The Nintendo GameCube: 20 Years Of Greatness.

Hey, everyone. Please indulge me for a few, I need to talk about what might be my favorite video game console of all time.

Ah.  The GameCube. The day was November 23rd, 2001. Just a few days after launch.

The hype for this thing was insane. I remember obsessively reading Nintendo Powers, EGMs, GamePros, and so on. My eyes would glaze over any mention of the word "Dolphin". I remember seeing it be revealed at Spaceworld 2000, and somehow, my hype for this thing bested when that of the Dreamcast.

That was a crazy day. I was able to get this  bad boy a few days after launch, it was the first console I bought with my own money, and it was a moment I still remember fondly. 

Needless to say, the GameCube had it rough during it's entire life. From the design, to the mediocre sales, to the games lineup being "too family friendly", the great reputation the purple lunchbox has now was something that was not a thing at all at the time. Right from the start, I was a GameCube guy. The Xbox and PS2 would come later, but many of the early games from those platforms didn't interest me at all. GCN had an absolutely banger first year in terms of exclusives, while the other two lagged behind. I felt confidence in my purchase, and this little thing rarely ever let me down. It was also an extremely experimental time for Nintendo, many of their core franchises went through big changes, and some of those are still being felt to this very day.

I'm gonna go through a few of my favorite experiences with the consoles today.

Wave Race Blue Storm:

I walked into a Walmart, cash in hand, and thanks to my parents, I was able to buy one game with it, that being Wave Race Blue Storm. I was huge fan of the original, the realism of the water physics, along with the right gameplay hooked me immediately. The sequel was no different, I loved the different personalities of the all of the racers, and the visuals were absolutely jaw-dropping at the time. I still go back and play this every now and then. It holds up just as well as the original, this went very underappreciated back in the day and I'm happy it's getting the recognition it deserves now. 

Super Monkey Ball:

During Christmas, I received four games. Super Monkey Ball, Rogue Squadron 2, Melee and Luigi's Mansion. I couldn't think of a better lineup to get my collection started. Thinking of those first 5 games, this is still probably my favorite of that group, by a tiny bit. Super Monkey Ball is just a game "Made for Zippo". Tight gameplay and controls, inventive level design, amazing visuals, amazing music and tons of replayability. It's a masterpiece and only the sequel has topped it in my opinion.

Luigi's Mansion: 

What a surprise this game was. Everyone was shitting on it back in the day for not being a platformer and not starting Luigi's big brother, but Luigi's Mansion didn't need either of those things. It's hilarious, unique, and charming in it's own right. It became a cult classic, and it's now become a big hit series of it's own. I can't wait to see what Next Level does next with this clever, inventive series. Oh, and yes, Luigi's Mansion is better than Mario Sunshine. It's not even close.

Star Wars Rogue Squadron 2:

Star Wars is in my blood, I was playing games based on the movies before I could even form words. This might actually be the game that sold me on a GameCube. You could swear it looked straight out of a New Hope, I'm not kidding. It helps that this game is fantastic. Coming off of their amazing N64 Star Wars games, Factor 5 was not fucking around.

Super Smash Bros. Melee:

Okay, correction, it was Melee AND Rogue Squadron 2 together that sold me on a GameCube. I mean, just look at this:

The jump in just two brief years was absolutely astounding.

Melee was everything the original Smash wanted to be and couldn't be. So many new characters, stages and items. I played this for thousands of hours, and my devotion to unlocking everything in it is almost unrivaled. Tight controls, the perfect amount of speed, it also has my favorite iterations of Fox, Peach, Ness and and many others. Melee was one of those games that became an experience, I'll cherish that forever.

Super Monkey Ball 2:

It's Super Monkey Ball, but better in every way. The level design was a huge improvement of something that was already stellar, it has the best visuals of any game in the series, as well as the best soundtrack. It's not even a contest in my opinion. Every new party game could be a whole game in itself. This somehow got released in 11 months. Eleven. Fucking. Months.  It doesn't get much better than Monkey Ball 2. The perfect sequel.

Soul Calibur 2:

Easy choice. This game has Link as an exclusive. If you picked the other versions, you picked wrong. Soul Calibur 2 is the best fighting game of that generations. I don't hesitate when it comes to making that statement. Bamco was able to perfect their fighting system in their third attempt. Tons of depth, content, and I never get tired of hearing that announcer.

The soul still burns.

Mario Power Tennis:

The GameCube is where Mario sports games went fucking all out. Each had their own personality to go with the tight gameplay, and I sunk a million hours into each with friends. Tons of content. I miss the kind of effort they put into these greatly. Absolutely love the opening intro. Still the best Mario Tennis game. 

Mario Superstar Baseball:

I'm not a Baseball guy, but holy shit. Mario Superstar Base... actually, fuck that, I'm gonna call it by it's true, proper, glorious Nippon name.

Super Mario Miracle Stadium Baseball is the rawest title of all time and you can't convince me otherwise. It helps that the game is absolutely amazing. It has a huge cast of characters, tons of content, and the tight gameplay continues to be a trend in these games. Bamco has been a strong partner of Nintendo's ever since this game released, and it's easy to see why. I'm very much looking forward to what they've got planned for the plumber next. This game's a home run.

Sonic Mega Collection:

Ahh...What hasn't been said about Sonic Mega Collection at this point? Are the better ways to play the classics nowadays? Yes? Has this collection been rendered irrelevant due to the past 20 years of new games? Yes.  Do I care? No. Mega Collection was a labor of love. The menus alone prove that they put tons of effort into the tiniest of things. From the presentation, to the games selection, to the absolutely incredible music that adorns every menu. It truly feels like a blast to the past. It's a perfect introduction to the classics for anyone looking to get into Sonic. This is my favorite game compilation of all time and nothing has come close in the two decades since.

Mario Party 7: 

Putting out it there now. Mario Party 7 is slept on, hard. I get the hesitation. Seven of these things? Four on the GameCube alone? Ugh. I was skeptical until I actually played it. It has the best boards. It has some of the best mini games of the entire series and it has the highest amount of new mini games ever, until Super hit the scene much later, It's also got the best soundtrack since the original. Four games of refinement really went a long way here. It's the secret best Mario Party, and I'm not joking. Pagoda Peak is an all time best Mario Party board. Mario Party went out with a bang on the purple lunchbox.

Viewtiful Joe:

This game is the definition of "Hidden Gem". What an awesome game. Hideki Kamiya put out another banger. When I think of "stylish beat em' ups", VJ is the first game I think of. Kamiya grew up as a huge fan of Kamen Rider, and it's easy to see the influence. The game is intuitive, easy to pick up, and incredibly rewarding to replay. Joe is easily one of Capcom's best protagonists. Bring this back, Capcom. Please!

Star Fox Assault:

Going to say something unpopular here. I love this game. It gets an unfair rap just because of the on foot sections, but I actually quite like them. The Landmaster is also a treat and I love that you got full control over it. The best part of the game remains the Arwing only levels, and those are absolutely fantastic, on par with 64's best, if I'm being honest. The more I replay this game, the more I enjoy it, Assault is a super underrated game that I'm glad more are starting appreciate. This game is absolutely based and I'm not going to hide this anymore. Multiplayer for this game is also a blast, and that fully orchestrated soundtrack. Oh my word.

Billy Hatcher And The Giant Egg:

From the minds of Sonic Team, this is actually one clever, inventive 3D platformer. It plays nothing like Sonic, and that's a good thing. It's got it's annoying moments for sure. But the controls are really solid and rolling the eggs around feels surprisedly natural. This is another hidden gem that I recommend trying.

Metroid Prime 2 Echoes:

This is the game that proved that Retro Studios first attempt was not a fluke, and that they had a winning formula. Prime 2's world is far more interesting than it's predecessors', by a wide margin. It's also a lot more challenging, which I appreciate. While Prime 1 is a better game, Prime 2 comes very fucking close, and that's an achievement.

F-Zero GX:

Another fantastic F-Zero game, this time brought to you by the developers of Monkey Ball. Absolute buttery smooth controls, amazing track design, tons of content, but brutally difficult. F-Zero may be gone (for now) but it went out on consoles with a sonic boom.

Kirby Air Ride:

Sakurai's final Kirby game was one hell of a way to bow out. It turned the racing the genre on its head, and there's not a single  negative in that statement. It took a while to get the hang of, but when you do, Air Ride just "clicks". There's way more content there then you'd expect. City Trial is hands down one of the best modes on any game, ever. It could be it's own game. This game is begging for a sequel. 

SSX On Tour:

The SSX series just didn't miss back in the day. The first game, Tricky and 3 are all incredible games, but I think On Tour might be my favorite of the four games. The gameplay was just fine tuned to near perfection by the fourth entry, and bonus of having Mario, Luigi and Peach playable just meant this was instant buy. I play this every Winter, and that isn't changing anytime soon.

Super Mario Strikers:

Super Mario Strikers might actually be my favorite Mario sports game of all time. I can't think of a soccer game that controls tighter or has the frentic pace of Strikers. The game also just oozes 00's charm. Nothing sums up 2005 to me more than Strikers. The Mario characters haven't been this full of personality since then. Mario sports games peaked in 2005. 

Also, shoving your opponents into an electric fence and hearing them scream in agony. Nothing, and I mean, nothing feels more satisfying.

Mario Kart Double Dash!!

Wow. What to even say about this game. I'm gonna upset some people, but sorry, I am indeed a Double Dash Stan. This was the Mario Kart I played the most before 8 came along. I think it's an absolutely amazing racer. I think it controls the best of the older MKs by a wide margin, and I love the boost and drift system of this one. The two character mechanic actually adds quite a lot of depth and strategy to how races play out. This also has many of my favorite MK courses. Baby Park, Waluigi Stadium, Wario Colosseum and Rainbow Road are all in my top 10. After 8 Deluxe, this is my favorite Mario Kart, and I stand firm on that.

The Legend Of Zelda: Wind Waker:

I've already talked about this one before, but here's a cliff notes version. I absolutely adore Wind Waker to bits, flaws and all. It's my favorite 3D Zelda. It has the best story of any Zelda, some of the best bosses, and it's visuals haven't aged a day since release. The HD remaster is even better. I'm extremely happy that it's finally getting the love it deserves, because Wind Waker was the game to cement my belief that video games are art pieces of art.

Metroid Prime:

8 long years of absence after one of the greatest games of all time is a long time, but the wait was well worth it. Samus made her 3D debut in 2002, and the result is one of the greatest games of all time. It's also one of my all time favorites. This game is a masterpiece, top to bottom. I find so little to complain about it that if I did, it would just be the most minor of nitpicks. I'm absolutely waiting on pins and needles for this remaster to be announced. Game Awards? 

Sorry, Resi 4. Metroid Prime is the best game on the GameCube, and I'll die on that hill. 

Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door:

I'll say this, Thousand Year Door was a huge surprise for me. I did not like the original Paper Mario, and I still am not fond of it. This game, however, blew me way. I played nothing else for days upon days. I was enamoured and stunned with how much the game hooked me. The writing is sharp and doesn't miss a single time throughout. The battle system is a huge improvement over the original, and I absolutely love how customizable Mario is in this one. It has one of my all time favorite cast of characters, and this is someone who's played Final Fantasy VI and Crono Trigger a million times. Each party member brings something new, gameplay and story. Bowser continues to be a highlight of these games. Even Luigi is used fairly well here. It features easily some of the best villains in any Mario game. The Shadow Queen might be the best final battle in any, and I mean any, Mario game, and there's some stiff competition with that statement. This is another all time favorite for me. I get why Intelligent Systems stopped making these, it's like they knew Thousand Year Door couldn't be topped. Masterpiece.

So yeah, that was my list of personal favorite GameCube games. Everyone's lists are going to be different, but that was mine. I can't explain how much this little purple thing means to me. This console has genuinely changed my life and I'm happy this was one the one I chose. What a console. Oh, and Mario Sunshine is a bad game.

#BringbackGeist

Thanks for reading, stay warm and safe.