Top 30 Best GameCube Games

#30: Custom Robo (2004)

While not the first entry in the Custom Robo series, this title is the first to be released outside of Japan. And its a shame, because this is an often-overlooked gem. An action RPG, Custom Robo, lives up to its title and allows players to customize various robos to duke it out in holographic matches. The combat is deceptively simple, and extremely fun whether youre going through the story mode or battling against friends. The sheer variety and individualization involved help make Custom Robo a game that will never get old.

#29: Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes (2004)

While traditionally found on PlayStation consoles, Metal Gear games also have a history on Nintendo systems. Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes is a remake of the first Metal Gear Solid game. And sure, it has all the stealth action gameplay, insane bosses, and even crazier storyline of the original. However, it also has improved graphics, as well as voice acting thats been translated much better than its PlayStation predecessor. There are also some tweaks to the original gameplay, such as the ability to transition to first person view, that help make The Twin Snakes a fresh experience.

#28: Resident Evil 0 (2002)

A prequel to the first Resident Evil game, Resident Evil 0 sees players take control of multiple characters to investigate a spooky abandoned Umbrella Corporation facility. The game plays like most of the earlier titles in the series, though it does make some nice changes to the inventory system, and allows you to freely switch between two characters for the first time, making for some inventive puzzles. While its not the best Resident Evil game, even on the GameCube - more on that later - Resident Evil 0 is still worthy of its inclusion in the franchise, and in any GameCube owners collection.

#27: Chibi-Robo! Plug Into Adventure! (2005)

3D platformers werent quite as big on the GameCube as on the N64, but there are still a few to be found on the console. This underrated game follows the tiny titular robot as it assists its family in household tasks that are simple for humans, but big work for it, given its small size. The games adorable premise, fun gameplay, and inventive sound design are all reason enough to give this cult favorite a look. It may have a small following outside Japan, but being little has never stopped Chibi-Robo!

#26: Skies of Arcadia Legends (2002)

Since airships are often the best parts of JRPGs, why not build a whole game around them? An enhanced port of the Sega Dreamcasts Skies of Arcadia, Legends delivers classic RPG turn-based combat, both with individual characters and with flying ships. It has a colorful cast of fun characters, a rousing soundtrack, and so much to explore. In addition to everything present in the original game, Skies of Arcadia Legends features improved graphics, new features, and content previously only available via DLC. Its arguably the best way to experience the game and it positively soars.

#25: Baten Kaitos: Eternal Wings and the Lost Ocean (2003)

Before Monolith Soft made Xenoblade Chronicles, the developer also released this underrated RPG for the GameCube. Its a sprawling traditional RPG, albeit with combat that feels positively modern, given the recent rise of card battlers, and its emphasis on magical cards. While it wasnt a major success at the time, it did get a prequel, Baten Kaitos Origins, which is also quite good. It may have languished in obscurity on the GameCube, but theres remasters of both games available on Nintendo Switch and Steam, so theres really no excuse not to check them out these days.

#24: Wario World (2003)

Before Wario became Nintendos poster boy for party games, Marios greedy counterpart had a ton of platformers. His first, and so far only, 3D game is Wario World. To reclaim his lost treasure, Wario sets out to beat up everyone who stands between him and his goal - mostly derpy dinosaurs. Short, but sweet, this game has some fun combat that sees Wario toss, punch, or spin enemies around, making it reminiscent of a 3D beatem up, but with platforming and puzzles. Its a relatively small world, but Wario World is rich in more than just gold.

#23: Viewtiful Joe (2003)

While not a GameCube exclusive, Viewtiful Joe feels right at home on the Nintendo console. There are plenty of side scrolling beatem ups out there, but Viewtiful Joe has a truly unique take on the genre. The game sees the titular character brought into the world of a film to become a superhero and rescue his girlfriend. In addition to its wacky premise and incredible art style, Viewtiful Joe also has some amazingly creative gameplay mechanics. Each of Joes VFX powers imitate movie conventions, like slow-mo and zoom-ins. Bottomline, you should henshin-a-go-go play this game as soon as you can, baby!

#22: Tales of Symphonia (2004)

The Tales games arent quite household names, but theyve got a dedicated following for good reason. Although the actual tale being told in Tales of Symphonia isnt the most original in an RPG, it more than makes up for any lack of novelty there in other areas. The characters are fantastic, wonderfully developed, and they have excellent dialogue. The battle system also offers a surprising amount of depth, being both fast-paced and customizable. If you havent given the Tales series a look yet, Symphonia isnt a bad place to start.

#21: Pokémon Colosseum (2003)

The Pokémon series struggled with making the transition to 3D, but this fairly early attempt is excellent. Pokémon Colosseum features a darker storyline and more challenging combat than mainline entries in the series, as well as the ability to steal enemy trainers Pokémon instead of capturing them in the wild. The game introduces darker Pokémon variants called Shadow Pokémon, has an emphasis on double battles, and features several multiplayer modes. Colosseum proved successful enough to get a sequel, Pokémon XD: Gale of Darkness, which is also great. Although the series hasnt gone back to this style of spin-off for many years, Pokémon Colosseum is worth adding to any Pokémon fans collection.

#20: Star Fox Assault (2005)

One problem with Star Fox Adventures was that it behaved more like a Zelda game than a real Star Fox game. Luckily, we got to see a new form of the Star Fox team, one that put the crew in a more action-packed setting. Veterans appreciated the return to dogfights, but what really showed the franchises potential was how you could go from aerial combat to on-foot third-person shooting in ships and bases. And it was all presented in excellent visuals that still hold up to this day. Why Nintendo did not continue taking Star Fox in this direction well never know, and we wait for the day Corneria needs Fox once again.

#19: Donkey Kong: Jungle Beat (2005)

As one of the few games to utilize Nintendos plastic bongo controller, Jungle Beat took the big gorilla on a somewhat musical adventure. Beat, clap, and punch your way through the jungle and face off against mighty adversaries like Karate Kong and Cactus King! Even with its simple control scheme, Jungle Beat was a wondrous experience with its beautiful level design and frenetic energy. Our only gripe with the game was that the party lasted only a few hours. That, and the sound of hands beating on plastic wasnt too pleasant for our parents.

#19: Star Wars Rogue Squadron 2: Rogue Leader (2001)

Honestly, its somewhat befuddling that Rogue Squadron 2 never made its way to other platforms. And yet, it really shows how many exceptional games premiered on the GameCube. Rogue Squadron 2: Rogue Leader was more of the same we had experienced from its predecessor on PC and N64. That isnt necessarily a bad thing, though! Not only did Rogue Squadron 2 boast far more exceptional visuals than the first game, it also featured fantastic sound design, creating one of the most immersive Star Wars games at the time. Its only a shame that the third Rogue Squadron game, Rebel Strike, could not live up to the expectations set here. Still, wed love to see all three games make their way to modern platforms!

#17: Sonic Adventure 2: Battle (2001)

Even though Sonic Adventure 2 originally debuted on the ill-fated SEGA Dreamcast, the GameCube version was the best version to play and for good reason. In addition to improved textures and character models, players were also given more options for multiplayer. Of course, the real star of this version was the expanded Chao Garden [pronounced chow], which incorporated the ability to transfer Chaos [chows] between Adventure 2: Battle and the Sonic Advance GBA games. Plus, who could forget Chao Karate!? Even with its secretly sadistic concept, that mode was dope! And we got to enjoy all of this with no sign of Big the Cat.

#16: Super Monkey Ball (2001)

Theres just something about rolling giant balls through obstacle courses that make games like Super Monkey Ball so much fun. Though in this case, Super Monkey Ball will always be the king of said domain. Each course presented its own unique set of challenges to test your speed and reflexes as you guided your cute chimps to the goal. The short stages and arcade-y experience made it easy to compete against friends or tackle a whole run together. And if for some reason you were worn out from obstacle courses, you could all compete in various minigames like Monkey Billiards, Monkey Bowling, and Monkey Fight!

#15: Eternal Darkness: Sanitys Requiem (2002)

It has been forever known as the GameCubes Forgotten Horror Title. Eternal Darkness was a victim of circumstance, having been overshadowed by the systems more family-friendly games as well as Capcoms HD remake of Resident Evil. The few who got to experience this title were treated to a terrifying journey that offered up unique ways to break the fourth wall. With its Sanity mechanic, players could potentially find themselves suffering from adjustments to their television, making it much harder to ward off enemies. If you ask us, this game has been long overdue for a remake, and if it were to come back, wed need it on every platform available!

#14: Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance (2005)

Back when Path of Radiance first launched, there werent too many folks familiar with Fire Emblem. How shameful us Westerners were to ignore a gem like this! As if we werent already spoiled enough by a fantastic story, Path of Radiance offered up a large roster of characters to recruit - a whopping total of forty-six! Really, thats about it in terms of new features, and its all we could have asked for. Overall, it was more of that core Fire Emblem experience weve come to know and love, more of that challenging and tactical gameplay where permadeath could prove to be an unforgiving punishment.

#13: Soulcalibur II (2003)

Now, we know that we said we would be prioritizing exclusives for this list, but we really must make an exception for Soulcalibur II here. See, this wasnt just a fantastic fighting game with great controls and visuals. This game had the honor of being one of the few times we got to see a Nintendo character in a non-Nintendo game. Whereas Xbox and PS2 users got Todd McFarlanes Spawn and Heihachi Mishima from Tekken respectively, GameCube owners got to play as Link! Thats right - Link was a playable character in a fighting game that wasnt Smash Bros.! It was an absurd idea we never thought would happen, and between the three guest characters, he was the most fun to play. Anyway, Soulcalibur II was awesome.

#12: Kirby Air Ride (2003)

While it certainly had its fair share of problems in terms of controls and content, Kirby Air Ride excelled in its own unique way. This wasnt just Kirbys version of another Nintendo racing franchise - it was a racing game with Kirbys simplified control philosophy mixed with the action of the other racing series. All you have to worry about are steering, pressing the A button at opportune times, and owning the race. It's enough to warrant a challenge, but not enough to deter new players. Though as fun as its core gameplay was, we lost countless hours to the insanely fun City Trial mode. Yeah, the critics certainly underplayed how much fun this game really was.

#11: Pikmin 2 (2004)

Even though the first game will always hold a special place in our hearts, Pikmin 2 is without a doubt the best in the franchise. Having discovered that random pieces of junk are actually worth money, Olimar is sent back to the Distant Planet alongside Louie to recover more foreign objects and help their boss climb out of debt. Yes, you are back where you were in the first game - squadding up with legions of Pikmin and trying to recover treasures. Only theres a new wrench thrown in your journey: Louie. Pikmin 2 bumps up the difficulty by giving you two teams of Pikmin to manage. Yeah, its a lot harder than it sounds, and the co-op mode is just as fun to play.

#10: Animal Crossing (2002)

We never anticipated a game so cute and charming to evolve into one of Nintendos most influential and innovative franchises in the last couple decades. Animal Crossing threw players into a new village inhabited by adorable animals and a greedy as heck tanuki. From there, we lived a second life where all that mattered was digging up fossils, gathering fruit, fishing, and decorating our island homes. The way it integrated the GameCubes internal clock into in-game events made for a package with a seemingly endless supply of secrets. So, when someone asks why folks are obsessed with Animal Crossing, just point them to this. A few hours will suck them right in.

#9: F-Zero GX (2003)

It seems that no matter how much time has passed, F-Zero GX refuses to show a wrinkle, and its splendid to revisit all these years later. This was F-Zero at its finest - anti-gravity racing with vehicles blasting beyond the sound barrier as Nintendo's most rocking soundtrack blares in our ears. This was hardcore racing with mindbending tracks and a touch of vehicular mayhem! And its the reason why so many folks have been begging Nintendo for a new entry decades later. Come on, guys, at least do a port of this!?

#8: Resident Evil 4 (2005)

While you can play this treasured game on just about any platform today, it originally launched as a GameCube exclusive. So, it counts. Anyways, what is there to say about Resident Evil 4 that hasnt already been said? Its absolutely the best game in the series, and you can see why. Fantastic visuals, terrifying enemies, brilliant level design, satisfying gunplay, and the campy dialogue weve come to expect from Capcoms famed horror franchise. It all blends together into a game that almost everyone needs to play for themselves at least once.

#7: Super Mario Sunshine (2002)

Well be the first to admit that Sunshine has its own problems, particularly in the finicky controls. However, it excels in so many other ways. First off, the FLUDD mechanic grants a new way to combat enemies and traverse areas. As for the areas themselves, each one is crafted in unique ways while still fitting the games theme of tropical island resort. From Bianco Hills to Ricco Harbor, its almost impossible to forget about any location! Couple this with the spectacular music, and you have yet another 3D Mario game worthy of being called one of the greats.

#6: Metroid Prime (2002)

Its rare to see a franchise manage to reinvent itself the same way Metroid did back in 2002. Before then, we had only seen Samus and her foes on a two-dimensional plane. Prime not only brought the franchise into the 3D landscape, it did so with flying colors! It was the same core experience of exploring areas for secrets, yet it felt like an entirely new game with its breathtakingly morbid environments and frenetic combat. This was Metroid fully realized for a new generation that would carry on into the Wii era, and its been away for far too long. (Please, Prime 4, please hurry!)

#5: Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door (2005)

This would be the final time wed see Paper Mario as we knew it after the N64 original, and good lord, was it a stellar adventure. Sure, the gameplay hadnt changed much between then and now, but thats not why you play turn-based RPGs. The Thousand-Year Door holds a special place in peoples hearts because of its story, its colorful characters with their own arcs, and the wondrous locations visited throughout. There is a lot to love here (except those damn paper airplane segments), and its precisely the reason why Paper Mario has become such a contentious yet beloved franchise today.

#4: Luigis Mansion (2001)

Honestly, if we were to choose which Mario brother had stolen much of the spotlight during the GameCube days, wed pick Luigi. Luigis Mansion was practically a required title for GameCube owners, and rightfully so! The control scheme offered a unique playstyle we hadnt really encountered in games prior, and the expansive mansion held so many secrets to find that we needed to do multiple playthroughs. With its goofy humor, clever level and boss designs, and challenging puzzles, Luigis Mansion showed the world that the younger bro could provide a game just as amazing as Mario!

#3: Mario Kart: Double Dash!! (2003)

After the exceptional display put on by Mario Kart 64, we werent expecting to see our beloved kart racing series take such a drastic turn in gameplay. Double Dash was the chaotic energy of its predecessors cranked up to eleven, and it worked out extremely well! Veterans practically had to re-learn Mario Kart with the new addition of interchangeable karts, special items, and character switching. It wasnt enough to know which corners to drift around - now you needed to know which characters were right for the job! It's this level of depth that has caused so many players to scream for a sequel. Hey, the Switch hasnt had its own true Mario Kart yet. Sotheres hope?

#2: The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker (2003)

Its astonishing to think that back when Wind Waker was still in development, folks were appalled by the art style. Much to the chagrin of skeptics, Wind Waker would prove to be one of the timeless classics in the Zelda franchise. From its cel-shaded artstyle to its charming character design, this was an adventure for every gamer, regardless if they were a Nintendo fan or not. Everything was just brimming with personality, and sailing brought about a creative spin on traversing the world. Its almost still hard to believe that such a sharp change in visuals would spawn a whole new style of Zelda games years later!

#1: Super Smash Bros. Melee (2001)

Twenty-six playable fighters. Three hundred trophies to collect. Fifty-one challenges to conquer. An expansive and epic Adventure Mode. The introduction of Special Rules. Home-Run Contest. These were all factors in what allowed Melee to define the GameCube era. Smash Bros had upped its game by gearing up the speed, throwing in new techniques, and serving up a plethora of modes, making Melee insanely replayable. One simply cannot ignore the influence on indie fighters and the hype this game has brought. And its for all these reasons why we crown Super Smash Bros. Melee as the Greatest GameCube Game of All Time.

Is there a GameCube game we forgot? Share your EXCELLENT picks in the comments!