With the recent release of Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door on Switch and rumors of more potential re-releases waiting in the wings, my mind can’t help but drift over to the GameCube. We’ve seen a lot of great games from that console come to the Switch, and I thought it might be fun to list what I think is the best of the bunch. As a bonus, I’ve also listed my five wishlist picks in case Nintendo or anyone else are planning on bringing more games from the console to the Switch. Just a fun little thing to get us through the week, people. Let’s take a look, in no particular order.
Pikmin 1 + 2 Bundle ($49.99)
Franchises often carry the character of the platform they were born on, and Pikmin is one of the more noteworthy original first-party IPs from the GameCube era. While this bundle of the two GameCube Pikmin games isn’t big on bells and whistles, the games themselves stand the test of time rather well and will provide you with dozens of hours of entertainment. If you like what you get, you can follow on and play the whole mainline series on the Switch.
Metroid Prime Remastered ($39.99)
After laying dormant for an entire console generation, Metroid had to catch up on one of the more transformative periods of gaming very quickly. When it was announced that it was going to be a first-person shooter developed in the United States, fans were bracing themselves for disaster. Instead, what we got was a fantastic game that upheld the Metroid spirit while taking things in an exciting new direction. It didn’t hurt that the game looked amazing, too. The Switch version of the game brings this stunning title forward in stylish fashion and is truly the definitive way to play it.
Super Mario Sunshine ($Good Luck)
While this is far from the best 3D Mario game, Super Mario Sunshine has a lot of character to it. Having the whole game themed around a tropical island, giving Mario the handy FLUDD water pack, and just going in some generally weird directions all around makes this game stand out for better or worse. The Switch port is contained in Super Mario 3D All-Stars, a compilation that Nintendo bafflingly decided should be a limited release both physically and digitally. Prices are starting to get a little silly on this one, but they’re not quite at the range yet where a person couldn’t rationalize the choice. This might be the one game in the list that is cheaper in its original form.
Ikaruga ($14.99)
Stop, stop! Our frothing demand for this game can’t possibly increase any further! Ikaruga has been re-released often enough by this point that it doesn’t quite have the same forbidden fruit cachet it once enjoyed, which would be disastrous if the game didn’t live up to its reputation. Fortunately, it does. This is a really fun vertically-scrolling shoot-em-up that even people who don’t typically like shooters enjoy. The color-switching mechanic, exciting level designs, and slick presentation make this a real winner, and the Switch version gives you all of that at a very reasonable price.
Resident Evil 4 ($19.99)
This game has been ported to basically everything since it first launched on GameCube, so it’s easy to forget that this was indeed planned to be a GameCube exclusive for some time. I was torn between including this or the remake of the original Resident Evil in this list, but ultimately I have to give the nod to Resident Evil 4. It’s an incredible game that does just about everything right, and it’s just as fun to play today on the Switch as it was back in the day on the ol’ purple lunchbox.
Baten Kaitos I & II HD Remaster ($49.99)
I’d love to recommend Tales of Symphonia here because I strongly associate it with the GameCube, but the Switch version is a just a little too rough. Instead I’ll send you to Baten Kaitos I & II HD Remaster, a fine combo pack of Baten Kaitos and Baten Kaitos Origins, some of the best Nintendo GameCube-exclusive RPGs. There were a few issues in these ports at launch and I’m sure despite the arrival of a few patches there are still some quirks here and there, but this is a pleasing pair of unique RPGs that soak in that GameCube flavor.
Mr. Driller DrillLand ($29.99)
If you’re going to add any Mr. Driller game to your collection, this is the one. You not only get a great representation of the original frenetic action-puzzler, but also a bunch of fun variant modes that lean into Namco history and Mr. Driller‘s surprisingly fleshed-out world. I didn’t ever have a port of this game on my Bingo card, so I was really thrilled to see it come to the Switch in such fine form. There’s not much else quite like it on the platform.
SpongeBob SquarePants: Battle for Bikini Bottom – Rehydrated ($29.99)
This was a multiplatform release back in the day, but I’d imagine that more than a few young SpongeBob fans first experienced it on the GameCube. As licensed 3D platformers at the time went Battle for Bikini Bottom was near the top of the pack, and this Switch port opens the game up to a whole new generation. It certainly shows its age in a few ways, and feels very much like a platformer of its time. But I don’t think that’s necessarily a bad thing for people reading a list like this one, is it?
Story of Seasons: A Wonderful Life ($39.99)
Lacking much in the way of support from Square Enix, the GameCube had to find its RPG-ish fix in other ways. I think that might be one of the things that brought people to Story of Seasons: A Wonderful Life (known on the GameCube as Harvest Moon: A Wonderful Life) in an era before we were drowning in cozy farming simulators. However they got there, what they would find is a rather enjoyable affair that can absorb just about as much time as you can give it. The Switch has a lot more options in this genre, but there’s a certain charm to this classic installment and the remake does a great job of making it shine its brightest.
Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door ($59.99)
Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door and Metroid Prime Remastered are two of the best-looking Nintendo Switch games right now, and they showcase the strength of strong art direction. This remake of Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door, titled the same, is gorgeous and has an amazing new take on the classic soundtrack for modern hardware. Unlike Super Mario RPG which felt a bit too safe, Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door is a breath of fresh air for how it brings a classic Mario RPG to modern platforms. –Mikhail Madnani
And… 5 GameCube Games We’d Like to See on Switch
The Legend of Zelda: The Windwaker
Okay, specifically it would be nice to see the Wii U remake of this game, but I’ll take either at this point. I’d also take Twilight Princess if the decision-makers are feeling generous. The Windwaker is a game whose reputation has only grown over time, and it would make a great hybrid handheld/TV experience. I’m not very confident this will come at this stage of the Switch’s life, but fingers are crossed.
Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance
Lauded by many Fire Emblem fans as the peak era of the series, Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance brought the series back to home consoles after its popular foray on the Game Boy Advance. It hits a sweet spot between challenging battles, a really good story, and interesting characters. Wrap all that up in relatively strong production values, and it’s easy to see why this game has stuck in the memories of GameCube owners. Getting a reissue would be particularly good given how expensive this one is on the secondary market.
Metroid Prime 2: Dark Echoes
Look, we got the first game. We know the fourth game is coming someday. It only makes sense to plug the gap by releasing this GameCube follow-up and its Wii follow-up. While it would be nice to see it shined up to the extent the first game was for its Switch release, I would even take a fairly straightforward release along the lines of the Pikmin games. It’s a game I would like to revisit without digging out my GameCube or Wii, and I think it would help prime the pump for the fourth game’s surely inevitable release.
F-Zero GX
This is another game people have been hoping to see on the Switch pretty much since the console released, and what more can I say except that I agree? This is a terrific racing game, developed by SEGA and given a ton of care. It’s as tough as old boots, but I think none of us are afraid of a stiff challenge these days, right? Just having this game running in HD would be a real sight to behold. Here’s hoping the cries have been heard and Nintendo is willing to take a chance on it again.
Star Wars Rogue Squadron II: Rogue Leader
I miss the Rogue Squadron games. Do you also miss the Rogue Squadron games? Okay, maybe not the third one, but the first two really should be on the Switch. Rogue Leader was the launch game that really sold the GameCube, showing off the console’s graphical muscle and delivering a fantastic Star Wars experience along the way. Licensed games have a greater hurdle for re-releases, but Star Wars seems to be doing okay in that regard. Maybe there’s a hope here?
That will do it for these two little lists. What are your favorite GameCube games on the Switch? Which games would you like to see resurrected? Would you like to see us do similar lists for other past consoles? Sound off in the comments below and let us know. As always, thanks for reading!
