The GameCube is undoubtedly the most underrated home console that Nintendo has ever made. While nowhere near as groundbreaking or profitable as its fellow sixth-generation competitors (the PS2 and the Xbox), the famed “purple lunchbox” was still an excellent piece of hardware that became the home to some of the absolute best video games ever made.
GameCube Games That Are Worth A Small Fortune Nowadays
If you own these games, they may be worth some money.
The GameCube is turning twenty-five very soon, but, despite its old age, most of its exclusives have aged surprisingly well and are worth going back to in 2026. All in all, many Nintendo GameCube games are still masterpieces that you, or I, could replay today and still enjoy as thoroughly as the day they came out; however, the following eight are the most notorious examples of this phenomenon.
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Pikmin
Shigeru Miyamoto’s Latest IP Was Born Out Of An Odd Experiment
Pikmin
- Released
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October 26, 2001
Shigeru Miyamoto needs no introduction, as he’s the legendary designer behind gaming icons like Mario, The Legend of Zelda, and Star Fox. In the late 90s, Nintendo made a weird tech demo titled Super Mario 128 that was meant to show the power of the GameCube, which Miyamoto and his team later turned into a brand-new IP titled Pikmin.
It’s safe to say that this felt like an incredibly unique game (especially for its time), as the concept of a little astronaut who has to explore a remote planet while recruiting an army of disposable small creatures — all of which have their own attributes and abilities — is both brilliant and innovative, even to this day. Of course, its direct sequel, Pikmin 2, is also a timeless masterpiece, but most fans agree that the first entry in the series is the superior of the two due to its immersive atmosphere and minimal storytelling.
Eternal Darkness: Sanity’s Requiem
One Of The Most Creative Survival Horror Games Ever Made
While the GameCube’s library was mostly made up of the usual suspects during its early years (like Mario, Zelda, Super Smash Bros., etc.), Nintendo also published a fascinating survival horror game with a mature rating that completely shattered the preconception that the company only made games for children, and its name is Eternal Darkness: Sanity’s Requiem.
Developed by the now-defunct Silicon Knights, Eternal Darkness tells an ambitious narrative that spans multiple time periods and locations, with slow-paced gameplay that’s highly reminiscent of the old-school Resident Evil titles. But, of course, this game’s biggest selling point is its groundbreaking Sanity Effects, which constantly try to mess with the player’s perception in inventive ways, to the point that they constantly break the fourth wall. No other survival horror game has been able to replicate the magic of the Sanity Effects ever since, which is why Eternal Darkness is still worth playing today. As the game seems destined to never receive a sequel or even a remaster, the GameCube version will just have to be enough, and I can confirm that it is still an impressive achievement.
The Legend Of Zelda: The Wind Waker
Nintendo’s Biggest Franchise Took A Big Risk, And It Paid Off
The Legend of Zelda was always a highly popular franchise, but the worldwide success of Ocarina of Time in 1998 (and its follow-up, 2000’s Majora’s Mask) turned it into a massive gaming icon, prompting people to build unrealistically high expectations for its generation six debut. As a result, when The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker came out in 2001, many gamers criticized its cartoony, cel-shaded art style, but the passage of time eventually proved Nintendo right.
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The Wind Waker’s graphics have aged surprisingly well, especially when compared to its hyperrealistic contemporaries, not to mention that they make the entire experience feel vibrant, charming, and distinct. However, of course, that’s not the only reason this game is such a timeless masterpiece, because it also boasts a beautiful semi-open world, a cast of lovable characters, an emotional storyline, and some of the best-designed dungeons and bosses in the entire series. With the original GameCube version of The Wind Waker now being available on the Nintendo Switch 2’s NSO gallery, this is the perfect time to either replay this game or play it for the first time.
While I would also recommend the Wii U remaster as a good entry point, the GameCube game still looks beautiful nowadays, arguably even better than the 2013 version at times.
Metroid Prime
Samus’ First Foray Into The World Of 3D Gaming Changed Everything
Metroid Prime
- Released
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November 17, 2002
- ESRB
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T For Teen Due To Violence
Sometimes it’s easy to forget how strange the existence of Metroid Prime felt back in the day. After the Metroid series skipped an entire console generation, it was finally going to be brought back on the GameCube, but it was being developed by an unknown American studio, and it was in first-person. Truth be told, it felt like a recipe for disaster, and yet, the final product ended up being such an absolute masterpiece that it’s now considered one of the best video games in Nintendo history.
Metroid Prime takes perfect advantage of its new first-person perspective to truly immerse the player into its atmosphere while simultaneously allowing them to use Samus Aran’s vast array of visors and beams in clever ways. Even the classic “Metroidvania” gameplay translated surprisingly well into the realm of 3D, as exploring the game’s beautiful environments is both engaging and rewarding. Additionally, it has some of the most exciting boss battles in the franchise, including those against Meta Ridley and Metroid Prime. All in all, Metroid Prime is such a perfect game that even its recent Nintendo Switch remaster didn’t change much, and it really didn’t need to.
If your first exposure to this series was Metroid Prime 4, and you had a decent time, then you really need to go back and play through the original game to understand why so many people were hyped for the long-awaited sequel.
Mario Kart: Double Dash!!
An Excellent Kart Racer With A Creative Gimmick
Weirdly enough, the first mainline Mario games released on the GameCube—namely, Luigi’s Mansion and Super Mario Sunshine—were solid, but far from masterpieces. However, the franchise still shone in the spin-off department, with Mario Kart: Double Dash!! being fondly remembered as one of the best games on the console. Back in the day, it seemed like nothing would be able to top the iconic Mario Kart 64, but its spiritual successor shattered expectations with a brilliant new gameplay mechanic.
The idea of racing with two interchangeable characters, all of which have their own unique items, breathed new life into the Mario Kart formula. It’s a real shame that no other entries in this series even attempted to bring it back, which explains why so many fans still play Double Dash!! regularly. On top of that, this kart racer has a really catchy soundtrack, and it introduced some of the most iconic Mario Kart courses, like Baby Park and Daisy Cruiser.
I know it can be difficult to revisit older entries due to the existence of Mario Kart 8 Deluxe and Mario Kart World, but Double Dash has a unique-enough identity to stand out.
Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door
The Best Mario RPG Ever Made
Another Mario spin-off series that thrived during the GameCube era is definitely Paper Mario. Yes, the original N64 entry was amazing and a worthy successor to the iconic Super Mario RPG, but its 2004 sequel was on another level, and it’s now widely considered the best turn-based RPG Mario has ever starred in. Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door brought back everything that made its predecessor so special, like its charming papercraft art style and the real-time button inputs of its turn-based combat, and enhanced it with better graphics and more polished gameplay.
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On top of that, the entire game is brimming with personality, thanks to its cast of lovable characters, its shockingly complex story, and its collection of colorful locales. Paper Mario fans spent years begging Nintendo for a remake, remaster, or port of The Thousand-Year Door, and when they finally got their wish in 2024, they were delighted to find out that the remake’s changes were both minimal and necessary. As such, I imagine most newcomers will just play through the new version, and there isn’t that much reason to seek out the GameCube release. However, it is not like The Thousand-Year Door desperately needed a remaster to be enjoyable through a modern lens; the original RPG is still an absolute delight.
Resident Evil 4
The Most Influential Third-Person Shooter Was Originally A GameCube Exclusive
Everybody knows that Resident Evil 4 is one of the most groundbreaking and influential video games ever made, since not only did it skyrocket the popularity of its franchise, but it also revolutionized the third-person shooter genre with its over-the-shoulder camera, paving the way for titles like Gears of War or Uncharted. However, most people seem to forget that this game was originally a full GameCube exclusive as a result of a deal between Nintendo and Capcom.
While its 2023 remake is absolutely amazing, the original Resident Evil 4 from 2004 still holds up extremely well, and it’s worth replaying in 2026. With its gloomy atmosphere, terrifying enemy and boss designs, satisfying shooting mechanics, cheesy but charming dialogue, and endlessly replayable solo campaign, Resident Evil 4 is a masterpiece that redefined the sixth generation of home consoles, and it all started on Nintendo’s humble “purple lunchbox.”
While lacking some of the improvements and options of both the remaster and the remake, RE4 on GameCube just has this charm that arguably none of the others deliver. Honestly, if you have one of the later versions and didn’t grow up with the 2005 release, then you probably won’t get much out of a playthrough on the GameCube. However, I enjoyed replaying it in its intended original form.
The Legend Of Zelda: Twilight Princess
The Nintendo GameCube Went Off With A Bang
The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess was the last game Nintendo published on the GameCube, and very few other consoles can say that they closed off their lifespan with a perfect first-party masterpiece like this one. Of course, it was also available on the Nintendo Wii, but many gamers still experienced it on their GameCubes, and it certainly did not disappoint.
Twilight Princess was obviously designed to appeal to people who were not satisfied with The Wind Waker, since it boasts a darker tone, more realistic graphics, and a story that is more closely connected to Ocarina of Time. While its presentation didn’t age as gracefully as its predecessor’s, everything else about this game is still absolutely perfect, including its complex narrative, its vast open world, its satisfying combat system, and its endlessly entertaining dungeons. Needless to say, Twilight Princess is one of the best 3D entries in the Legend of Zelda franchise, and its Nintendo GameCube version allowed users of this console to enjoy one final high-quality title before moving on to the next generation.
Compared to The Wind Waker, I would recommend the HD version on the Wii U a bit more, as it does look notably better. Still, it is not like Twilight Princess on the GameCube looks bad or anything, and the gameplay is still top-notch.
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