Top 10 Hardest Gamecube Games

Top 10 Hardest Gamecube Games

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It may have looked like a tiny purple lunchbox, but this system packed some challenges into it. Welcome to watchmojo.com and today we’re looking at the Top 10 Hardest Gamecube Games. For this list, we’re looking at the most challenging and difficult games to ever be released on Nintendo’s fourth home console. Keep in mind, we’re only including games that present a legitimate challenge, not games that were broken or badly designed.

#10: “Resident Evil Zero” (2002)

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This one is from the days where survival horror actually put an emphasis on “Survival”. The early games in this series featured realistic difficulty levels that accurately simulated being dropped in the middle of a zombie apocalypse, and this Cube exclusive installment is no exception. While Zero attempted to make the challenge easier by allowing players to drop items at their will instead of placing them in item boxes like other games, it still contained the time honored challenge of its puzzles, like the now infamous battery puzzle. You might say some of the tricks this game plays on you are pure evil.

(Henshin-a-go-go, baby!) This game may ooze style, but thankfully Capcom didn’t sacrifice the substance either. Joe may have been teleported into a superhero movie, but the game he stars in takes more inspiration from side-scrolling beat ‘em ups of old, featuring a seemingly endless onslaught of enemies to fight, and tight, precise combos to take them out with. If that wasn’t enough, Joe has the ability to manipulate the speed and focus of the film he’s in, a skill which easy to learn and hard to master, especially considering a majority of the games puzzles are based on this crucial skill.

This was an RPG released during the final months of a console’s life that wasn’t really known for it’s RPG selection, so we wouldn’t be surprised if a lot of you haven’t played this. Those who have though, know how immensely skilled you have to be if you want to master the complicated card-based battle system. Once you manage that, make sure not to let your guard down against enemies that can end your life in only a couple hits, as well as some of the hardest boss fights you’ll find on the system. The best way to survive the mystical world of this game? Patience and true skill.

#7: “Super Monkey Ball 2” (2002)

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Sega’s sublime Gamecube launch title showed that even though a game may have a cute, unassuming premise, it can still be a major challenge for seasoned players. The sequel upped the ante, increasing the number of stages up to 100, and adding new landscape altering features like conveyor belts, teleporters, and switches, all of which have a chance of sending you flying off the already stress inducing stages. The game also offers rewards if you are able to collect every banana on the stage, a feat easier said than done, considering some of the places they put these things require your spherical monkeys to often defy gravity.

#6: “Metroid Prime 2: Echoes” (2004)

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How do you top one of the most celebrated first-person adventures of all time, already a challenging gaming experience in its own right? Well, one way is to add a lot of backtracking. Developer Retro Studios set out to make the sequel more challenging than its predecessor now that players were familiar with their immersive world. Not only does the game feature brutal boss characters like the Emperor Ing and Dark Samus, but the series’ trademark item hunting mechanics were taken to extreme levels this time around, requiring players to traverse large areas of the planet Aether if they wanted that new missile tank or suit upgrade. Key Point that should be mentioned That could replace that last sentence*: The Game is split between light and dark worlds, and whenever your in the Dark world, the atmosphere constantly drains your health.

#5: “Alien Hominid” (2005)

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Originally released as a Flash game on website Newgrounds in 2002, this old-school style shooter made it to the Cube a couple years later without losing any of its trademark difficulty. While the art style and basic gameplay make the experience seem deceptively simple, the endless onslaught of enemies both human and extraterrestrial that adapt to the way you play the game will leave you wondering why you ever thought a tiny alien can take on this many bad guys. This is another great example of a game that’s easy to learn but hard to master.

#4: “Star Wars: Rogue Leader: Rogue Squadron II” (2001)

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If there’s any game that accurately represents the tension and threat of fighting an oppressive Empire, it’s definitely this one. Factor 5’s amazing Star Wars space combat game isn’t the most hardcore of experiences, but some missions are very easy to fail, especially when you’ve gotta throw yourself up against star destroyers. The game offers Bronze, Silver and Gold medals for players who meet certain requirements in every stage, but the goals are so difficult that you would have to be a skilled user of the Force if you want the satisfaction of beating this fully beating this game.

#3: “Mega Man Network Transmission” (2003)

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We get that Mega Man games have a reputation to uphold when it comes to challenge, but this is just ridiculous. Part of the Battle Network sub-series that originated on Game Boy Advance, this game ditched the RPG gameplay of its handheld counterpart, opting to be a classically hard platforming in the vein of the NES originals. The challenging platforming would have been hard enough, but the game also integrates the Battle Chips of the GBA games, ensuring the only real chance of survival against these incredibly tough enemies are these sparsely available resources. Mega-difficult doesn’t even begin to describe how punishing this game is.

We’re losing our minds just thinking about this one. A shoot ‘em up from Japanese developer Treasure, this maddeningly intense game is based around one mechanic: Changing the polarity of your ship between a series of colors in order to absorb enemy fire. For example, if your ships polarity is black, you can absorb black bullets, and if your ship is white, you can absorb white bullets. A simple, challenging concept taken to its absolute extreme by Treasure, featuring a constant barrage of enemy fire, having to switch polarities every other second, and on a vertically scrolling screen scaled down to a fraction the size of a normal one. Before we reveal our top pick, here are a couple honorable mentions: -“Timesplitters 2” (2002) -“Eternal Darkness” (2002)

#1: “F-Zero GX” (2003)

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If this is the level of difficulty that piloting futuristic racing machines is gonna be like, then we’re probably gonna be fine sticking to driving cars for the time being. Unanimously considered to be the best racing game on the system, GX also comes with an almost hilariously steep learning curve in order to master the twisty tracks and precise handling of its vehicles. Because of the game’s intense speed, it’s very difficult to maintain your boost and drift without crashing into walls or worse: falling off the track. Even the first few missions of the story mode are tough to beat sooo … good luck. Do you agree with our list? What Gamecube games gave you the hardest times? For more challenging top tens posted every day, be sure to subscribe to watchmojo.com