The GameCube struggled a bit next to competing consoles like the PS2 and the original Xbox. While it was never the hottest-selling console on the market, it still had its fans thanks to a wide variety of games.Super Smash Bros. Meleecould be argued as the most popular game on the system along with the biggest one in the series.
Fans are still playing it in tournaments to this day. Other hits on the console includeMetroid PrimeandSuper Mario Sunshine. All three of these games were not M-rated though and the other consoles had plenty of M-rated games to cater to a newer market. The GameCube did have a few M-rated games though both exclusively and from third-party publishers.
XIIIalso had acel-shaded art stylebut it took after comics more as that’s how a lot of the cutscenes played out. The game starred a nameless man with amnesia who was played byThe X-Files’David Duchovny.
The game begins on a beach wherein agents start attacking him and the man’s combat memory starts to return a little. It’s kind of like the Jason Bourne movies except the man inXIIIdoesn’t have a killer amount of movies beyond weapons training. Perhaps if the game ever gets a sequel beyond the botched remaster, this amnesiac man can get some Bourne-like combos.
BloodRaynewas a unique twist onthe vampire genrethat was exploding in both the gaming and movie scenes. It starred Rayne, a female vampire assassin who was tasked with killing Nazis during World War 2.
It may sound like a schlocky sci-fi channel movie, but the subject matter is a bit more serious although there were some winks at the camera. Rayne could shoot enemies, but her best line of defense was her bladed arms. There were two games during this generation but oddly the GameCube only received the first which is better than nothing.
Killer7was one of the weirdest games to hit the GameCube. It was directed by Goichi Suda, or as he is better known Suda51 who makes a lot of oddball games.Killer7put players in the role of an assassin with a split personality who could manifest these personas into different people in reality.
All playable characters had varying abilities, weapons, and tools which affected how the levels and story played out. It was one of those games that took a few tries to figure out as it was deeply challenging and a bit nonsensical too but it has remained a cult classic plus the cel-shading was great.
5Def Jam: Fight For NY
Metacritic Score: N/A
Def Jam Vendettawas another unique gaming idea for the GameCube era as it brought together a bunch of famous rappers from the 90s and put them ina wrestling match. Players could fight as Red Man, Method Man, Ghostface Killah, and more.
The problem was that it was rated T for Teen across the board which is a problem that was fixed in the sequel,Def Jam: Fight For NY, which got the M rating. This meant that the language could be more colorful in the game as could the licensed music which was one of the best parts. There were a lot of other great additions to the sequel too like using the ring more as a weapon, but the ESRB upgrade was huge.
This series was like Ubisoft’s answer toMetal Gear Solidand it was originally an Xbox exclusive. Eventually, it started coming to other consoles too andTom Clancy’s Splinter Cell: Chaos Theorywas the third in the original trilogy. It’s also the only game in the original trilogy that is M-rated, even on the GameCube.
The overall series starred agent Sam Fisher who was constantly dealing with one terrorist plot after another and it very much felt like a CBS weekly TV show plot which wasn’t a bad thing. The story may have been less whacky thanMetal Gear Solidbut the stealth aspects were a lot more involved as darkness was Sam’s best friend.
Eternal Darkness: Sanity’s Requiemwas an experimental horror game for the GameCube and it has been exclusive to it ever since. It was developed by Silicon Knights who went on to do some great and not-so-great things likeX-Men: Destiny. On the great side, this game messed with players on a constant level. One of the classic gags was turning down the volume as if someone had the TV remote.
The first time it happened was haunting and it only got weirder from there. These paranormal activities were assuredly inspired by Psycho Mantis’ trickery during his boss fight inMetal Gear Solid.Eternal Darkness: Sanity’s Requiemis one of those games where knowing less is better if one has never played it before.
However it happened, Silicon Knights coincidentally went on to spearhead the remake ofMetal Gear SolidakaMetal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes. The first game has been ported and re-released many times over like 2023’sMetal Gear Solid Master Collection Vol 1.
However, this GameCube remake has never left the system sadly, turning it into an obscurity. It looks and plays likeMetal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Libertyand it even gave players the first-person perspective when firing their gun. This fundamentally changed how players progressed through the missions, turning it into a unique experience along with the inclusion of multiplayer.
1Resident Evil
Metacritic Score: 91
For this series, most would probably pickResident Evil 4as the best entry on the GameCube. While that is a classic, it was kind of even more amazing that Capcom greenlit an exclusive remake of the original game on the GameCube as it had only been a few years since its debut. The graphics were astounding at the time and the lighting still looks good natively on the GameCube although the remaster is technically better.
The inclusion of the new zombie types, Crimson Heads, made things scarier and unpredictable. It was almost like a new game and one that was filled with surprises.Resident Evil 4took the series to new heights while thisremake ofResident Evilperfected the original formula and sent it out with a bang.
