Greetings to all our fellow Nintendo GameCube games connoisseurs. Today, we’re dusting off our collection of the finest GameCube titles and ranking the best ones. It’s gonna be awesome! And with a total of 10 spots on today’s list, we’re fairly confident we’ll have more than a few no-brainers. Of course, we’ll also add our fair share of surprises to add a bit of spice to the mix. We can’t wait to begin!
Which Nintendo GameCube Games are the Greatest Of All Time?
Nintendo’s uncanny track record of pumping out system sellers on every platform, including Nintendo GameCube games, is outstanding. We can’t fathom the work behind the scenes, but we’re thankful to Nintendo for them. The core of innovation and drive to deliver the best possible gaming experience has not stopped, which is how we got the Nintendo Switch; find out if it comes with games.
Anyway, today’s list is a celebration of the legacy console that’s a massive part of many gamers’ childhoods, including us. So, without further ado, let’s see which Nintendo GameCube games make the cut. Oh, and before we forget, we’re planning to include lots of underrated gems, too. This way, we’ll throw the spotlight on those games that didn’t get the attention they deserved. Alright, here we go!
10. Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance – One of the Best Fighting Games of All Time Shines on the Nintendo GameCube
Kicking things off, we’ve got a classic fighting game from one of the most hardcore franchises ever, Mortal Kombat. Specifically, the contender on the list of top Nintendo GameCube games is Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance. The game contains many first for the series that give it a distinct identity. Each character gets different fighting stances and the use of awesome melee weapons.
Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance also boasts incredible graphics for its time, making each fighter look incredibly detailed. The storyline is also a major shake-up of the traditional formula. The long-time fan-favorite Liu Kang series and major villain Shao Kahn are both not playable or part of the major plot. Also, the canonical ending sees the villains succeeding instead of the heroes.
Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance has environmental interactions where players can throw their opponent’s character into structures. This is a big visual change to the gameplay, and the combos are more complex, creating a steeper learning curve. Despite releasing on the Nintendo GameCube, Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance is a gory fighting game. It doesn’t shy away from violent fatalities.
9. Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes – The Definitive Version of the First Mainline Metal Gear Solid Title Impresses
Moving things along, we now jump back in time to Shadow Moses. The Nintendo GameCube, an exclusive reimagining of Solid Snake’s first game outing, feels superb. Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes, in our opinion, is the definitive version of the first game that’s superior visually and gameplay-wise. Players will immediately notice the improvements, especially how well the character designs appear.
Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes sees the same story with enough streamlining to remove the cumbersome elements. Sure, some players might not feel like that’s a good thing, but to each their own. For us, it’s a step up in every way imaginable. Players must rely on stealth with more tactics than in the vanilla version, as enemy A.I. is significantly smarter. Also, the ability to use FPS mode to shoot is a welcome change.
Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes gives players a degree of freedom to approach bosses and defeat them in multiple ways. The quicker pacing and more fluid animation make the gameplay feel more enjoyable. If you like top-tier stealth games, you owe it to yourself to play Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes. To this day, this version is still part of the GameCube’s exclusive library.
8. Fire Emblem: Path Of Radiance – The Saga of Ike is Just As Compelling Now As it’s Ever Been
Fire Emblem titles are a hot debate among JRPG enthusiasts. Even we’ve thrown our two cents on the subject in our ranking of the best Fire Emblem games. Anyway, one of the most ambitious games in the Nintendo GameCube series is Fire Emblem: Path Of Radiance. The JRPG will keep players glued to the screen because of it’s brilliant plot, engaging gameplay, and excellent character development.
Fire Emblem’s most defining trait is The nailbiting encounters that can potentially lead to a permanent death of units. Fire Emblem: Path Of Radiance is so revered among Nintendo GameCube owners because it’s the game that popularized the series on home consoles. The cinematic feel of the story adds an additional layer of enjoyment to the game, as players see Ike, the mercenary protagonist’s journey to restore peace to the lands.
Fire Emblem: Path Of Radiance is not an easy game. The tactical combat requires players to be mindful of their surroundings. Any advantage players can get is a boon because the enemy units will ambush and deliver crippling blows to the player’s units. The character classes and progression in Fire Emblem: Path Of Radiance are more in-depth than regular Japanese roleplaying games on the Nintendo GameCube.
7. X-Men Legends – One of the Most Fun Co-op Action RPG Games of All Time
For the next entry on the list of amazing GameCube games, we’re going with X-Men: Legends. This gem of a game is one of the best superhero action co-op action titles around. X-Men: Legends does a brilliant job of giving players a glimpse into the lives of the X-Men through the eyes of a newcomer. The story depicts the persecution mutants face in the Marvel Universe, and the pains the X-Men go through to show that they’re only trying to help out.
X-Men: Legends is a showcase of the X-Men’s character gallery, both from the heroic and villains side. There are famous ones that everyone is aware of, like Magneto, Mystique, Wolverine, and Cyclops, but obscure ones, too, like Emma Frost, Blob, the Shadow King, and even Pyro. X-Men: Legends is a GameCube game that allows players to assemble a team of 4 X-Men. The team-up to fight enemies and enter into boss battles is thrilling.
The difficulty level in X-Men: Legends makes it one of the most challenging games on the Nintendo GameCube. Thankfully, with the right combination of characters, players can compensate for the individual weaknesses. A personal favorite assembly is Iceman, Wolverine, Cyclops, and Colossus. Our list of Switch co-op games has similar gaming recommendations.
6. Viewtiful Joe – Cinematic Action Game With A Dash Of Panache and Quirky Charm Entertains Like No Other
Right then, we’re capping off the first half of our list with the wonky and bizarre Nintendo GameCube game Viewtiful Joe. When it comes to bonkers gameplay ideas, Viewtiful Joe takes the cake. Not only is the action super intense, but players will find the animations all over the place. We mean that in a good way; the colorfully vibrant style meshes well with the game’s premise.
Joe is the titular character, and he’s the literal star of the show, seeing as the game’s narrative puts him in the lead role of a movie. The gameplay revolves around Joe’s fights with the many enemies coming at him from both sides. Oh yes, Viewtiful Joe is a 2D side-scrolling beat’em up action game, and it’s got superpowers that enhance the enjoyability greatly. The main ability of Joe is ‘Slow,’ which can slow his opponents.
Once ‘Slow’ activates, players can go ham on the enemies. They can also unleash a barrage of strikes, which tie into more of Joe’s superpowers. They’re basically special camera effects. Joe can dodge in spectacular ways, including jumping, double jumping, and even angular leaps. If the timing is right, more opportunities to unleash other powers spring up. The point is, Viewtiful Joe is one of the most wonky games on the Nintendo GameCube, so go play it!
5. The Incredible Hulk: Ultimate Destruction – The Greatest Hulk Game Ever Delivers Memorable Gameplay
To usher us into the upper half of the list of fantastic GameCube games, we’re going with The Incredible Hulk: Ultimate Destruction. The game’s an accurate depiction of Marvel’s jade giant, and the potential for causing destruction is where it’s most fun. The Incredible Hulk: Ultimate Destruction is a masterpiece that truly shows what the Hulk can do if he ever cut loose and got super angry.
The Incredible Hulk: Ultimate Destruction shows the tragedy behind Hulk’s story. He’s only trying to find peace, but the military and other antagonists aren’t letting him have any. The gameplay is a semi-open world layout where Hulk can go into a city and shatter anything in his way. The traversal in The Incredible Hulk: Ultimate Destruction is (pardon the pun, sorry, not sorry)incredible, ranging from wall-running to gigantic leaps and even using a bus as a skateboard.
The upgrades only fuel more enjoyment as Hulk’s powers get a major boost which is helpful in destroying mech enemies. The Incredible Hulk: Ultimate Destruction has tons of sidequests to pad out the Nintendo GameCube game’s length. Also, an alternative skin, Joe Fix It, is an absolutely hilarious rendition of the Hulk with unique voices. The Incredible Hulk: Ultimate Destruction easily stacks with the best single-player adventure games.
4. Metroid Prime – The Birth of the 3D FPS Metroid Series is A Game Changer
For the next entry on the list of top-tier Nintendo GameCube games, we’re going old-school with Metroid Prime. The sizeable divergence from 2D to 3D feels like an organic next step for the series. Metroid Prime has a first-person perspective and depicts Samus Aran’s style with authenticity. Metroid Prime is one of those timeless games that players will never tire of.
Aside from the threats that Samus faces in the game, there is a degree of intricacy in the level design. The unreachable areas will require backtracking. Exploring to find secret stashes of health packs and ammunition is vital to surviving boss fights. Metroid Prime has satisfying gun-play that requires a fair bit of grinding to upgrade and practice to master. Once you do get the hang of it, it’s a delight.
Metroid Prime has an engrossing ambiance that will immerse players into the game with sci-fi vibes. The gameplay and visuals will make players take caution while progressing because enemies are clever. Also, the tools Samus picks up along the way add a rewarding sensation. For us, Metroid Prime can easily stand with the top FPS games like Halo Infinite.
3. Spawn: Armageddon – The Most 90’s Comic Book Anti-Hero’s Debut Game Feels Fantastic
Spawn is arguably the most iconic 90’s comic book character, and having him in a game was considered a remarkable feat. It made perfect sense to give Spawn a game of his own, and the Nintendo GameCube was lucky in this regard. Lo and behold Spawn: Armageddon came into existence. The game depicts the anti-hero in all his angst, and brooding nature, that gives Batman a run for his money.
Spawn: Armageddon loosely adapts the storyline of the comics but takes liberties with them to tie into the game. Spawn investigates and gets caught up in the conflict between angelic and demonic forces. Wanting nothing to do with either side, Spawn inevitably ends up fighting both. That’s where we talk about the gameplay of Spawn: Armageddon. There’s a plethora of ways Spawn can deal damage to his enemies.
The game has self-contained level layouts, and each mission requires Spawn to go from checkpoint to checkpoint. There are markers to track Spawn’s progress. Spawn will use his chains as a means of traversal and offense; his cape opens up to allow him to glide across gaps. When it comes to combat, that’s when Spawn: Armageddon will truly shine. With necroplamic powers, standard weapons, and heavy artillery, Spawn becomes a one-man army.
2. Eternal Darkness: Sanity’s Requiem – Our Runner-Up Best Nintendo GameCube Games Will Pysch You Out
From the hellish world of Spawn, we dive into the cosmic horror territory with Eternal Darkness: Sanity’s Requiem. This horror title ranks atop the very best in the horror games genre and is one of the best on the Nintendo GameCube. The presentation, premise, and gameplay are all perfect. The game spans millennia, as the cosmic threat is ancient but influences both the past and present.
If it’s giving you time-travel story vibes, it’s because the game developers were Silicon Knights of Legacy Of Kain fame, and its influence is profound. In Eternal Darkness: Sanity’s Requiem, players must navigate dungeons and diverse locales where they control different characters in every era. While at the same time, players also keep returning to the present with the lead protagonist Alexandra Roivas, who explores her family estate.
Eternal Darkness: Sanity’s Requiem will mess with the players. The sanity levels of characters drop when players encounter monsters, and that’s when the psychological horror cranks up. The game’s magic system helps alleviate some of the tension, but in-game choices also lock players into a path. Yes, there are multiple endings in Eternal Darkness: Sanity’s Requiem and replayability is highly encouraged in this masterful Nintendo GameCube game.
1. Ultimate Spiderman – The Art Style and Story Propel Spidey to the Top of Nintendo GameCube Games List
Okay, we’re probably gonna end up receiving a lot of flak for this, but for us, the best Nintendo GameCube game ever is none other than Ultimate Spiderman. Yep, the one that borrows the aesthetic and storyline from the Ultimate Marvel Universe’s Spiderman comics. The art style is majestic and enamors us, as we can keep gazing at it for hours on end.
Ultimate Spiderman is utterly delightful and can hang with the best Spiderman games. The fact that we can’t play Ultimate Spiderman on modern systems is criminal. The game shows Spidey in his youthful years, as both Peter Parker and Spiderman. However, the symbiote known as Venom is also seeking Peter out. Here’s the twist, though, players aside from Spidey can also play as Venom! Neat, huh?
Players can fight enemies and web them up to subdue them as Spiderman, but when it comes to Venom. He’s more vicious and can swat away people with his massive strength and consume them to feed his hunger. Both Spiderman and Venom have their own boss fights, which creates tons of fun gameplay. We can’t ask for a better game on the Nintendo GameCube than Ultimate Spiderman.
Final Thoughts On the Best GameCube Games of All Time
Well, there you have it, the list of top-tier GameCube games concludes. We sincerely hope our assortment helps players rediscover or find their next retro favorite game. Please tell us if that’s the case in the comments below. If you’re wondering, yes, we’ve purposely left out some big hitters from Nintendo’s wheelhouse. As we said earlier, we’re giving some other games a chance to shine.
Still, if you’re hankering for more Nintendo retro gaming, check out our picks for the best Game Boy Advance games. Anyway, what are your thoughts on today’s list? You can rant to us about your favorite games that we’re missing. Your feedback is invaluable, and we value it immensely. Alright, we’re signing off for the day; we hope you all have a great time, and take care! Happy gaming!
