Our Favorite GameCube Games | Vol. 1

The GameCube was a sorely underrated console in the 6th generation. While the PS2 and Xbox enjoyed nearly universal praise, the GameCube was unfairly left in the dust. While it lacked the cool features of the competition, like the DVD drive and online play, the GameCube's controller, lineup of great first-party games, and interactivity with the Gameboy Advance made it a cult favorite among those who owned and enjoyed it.

We at SuperPod Network are going to share some of our favorite GameCube games over the course of 3 separate blog posts. Make sure to check-in next Saturday for more games!

LET'S CUBE SOME GAMES.

Super Smash Bros. Melee

I can't tell you how many countless hours I spent playing SSB Melee in my college days. Let me take you back to that time in the late 2000s. It's 2 a.m., I've got a 10 page Philosophy 201 paper to finish, and yet, I'm still trying to sneak in as many Sheik dash-cancel-downward-smashes as I can before Marth clips me with his sword. There are seven of us crammed into a small dorm room, crowded around a chunky Toshiba 20" CRT. Only four players can play at once, so it's a desperate contest to be the last player remaining. Trash talk is flying. There's laughing, screaming, rage-quitting, arm-punching (all in good fun, of course). Only the winner gets to continue playing in the next round, as everyone else rotates.

Not only does Melee carry some of the best nostalgia that GameCube era gaming can provide, it's just an absolutely fantastic multiplayer game. Melee took the best qualities of the OG Smash Bros on the N64 and cranked the amp up to 11. Melee brought even smoother gameplay, faster paced action, better movement, finely tuned mechanics, and loads of new characters, items, and levels. It's so satisfying when you've mastered a character and can execute fluid combos in sequence. In the esports scene, Melee has maintained a level of competitive viability even to this day, as there are still dedicated players out there that prefer to go toe-to-toe in Melee instead of Smash Ultimate.

Unfortunately, Sakurai realized that my guy Kirby was OP on the N64, so they nerfed him into the ground in Melee. That is my one and only complaint. Otherwise, Melee may just be a perfect game.

~ RetroMo

Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance

To start this off I won't lie, I was not a GameCube kid back in the day. Most of my nostalgia is purely retrospective. That being said, the GameCube is definitely a console I've gained much appreciation for over the years, since I first got mine around 2010. Now the question is why did I pick Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance?

I guess the best place to start is 2013, when I experienced my first taste of the series in the form of Fire Emblem Awakening. The game that not only brought the series into the mainstream attention, but also single-handedly saved the series. Awakening was truly a special game for me as it not only made me a fan of the franchise itself, but also finally opened my eyes to the world of tactical RPGs, leading me onto a binge of the genre that still continues to this day which also saw me go on to acquire all the Fire Emblem titles as well.

Now this is where Path of Radiance comes into play, as Awakening quickly became one of my favorite games of all time. I really needed to experience what many fans of the franchise consider to be one of its finest. Notably the series lone entry on the GameCube, along with being the first to make the jump to full 3D, Path of Radiance features some of the series' best gameplay in general. With the game retaining the series more classic feel and consequence driven difficulty, making every one of the player's choices absolutely count (unless you save scum until you get it right, although who am I to judge?), while also feeling absolutely fresh with its story line. Following Ike, a mercenary, who embarks on a journey across the fictional continent of Tellius in a quest to restore the heir Crimea Princess Elincia back to the throne.

I can't say Path of Radiance is my favorite entry in the series, with it generally falling below Three Houses and Awakening as my personal picks. Lacking the expansive world and memorable characters of the former or beginner-friendly ease of entry that the latter used to bring to the mainstream, Path of Radiance instead gives us a solid tactical experience that any fan of the genre will find satisfying. Although finding a copy of the game these days may be the biggest hurdle in its enjoyment, as it has become quite expensive in modern times.

~ Bill

Eternal Darkness: Sanity's Requiem

Eternal Darkness: Sanity’s Requiem was originally developed for the Nintendo 64 by Silicon Knights, the same team behind Blood Omen: Legacy of Kain on PlayStation in 1996. Nintendo approached them to create a more mature game for the N64, and by 2000, Eternal Darkness was mostly finished. However, with GameCube’s launch on the horizon, Nintendo decided to move the project to their newer, more powerful console.

Fast forward to the summer of 2002. After some serious saving, I finally had enough money for a “new-to-me” GameCube, a memory card, and two games. I chose to get Super Mario Sunshine and Extreme-G 3. But I got a third game because the guy at EB Games reminded me about Eternal Darkness, telling me that I absolutely had to play this game because it would change my opinion of what a game could be. High praise, but he was right!

Eternal Darkness was an excellent Lovecraftian-style horror tribute and the game’s major innovation was its “Sanity Effects,” designed to mess with players not just in the game, but in the real world, too.

Without spoiling everything, here are a few of my favorite sanity effects:

• Hallucinations: You’d see bloody walls, or your character would shrink while the screen flipped upside down, completely disorienting you.

• Fake Deaths: Your character would suddenly die in brutal ways, only for it to reset moments later as if nothing happened.

• Bugs: At one point, fake bugs crawl across your TV, making you think they’re inside your screen!

• TV Tricks: The game would suddenly fake being turned off. Or other times it would start decreasing the volume, using an on-screen indicator, making you think something was wrong with your actual setup.

• Glitches and "Errors": The game would sometimes pretend your memory card was wiped, or shockingly simulate a blue screen of death—striking panic into anyone who was playing!
  

The game would go on to earn rave reviews from Game Informer, IGN, and GameStop, which later named it their GameCube Game of the Year. Its incredible sound design, captivating story, clever sanity effects, and impressive graphics made it a standout. For me, it’s still one of the best games that the GameCube has to offer!

However, it faced tough competition, releasing just two months after Capcom’s stunning Resident Evil remake. And likely due to that fact, Eternal Darkness sold fewer than 500,000 copies worldwide, with just 17,000 sales in Japan and under 20,000 in Canada. Despite the underwhelming sales, the game developed a strong cult following, and its legacy has only grown stronger over the past 20 years.

Eternal Darkness definitely remains a landmark in horror gaming, proving that creative risks can redefine genres and deliver unforgettable experiences. If you ever get the chance to play it, don’t miss out—it’s an experience you won’t forget!

~ Jameson