Insert Coin Here: GameCube an overlooked console

Despite disappointing sales, Nintendo’s underdog has great game library

By Alex Tranchemontagne

Posted on Nov. 21, 2011, at 12:57 a.m.

November 2011 marks the 10th anniversary of the Nintendo GameCube’s North American release. While the GameCube lacked some features boasted by competing consoles — the Playstation 2 and the Xbox — it remained a huge part of Nintendo’s legacy and will continue to live on in Nintendo fans’ hearts for years to come.

Let’s face it: The GameCube wasn’t as powerful as the other two systems of the time. That wasn’t completely a bad thing, though. Instead of relying on sheer power, developers needed to give their game distinct art styles if they wanted them to stand out. This is evident in “The Legend Of Zelda: The Wind Waker.”

Another complaint was the GameCube’s lack of online functionality. Howver, some gamers would argue it encouraged friends to get together and play against each other in the same room, hearkening back to the nostalgia of the way things used to be.

The final complaint is its lack of DVD playability. I remember that ten years ago, this really upset my friends and me because DVDs were only a few years old and our families didn’t yet own DVD players. Even today, the Nintendo Wii and the upcoming Wii U do not support DVDs, but this isn’t the same problem it was ten years ago.

Now we can focus on the positives. To start, I’d like to say that the controller for the GameCube is easily my favorite. Whenever I’m holding one, I feel instantly at home and ready to play some damn games.

And what would a system be without a solid library of games to back it up? I don’t care what anyone else says, “the Cube” had a strong library of first- and third-party games. Sadly, the first-party games typically outshined the third-party games by a wide margin.

Gamers were treated to a plethora of outstanding first-party titles. “Super Smash Brothers Melee” is one of the finest multiplayer games to be released for the system, an easy-to-learn but hard-to-master hit. Its gameplay dazzled players all over the world, making it one of the enduring hits of the console.

The aforementioned “The Legend Of Zelda: The Wind Waker” is an incredible game. The dungeon design is top-notch and the graphics are borderline perfect. To this day, the game holds up incredibly well, thanks to its distinctive art style.

Older Nintendo fans were treated to the outstanding futuristic shooter “Metroid Prime.” With the GameCube’s last dying breath, Nintendo released “The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess” for the purple cube, also released for the Wii, signaling the start of a new era. I didn’t like the game that much, but it is extremely polished and a fan favorite.

The best third-party games delivered just as well as Nintendo’s first-party titles. Fans were treated to a few different Resident Evil games, most notably “Resident Evil 4.” The graphics were eye-poppingly great at the time — for any console — and the gameplay was unrivaled.

Another game I remember fondly was “Sonic Adventure 2 Battle.” When I played it again recently, I realized its appeal faded over time, but it was platform perfection at release. “Beyond Good and Evil” was an under-appreciated and near-perfect adventure game. It is available on the Playstation Network and the Xbox Live Marketplace, so grab it now to see what you’ve been missing.

At the time, I wasn’t thrilled with the GameCube, but looking back, I can see it was a great system. Although it had numerous flaws beyond those I mentioned, many GameCube games are still worth playing.

Thankfully, the Wii is backwards-compatible with GameCube games, so give a toast to the box and let its legacy live on.

This entry was posted on Monday, November 21st, 2011, 12:57 am. You can follow any responses to this article through the RSS feed.