The Best GameCube Games, Ranked

The GameCube was discontinued in 2007, but that hasn’t stopped fans from obsessively searching for the best games in the system, whether to warm their sense of nostalgia or find a library to play on emulators. So, here you have it - the best GameCube games of all time, as voted by IGN’s staff. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=top-25-nintendo-gamecube-games&captions=true"] Click through the gallery above or scroll down for the full list!

25. Eternal Darkness: Sanity's Requiem

Told over the span of over 2000 years, Eternal Darkness features a woman named Alex trying to uncover the truth about her grandfather’s mysterious murder. What follows is a series of flashbacks, that each explores different events that have occurred in the house over the last couple of centuries. It’s incredible to relive these moments and see the house evolve over time; Eternal Darkness: Sanity's Requiem was an inspiration to games like What Remains of Edith Finch.

24. WarioWare, Inc.: Mega Party Games!

If you haven't played a WarioWare game before, WarioWare, Inc.: Mega Party Games! is a great place to start. The basic premise is that Wario, in his newly-defined role as cheeseball game-making antagonist, has created over 200 "microgames" that you have to learn and master in just a few seconds each. They are thrown at you in quick, randomized succession, and range from cool NES Zelda and Mario-inspired challenges to goofy anime jokes -- and there's a *lot* of nose-picking. Sometimes dismissed as a port of WarioWare from the Game Boy Advance to the GameCube, WarioWare, Inc.: Mega Party Games! added one very important element: fun multiplayer. It's the best multiplayer the WarioWare series has to offer to-date, with the Wii version, WarioWare: Smooth Moves, a clear runner up.

23. Luigi's Mansion

The original Luigi's Mansion managed to evoke a genuinely spooky aesthetic while never losing the humor and charm that comes with such a scared protagonist as Luigi. Add in a great loop of Luigi's ghost hunting gameplay, and it's no surprise Luigi's time in the spooky spotlight has led to an enduring franchise. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2019/09/14/luigis-mansion-speedrun-finished-in-1-hour-12-minutes-by-firedragon"]

22. Beyond Good & Evil

Beyond Good & Evil has so much going for it. Blending sci-fi with a sort of anti-corporate political vibe, Beyond Good & Evil also had remarkably layered stakes. It was visually stylish, and the gameplay was always fun whether you were in combat, traveling in your hovercraft, sorting out a puzzle or photographing wildlife. The latter mechanic has been in a plethora of games since then, but it still hasn't been beaten in terms of how satisfying it felt to "get the shot".

21. Skies of Arcadia: Legends

Skies of Arcadia Legends was somewhat derided at the time of release for not being enough of a graphical improvement over the Dreamcast original, but the GameCube version improves upon the original in meaningful ways by replacing some of the more grindy elements with new features and things to discover. What really stands out about Skies of Arcadia is the sense of exploration and discovery you feel when traversing the world in your airship. Skies may not have ranked among the best-selling RPGs of all time, but it most certainly made an impact on anyone lucky enough to have experienced it.

20. Killer7

In an era where spacious 3D platformers packed with collectibles and sprawling open-world action games were really hitting their stride, Suda51’s narrow, on-rails, and completely bonkers Killer7 was an anomaly. A game where seven serial killers (all of which were different personalities inside of the mind of one man) traversed a stylish, haunting world in search of assassination targets seemed wildly out of place on the upbeat and saccharine GameCube library. But despite being bloody, violent, and full of filthy words you’d never hear Mario, Zelda, or a bunch of Pikmin say, Killer7 is so unique and special that it was instantly loved by tons of Nintendo fans at the time, many of which are still begging for a modern port or remake of the game on Nintendo Switch. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2018/12/31/killer7-2005-vs-2018-comparison-trailer"]

19. Resident Evil

[widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=every-ign-resident-evil-game-review-ever&captions=true"] REmake is so good that Capcom has re-released it on seven different platforms and likely inspired Capcom to continue revisiting early entries in the series, like the incredible 2019 Resident Evil 2 and the upcoming Resident Evil 3 Remake. The improvements over RE's original release are remarkable, while still capturing the original's fun puzzles, interesting environments, and ever-present sense of dread that the early Resident Evil games really mastered.

18. Metal Gear Solid: Twin Snakes

While they might have added a few too many flips for its own good, the GameCube remake of the original Metal Gear Solid, now called Twin Snakes, remains - much like the remake of the original Resident Evil - a great example of why it's worth revisiting an old game on new hardware. New gameplay elements from the MGS sequels, including improved enemy AI and first-person aiming, breathed new life into Snake's trek through Shadow Moses, and brought the Metal Gear series to a whole new fanbase - flips and all.

17. Metroid Prime 2 Echoes

Metroid Prime 2: Echoes built upon the eerie 3D worlds introduced in the first Metroid Prime, continuing Samus’ story in first person on a brand new planet torn apart by light and shadow - giving off some serious Link to the Past vibes. More than anything else, Echoes gave us Samus’ most formidable opponent - a mirror version of herself that would come to be known as Dark Samus. The Metroid Prime sequel also gave us a better look at the universe of the series, letting players finally see the Federation, and pitting her against alien threats besides just metroids and space pirates in a radically diverse planet full of wonder.

16. Ikaruga

In 2003, a two-year old port of a Japanese-only arcade game probably seemed like a strange release for the GameCube. Ikaruga’s polarity mechanic made it an elegant, elevated shoot ‘em up that required some thinking along with the usual fast reflexes. While every other arcade shooter required you to dodge bullets, Ikaruga invited you to embrace them (half of them anyway) and felt revelatory for it. Almost twenty years later, our frothing demand for Ikaruga’s smart arcade thrills persists.

15. Pikmin

Pikmin had that unquantifiable Nintendo magic from its first entry. Captain Olimar's timed adventure to escape a planet home to the adorable Pikmin and also many terrifying, hungry monsters is a fantastic blend of art design, unique RTS gameplay mechanics, and charming characters in its sweet, powerful hordes of Pikmin. What makes the original entry truly a joy to master is its 30-day time limit to succeed. There's inherent replayability to trying to master Pikmin's objectives in as quick a cadence as possible, but even only taking a crack at Olimar's journey one time leads to a beautiful blend of exploration, strategy, and giant Duracell batteries.

14. Viewtiful Joe

While the 3D action genre had thrived on other consoles with games like Devil May Cry, Ninja Gaiden, and God of War leading the charge, the pinnacle of the 2D action genre could be found right on the GameCube. Its clever implementation of movie-inspired powers gifted Viewtiful Joe with a one-of-a-kind feel, as you would alternate between slow-mo, to slow down and reflect bullets; fast-mo, to punch so fast that you would ignite flammable objects; and a zoom-in effect, to increase the damage you would deliver for each punch. The interplay between these three special VFX powers, in addition to the many purchasable and upgradeable skills that Joe could acquire, made for an unforgettable experience that to this day is still unlike anything else out there.

13. Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door

Mario has had several RPG iterations in his many years out in the field, but the Paper Mario franchise may be one of its most inventive. The consistently funny, punny, and smart writing of The Thousand Year Door elevates what began in Nintendo 64's Paper Mario to an all-time classic RPG experience. The great turn-based combat returns alongside a fantastic ensemble, beautifully imagined and designed worlds, and self-aware storytelling that stands apart from Mario's many other adventures.

12. Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance

Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance was the series' first foray onto a home console in the west, allowing it to mix complex 3D maps with sublime 2D artwork and character portraits. Missions were tactically diverse and challenging - from stealthy prison breaks to castle sieges. Unlike most other entries in the franchise that centered around noble lords, Path of Radiance allowed players to view a complicated war between countries through the eyes of Ike, a brash and no-nonsense mercenary. Its unique story presentation deftly explored themes of prejudice between humans and the shape-shifting beast-folk known as laguz, as well as political subterfuge, war-time propaganda, and even slavery. As an added bonus, you could also transfer your data to the sequel on the Wii - Radiant Dawn - to further boost your army in their next adventure.

11. Soulcalibur 2

When Soulcalibur 2 appeared on both the GameCube, PS2, and Xbox, players on each console got their own guest fighter. PlayStation had Tekken’s Heihachi, and Xbox had comic book anti-hero Spawn… but really, it was no contest, because Nintendo had the hero of Hyrule, Link.