x. Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance (GCN)

Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance (GCN) Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance (GCN)

Publisher: Nintendo / Developer: Intelligent Systems

Release Engagement: 17th October 2005 (Us) / 4th Nov 2005 (United kingdom of great britain and northern ireland/EU)

Despite having a prestige and being adored past those in the know, it was arguably non until Fire Emblem: Awakening on 3DS that the mainstream woke upward to the turn-based delights of Intelligent Systems' SRPG series. For anyone whowas a fan back in 2005, this GameCube game - but the 3rd entry to exist localised for the west - introduced 3D visuals to the strategy series as well as protagonist Ike who would go on to join the fight in Super Blast Bros. Ball and gain notoriety there before returning in the Wii sequel to this game, Fire Keepsake: Radiant Dawn.

9. Skies of Arcadia Legends (GCN)

Skies of Arcadia Legends (GCN) Skies of Arcadia Legends (GCN)

Publisher: SEGA / Developer: SEGA

Release Date: 27th January 2003 (USA) / 23rd May 2003 (UK/EU)

If in that location was a positive to Dreamcast's untimely demise, it was that other consoles benefited from Sega'southward misfortune. A port of the Dreamcast original, Skies of Arcadia Legends was fabricated by Sega studio Overworks, a starry team of Sega veterans, and was billed equally a 'director'south cut' of the turn-based JRPG. With minor improvements across the board, Skies of Arcadia made exploration a cardinal part of the gameplay every bit opposed to other games in the genre and fans have been calling for a mod remaster of air pirate Vyse's adventures for a long time, although it's failed to materialise. Until information technology does, the GameCube is the all-time way to revisit Arcadia.

viii. The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess (GCN)

The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess (GCN) The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess (GCN)

Publisher: Nintendo / Developer: Nintendo EAD

Release Date: 11th Dec 2006 (USA) / 15th Dec 2006 (U.k./EU)

The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess took the series back to an art style closer to Ocarina of Time, admitting a little earthier and manifestly benefiting from the power of the 'Cube. For many fans it was the 'realistic' Zelda they'd been pining for after Nintendo took a left turn with The Current of air Waker's cel-shading, and although it didn't quite strike all the right notes (the 3D Zelda formula was starting to become a footling long in the tooth at this stage), it all the same features some breathtaking dungeons, memorably oddball characters and a unique temper.

Setting a precedent that Nintendo would later repeat with Jiff of the Wild, Twilight Princess straddled generations, bookending the GameCube and launching the Wii with some added waggle and widescreen. The Wii version flipped the earth, though, reversing the map and it was the GameCube geography that was used when Midna and the Twilight Realm got an Hd remaster on Wii U (as did Wind Waker).

7. Super Nail Bros. Melee (GCN)

Super Smash Bros. Melee (GCN) Super Smash Bros. Melee (GCN)

Publisher: Nintendo / Programmer: HAL Laboratory

Release Appointment: second Dec 2001 (USA) / 24th May 2002 (UK/Eu)

At that place'southward a reason that to this daySuper Boom Bros. Melee has a dedicated hardcore following in the fighter community - it's a brilliant local multiplayer brawler that sanded the crude edges off the N64 original, added a metric ton of content and arguably feels the most balanced of all entries in the series. Nail would continue to balloon from here on out, simply at that place's an elegance and purity to the GameCube iteration that makes information technology worth revisiting if yous're knee-deep inBlast Bros. Ultimate and want to endeavour a unlike flavour of superstar brawling.

6. The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Fourth dimension / Master Quest (GCN)

The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time / Master Quest (GCN) The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time / Master Quest (GCN)

Publisher: Nintendo / Developer: Nintendo EAD

Release Date: 17th Feb 2003 (The states) / 3rd May 2003 (Britain/European union)

'Ura Zelda' - an expanded 'Second Quest' version of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time with remixed dungeon elements and other minor alterations - was planned for the ill-fated 64DD panel, but thank you to that organisation'due south commercial failure, it got shelved. Fortunately, GameCube owners would go the take chances to play it on this special disc that was available as a pre-order bonus with The Wind Waker(and was actually packaged in that game's box in some regions).

There'southward not much to say beyond the fact that information technology gave fans the take a chance to play previously-unreleased Zelda content, so no wonder information technology ranks so highly in GameCube owners' memories. A variation of the Principal Quest was afterward fabricated bachelor in Grezzo'southward Ocarina port on 3DS, merely this is the only mode to play it with those classic N64 visuals (albeit with the resolution doubled on GameCube compared to the 64-bit original).

5. The Legend of Zelda: Collector's Edition (GCN)

The Legend of Zelda: Collector's Edition (GCN) The Legend of Zelda: Collector's Edition (GCN)

Publisher: Nintendo / Developer: Nintendo Software Technology

Release Date: 17th Nov 2003 (USA) / 14th Nov 2003 (UK/EU)

A promotional disc that was bundled with hardware or fabricated bachelor in a variety of ways to GameCube players across the globe, information technology'southward hard to argue with the quality of the games on offering. It contains the original Legend of Zelda and Zelda II for NES as well as the N64 entries Ocarina of Fourth dimension and Majora'south Mask. The emulation of the latter two wasn't perfect, but equally a means of playing past Zeldas on your shiny new GameCube for the pleasing entry cost of $0, it was a very fine collection indeed.

4. Metroid Prime (GCN)

Metroid Prime (GCN) Metroid Prime (GCN)

Publisher: Nintendo / Developer: Retro Studios

Release Date: 17th Nov 2002 (USA) / 21st Mar 2003 (Britain/European union)

Metroid Prime number is the kind of game that people say 'shouldn't' have worked. Despite finding the 2D centre of both the Mario and Zelda franchises and transplanting them into 3D, somehow at that place was extreme scepticism that it could likewise exist done with the Metroid series besides. Peradventure it was because 2nd-party studio Retro Studios was at the captain rather than Shigeru Miyamoto and his band of wizards at Nintendo HQ, simply Retro managed to produce i of the finest games on the system, or indeed any system.

The design, extraordinary atmosphere and sense of exploration and progression of the 2D games all transfer incredibly well into a first-person shooter and while the Wii version might have added the pointer control scheme of Metroid Prime 3: Corruption, in that location'south still something to be said for experiencing the original using the controller it was designed for. With Metroid Prime four in evolution for Switch, now is a great time to rediscover the original and what fabricated it so great.

iii. The Legend of Zelda: The Air current Waker (GCN)

The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker (GCN) The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker (GCN)

Publisher: Nintendo / Developer: Nintendo EAD

Release Date: 24th Mar 2003 (U.s.) / 2d May 2003 (Great britain/European union)

Given the 'Cel-da' controversy that fated the game at its initial reveal, it's fitting that The Wind Waker has come to be so loved and admired over fourth dimension. Where other games of the era struggle nether the weight of modern high-definition scrutiny, Toon Link'south maiden voyage looks almost as fresh as the day we get-go set out from Outset Isle to discover what had happened to the Hyrule we once knew.

It's non without flaws (and the Hd remake on Wii U addressed many of them) simply thinking dorsum, we don't really remember the repetitive air current conducting, the infamous Triforce shard hunt or Tingle's body of water chart extortion. No, information technology's the rainbow colours of the tempestuous bounding main, the breezy panpipes of Dragon Roost and the salty self-reflection our voyages brought about that stick in the memory. Beneath the surface, it'south very much a continuation of the 3D Zelda template laid downwardly in Ocarina of Time, merely there's undeniable magic in The Wind Waker, and in spite of its imperfections, its still one of our very favourites of the serial.

ii. Resident Evil 4 (GCN)

Resident Evil 4 (GCN) Resident Evil 4 (GCN)

Publisher: Capcom / Programmer: Capcom

Release Date: 11th Jan 2005 (Usa) / 18th Mar 2005 (Great britain/Eu)

Resident Evil 4 was a watershed moment for survival horror Capcom's series. Shedding the genre-defining fixed-camera gameplay of the previous titles, it traded a little of that survival horror for a boatload of tight, tense action and not simply revitalised the series, but set up the pattern for a decade of third-person actions games. So brilliant was RE4 that it'south taken until relatively recently for the serial to escape its shadow.

The game was designed with Nintendo's hardware in mind and despite going on to announced on practically every other home console produced since the GameCube, the original organisation isstill ane of the all-time places to play it, with the GameCube controller marrying the design perfectly (although the contempo Switch version isn't bad, either). The series has had its ups and downs like any other, simply it'due south difficult to argue that RE4 isn't the best it's always been.

one. Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door (GCN)

Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door (GCN) Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door (GCN)

Publisher: Nintendo / Developer: Intelligent Systems

Release Appointment: 11th Oct 2004 (United states of america) / 12th Nov 2004 (UK/Eu)

The ability of GameCube enabled greater fidelity of its paper-based art way than the original, but otherwise Paper Mario: The Thousand-Twelvemonth Door stuck closely to the original'due south blueprint. It's a wonderfully colourful run a risk packed with clever callbacks to the portly plumber'due south history and the same irreverent spirit which makes then many Mario RPGs refreshingly different from the mascot's platformers. Where other entries accept dropped the ball in an surface area or two, Thousand-Year Door gets everything right; plot, writing, battles, presentation - the lot. Prices for a GameCube disc--notwithstanding the merely manner to play--have skyrocketed in recent years and given the quality, it'southward non difficult to run across why. Treasure your re-create if you've got ane, and perhaps lend it to a trusted friend who never visited the town of Rogueport.

How's that for a slice of fried gold? Disagree with the ranking? Well, you can practise something about it by rating your favourites — call back this list is fluid and subject to change, so exist sure to cheque back every now and so as information technology refines over fourth dimension. Until then, bank check out our Hardware Classics feature on the GameCube for a cursory history of the console and then scissure out the Wavebirds and enjoy some of the beauties on this list.