If it wasn’t for the NES, the gaming industry would almost certainly be just a fraction of what it is today. Nintendo’s first console revitalized the home console industry from the jaws of defeat afterthe revolutionary Atari 2600fell from gracewithE.T. the Extra-TerrestrialandPac-Man. The SNES expanded upon the foundation that the NES built and provided masterpieces likeSuper Mario WorldandThe Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past. This was then followed by the N64 which revolutionized gaming with its 3D capabilities and an incredible line-up of games. Suffice to say, theGameCubehad some weighty expectations on its shoulders.
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It would be unfair to say that the GameCube was a disappointment, although even the most loyal Nintendo supporter would be hard-pressed not to admit that the console lacked the revolutionary innovations of its predecessors. Furthermore, the GameCube faced stiff competition from Sony’s PlayStation 2, which ultimately over-shadowed it as it became the highest-selling console ever. Despite this, the Gamecube, as with any Nintendo console, had an excellent line-up of games. Many of which, are amongthe console’s highest-ever sellers.
10Mario Party 4 (2.47 Million)
One of the many series that carried over from the N64 to the GameCube wasMario Party. The 4thMario Partygame picked up where the N64 trilogy left off and significantly improved the series' visuals thanks to the GameCube’s improved hardware.
Although the visuals were improved, Nintendo didn’t try to re-invent the wheel in terms of the gameplay, andMario Party 4was subsequently very similar to its predecessors. The game was criticized for this at the time, although retrospectively it’s recognized by many,including The Gamer, as the best in the series.
9Pokémon Colosseum (2.54 Million)
It’s always a safe bet to assume that aPokémongame will feature among the best-sellers of a Nintendo console and the GameCube is no exception. Unlike mostPokémongames though,Pokémon Colosseumreceived lackluster scores from critics.
The game differentiates itself from others in the series with its role-playing elements and lack of random encounters. Instead ofcatchingPokémonin the wild,Pokémon Colosseumrequires players to “snag” them from other players.
8Sonic Adventure 2 Battle (2.56 Million)
Considering that Sonic is one of gaming’s most recognizable characters, it’s fair to say thatthe hedgehog’s catalog of gameshasn’t matched up to his stature. This is especially apparent when comparing him to other leading mascots like Mario, Link, and Master Chief.Modern Sonic games likeSonic The Hedgehog,Sonic Forces, andSonic Boom: Rise of Lyric,have been considered among the worst games of their corresponding year,but yet the blue hedgehog is still going strong today.
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One of the reasons that fans still hold hope for Sonic isSonic Adventure 2 Battle. The game picked up where the equally excellentSonic Adventureleft off and again proved that Sonic’s fast-paced platforming gameplay could work in a 3D world.
7Metroid Prime (2.82 Million)
Metroid Primeis the most critically acclaimed entry on this list. It’s the joint 6th highest-rated game ever on Metacritic, putting it alongside incredible titles likeSuper Mario Galaxy,The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild,andHalo: Combat Evolved. The game also won numerous awards upon release,including GameSpot’s 2002 Game of the Year award.
2002’s Metroid Primewas the first main console Metroid game since 1994’sSuper Metroid on the SNES. The jump in two generations of Nintendo console resulted in a huge change to the gameplay, asMetroid Primeditched 2D side-scrolling for 3D first-person shooting.
6Animal Crossing (3.15 Million)
Animal Crossingis the first entry in the now-iconic life-simulator series. The game introduced the core gameplay mechanics that the series is still based around, such as the minimal plot, open-ended gameplay,friendly animal villagers to communicate with, and real-time effects.
Along with the real-time gameplay, one ofAnimal Crossing’s most unique features was that players could collect playable NES games. Classic NES titles likeDonkey Kong, Excitebike,andBaloon Fightwere all obtainable.
5Luigi’s Mansion (3.60 Million)
Back in 2001, Nintendo fans worldwide were gutted when the GameCube’s launch titles were announced and a Mario game was no-where to be seen. Their disappointment is understandable as the NES launched withSuper Mario Bros.,SNES withSuper Mario World,and N64 withSuper Mario 64, all of which are revolutionary games that are considered among the best platformers of all time.
Instead, it wasthe world’s most overshadowed younger brother Luigiwho was finally getting the limelight. GrantedLuigi’s Mansiondoesn’t hold a candle to any of the aforementioned Mario games, but it certainly didn’t disappoint and the unique game was more than good enough to kick off the GameCube.
4The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker (4.60 Million)
The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Wakerhad the thankless task of being the first main-consoleZeldagame after the N64’sOcarina of TimeandMajora’s Mask.As is common with Nintendo, they commendably didn’t take the easy option of just makingOcarina of Time 2, and instead tried something very different.
To say that this didn’t go down well would be an understatement though, as fans saw the cartoony Link as being a step towards a watered-down, simplistic, and kid-friendly direction. Evidently, the game still sold very well though, and retrospectivelyThe Wind Wakeris considered among Link’s best adventures.
3Super Mario Sunshine (6.31 Million)
As previously mentioned, fans were understandably disappointed that the GameCube didn’t have a Mario launch title, but they didn’t have to wait long before the plumber’s next adventure was released. Similarly toThe Wind Waker, Nintendo didn’t go for the safe option of making Super Mario 64 2, or the heavily rumored Super Mario 128. Nintendo instead introduced the gaming world to F.L.U.D.D. and took them to the beautiful island of Isle Delfino that showed off the GameCube’s improved hardware.
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Super Mario Sunshinesuffers from a problem that many pieces of media in iconic series' face. Even if they’re great, whichSuperMario Sunshineis, they can be seen as lackluster if they don’t measure up to the extreme heights of their predecessors.
2Mario Kart: Double Dash!! (6.95 Million)
It’s not often that a spin-off sells higher than its corresponding main series, butMario Kartis not an ordinary spin-off series.
As the name suggests,Double Dash!!introduced a new mechanic to the series in which two players race in a single kart, with one driving and one using items. As well as mixing up the gameplay, this new mechanic allowed for co-op, something that is rare in the racing genre. Despite the game’s critical acclaim, Nintendo surprisingly hasn’t re-visited the co-op formula in subsequentMario Kartgames.
1Super Smash Bros. Melee (7.07 Million)
The originalSuper SmashBros. on the N64was seen as a fun game based around a great idea, but not much more than that. Many fans thought thatSuper Smash Bros.would be the onlySmashgame untilSuper Smash Bros. Meleewas released just over two years later.
The game proved that the series could become far more than just a fun idea, asSuper Smash Bros. Meleeencapsulated gamers worldwide with its addictive fighting gameplay. The game was a perfect example of easy to play impossible to master, as what may initially seem like a surface-level fighting game offered great depths to its gameplay that inspired multiple real-life gaming tournaments.
