Feature: Nintendo GameCube: The Top Ten - By Tetsuo
UPDATE (May 2008) - The top 10 has now been updated and reshuffled accordingly, and as a special bonus and for no good reason, I've now expanded the list from 10 to 12! How lucky are you?
Ah, the Cubey: our misunderstood humble box of joy. Over-looked by the masses, yet adored by the comparative few who own one, it's fair to say that in 2006, Nintendo's fifth home videogame console will (arguably prematurely) come to the end of its life.
A deceptively powerful machine with an enduring appeal, the GameCube has played host to a magnificent array of diverse titles as well as a healthy library of Nintendo's own in-house classics. Fointy Pinger dusts off the purple box and rediscovers the ten most significant and brilliant peices of software the machine has to offer.
- Rule No.1: By it's very nature, it is hard to compile the definitive list of every GameCube game out there, as there are always going to be some games I haven't had the opportunity to play yet. This list contains my own personal favourites and I intend to update it if and when required.
- Rule No.2: The games will be ranked exclusively by their gameplay.
- Rule No.3: There's a slight bias towards GCN exclusives, and not games that you can get on other systems - because that would be a bit boring.
12 - Luigi's Mansion
As there was no traditional 'Mario' game in sight, Luigi's Mansion took centre stage when it launched with the console back in 2001. With its inviting visuals and ingenious (yet simple) control system, it was the perfect title to introduce Nintendo's new hardware and the delightful intricacies of its minute controller. The game brims with extra touches and polish that we come to expect from a Nintendo game, and although short-lived, offers the player many chances to re-explore even after the game ends and has genuine replay value. Its wonderful production values extend from the controls to the sound effects and twee music and through to its solid cartoon-like graphics. Interacting with the environment through Luigi's Poltergust 3000 and finding all the hidden treasures and ghosts in every room means that Luigi's Mansion is never a chore, and is to be savoured from start to finish.
11 - Animal Crossing
Animal Crossing on the GameCube takes advantage of GBA connectivity and an ingenious 'item code' system that enables friends and entire communities to share items between villages. It's Nintendo's brilliant "fuck you" - a naive yet entirely convincing two-fingered salute to online console games. Often mundane and laborious, Animal Crossing is best described as a limited game with endless possibilities. It never skirts around the issue of 'life', whether it be having to turn up on time for work, or paying off an extortionate mortgage on your new house. Most aspects of the game are based on choice - you are free to make whatever it is you want to make of your new life. However, for a game that doesn't appear to "do that much", it is devastatingly (sometimes bewilderingly) compulsive.
10 - F-Zero GX
F-Zero X may still have a superior control system, but it is GX that offers the most pick-up-and-play thrills. Although the game contains many throw-away options, modes and even some weak track design, none detract from the thrilling pace and challenge of pushing past 29 other racers in the most thrilling and fastest racing game the console (and genre) has to offer. The control system can be exploited and pushed to get faster lap times, and once the boosting (and especially drifting) is mastered, F-Zero GX becomes orgasmic. Players who persevere with the later difficulty levels will unearth a racer that arrogantly and unquestionably stands head and shoulders above the competition. F-Zero GX is also testament to the GameCube's power and AV's technical know-how, and although perhaps not the best, is still an essential chapter in the series.
9 - The Legend Of Zelda: The Wind Waker
The most visually arresting game the Cube has to offer, The Legend Of Zelda: The Wind Waker is a visual tour de force and an animation master class. Where the game falls short in level design and originality, the sheer expanse of the game-world, the sub-quests and clever use of GBA connectivity more than compensate for its short fallings. Although fairly easy and linear, the real joy comes from exploring the many hidden nuggets you come to expect from a Zelda game and The Wind Waker delivers more side-quests and hidden dungeons than any previous game in the series. Hugely satisfying and constantly engaging, those who can look past its weak points will find a game that constantly strives to impress - and not only succeeds, but often exceeds.
8 - Killer7
Killer7 is an abstract and jarring videogame, and is all the more enjoyable for it. Containing a radical approach to every aspect of game design we usually take for granted - such as controls, graphics and audio - it mixes different styles and ideas and weaves them in and out of a captivating storyline that is often very confusing and (perhaps intentionally) open to interpretation. From the frantic enemy battles, its disturbing and gory story, through to its surreal boss battles, it's a sophisticated videogame as much as it is psychological-horror. Capcom took a chance with Killer7 and it pays off. It should be a lesson to other developers on what is possible from a modern videogame.
7 - Pikmin 2
A perfect example of a sequel actually surpassing the original, Pikmin 2 is special not only for upping Pikmin, but also for the sheer wealth of modes and extras it presents to the player. With the graphics, sound and the charming hazy-ambiance of the game already defined, Pikmin 2 is a more in-depth and challenging game, with Olimar and Louie (and the help of the Pikmin) traversing their alien world in search of treasure and weird and wonderful creatures. It's a delightful and wholly superior twist on the strategy genre, that is as addictive and fun as it is difficult and urgent. Simply Nintendo at their very best.
6 - Super Mario Sunshine
Super Mario Sunshine, the much anticipated "sequel" to Nintendo 64's masterpiece Super Mario 64, isn't perfect, sometimes far from it. There are camera issues as well as over-sensitive controls, but neither hugely detracts from a title that is rarely less than sublime. The use of the water-nozzle remains an inspired addition, making wonderful use of the GameCube's analogue triggers, much in the same way as Luigi's Mansion did before it. Not only does it act as another way to control Mario's movement, but it is also a compulsive play element in its own right. Incredibly addictive and brimming full of excellent ideas you expect from a Mario game, it remains one of the very best examples of the 3D platform genre.
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Click here see the top 5.
