GameCube’s library still commands attention 25 years on
Engadget’s retrospective highlights the Nintendo console’s enduring first-party catalogue, distinctive mechanics and games that remain playable, influential or fondly remembered.
Twenty-five years after the Nintendo GameCube launched in Japan, its games continue to shape how players view the compact console. Engadget’s retrospective revisits a selection of titles it considers enduringly strong, from Animal Crossing and Eternal Darkness to Metroid Prime, Resident Evil 4 and Super Smash Bros. Melee.
The GameCube arrived on 14 September 2001, followed by a North American launch on 18 November. It lacked DVD playback and did not match the PlayStation 2’s third-party support, but built a highly regarded library around Nintendo franchises and exclusive releases.
Engadget points to Animal Crossing’s real-time clock, open-ended activities and familiar village life as evidence of how closely the original resembles later entries, despite having no online functionality. Eternal Darkness is praised for its psychological tricks, atmosphere, puzzles, combat and Lovecraft-inspired mythology, although it has not been re-released or remastered.
The retrospective also highlights Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance as an important early 3D entry with a strong story, and F-Zero GX for its speed, demanding courses and improved rival artificial intelligence. Engadget says F-Zero GX is available on Switch 2 through the Nintendo Classics GameCube collection for Switch Online Expansion Pack subscribers.
Mario Kart: Double Dash is remembered for its two-player driving and weapons system, as well as tracks that have appeared in later games. Metroid Prime’s transition of the series into 3D, its exploration-led design and the atmosphere of Tallon IV remain central to its appeal; the game has also received a Switch remaster.
The selection extends to Resident Evil 4, The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker and Twilight Princess, Skies of Arcadia Legends and Super Smash Bros. Melee. Engadget describes Melee’s precise gameplay as a reason competitive players still play it, while its assessment of the wider catalogue underscores the GameCube’s lasting cultural and design influence.
