Compact and endearing, the GameCube hides an exceptional library: Metroid Prime, Resident Evil 4, The Wind Waker, Super Smash Bros. Melee, Pikmin. This Top 50 gathers the console's best, re-tested and re-ranked by RomWize, each title with its re-evaluated score, its versions, their rarity and their collector value — a favourite hunting ground for collectors.
"The first Western Animal Crossing, a real oddity in the GameCube library. Quiet village life, a Tom Nook mortgage to repay, letters, fishing, fossils and lovable neighbours. The kind of game that slowly settles into your daily routine. Unmatched in its niche."
"A unique Mario Kart with two drivers per kart and item swapping mechanics. Speed more measured than today's entries but the level design is top-notch and local multiplayer is a riot. The only Mario Kart with built-in co-op, an experiment never repeated. Essential GameCube cart."
"EA Sports Big snowboarding at its peak, a huge open mountain to ride down. Acrobatic tricks, vertical races and a devastating hip-hop vibe. Arguably the most complete entry in the series and one of the best snow sports games ever. A real time capsule."
"Expanded port of Skies of Arcadia, Overworks' cult Dreamcast JRPG. Sky pirates, flying ships and polished turn-based battles, plus the radiant hero Vyse. Random encounters pile up but the journey remains one of the genre's finest. Worth diving in without hesitation."
"Further expanded Japanese reissue of Animal Crossing, with e-Reader support for special cards. Even more content, bundled NES mini games, events galore. Likely the most complete take on the GameCube entry. For dedicated fans."
"Miyamoto turns to RTS and crafts a singular gem. Tiny Pikmin to command across a giant garden, vital time management and a tiny, tender art direction. A genuine new Nintendo saga, short but unforgettable."
"More ambitious sequel, the time limit is gone, replaced by underground dungeons and co-op. Wider Pikmin roster, more generous staging and double the length. Arguably the series peak until Pikmin 4, a feast pad in hand."
"Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3, the classic formula at its peak. Iconic open levels, perfect controls and a cult skate-rock soundtrack. For many the high point of the Pro Skater run, to savour pad in hand without restraint. Pure nostalgia."
"Ubisoft Montreal's revival of Prince of Persia. Fluid acrobatics, a dagger of time that rewinds, Arabian Nights writing. Sumptuous art direction and levels staged like ballets. An absolute masterpiece of adventure platforming."
"Free Radical Design sequel that lays down the TS formula, with mad local multiplayer and a multi-era campaign. Far more polish than the first entry and more generous modes. A notch below Future Perfect but already a great arcade FPS of the generation."
"Follow-up to the first SSX that pushes both tracks and personalities. Wilder tricks, more generous courses and a rock-electro-hip-hop cocktail soundtrack. Not yet SSX 3 but already a great snow ride that screams early 2000s. Lovely to revisit."
"Intelligent Systems push Paper Mario higher, a paper-craft RPG that is both hilarious and moving. Playful turn-based combat, varied partners and pin-sharp writing. Arguably the peak of the sub-series, an essential discovery."
"Direct sequel that extends THPS3's peak formula. Even sneakier levels, expanded career mode and a soundtrack still tailored to the genre. No revolution but a sublimation of the series' best. An ideal gift for skate-golden-age nostalgics."
"Second EA Sports Big street basketball entry, calmer than V3. Spectacular tricks already well-honed, decent career mode and efficient local multiplayer. Without the next one's flair, still a solid arcade basketball game. Nice to dust off."
"A multiplayer-focused WarioWare microgame compilation on GameCube. Wild idea, execution dead-on with the series spirit, short and hilarious rounds. Not the deepest entry but the couch vibe is unbeatable. A small gem barely known in Europe."
"GameCube port of Code Veronica X, the expanded version of the Dreamcast original. Dense adventure between prison and Antarctica, story shedding light on the Ashford family. Beautiful fixed-camera shots and well-paced survival action. An excellent chapter, often underrated."
"Vivendi and Swingin' Ape Studios third-person shooter with a robot hero. Sharp humour, varied level design, effective gunplay and above-average writing for the genre. Short but a real treat, a genuine catalogue surprise. Well worth digging out of storage."
"Amusement Vision balance puzzle in clear marbles. Tilt the stage to roll the ball, levels of mad precision and lovely multiplayer mini games. A successful bet from the Yakuza fathers, harder and smarter than it looks."
"DK on conga branding, yet played entirely with the regular pad. Explosive direction, musical pacing, short but dense levels. A real hidden gem from the GameCube's twilight."
"More generous sequel with an adventure storyline added and fresh mini games. The fearsome difficulty stays, stages still sadistically well-designed. Arguably the best Super Monkey Ball on the machine, an easy recommend. A genuinely great challenge."
