The best GameCube games that still hold up today

The sixth generation of video game consoles created some of the best memories of all time. Xbox fans were introduced to Halo meanwhile PlayStation fans were introduced to God of War.

Conversely, GameCube gamers were introduced to some of the best non-rated M games of all time. Whether it be Mario in his many outings or Link saving the world, the GameCube had a lot of hit titles. Said hit titles still hold up after all this time. Today, we’re going to look back at a few of those that really solidified the GameCube as a sleeper platform.

Here are five of the best GameCube games that still hold up to this very day.

Resident Evil 4

It wouldn’t be a proper GameCube list if Resident Evil 4 wasn’t on the list. Arguably one of the best survival-horror titles of all time, Resident Evil 4 changed the genre forever. It may seem crazy to think, but this game did release first on GameCube back in 2005.

There are so many different things you could say about this game, but the first thing that comes to mind is playability. You could play this game on any platform, and it still holds up phenomenally.

Well, okay, after playing the newer iterations the “standstill” combat is a little boring. However, if you can look past that, every other aspect is superb. Experience the game that “started” it all in Resident Evil 4.

Mario Kart: Double Dash

So I know this list specifically mentions Mario Kart: Double Dash, but you could literally throw any of the racer games in there. You’d still get the same result. Mario Kart and any Mario-related game will always hold up pretty well. You could go back with a group of friends and play the game until the wheels fall off.

Mario Kart is always a great time. Double Dash in particular let players have two character rides which was a pretty unique innovation. Like I mentioned though, Mario Kart is always fun as long as you’re not overly competitive. Nobody likes an angry driver in a kids’ game.

Super Mario Sunshine

Mario is the glue that kept the Nintendo GameCube together. Super Mario Sunshine was a big deal when it was released back in 2002. It was only the second 3D iteration of the plumber after Super Mario 64.

Going off of that, Sunshine introduced Mario with a backpack full of water, and it turned out pretty dang well. Boasting some of the best water physics to date, Sunshine was a different experiment but it worked introducing themes and characters that are still popular to date.

As you can imagine, any Mario-based game holds up pretty well no matter how long it’s been. When Mario doesn’t have his bag full of water, it’s another Mario game, and they’re always good. All hail Mario.

The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker

2002 was a great year for Nintendo fans. Super Mario Sunshine brought the shine in July 2002, and then Wind Waker blitzed the gaming world in December.

Releasing to critical acclaim, Wind Waker was a bold new direction when it came to the Legend of Zelda series. Despite the mixed reception to the graphics, Wind Waker created a world that immersed the players for hours at a time. It sounds simple, but the stuff of this nature was unheard of at the time. To this day, everything that the critics loved still rings true.

The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker GameCube Gameplay –

Wind Waker is an immersive world full of great characters and plenty of things to do. Also, if we’re being honest, the art style is a really nice touch. It’s nice to find a game that looks this good without embracing a fully realistic art style.

Super Smash Bros. Melee

Listen, Mario has been the face of the Nintendo brand and this list. Everything and anything Mario-related still holds up to this day.

The same can be said about Super Smash Bros. Melee.

Boasting some of the best movement mechanics to date, Melee was the fighting game that started it all for some fans. It might sound weird to say, but this faster-fighting version of the brawler plays really well.

It also helps that this title gave life to the eventual competitive side of the game.

If you take anything from this list, always remember that Mario in any form is timeless.

Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door

Part RPG and part platformer, Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door fits right in with modern Mario games due to its edgy humor and unique graphics.

To this day, Thousand-Year Door is one of the most hilarious Mario games ever released, with moments like Koopa crying over Dry Bones while claiming it’s his father, or Bowser trying to flirt with a poster of Peach.

Despite the comedy, The Thousand-Year Door is also a very heartfelt game, with Mario attempting to rescue Princess Peach from a secret society. During his journey, Mario comes across Crystal Star artifacts that are linked to an ancient evil sealed deep below Rogueport. Quite dark.

The battles are improved from the Nintendo 64 Paper Mario game, and Mario has been given the power to fold into various paper shapes to help solve puzzles.This game feels immersive, creative, and offers a wide range of gameplay styles. It holds up very well among Nintendo GameCube games.

Luigi’s Mansion

Mario is always rescuing people, but now it’s Luigi’s turn — and he’s a bit of a wimp about it. In Luigi’s Mansion, the taller brother must find his way through a very haunted mansion with enemies like King Boo on the prowl. Players must use a flashlight and Poltergust 3000 vacuum to take down ghoulish baddies and find a way out.

Luigi’s Mansion takes on the survival horror genre with a lighthearted twist. It almost feels like a satire of the survival horror genre, but many parts of the game can be genuinely dark, foreboding, and downright creepy. The game does an excellent job with its atmosphere, sucking players in and causing little jump scares here and there.

The game is a bit short and uninvolved compared to the more recent Luigi’s Mansion titles. But it’s not bad for a game that started off as a tech demo.

Kirby Air Ride

This is a peculiar one because the game in itself isn’t actually that great — the controls in Kirby Air Ride are almost unbearable and the maps are simple to the point where you can literally stop touching any buttons and still be knocked around the track to the finish line. However, there’s a reason that Kirby Air Ride fans have continued to hold on to the game for decades: City Trial mode.

Kirby Air Ride is not a game that’s remembered for its gameplay — it’s remembered for being a fun game to play with friends, almost addictive in nature. It was fun in the early 2000s and it’s fun now. City Trial is a chaotic yet soothing time that is distinct from anything else in the game.

After all these years, there’s still no other game like it. The outcome of the City Trial mode really doesn’t matter. Nobody cares if they win the event after. Yet we’d keep playing over and over and over again.

Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles

Crystal Chronicles is another one of those games that has mixed reviews but is remembered fondly by many players, as the multiplayer mode is unquestionably great whether you were playing with friends back in the day or picking it up now.

While it has a bit of a different style than the usual Final Fantasy games, Crystal Chronciles is often praised for its beautiful visuals and whimsical atmosphere. Its dynamic, rich world pays homage to Final Fantasy heritage and it has an original story that drives players forward even as it keeps things simple.

Merging RPG elements with a multiplayer experience keeps players engrossed, eager to explore the stunning world and build up their characters in ways that reflect their own playing styles.

Mario Party 7

Ask any Mario Party group or forum, and you’re likely to hear the same thing — Mario Party 7 is one of the better titles in the long ongoing series. There are six new boards to play on here, plus a plethora of new mini-games hat offer a wide range of experiences to keep the classic concept fresh.

You’re all Nintendo characters that want to have fun until Bowser comes and disrupts the party; it’s nothing new, but Mario Party 7 makes it feel exciting and distinct thanks to its dynamic boards and bevy of new features. Each character has its own special items, adding to the strategy of the game, and players can even taunt each other when it’s not their turn, increasing the salt level of this party game.

Mario Party 7 also supported up to eight players, which raised the stakes and the fun for those that wanted to bring in more friends at the time. The single-player mode is noteworthy as well, making this an excellent addition to what can otherwise be a tired collection of games.