As fans of the GameCube wait for titles like Donkey Kong Jungle Beat to finally be added to the Nintendo Switch's online expansion pack, the platform continues to add classic Mario party games instead. Though the console's games are widely considered much easier than the N64 or Super Nintendo's titles, it still had its fair amount of shockingly tricky games.
With advancements in technology on the rise, developers for the GameCube found ways to extend replay value by innovating advanced difficulty that wouldn't quite have player surrendering early on, like many did when it came to games like Castlevania 64. Old-school gamers continue to test their abilities against their favorite tricky nostalgia traps.
Star Wars Rogue Squadron II: Rogue Leader
Star Wars Rogue Squadron II: Rogue Leader was one of the GameCube's launch titles that has aged like a fine wine; its visuals are still impressive, and it remains a stellar title in the Rogue Squadron series. Its realism won fans over quickly with its first-person point of view and a great balance of reliable controls and intense gameplay.
On the other hand, the game hasn't become easier overt time. Battleship combat while flying the X-Wing is complicated and difficult to navigate. The stakes being high nearly every moment are enough to give anyone a teeth-grinding experience, especially new players. Putting reflexes to the test isn't all, Rogue Squandron II's confusing structures make for an even trickier learning curve.
Super Smash Bros. Melee
Though playing against friends in a casual setting is easy enough, facing the competitive side of Super Smash Bros. Melee is anything but a walk in the park. The extremely fast-paced mechanics and movement of a match are something that players are still training to master 20 years later.
Even facing one of Nintendo's best Easter eggs, Master Hand, can be a real handful if a player is unfamiliar with its movements. The game's single-player modes like skill challenges and campaign battles were harder yet, throwing the player into harsh situations with mighty foes, all too eager to knock them out. Lastly, the highest-difficulty CPUs are insanely sharp and make any casual player look like a fool quite easily.
Splinter Cell
Splinter Cell has long needed a Hollywood reboot, and an animated series is coming to Netflix (via Twitter). However, any adaptation can't possibly describe how difficult the game could truly be. The award-winning game was a critical success that helped to create the modern stealth genre and had some pretty eye-catching graphics.
Despite being one of the GameCube's best games, it is also one of its toughest. Playing the normal mode is already nail-biting with players having to sneak by deadly enemies. Meanwhile, Splinter Cell's hard mode was truly impossible to beat as not only did foes have increased health, but they could even survive a frag grenade to the face.
Mega Man Network Transmission
A game that's as hellish as it is frustrating, Mega Man Network Transmission stays true to the series with its appearance and gameplay. Only this time, the game's cheap tricks are turned up another notch.
While playing the game, there is virtually no consistency in every level, meaning a player's reaction time must always be on a dime, and strategizing becomes a giant pain. Mega Man's foes in the game are also quite obtrusive throughout each level, pulling cheap moves to offset the fragile balance of the player.
Resident Evil Zero
The Resident Evil series wouldn't be the same without its arduousness and the scarcity of resources, but Resident Evil Zero's Hard mode poses a huge challenge when compared to its normal difficulty. Even with the game's most overpowered weapons, playing this mode doesn't get much easier, since the player must conserve ammunition or die trying.
Luckily, the player can survive Resident Evil Zero's onslaught by only killing enemies if need be and dodging as much as possible. However, the brutal gameplay doesn't stop there, since players must also be able to crack mind-bending puzzles that are enough to make a patient man rage-quit.
Chaos Field
An oddball vertical shooter, Chaos Field is filled to the brim with boss fights that easily overwhelm the player. Coming from the not-so-simple genre of bullet hell shooters, it's only expected that the game would pose a challenge for both lovers of the genre and newbies alike.
Casual shooter players wouldn't last more than a couple of minutes before taking a break to catch their breath, but veteran players are able to play the game for an hour. Though most of Chaos Field's mechanics are impressively entertaining, it has the ability to make a hardcore gamer feel like it's their first time picking up a controller.
F-Zero GX
The futurist racing game F-Zero GX has one of the most unforgiving story modes of any GameCube game, casual gamers finding it impossible to beat. As the player races across winding tracks with sharp turns and unbelievably formidable A.I. opponents, one wrong move will send them to the back of the line.
On the hardest difficulty, the sheer aggression of these A.I. ultra-speed racers could make a player cry, specifically when trying to complete objectives while the player is pushed to beyond their limits. To defeat Captain Falcon's rival and the epitome of evil Black Shadow, the Blood Flacon must not go below 700 km/h, or a bomb strapped to the underside of the vehicle will detonate. On Very hard mode, the speed increases to 800 km/h, making it ridiculously challenging to cross the finish line unscathed.
Super Monkey Ball 2
On the surface, the Super Monkey Ball franchise looks to be a cute game about monkeys that anyone can play, but things aren't always as they seem. While its predecessor was no pushover when it came to crazy courses, Super Monkey Ball 2 takes the cake as the hardest one of the entire series.
Mastering the slippery mechanics of the game may just be one of the biggest flexes of all time, especially considering the steep difficulty spikes and what really puts this on the list, the Master stages. Not only must players discover the optimal way to complete the course without falling out, but also have absolutely no room for error. On top of this, the game has 100 levels, then a challenge mode with 90 more, and each level is harder than the last.
Wario World
Wario World is a hidden gem of the GameCube that many Nintendo fans still can't get their hands on to this day. Those who played this back in the day (especially those who were children at the time) know that this game can be both indescribably difficult and yet still remain fun. The 3D platforming sections demanded a vigorous practice of strategy and mastery of the game's physics to consistently complete levels.
100% completing the game is one of the most difficult experiences on the GameCube for one reason: the platforming challenges. One slip-up on these levels meant having to restart the course all over again, which can be astoundingly mind-numbing after failing a considerable amount of times. This part of the game requires intricate precision to not fall from the very small running room the player is given, though only Wario's biggest fans played it to this degree.
Ikaruga
Largely considered a masterpiece bullet hell shooter, Ikaruga is unquestionably the absolute hardest game on the GameCube. Though, this isn't because of cheap tricks or wonky controls. No matter what difficult mode a player chooses, there's no way of stopping the oncoming onslaught of objects and enemy fire from colliding with their ship.
The game pushes players to have laser focus and lightning-fast reflexes just to stay alive, the unique dodging system taking everything to a new level of painstakingly challenging. The importance of choosing upgrades in the perfect order cannot be understated, since certain abilities are more useful sooner, rather than later. It's not to say that the game isn't an exhilarating experience, but has one of the most unbearable learning curves to ever grace the system.