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With all the hype over the holiday season surrounding Wii we can easily forget that its predecessor had an entire back catalog of fantastic games, all of which are fully compatible with Wii. We've compiled a list of some of our favorite Nintendo GameCube games which you could easily find cheap in stores, new or used. Maybe you've overlooked a few of these games, or were reluctant to part with your well-earned cash for the chance that the game may let you down. Now is your chance try out some of the greatest games GameCube has to offer, and also pick up a few of those gems that you never knew about once upon a time.

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Resident Evil
ESRB Rating - Mature
Game Rankings Score: 91%

Resident Evil can only be described as a truly legendary action game. The story is gripping, the graphics are amazing, and the gameplay is stunning. Play as either Chris Redfield or Jill Valentine, officers in a police department called the Special Tactics And Rescue Service (S.T.A.R.S.) and uncover the terrifying secrets of the Spencer Mansion and all of the horrible genetic experimenting that took place. Packed full of dark corners, creepy-crawlies and zombies it is, in this reporter's opinion, a must-have for any Wii owner.

Resident Evil Zero
ESRB Rating - Mature
Game Rankings Score: 84%

Slightly harder to find in store than the previous game, the predecessor to the original Resident Evil is just as impressive in all departments. However, with a unique two-character reliability, the game seems less enclosed and isolated. The story is based before the events of Resident Evil and before the incidents in the Spencer Mansion, so it helps clarify some parts of Resident Evil's twisting and sometimes confusing story. Play as both Rebecca Chambers, a S.T.A.R.S. Bravo Team medic, and Billy Coen, and escaped convict who is sentenced to death for the murder of twenty-three people, apparently...

Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes
ESRB Rating - Mature
Game Rankings Score: 86%

A stealth lovers paradise. Fans of the Splinter Cell series will feel right at home here, while first timers will quickly become accustomed to the feel of the game. A two-disc, epic adventure which is visually impressive among other things. The main character in this game is the now infamous Solid Snake, a genetically engineered soldier who invades an Alaskan Island to rescue two hostages. But don't worry, there's a lot more going on than just that, and only you can truly experience the gripping plot for yourself!

Eternal Darkness: Sanity's Requiem
ESRB Rating - Mature
Game Rankings Score: 90%

A launch title, and consequently skipped over in favor of games like 007 and Super Mario Sunshine, Eternal Darkness is a gem amongst the coal. By far one of my favorite games of last generation it is a roller coaster ride of magic, adventure and horrific "sanity" effects. Examples of which are walking into an upside-down room or seeing yourself slowly sink into the ground due to the protagonists' (of which there are many to play with) minds being corrupted from the evil doings. A bit like Resident Evil with some Final Fantasy thrown in, it's sure to capture your imagination like no other. Price-wise, this can be easily found at around $15, yet it's actually quite difficult to find this in stores anymore, even pre-owned. Your best bet is to buy online.

Super Smash Bros. Melee
ESRB Rating - Teen
Game Rankings Score: 90%

Ask any GameCube owner what their favorite multiplayer title on it was, and you're more than likely guaranteed an answer of Super Smash Bros. Melee. This is another game I grabbed two years ago at a bargain of $15. If you haven't ever played a Smash Bros. game, but have been intrigued by the looming release of Super Smash Bros. Brawl on Wii, then Melee is well worth a buy while you're waiting. It's still as addictive now as it was five years ago. Melee is a fighting game with a difference. Rather than the same old boring health bars found in virtually all fighting games these days, Smash uses a percentage system. Every time a character is hit with an attack, their respective percentages will rise, making them progressively easier to knock off the level platform, an act which counts as a Knock Out. Looking for a great new multiplayer game? Look no further than Super Smash Bros. Melee!

Super Mario Sunshine
ESRB Rating - Everyone
Game Rankings Score: 92%

While viewed by many as a huge disappointment, the first true 3D Mario since Super Mario 64 at least injected a dose of brightness into GameCube's limited, third-party dominated launch lineup, much like Twilight Princess did for Wii. A classic Mario game in its core, it involves collecting star-like tokens called "Shine Sprites" to remove the evil darkness hanging over the island, brought on by Shadow Mario, and of course Bowser. Heavily clichéd, but hey, there are many people out there who like clichés!

Soulcalibur II
ESRB Rating - Teen
Game Rankings Score: 92%

Many long evenings have I spent playing this Soulcalibur II with friends. Anyone who's ever enjoyed a Tekken, Dead Or Alive or Virtua Fighter game will want to play this. Better yet, if you're a Zelda fan you will be treated in the GameCube version to Link, a fully playable character based on the protagonist from Ocarina of Time complete with Master Sword. One of the more praised aspects of Soulcalibur II is its replayability, helped by a fun and non-repetitive multiplayer mode.

The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker
ESRB Rating - Everyone
Game Rankings Score: 95%

Another must have game. The announcement of cel-shaded graphics worried some, but in usual Nintendo style they pulled it off remarkably well. A massive story based in a massive world, with plenty of side-missions to keep you busy when stuck at a certain puzzle. Anyone who has bought Phantom Hourglass for DS without playing The Wind Waker first should pick this up. Like all the games in the Zelda series, you play as a little green hooded hero who goes by the default name of Link. On Link's birthday his little sister is captured by a gigantic bird, and in order to save her he must fare The Great Sea with the aid of some pirate friends. Basically a very good Zelda game at its roots and well worth a purchase.

Metroid Prime
ESRB Rating - Teen
Game Rankings Score: 96%

The first of an amazing trilogy. This First Person Adventure is sure to satisfy nearly everyone. Up to 40 hours of gameplay on one disc makes this a lengthy, yet good value game. It also became of a member of Nintendo's "Player's Choice" lineup of games which were slashed to half their original price. Heavily praised, and deservedly so, Metroid Prime offers plenty of replay value with lots of challenges to complete along the way. This is about as close as you'll get to Halo on GameCube, while still being a vastly different experience at the core. Good luck finding a copy!

Metroid Prime 2: Echoes
ESRB Rating - Teen
Game Rankings Score: 92%

More of the same really, but the same isn't necessarily a bad thing! More visors, more weapons, and a slightly unoriginal antagonist in "Dark Samus" make this a recommended buy this winter. Take on the Ing, with the assistance of the Luminoth in order to save Planet Aether from annihilation! Also includes a four-player multiplayer for when friends call over.

Pikmin
ESRB Rating - Everyone
Game Rankings Score: 86%

An unprecedented number of people flocked to buy Pikmin at launch. The cute nature of this game and the strategy involved made it a delicacy for some and the one or two times I played it I loved it. Take control of little colorful creatures called "Pikmin" who work in groups to collect pieces of the protagonist's spaceship which crash landed on the Pikmins' planet. The simplicity of gameplay will have you baffled, and you will joyously shuffle around your Pikmin friends for hours on end. Graphics are sublime, rich in color and high quality textures. The soundtrack is quirky and fun.

Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time
ESRB Rating - Teen
Game Rankings Score: 92%

An interesting and enthralling adventure from Ubisoft. This game will test your combat and stealth skills while using the mysterious "Sands of Time" to develop special powers such as slowing down time and wall jumping. If you're a Tomb Raider or Indiana Jones fan, this may just appeal to your senses! Highly detailed visuals coupled with a warm soundtrack make this a solidly built game. This is a classic, so therefore can be found quite cheaply if you shop around.

Beyond Good & Evil
ESRB Rating - Teen
Game Rankings Score: 88%

Jade is a photographer. A photographer who gets mixed up in the world of aliens, government conspiracies and other weird happenings. A quiet release with little publicity, the critics fell in love with it one by one. Beyond Good & Evil is a strange, yet appeasing cocktail of role-playing game elements, and a nifty modernness, both which compliment each other quite well. With a highly respectable Game Rankings score of 88%, this highly acclaimed game you could quite easily add to the list of GameCube greats!

Viewtiful Joe
ESRB Rating - Teen
Game Rankings Score: 88%

Viewtiful Joe encompasses all you could truly want in a video game; stunning "viewtiful" graphics, non-repetitive fighting action and a kickass soundtrack. You play as Joe, whose girlfriend Silvia is sucked into the world of Movieland during a date in the movie theater. Joe is immersed in a world of color and evil-doings and so must single-handedly take on bad guys and goons in an effort to save his love. A fighting game at heart, this beat 'em up will make you reminisce about classic Batman episodes with every "pow", "bang" and "thud" along the way.

Tony Hawk's Underground
ESRB Rating - Teen
Game Rankings Score: 90%

Last but most definitely not least is Tony Hawk's Underground, undoubtedly one of my favorite games of all time. The series took an unexpected twist when it was announced that the concept of the Tony Hawk's Pro Skater series was being changed into a more, well, "underground" one. With a heavier punk-rock and hip-hop soundtrack than previous installments as well as a massive emphasis on the story mode, the game was a smashing success, topping the charts and lighting up in the critics' eyes. In fact, it's the story which makes this game so great, in my opinion. It's a bit stereotypical, but nonetheless deserves a tear or two as you follow the life of a New Jersey skater who believes in skating from the heart and not from endorsements.

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From the above list I hope you will be able to pick out some decent GameCube titles to play on your Wii this year, particularly if you're one of the many Wii owners whose console is sitting there covered in dust under the TV. Give it one or more of these classics three times a day after meals and it's sure to keep you entertained for weeks longer!

Written By: Aaron Hastings

metal gear is hands down my favourite game to play on the wii.

i FREAKING love that game, hands down the greatest remake of any game

I dunno, man. REmake was AWESOME

Good list over all, though I disagree on a few of the titles.

Eternal Darkness is there with Vagrant Story - Underrated, but brilliant

resident evil is really good on the wii.

Wii # 1011-0499-4475-5948 email me and tell me ur wii # at BountyPhantom@hotmail.com thx

You know you can post your friend code in here and that way you can meet lot's of friends to add

I'd swap out Mario Sunshine for Mario Power Tennis. That title is much more fun and worthwhile to play than Sunshine.

I have heard mixed things about REZero and after playing Umbrella Chronicles, it doesn't stick out to me. REmake is a great game besides some annoying controls.

MGS Twin Snakes is a brilliant game.

Smash is very much worthwhile. It could remain the greatest of the series even after Brawl is released.

But Metroid Prime is hands down the best game on that list. There is no Gamecube game that touches it.

kudos on mentioning pikmin, however pikmin 2 generally got better reviews and is at least as rewarding as the original. slightly more evolved gameplay w/ two new kinds of pikmin, various new creatures and underground exploration.

i would also add mario golf: toadstool tour to the list. i know many who don't play golf or even golf video games that enjoyed it immensely.

and while it is merely a rehash of classic sonic games, sonic mega pack might just be the best value available for gamecube. sonic I-III, sonic and knuckles, sonic spinball, sonic 3d blast, dr robotnik's mean bean machine, and various unlockables. at the very least, considering the cost of the sonic games on vc, if you want more than one of them you would be further off buying this collection.

REZero was very good LMX, don't worry. It was just as good as the REmake, but REmake had a better storyline. In REZero you get to hear how the T-Virus (originally the Progenitor) was created, and by whom.

Pikmin 2, it's true that it got better reviews all round, but I decided to put the original merely because it was the first in the series.

As for Mario Golf, I had considered it, but decided it was too focused onto one genre. Trust me, I know that it is a game that anyone can play, but still I was a bit sticky on that one :S

I tried to find a great game out of every category, but decided to leave sports out since it's such a broad sector to look at

I still have tons of fun playing SoulCalibur II, my favorite character to use is Ivy. Link's weapons were a lot more cheaper in SCII than they were in Melee though...

Why is Jill such a bad ass in RE0 when in RE she's like a scared cat?

Remind me of when Jill is in RE0? I can't remember.... -_-

I remember in RE: Apocalypse they made her badass, and it was just so dumb...

Like D4rk said in RE she was timid and fragile.

Fantastic stuff Froggy. Are we going to be having a list like this for Wii and DS etc?

*pick me*

I don't think so. Not for a while at least. We have Wii and DS games shoved in our faces from magazines and sites like IGN and GameSpot where they give reviews.

You put sunshine. Good for you!!! Ahhh, don't kill me everybody else!!!

D4rk... Rebecca Chambers is in REZero. Slip up! Besides, Rebecca will never be the master of unlocking things like Jill xD

Yeah, well... Nemesis went good in Apocalypse. So let's just say the movie is pure garbage and should never ever be referred to.

I mean, in Doom the Movie the BFG was called "Big Force Gun" and ANYONE who's played Doom knows what it really stands for. And it definitely isn't. Force.

SC2!!!!! SSBM!!!!!!!!! *automatically loves the list* <3

Thanks ^^

I'd agree with most of the games mentioned except for Resident Evil Zero. I always found that game to be a dud. Now Beyond Good and Evil is one of those Gems that everyone who has a GC or a Wii should pick up and try. That games was really amazing and didn't get much press.