The Nintendo GameCube is a console that represents a simpler time in the history of video games. These days, many video games are about their own franchises, with juggernauts like Call of Duty and Halo ballooning to a cultural footprint on par with institutions like the Marvel Cinematic Universe and Fleetwood Mac.
But with the GameCube, while a few franchises did slip through the cracks (for the most part, this had to do with some of the most popular Super Mario games of all-time), the games were largely defined by loony concepts and preexisting IPs. The GameCube strove to be for everyone and it was all the more special for it, even though some games have been lost to time. Still, they're worth recalling and celebrating always.
Mary-Kate and Ashley: Sweet 16 – Licensed to Drive
Does anything scream the early 2000s more than a Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen-themed video game created for the Nintendo GameCube? Perhaps only if it had somehow managed to involve a Tamagotchi and Shaquille O'Neal.
Mary-Kate and Ashley are iconic for many reasons, but the fact that a video game was geared around them for racing and minigames has to be near the top. One would not see that with today's teens on Disney Plus. It was all about that nascent joy of earning a driver's license at age sixteen. Timeless, but also effortlessly Olsen.
Super Monkey Ball
Super Monkey Ball was one of the earliest GameCube phenomenons. It had the same energy as something like Wii Sports Resort, in that the gameplay was simple and it was all about having fun with your friends in a "party mode."
The arcade aesthetics were just half the fun of Super Monkey Ball, though. It was also deliriously cartoonish and occasionally marked by a minigame fever dream. The game modes would later be perfected, but the original still deserves its due.
Monsters, Inc. Scream Arena
Sometimes, the games on the GameCube were truly whacked out. Take Monsters, Inc. Scream Arena for example. Most Pixar video games guided the players through the story of the film. Not Monsters, Inc.'s adaptation, though.
Instead, this video game pitted all of the monsters against one another for an endless game of dodgeball, complete with instant replays. It's absolutely wild, but the thing that's wilder is that they don't still make games like this.
The Simpsons: Hit & Run
This one was just a classic. The first foray into video gaming for The Simpsons came in the early 1990s, but the first major attempt was 2001's Road Rage. While that one is considered the most memorable, Hit & Run is the one that deserves the most attention nearly two decades later.
It was more than just a taxi service game. Hit & Run chronicled an actual story as Homer Simpson navigated crop circles, alien invasions, and Buzz Cola cans. The tasks were genuinely challenging and there were moments of fun humor, as well. Hit & Run is an underrated video game Hall of Famer.
Major League Baseball 2K6
It wouldn't be right to talk about a list of forgotten GameCube games without mentioning at least one of the entrants from the various professional sports franchises. After all, each one is forgotten with new iterations coming year after year.
The best of the batch, however, was Major League Baseball 2K6. This game didn't have the most advanced graphics, but it did contain the ability to jump up the entire height of the Green Monster with the proper cheat code. It was the kind of game that could entertain young sports fans for hours at a time.
Mario Party 6
Similar to the annual sports video games, each new version of Mario Party leaves the old remnants forgotten readily. Today's versions of Mario Party tend to be a bit too flashy and convoluted. It's hard to top some of the glory of Mario Party 6.
It's still worth checking out because many of the minigames can be played without any practice. Running from a boulder, jumping on rafts, playing a round of golf. The games were simple but varied and always tons of fun. That's enough merit for a lifetime.
The Italian Job
The idea of a video game that contains controversial missions, fast cars, and realistic city landscapes has been absolutely dominated by the Grand Theft Auto franchise. However, the video game adaptation of The Italian Job still should earn its due as a game worth checking out.
Even if one just wants to take a leisurely stroll over the highway, rather than race their friends, The Italian Job has more than enough merit. Believe it or not, it's among the GameCube's most relaxing entries.
Nicktoons Unite!
It might be easy to forget that Aquaman had his own video game on the GameCube. But it's probably even easier to forget that Danny Phantom did, too. And it saw him partner up with SpongeBob SquarePants, Timmy Turner, and Jimmy Neutron.
This kind of crossover is unheard of unless it's directed by the Russo Brothers. Yet, Nicktoons Unite! has stood the test of time as an adventure series done right, with plenty of time given to specific characters and their respective environments.
Disney's Party
Speaking of multiplayer video games that are centered around beloved cartoon characters of childhood, Disney's Party is another one that deserves a second look. It mirrored the Mario Party style of minigames with an actual story and competition interspersed.
But these minigames were decidedly more difficult to master. Plus, it introduced a trapezoidal robot named Billy to play with characters like Mickey Mouse and Goofy. Kingdom Hearts doesn't have snowboarding like Disney's Party did.
Mario Superstar Baseball
Lastly, Mario Superstar Baseball is the rightful culmination of this list, as it contains both sports, Mario, and absurdist game mechanics. Of all the major Mario games, this is the one that deserves the most retroactive attention.
Sure, it didn't exist in Delfino Plaza or a haunted house. But it remains one of the greatest sports video games of all-time. One can crank a home run with just Donkey Kong's fist or do a backflip off the stadium wall with Luigi or snag a ground ball with Yoshi's tongue from the other side of the diamond. It is a flawless video game in every respect.