The 5 Best Nintendo GameCube Games Of All Time Ranked

The Nintendo GameCube is one of my favourite video game consoles ever made. Nintendo released banger after banger for this system which makes it especially vexing that most of them haven’t been added to Nintendo Switch Online yet.

With such an impressive library of games, it’s hard to pick favourites, but if we had a gun to our heads, we’d pick these five below.

5. Chibi-Robo

A criminally underrated platformer that could have become so much more. It got sequels, sure, but it’s never felt like Nintendo has had any faith in poor Chibi-Robo’s potential.

The GameCube game follows a family that’s slowly falling apart, but when they purchase a brand-new Chibi-Robo helper, their lives change forever. During the day, you’ll clean up the house, chat with the family and amass Happy Points to rise through the ranks in order to become the most helpful Chibi-Robo model around.

At night, though the house’s toys come to life and have their own problems you need to assist with, and there’s even an alien invasion slowly taking place behind-the-scenes. It gets pretty wild.

If you want to play something totally bizarre and unlike any other game found on the GameCube, Chibi-Robo is one for you, and it’s currently available as part of your Nintendo Switch Online subscription on the Nintendo Switch 2.

4. Super Smash Bros Melee

Any list of Nintendo GameCube games simply isn’t complete without Super Smash Bros Melee, and it’s rather alarming we haven’t seen it added to Nintendo Switch Online yet.

Many would consider it to be the best Smash Bros game and while there’s certainly a case to be made for it there’s something special about every game in the series. It’s hard to pick just one.

Super Smash Bros Melee does have some of the best combat in the series though, which is why it’s still a popular choice for tournaments. It also has one of the coldest intros of any game ever made.

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We’d love to see this title return on the Nintendo Switch, especially if online multiplayer is possible. It feels like a no-brainer for Nintendo Switch Online but it’s looking more and more likely that it’ll be re-released at an additional cost, much like Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen.

3. Metroid Prime

Metroid Prime is the Halo: Combat Evolved of the Nintendo GameCube. Admittedly, its controls will feel jarring to new players, even those who have plenty of experience with first-person shooters, but once you get with its program, you won’t want to put it down.

It was quite a bold departure from the series’ norm, too. Previous Metroid games were presented in 2D and while several video game franchises had a rough transition to 3D Metroid Prime executed it flawlessly.

Grab a copy of Metroid Prime: Remastered for the Nintendo Switch/Nintendo Switch 2, pair a Pro Controller or perhaps the wireless GameCube controller and have yourself a jolly good time.

Had Metroid Prime 4: Beyond taken a few more pages out of the original’s book, perhaps it would have been a good game…

2. Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door

Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door isn’t just the best game in the Paper Mario series, it’s also one of the best RPGs ever made and we’ll die on that hill.

As a sequel to the first Paper Mario game on the Nintendo 64, it’s literally perfect. It was remastered for the Nintendo Switch but it really didn’t need it; the visuals have aged flawlessly.

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Where it really shines though is the combat. It’s one of the few turn-based games that should be recommended to all gamers, as you won’t find more engaging combat elsewhere. Everything feels fine-tuned for the best results and with a varied mix of companions, each with their own abilities and quirks. Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door is a GameCube all-star that deserves as much attention as possible.

While the original isn’t available via Nintendo Switch Online, you can play the re-release on the Nintendo Switch/Nintendo Switch 2 instead.

1. The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker

When the Nintendo GameCube was first shown off, there was a Legend of Zelda tech demo that was seared into the brains of all gamers who saw it. A tense confrontation between Link and Ganondorf showed us exactly what was possible in terms of GameCube graphics and animations, so imagine our surprise when we expected a dark and gritty Zelda game, only to get The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker instead.

It felt like complete tonal whiplash. Wind Waker was light, whimsical and very cartoonish, not at all like the tech demo we’d seen previously.

While we eventually got a darker take on Zelda with The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess, it’s probably safe to say that we ended up liking Wind Waker more.

Link was unleashed into a world of oceans, freely sailing between dozens of vibrant but perilous islands filled with secrets and treasures. The King of Red Lions and Tetra were great companions, and while the follow-ups on the Nintendo DS weren’t great, this title is still fondly remembered as one of the best Zelda games in the series. It’s also the best game on the Nintendo GameCube.

The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker is also available via Nintendo Switch Online for the Nintendo Switch 2.

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