Gamecube Favorites

[97thruhiker]

For those of you that have a Gamecube could you recommend some of your favorite games for that system.  I plan on getting a Wii when it comes out and I am looking at getting a dozen or so of the better gamecube games to supplement the couple of games I plan on getting at launch.

I have not had a new console in quite a while so I'm getting pretty keyed up for this.  As far as gamecube games go I plan on getting the following:

Super Monkey Ball
Resident Evil 4
Mario Kart Double Dash

I've never played the Gamecube beyond the demos at the store so if their are any other titles worth getting let me know.  In looking around EBGames many titles are now pretty cheap in the used market.  Thanks.

[rumpelstiltzkin]

Yes im glad your getting monkeyball its 1 of the best games of all time and totally the best game on the cube .I heard a lot of people saying monkeyball 2 was no good boy were they wrong its very near as good as monkeyball the perfect sequal really.Get to the goal as fast as you can if you hit any bannanas its a bonus your score will be big.Dont go around collecting all the bannanas and then go to the goal this is the kids way of playing and your score will be weak. Some of the mini games are good also in these games but if you just want 1 monkey ball the 1st one is the king.    Other games i still play are soulcalibur 2 its so good the way links in it. Ikarugas great but only if you want to play it properly and get big chains it also has good options menu. The enhanced version of ocornia of time + master quest is brilliant if you never played it on the 64. Super smash bros is great to. Warioware is good fun. Totally avoid mario sunshine its the worst mario ever i repeat totally avoid. Resident evil 4 is action packed very good. Mario kart is a bit chessy on the cube but its a  good multiplayer. f zero is good but like mario kart not as good as previous efforts in my opinion  made by av the guys behind the almighty monkeyballs. Metroid prime also not made by nintendo is brilliant especially the boss fights but avoid prime 2.         Most of the games that nintendo made were weak on the cube compared to the snes +64

[shmokes]

If I had to recommend fifteen games (since you say this is the first console you're getting in a long time I'll guess you don't have a PS2 or Xbox so I' won't stick to exclusives) I'd say:

Legend of Zelda: Windwaker
Resident Evil 4
Metroid Prime 1 & 2 (don't listen to rumplestiltzkin -- 2 is absolutely fantastic)
Eternal Darkness
Paper Mario
Star Wars Rogue Leader
Viewtiful Joe
Animal Crossing
Ikaruga
Splinter Cell 1-3
Prince of Persia 1-3
Super Smash Brothers
Tales of Symphonia


There are loads of others.  Fight Night, FIFA, SSX, Tony Hawk, Pikmin 2,  Harvest Moon, Monkey Ball, Time Splitters, Killer 7.  Too many good games to list.

[hypernova]

Legend of Zelda: Windwaker

If you've never played a Zelda game, this is NOT the one you want to start with.  Sailing sucks.  I can't bring myself to play this game again because of that reason.  (I read long ago that sailing only accounts for 12.5% of game time, not including side quests/extras.  Yet 1/8 of my time on a freaking boat, staring at a screen doing nothing is droll.  Oh, and that 12.5% is if you know where to go exactly, and take the straightest path possible.  The ocean is simply too large in that game.)  I want to play it again, but just thinking about that boat...

Also, I thought it needed 1 or 2 more full dungeons.  Majora's Mask on the 64 suffered the same pitfall, but made up some of that ground in complexity and size of the dungeons.  (The flippable one was truly outstanding.)

On that note, try getting the original+remake of Ocarina, and the Zelda collection as suggested above.  (Has Majora's Mask on it, along with the NES games.  Does NOT have the SNES one though.)

Both Metroids...if you liked any Metroid before, you should LOVE these.  Both are outstanding.  What's really nice is that Echoes' Aether/Dark Aether truly felt like an entirely different planet from Tallon IV.  Nothing felt recycled.  Different controller scheme only takes 5-10 minutes to adapt to.

Smash Bros.  If you like multiplayer beat-the-crap-out-of-each-other mayhem, this one tops them all.  Insane fun

Mario Sunshine.  Just a Mario 64 remake.  Not nearly as fun, with one exception.  The shadow Mario levels.  Rest felt like a chore.  Especially getting all the blue coins.  Even when you had an FAQ to find them all.  And one more thing.  Watermelon=frustration beyond anything you could believe.  How could something so seemingly simple on paper turn out to be so damned infuriating?

DO NOT BUY STAR FOX ADVENTURES!!!!  My vote for WORST.  GAMECUBE. GAME.  EVER.  First and only game I ever bought, then sold soon thereafter.
Didn't try Star Fox:  Assault yet. 

Mario Kart rocks.  Another good 4 player game.  It can be played online with the proper software and such I believe.

Which Mario Party?  Probably 5.  Haven't played 6, and while I like 7's idea of a departure from the normal party game, I thought they should've left the OPTION of a normal party game in there for all boards.

[shmokes]

I can see how a person would be put off by the sailing, but I actually found it fun.  Or soothing, or peaceful or something.  Whatever it was, I enjoyed the hell out of it.  I never felt like it was the slightest bit tedious.  Either way, though, even if you don't like the sailing, you will like the game.  You'll just like it, but wish it didn't have so much sailing, cos the rest is just damned good.

Be careful about Twilight Princess, though, if you don't like travel .  Rumor has it that it takes 45 real minutes, on horseback, to ride from one end of Hyrule to the other.

[hypernova]

Be careful about Twilight Princess, though, if you don't like travel .  Rumor has it that it takes 45 real minutes, on horseback, to ride from one end of Hyrule to the other.

I seriously have to doubt that.  Even if it somehow does, there'll be ways to drastically cut that down (warping via song or whatever.)

WW was fairly excellent, just the constant sailing bothered me greatly.

[somunny]

My kids and I have been having a lot of fun with Zelda: Four Swords Adventure.  We have three GBA SP's in the house so that helps.  I'd like to pick up one more GBA so we can force Mom to play too!

[clanggedin]

Definately get Eternal Darkness. It is perhaps one of the most underrated games in history. It literally messes with your head.

Beyond Good and Evil
The Simpsons: Hit & Run
Incredible Hulk: Ultimate Destruction
Luigi's Mansion
 

[97thruhiker]

Thanks for the suggestions and keep them coming.  I've been into emulators (mame, N64, Super Nintendo, Daphne, Sega, etc.) and PC games the last ten years so most of these titles will be new to me.  I had an Atari 2600, Intellivision, Apple II and NES back in the day.  Really didn't own anything else until 2002 when I had a Playstation 2 for a very short time. 

Definitely will look into the Zelda and Metroid games as well as all the others listed.  Between these games and the few new launch titles I plan on getting I should be set for quite awhile as they will all be "new" to me.

[rumpelstiltzkin]

I have warned you about mariosunshine and prime 2 so when you sell them or burn them you will here a silent voice in your head saying i told you so.                            Tennis anyone

[hypernova]

I have warned you about mariosunshine and prime 2 so when you sell them or burn them you will here a silent voice in your head saying i told you so.                            Tennis anyone

Both times you've dogged a spectacular game in Prime 2, and BOTH times, you neglected to give any sort of valid reason why.

[rumpelstiltzkin]

Ok hyper i think i might have been way to harsh on prime 2 it is a good game. I just dont think the guy needs to be playing both of them this late on especially when the new one isnt to far away. I think the first one was a bit better a bit more fresher and not as frustrating plus you have to admit getting the ability to reach highter platforms at the end was dissapointing the game was over by then and you only got to use it a fewtimes.When you or i played them you probably had space before prime 2 .I mean i dont want this guy to play 3 in row plus all the other games suggested to him he might end up with repeat syndrome . He has played snes and 64 mario games and the cubes are ok except the main one mario sunshine which was one of the biggest dissapointments ever i tried everything to like this game but its just not a good platformer.Mario 64 is the best 3d platformer by miles jak and daxter was quite decent.                 Monkeyball  Rules

[ChadTower]

I loved Metroid Prime until I came upon that boss I could NOT BEAT... tried about a hundred times and then put the game down, didn't pick it up again.

[hypernova]

OP or Ridley?  Or the final boss's first form?

I'm abbreviating to tiptoe around spoiling it.

Whichever one it is, can you believe there're people crazy enough (and with nothing else to do in their lives) to beat the game (actually both games) on HARD mode with minimum pickups?  (No tanks, 5 missiles, etc.  Around a 20% game.) 

you have to admit getting the ability to reach highter platforms at the end was dissapointing the game was over by then

You have to get something near the end that you won't use much.
You could always sequence break, and get it a few items before.   

A great thing about BOTH metroids is Retro's efforts to clamp down on sequence breaking.  Both games there're plenty of SBing opportunities.  SBing adds tremendous replay value.

When you or i played them you probably had space before prime 2.

I mean no disrespect, but is English your native language?  This sentence doesn't make much sense to me.

[rumpelstiltzkin]

Yes im from the uk and yes that sentence is a bit freaky but  i still think its ok though  . I was just saying most people had a bit of time between both primes as prime 2 was out long after the first .But if 97 is going to play prime 1 + 2 and the new wii metroid it might be to much of the same sort of game in a short space of time.Plus all the other new games hes going to get it may be to many to complete and get the most out of.    Theres no point in getting a dozen or so games if your not going to complete them so many people do this and its stupid. Im not saying 97 will do this plus if hes getting them cheap then fine i suppose.              Sorry if my english is bad i got kicked out of school for not going and messing around cursing and using my natural herbs.

[97thruhiker]

"Sorry if my english is bad i got kicked out of school for not going and messing around cursing and using my natural herbs."

I've had more then my share of natural herbs back in the day  .  I agree with you on the aspect of getting burned out on one particular series.  Thats why I want to get a few cube games due to the fact I usually have 2-3 games going at a time (PC games that is). I'll probably pick up one of each (i.e Zelda, Metroid, etc.) at first.  I'm just looking to get a small library of the better gamecube games to have at launch which I'm guessing will be in November.  On the used market I can pick up alot of these games for $10 - $20 US, some even less.  Besdies, I'll definitly be getting a few of the new Wii games also.  The great part about it is they are essentially new releases to me never having played them before.

[shmokes]

I have warned you about mariosunshine and prime 2 so when you sell them or burn them you will here a silent voice in your head saying i told you so.                            Tennis anyone

Wow . . . How did I leave Mario Tennis and Mario Golf off my list.  Those games are great!

[hypernova]

He could always do like us, play the first, then play some others in between, then play the 2nd later on.  Then finally play the Wii title even later on.

Me?  I can't get enough of both Metroid Primes.  I think they both have great backstories to boot.

[Q*Bert_OP]

Ikaruga is a great arcade port...it's a little expensive for an old game, at the $40 that I payed for a used copy, but it's woth it...

[crashwg]

I'm a little confused as to how the Wii is supposed to play GC games...  Isn't the Wii's drive a slot-load and aren't the Wii games on full sized disks?  Last time I put a mini-cd in a slot load it wouldn't take it.

[shmokes]

Yep . . . it's a slot load drive with the rare ability to pull in an 8 cm (as opposed to the normal 12 cm) disc and center it.  As a tech geek it's one of the things that I'm actually really excited to see.  I want to, like, put a GC disc in as far to one side as possible to try to fake it out.  Anyway, yeah, it's kind of a neat technical trick, but gamecube discs load the same way as full-size DVDs and the drive figures out what to do with whatever size it gets.

[crashwg]

Neat.

[ChadTower]

OP or Ridley?  Or the final boss's first form?

Erm, I don't remember.  It was a long time ago.  Something to do with a pirate comes to mind in a vague cloud.

[rumpelstiltzkin]

Another few games worth checking out - lost kindoms  if you like games were you whip out your cards collection to defeat monsters you will like this im not really into this type of game but i really liked this one. There was a sequal also but i kind of got the impression it wasnt as good although i dont really know it had a different view point i think. Chibi robo i have not actually played this but it got good reviews your a  robot and you go about cleaning this house i think you go outside also. It looks decent if you want something completely different. Chaos field im playing this at the moment its quite a good blaster not as good as ikaruga but i think its the 2nd best on the cube i like the way this one plays its still really hard but the bullets are very clear to see which helps. Shigami no shiro 2 another blaster some people would say this is the 2nd best on the cube and they could be right but i wasnt really into it myself so i sold it.You can be 7 different characters there not spaceships models but little flying people all with there different weapons and magic the 2 player mode in this game is very playable compared to ikarugas it also uses a buzz system which is the method of play so its not like the other cube shooters. Starsoldier is a really good blaster but i sold it because of one reason you have to press the shoot button as fast as you can to shoot your beefy bullets out which kills your enemys really fast and gives you big points it gave me the biggest arm ache ever thats why i sold it plus you cant just hold the button in because it fires weedy bullets out. So if you like button bashers you will like but very sore arm i dont know if a rapid fire would even work with this game it might. radiligy is another blaster but i never played it looks wierd but i heard its decent made by the same people as chaos field.

[hypernova]

Erm, I don't remember.  It was a long time ago.  Something to do with a pirate comes to mind in a vague cloud.

OP it is.  Heck.  You were just about finished with the game if that's the case.

[sphetr2]

I enjoy Godzilla: Destroy All Monsters Melee as the Multiplayer is very fun.

Geist is a good one too if you're tired of the usual FPS. I would take it over halo any day.

none of them hold a candle to ssbm, though; it is the best game of all time.

Another good arcade like one is donkey konga (1 and 2)...I have 4 bongos and my friends come over and it rules!

[ChadTower]

OP it is.  Heck.  You were just about finished with the game if that's the case.

Really?  I seem to remember that the maps showed I had like 30% or more to explore.

[shmokes]

It's been too long for me to remember, but I wonder if most of those unexplored areas contain non-critical powerups and are not necessary for completing the game.

[ChadTower]

It's possible.  I was using the maps as a way to gauge my progress.

I think this thread has convinced me to snag a copy of Eternal Darkness.

[Daniel270]

I originally bought my GC to play Star Wars: Rogue Squadron....wasn't disappointed   I also got both Metroid Prime games as well as RE and RE: Zero, Windwaker and a couple others... then, I got the GameBoy Player and it added tons more games that my wife and I have for our Gameboys