insanity effects were fun but pretty easy to manipulate if you knew what to do."
"A great survival-horror title that flies under most people’s radar, probably due to its exclusivity to the GameCube. The story, gameplay, and especially the sanity effects make this something truly unique in the genre and the GameCube’s library."
"Very unique survival horror full of time travel and incredible sanity effects that truly test the player."2. Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker (140 pts)
[img width=640 height=480]https://www.mobygames.com/images/shots/l/716455-the-legend-of-zelda-the-wind-waker-gamecube-screenshot-flying.png[/img]
Released- 2003
Genre- Adventure
5 lists (#14, #9, #7, #5,
#1)
"This is an amazing Zelda game. I really enjoyed just sailing along in the ocean listening to the overworld music. That music just screams adventure to me. I loved the dungeons, the boss fights, the sailing. So much of this game is good and the parts that take too much time like the finding sunken treasure were improved on the HD remake on Wii U. I loved the twist at the end of the game and Link's epic stab through Gannon. One of my top favorite Zelda games of all time."
"Really fun to explore and collect things."
"I’m probably in the minority here, but this is one of my least favorite Zelda titles. Not that I think it’s a bad game, but I don’t see it in quite the same light as many others do. I’ve always found the sailing to be tedious, and the game’s cut content becomes apparent due to the comparative lack of dungeons."1. Super Smash Bros Melee (148 pts)
[img width=640 height=480]https://www.mobygames.com/images/shots/l/24896-super-smash-bros-melee-gamecube-screenshot-opening-animations.jpg[/img]
Released- 2001
Genre- Fighting
4 lists (#4, #3, #2,
#1)
"I need to boot this up and see just how many matches we played. I think it was over 25,000. This was my senior year of high school and we played almost nothing but this game. Unlocking every fighter, every stage, every mode. We actually played through a 3 fighter 99 man stock match on the Game and Watch level. (I won). Continued playing throughout college. This was THE multi-player game to have for my friends."
"I loved unlocking things, collecting trophies, and even trying to get high scores. It seemed almost like a sandbox with so many ways to play."
"As much as I love the Smash Bros. series, and despite this being a fan favorite entry, this is probably the entry I have played the least. I have nothing against the game however, I’ve just never owned a copy of it."Final ThoughtsAmazing to me that in the top 10, there were 8 different genres represented. Really fun list to put together, considering all the different opinions, and in putting this together, I've definitely added a few games to my own wishlist. Hopefully, it sparks some interest for a few other readers as well.
Hope you'll join us next month for the PS2!
