The Best GameCube Games to Buy
The GameCube sold far fewer consoles than the PS2, which is exactly why its best games are so fondly remembered: Nintendo's own studios were at their peak, and a handful of third-party games are still best played here. Every game below is in stock as we write this.
Two things to know. GameCube games save to a memory card in the front of the console, not to the system, so budget for one. And the original Wii (the models with GameCube controller ports under the top flap) plays GameCube discs too, with a GameCube controller and memory card.
Nintendo essentials
- Super Smash Bros. Melee: The Smash Bros. that competitive players never left. Fast, deep and best with four controllers.
- Zelda Wind Waker: A cel-shaded Zelda set on a great sea you sail between islands. Its art style has aged beautifully.
- Zelda Twilight Princess: A large, darker Zelda adventure in which Link transforms into a wolf. The GameCube version is the original orientation of the game world.
- Metroid Prime: Metroid in first person, with exploration and atmosphere that still impress.
- Paper Mario Thousand Year Door: One of the best-written RPGs Nintendo has made, with timed-hit battles and a sharp sense of humour.
- Super Mario Sunshine: Mario with a water-spraying backpack on a holiday island.
Best for multiplayer
- Mario Kart Double Dash: Two characters per kart, one driving and one throwing items, which makes co-op racing chaotic in the best way.
- Mario Party 4: The first Mario Party on GameCube; Mario Party 5, 6 and 7 followed with more boards and minigames.
- Kirby Air Ride: A simple racer whose City Trial mode is a cult favourite for four players.
- Soul Calibur II: A great 3D fighting game, and the GameCube version has Link as a guest fighter.
- The Simpsons Hit and Run: An open-world driving game in Springfield, full of jokes from the show.
Big adventures
- Tales of Symphonia: A long action RPG on two discs, with real-time battles and optional co-op.
- Resident Evil 4: The game that reinvented Resident Evil with an over-the-shoulder camera. It came out on GameCube first.
- Pikmin: Command a crowd of plant creatures to rebuild your ship. Pikmin 2 drops the time limit and adds two-player modes.
- Animal Crossing: Life in a small village that runs on the GameCube's clock. It needs a memory card with plenty of free space.
- Luigi's Mansion: Luigi hunting ghosts with a vacuum cleaner, and the GameCube's launch game.
Hidden gems
- Eternal Darkness: A horror game whose sanity meter messes with you as well as your character.
- Viewtiful Joe: A stylish, demanding side-scrolling action game from Capcom.
- F-Zero GX: Brutally fast futuristic racing, made with Sega's help.
- Sonic Adventure 2 Battle: Sonic's Dreamcast adventure brought to GameCube with an expanded two-player battle mode.
- Pokemon XD: Gale of Darkness: A full Pokémon RPG on a home console, built around rescuing Shadow Pokémon.
See everything in the GameCube collection, or the GameCube games under $20. Connecting a GameCube to a modern TV? Our TV connection guide covers it.
Every game is cleaned and tested and backed by our 1-year warranty, and orders of $50 or more ship free in the US. Prices follow the market, so the listing always shows today's price.
