Join Liv as she shares her personal top five GameCube games you have to play!
The GameCube was my favorite console growing up! I have so many fond memories of playing games with my sister. The games I chose for my list are GameCube exclusives that were cornerstone memories in my childhood. There were many games from my childhood that I played on the GameCube that were easily my favorites, but I chose to exclude them from this list. Let’s dive into it!
5. Dance Dance Revolution Mario Mix
Dance Dance Revolution (DDR) Mario Mix is such a fun game! Before this game, if you wanted to play DDR then you needed to go to an arcade. It was an absolute must play at any sleepover I had growing up! Whether you’re a child or an adult, DDR Mario Mix was the go to game to not only get your dance on, but to also laugh at the silliness of your friends and family as they attempted to be the dance master of the group
Although we don’t have DDR video games anymore, people can play Just Dance. However, it doesn’t feel the same to me! It’s unlikely that DDR will make a comeback with home consoles, but I will always remember my dance battles with my great fictional friend Mario.
4. Mario Kart Double Dash
Mario Kart Double Dash is a title that is loved by many people! In this Mario Kart game, the player has two characters in the kart that could be switched at any time. One character drives while the other character can use items. To this day, it is the only Mario Kart game that allows the player to switch between two characters during a race. This was an interesting feature that has not been brought back. If you’re looking for a unique take on Mario Kart, this is the entry in the franchise that you need to play!
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe still receives new content on the Nintendo Switch with the expansion pass, so maybe Nintendo will consider Double Dash features in the future. Until then, if you’re looking for that unique take on Mario Kart, be sure to plug in your GameCube and hop back into Double Dash!
3. Animal Crossing
Animal Crossing is one of my favorite cozy games. It’s also one of the only games that operates in real time and doesn’t make me angry. When games allow you to only perform specific tasks during an allotted time period, I typically don’t enjoy them. I just want to play when I want to play! I digress, this game made me incredibly happy.
Animal Crossing allows you to build a wholesome community with diverse characters. The premise of this game is you’re in debt to a raccoon, Tom Nook. Completing tasks for Tom Nook would allow you to upgrade your house and the surrounding community, but it always had a price! Tom Nook was a very laid back loan shark. He never cared when you paid off your debt, but if you wanted to renovate your house further then you better pay him back quickly to keep building! Mr. Resetti was another one of my favorite NPCs in Animal Crossing. Mr. Resetti would yell at the player if you quit the game without saving the next time you booted the game up. This was the first game I played where a character “broke the fourth wall”. If you’re unfamiliar with that phrase, it’s when characters become aware of their fictional nature. Animal Crossing regularly did this with Mr. Resetti which I found to be incredibly funny! Between the funny dialogue and being in debt to a raccoon, there’s so much to enjoy in this game! In my opinion, this might be the best Animal Crossing game to date.
2. Mario Superstar Baseball
My sister and I grew up playing softball. Playing baseball as the Mario characters is one of my favorite childhood memories! We used to make up chants for our team that we would sing while our team was at bat. Most of the chants were loosely based on chants we used during our own softball games. We also made chants that made absolutely no sense. For whatever reason, Toad always seemed to get on base when we chose him for our team. We made a chant specifically for Toad, “No one strikes Toad out! Unless his parents are out!”. What does this mean? No idea. If Toad did strike out, we blamed it on his parents missing his game. Who are Toad’s parents? Again, no idea!
If you’re a baseball fan that wants a less serious approach to the game, this is the game for you! The pitchers have their own power ups to use which makes it harder for batters to hit the ball. For example, Yoshi would throw a pitch shaped like his iconic egg that would bounce several times before reaching the plate. Batters have special powers too! By pressing the specials button, players would be able to hit the ball and possibly stun a fielder which gave the base runners extra time to advance. Mario Baseball is a game that I would love to come to the Nintendo Switch! We already have soccer/football and golf, so one day baseball will make its return!
1. Mario Party 4
Mario Party 4 is by far my favorite Mario Party game of all time! My sister and I would play the minigames for hours and keep track of how many we each won. Mario Party 4 has some of my favorite mini games ever. I’m thankful that some of them are included in the newest iteration of the franchise, but not all of them! There are a handful of mini games that will always hold a special place in my heart.
One of my favorite 4-player minigames is called Booksquirm. The pages of the book fall, so the players must find holes in the pages to avoid being flattened. As more pages fall, the pages fall faster which gives the players less time to find the cutouts.The last one standing wins! Another childhood favorite was a 1 vs 3 mini game called “Hide and Go BOOM!”. The team of 3 has 4 canons to choose from to hide in. The solo player has 3 chances to guess which canon the opponents are in. These are two mini games my sister and I would play for hours! If you love playing the minigames in Mario Party, then this is the Mario Party game to check out!
Tier lists are always subjective. Everyone enjoys a different type of game. What makes a list truly the best of all time? The games I chose have very special memories to me. I’m sure I upset some people with no mentions of The Legend of Zelda, but I didn’t play those games growing up! My list may be different from the next person’s, but I hope these stories brought some joy or maybe sparked a memory for someone too!
About the Author:
Liv is the co-host of the Between 2 Gamers podcast with her friend Frewy. When she's not gaming, she's watching sports!