In between the outstanding Nintendo 64 and Nintendo Wii consoles, there is the wonderful Nintendo GameCube. It is hard not to love this system from an aesthetic viewpoint itself, as it is in the literal shape of a cube and comes in many eccentric colors. This raw originality is just not seen in many of today's consoles, so this warrants praise. However, looking at the games on this system, they also are aging quite well.
Perhaps nostalgia plays a role in its appeal, but even so, many GameCube games are just entertaining. Although they are behind in terms of graphics, there is no question that they still offer joy whilst playing. In fact, the success of some of these games has actually led to later installments for the consoles that followed. When people bring out their GameCubes from the basements, these are the games they likely want to play.
Super Mario Sunshine
Really the most iconic Mario game on this system, Super Mario Sunshine will likely never grow old. This is due to the fact that it not only offers magnificent gameplay, but also a great story.
It is clear that it holds up nicely, as it even was granted a remake this past year with Super Mario 3D All-Stars. Although mastering F.L.U.D.D takes practice, it is worth it when seeing how entertaining this game is. Also, Isle Delfino is simply breathtaking in looks.
The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker
The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker is definitely one of the most popular games from this specific console. It should not be too much of a surprise though, as games from the Zelda series always tend to be spectacular.
With this specific game, though, it offers a new cartoon-like style, which marks its own identity. However, its gameplay doesn't suffer from this stylistic choice and it's full of deep adventure, as Link's voyage takes place at sea and is full of difficult tasks.
Super Mario Strikers
Nintendo created something immensely unique with Super Mario Strikers. For one, the game has an electric fence surrounding the pitch, which creates a lot of turmoil for the characters who are body-checked into it.
This element alone makes this game so much fun to play. It is easy to admire the doomsday-type vibe the game has, too, and the soccer gameplay in the game is actually done quite well.
Luigi's Mansion
Luigi's Mansion is quite an iconic game, as it is the first one that offers Luigi his very own adventure. Although he accompanies Mario in other games, this one allows him to tackle his own heroic journey.
The music in this game is quite memorable and it meshes well with Luigi having to fend off an abundance of spooky ghosts. The game also introduces the legendary side character, Professor E. Gadd. Thus, it is wonderful in so many respects and well worth a revisit.
Super Smash Bros. Melee
The sequel to the original Super Smash Bros, Super Smash Bros. Melee, really builds off the first game well. It introduces far more characters to the series, such as Peach, Roy and Mewtwo, which definitely helps enhance its quality.
It also has a brand new Adventure Mode and many more stages to pick from. Its significance to the series is therefore massive, as it introduces elements and characters that gamers in its most modern installment, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, are still enjoying today.
Mario Kart: Double Dash
Mario Kart: Double Dash is one of the coolest installments in the series, as it allows the player to control two different characters. This also gave Nintendo the opportunity to introduce new characters to the game, such as Baby Mario and Petey Piranha, to name a few.
This game definitely takes a step forward from the 64 edition of Mario Kart because of this. It is always enjoyable to play any Mario racing game in general, as they possess very entertaining power-ups.
Super Monkey Ball
Nearing its 20-year anniversary, Super Monkey Ball is a fun game that offers cute characters, yet challenging levels. The beginning of the game may seem like a piece of cake, but that changes rather quickly.
The art style of this game is beautiful with its bright colors and focus on nature, and it offers just an entirely different objective of gameplay in the process.
Mario Superstar Baseball
Mario Superstar Baseball is a great example of why there needs to be a new Mario baseball game. It kind of came out of left field, but it is still a fantastic game. It offers a very compelling story mode, while also having so many characters to choose from.
Although it is not necessarily as complete as its sequel, Mario Super Sluggers, it is still a fun game to play from time to time. Whether the player elects to embark on a journey with Mario and company, or simply just play an exhibition, it is surely worthwhile.
F-Zero GX
Although fans of the GameCube tend to see Mario Kart: Double Dash as the best racing game on the console, overlooking F-Zero GX is a sin. This game is stupendous and allows the player to take control over the iconic Captain Falcon.
It certainly provides a much higher intensity than most racing games, which is appealing. It also is one of the last installments from this series in general, so it is absolutely worth giving it a try.
Pokémon Colosseum
Pokémon Colosseum is a huge achievement from the series, as it is its first-ever 3D RPG game. This alone is important to note, but the gameplay is also quite splendid, as it allows the player to search for Generation III Pokémon.
What allows this game to stand out more than others is the fact that it also has a very deep storyline. It is far more than just a game where the player catches Pokémon, which warrants praise.