Gamecube Games - ranked by preference

Release Date: November 17, 2002 (NA)
Publisher: Nintendo
Developer: Retro Studios
Genre: Shooter - First-Person

I got Metroid Prime for free with my Gamecube due to a deal Nintendo was doing at the time. I didn't want to play it. At that time I hadn't played a first-person shooter that I enjoyed...Or a first-person game of any kind that I enjoyed, for that matter. Instead, I let a curious friend play it who was a fan of first-person shooters while I watched. Simply watching the game in action made me want to play it...And shortly after he left, I popped it in and started my own save for it...And I ended up loving every minute of it. It's the Metroid formula successfully done in first-person 3D, and it's easily one of my favorite games that I've ever played.

Release Date: January 11, 2005 (NA)
Publisher: Capcom
Developer: Capcom
Genre: Action - Horror

Resident Evil 4 was a drastic change in the Resident Evil series, switching from a slow-paced adventure-style gameplay to a much faster, action-oriented gameplay. The result was what some call the best game to come out in the last decade. I wouldn't quite go that far, but it is easily in the top 5. Running from a man with a sack on his head wielding a chainsaw is the part I remember most from this game...The anxiety I felt was nothing like I felt in previous entries in the franchise's history...And the fact that it played like a dream only helped matters. If you haven't played it yet, do so. Without exaggerating, this is one of the best games not just on the Gamecube, but of all-time.

Release Date: November 28, 2002 (JP)
Publisher: Nintendo
Developer: Nintendo
Genre: Compilation

This nifty compilation of Ocarina of Time and the more difficult Master Quest was given away as a freebie for anyone who reserved Wind Waker. As a new Gamecube owner, I jumped on the opportunity to get a free game in the collection. I'm glad I did. Having Ocarina of Time on the disk is great in itself...But having the Master Quest version on the disk as well, which changes up the dungeons, making them more challenging, is like adding frosting to that delicious cake known as satisfaction. If you've beaten Ocarina of Time countless times, getting this and playing Master Quest might be worth obtaining a Gamecube for alone.

Release Date: November 7, 2003 (JP)
Publisher: Nintendo
Developer: Nintendo
Genre: Racing - Kart

Mario Kart: Double Dash!! was a game me and my roommates were hooked on. We didn't have a second controller and didn't play multiplayer...Instead we honed our skills and constantly tried to beat each other's fastest times. That said, Double Dash has a special place in my heart for the competition it created. It's also a solid racing game with a unique gimmick of having two characters on the kart at a time, which also let you hold more power-ups at once, which led to some pretty chaotic (and fun) racing. When it comes to kart-style racing on the Gamecube, nothing comes close to this title.

Release Date: December 11, 2003 (NA)
Publisher: Ubisoft
Developer: Ubisoft Montpellier
Genre: Adventure

So under-appreciated by the masses that it's ridiculous, Beyond Good & Evil was loved by critics and pretty much anyone who actually took the time to play the game through from beginning to end. Unfortunately, the number of folks that did that is very low...So low, that I recall this game in discount bins for $20 within a few months of its release. That's a shame, too, because Beyond Good & Evil is really, really good. In the twelve years since it released, some of the controls have aged a bit, but otherwise it's still just as fun as it was when it first came out. If you haven't played it yet, give it a try. Chances are you'll be glad that you did.

Release Date: December 13, 2002 (JP)
Publisher: Nintendo
Developer: Nintendo
Genre: Adventure

Say what you want about the cel-shaded graphics, cartoon-like antics, and child-friendly approach to Wind Waker...But at its core, this is still a Legend of Zelda game and the quality of this title is what you'd expect from the franchise. I, personally, found the art style that they went with to be a refreshing take on the series...And, quite frankly, everything looked absolutely beautiful. Yeah, everyone wanted to play as an adult Link when this came out...But honestly, Nintendo proved with Wind Waker that playing as a child Link can be just as fun.

Release Date: November 21, 2001 (JP)
Publisher: Nintendo
Developer: HAL Laboratories
Genre: Fighting

Before I purchased my own Gamecube, a friend in college conned his parents into sending him "book money" which was then spent on a Gamecube. The first title he bought was this game, and we then proceeded to have what he would call "Smash Parties" with a group of our friends. We'd play the game for hours at a time, day after day...And we never really got sick of it, either. While a different group of friends of mine were busy with their Halo parties, I was always playing this gem, which I think is the best game in the series released thus far.

Release Date: December 14, 2001 (JP)
Publisher: Nintendo
Developer: Nintendo
Genre: Simulation - Virtual Life

I remember visiting friends in Seattle that worked at Nintendo at the time...They asked me if I wanted to purchase anything from the official Nintendo store with their discount. Animal Crossing was one of the titles that I wanted. I remember them coming home that day with the game stating that some of the folks that worked there thought I was a girl and was surprised that a guy wanted to play this game. Well, feel free to call me Pauline because I wanted to play it and I'm glad I did, dang it! Animal Crossing is just a relaxing game to play here and there. There's nothing to kill, no real story to follow...Just wandering around in the game's world and enjoying a virtual life in a town full of talking animals. It's not for everyone, but it's definitely a well-made game with plenty to do for those who get into it. Plus, it's got a bunch of NES classics to discover and play in the game, and that alone was worth me playing the game for.

Release Date: October 4, 2004 (NA)
Publisher: Midway
Developer: Midway
Genre: Fighting

Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance was a good, solid revival of the Mortal Kombat franchise. Deception made it clear that Midway was aiming to make it one of the best fighting games of all time. With the same, solid fighting engine and system, Deception adds an open-world Konquest mode, allowing players to wander around in the various realms of the Mortal Kombat universe. The mode, while not perfect, has a decent length to it and is deceptively (pun intended) deep. With hidden items and characters only appearing in certain locations at certain times and a bunch of side-quests to do, Konquest mode will keep you busy for a long, long time. To make Deception even sweeter, also included are two mini-games - Puzzle Kombat, a variation of Capcom's Puzzle Fighter, and Chess Kombat, a slightly strategic game of chess with one-on-one fights when your pawn tries to take your opponent's rook or any similar scenario. Overall, this was an amazing overall package when it came out and it still holds up pretty well today. It's one of my favorite fighting games of all time and I highly recommend it to fans of the genre.

Release Date: October 26, 2001 (NA)
Publisher: Nintendo
Developer: Nintendo
Genre: Strategy

This is a charming little strategy game from Nintendo involving a spaceman that landed on a strange planet, and various plant creatures called Pikmin. The spaceman, Captain Olimar, has a limited supply of air and must use the Pikmin he encounters to help him find necassary parts to repair his ship to he can leave and, well, not die. It's a charming game with some beautiful graphics that was one of a kind when it came out. If you haven't tried Pikmin before, I highly suggest doing so. It may not be as popular as games like Super Mario Bros., Donkey Kong, or Legend of Zelda, but Pikmin is still one of Miyamoto's greatest creations.

Release Date: July 14, 2005 (JP)
Publisher: Nintendo
Developer: Konami
Genre: Music

If you've played a Dance Dance Revolution game, then you've played Mario Mix, right? Not quite. While it has the DDR action that we all know and love, it also has a story mode to it, where you can play as Mario or Luigi and dance your way through remixed Mario music against various foes to bring peace to the Mushroom Kingdom. That mode, along with the Mario Bros. characters making cameos make this feel like it's not just more of the same as far as Dance Dance Revolution games go. This is easily the best music game on the Gamecube.

Release Date: June 23, 2005 (JP)
Publisher: Nintendo
Developer: Skip Ltd.
Genre: Action

I remember reading a review of Chibi-Robo when it first came out that give it a low score because "who wants to do chores in a video game?" A dumb reason for a low score, in my book. Yes, Chibi-Robo has you doing chores, but it does so wonderfully. With a plethora of odd characters to encounter, Chibi-Robo makes those chores seem worthwhile and fun. It's not an action-packed game with bullets and kung-fu, but it doesn't have to be. Chibi-Robo is relaxing, entertaining, and fun - which is pretty much all that it tries to be.

Release Date: March 9, 2004 (NA)
Publisher: Konami
Developer: Silicon Knights
Genre: Action

Metal Gear Solid is one of my favorite games of all time, so of course I was excited to see that it was getting a graphical facelift and having a few minor features added to the gameplay. And while the game still turned out to be good, I must admit that I was a little disappointed with it. The voice actors and some of the dialogue were changed, which isn't a huge deal for newcomers, but for folks like me who had played the original countless times, it just felt weird. Some of the controls also feel a bit odd, but once you get used to them, they aren't a huge deal. Overall, while this is still a very solid game, it's not quite the quality of the original. The novelty of playing the original Metal Gear Solid similar to how Metal Gear Solid 2 was played is still fun, and newcomers will likely love their time spent playing this, though.

Release Date: December 5, 2003 (JP)
Publisher: Namco
Developer: Monolith Soft
Genre: RPG

When I think of Baten Kaitos, I think of three things: beautiful graphics and soundtrack, interesting card-based battle system, and what may be the worst voice acting work I've ever heard in my life. Thankfully, there's an option to turn the voice acting off should it begin to annoy you...It bothered me, and I like cheesy, poor acting. Anyway, the battle system in Baten Kaitos (and other things like picking up items) revolves around cards, or Magnus. In order to fight, you need to acquire cards that attack, defend, and heal. It's an interesting system that results in battles that feel like a casino game of luck with a little bit of strategy tossed in for good measure. I loved it, and I'm sure if you give it an opportunity, you may grow to enjoy it, too.

Release Date: June 22, 2004 (NA)
Publisher: Capcom
Developer: Atomic Planet Entertainment
Genre: Compilation

Mega Man: Anniversary Collection has all 8 (at the time) Mega Man games that had been released in one disk, along with the two Mega Man arcade fighters - Mega Man Power Battle and Mega Man Power Fighters. I've noticed most folks have one of two reactions to this compilation...One is absolutely loving it, and playing through until they've mastered each game. The other is immediate frustration and hatred to the games for being "too hard." A little patience goes a long way in these titles. Learning the level layouts and enemy patterns is essential to making it to the end. Without that, you'll likely end up using language that would make sailors blush directed towards the game. Personally, I love these games and having them all on one fancy little disk makes my heart glow.

Release Date: August 30, 2004 (NA)
Publisher: THQ
Developer: Yuke's
Genre: Fighting - Wrestling

With WWE Day of Reckoning, the Gamecube FINALLY got a good WWE wrestling game. Getting rid of the horrible brawler/platformer/wrestling hybrid main game mode, Day of Reckoning instead replaced it with a fantastic (albeit short) story mode. The same, solid gameplay mechanics from Wrestlemania XIX carry over here, creating a fantastic overall wrestling game that any wrestling fan will likely enjoy.

Release Date: March 31, 2003 (NA)
Publisher: Electronic Arts
Developer: Aki
Genre: Fighting - Wrestling

I'm not a fan of hip-hop in the slightest. So when I saw that there was a wrestling game coming out featuring rappers, I rolled my eyes. However, once I began to play it, I really started to enjoy it. The game feels like an arcadey-version of the N64 Aki wrestling titles and it works quite well. I honestly don't remember a whole lot about the story, but I do remember absolutely loving every minute that I spent playing this game. If you like wrestling titles, this is definitely a game that you shouldn't overlook.

Release Date: November 16, 2002 (NA)
Publisher: Midway
Developer: Midway
Genre: Fighting

I was mildly a fan of Mortal Kombat II when I was a kid, so I wasn't too excited about Deadly Alliance...And then I played it and instantly fell in love. The abilities to swap between three fighting styles on the fly during the fight and even lodge weapons in your opponent to make them bleed out and slowly lose health for the rest of the battle were awesome new gameplay mechanics for a fighting game. The Krypt's luck-based way of unlocking stuff kept me playing this game much, much longer than I normally would have and the Konquest mode was a neat addition as well. More recent Mortal Kombat games have improved on the fighting and added better extras and modes, but for its time, Deadly Alliance was a must-have fighting game. It's still quite good today.

Release Date: March 9, 2004 (NA)
Publisher: Electronic Arts
Developer: Electronic Arts
Genre: Sports - Baseball

Without having played MVP Baseball 2005 yet, I can honestly say that up until I played MLB 10: The Show on Playstation 3, MVP Baseball 2004 was the best baseball game that I had ever played. Working my way up to the big leagues from the minors was an absolute blast, and other little aspects like alternate uniforms and the like created the most fun I had with a baseball game since World Series Baseball '98 hit the Saturn. I've heard that MVP Baseball 2005 is even better than 2004, but until I get the opportunity to confirm that, I'll make the claim that this is the best baseball game that I've played on the Xbox.

Release Date: November 10, 2002 (NA)
Publisher: Sega
Developer: Sonic Team
Genre: Compilation

Dr. Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine alone was enough to make me want to purchase this title. Toss in the first three Sonic games and a few other goodies and you've got a compilation that for its time couldn't be matched. This compilation was an upgrade from the Saturn's Sonic Jam, which was in itself a great compilation. The oddest part was that it was a Sonic compilation on a Nintendo system...I still remember seeing the Nintendo Seal of Quality by Sonic's foot and thinking how weird that looked. Sega has since released compilations better than this one, but if you want mostly Sonic games, this isn't a bad choice to go with.

Release Date: September 14, 2001 (JP)
Publisher: Sega
Developer: Amusement Vision
Genre: Action

Super Monkey Ball is another one of those games I'd play with a group of friends in college. When taking a break from the Smash Bros. parties, we'd often pop Super Monkey Ball in and play the various mini games like monkey bowling. It wasn't until I got out of college and bought this game for myself that I spent a lot of time in the main game, which greatly resembles Marble Madness. The main game alone is very fun, but add in the various mini games that I mentioned and you've got a game that's great for playing alone and just as fun for playing with a group of friends.

Release Date: July 25, 2003 (JP)
Publisher: Nintendo
Developer: Amusement Vision
Genre: Racing

I like the F-Zero series. I loved the first F-Zero on the Super NES. I loved F-Zero X on the Nintendo 64. I like F-Zero GX, but I don't love it. F-Zero GX is a decent futuristic racing title and all, and it looks gorgeous, but it lacks something I can't quite put my finger on....But whatever it is, it's minimal in regards to the quality of this game. F-Zero GX is still a great racer with plenty of characters to unlock if you're willing to put the time into unlocking 'em. It also features a few extra modes to help ensure that you'll keep coming back for more. It may be my least favorite of the console F-Zero games, but it's still one of my favorite racing games that I've ever played.

Release Date: November 27, 2002 (NA)
Publisher: Infogrames
Developer: Monster Games Inc.
Genre: Racing

I have friends that are obsessed with NASCAR. I gave it a try and just plain am not a fan. That said, I really enjoy Dirt to Daytona. My friends claim that it's the best NASCAR game of all-time...And I fully agree. I'll even say that it's one of the best racing games that I've played as well. Everything here is done really well. Fans of NASCAR will love what this game has to offer and folks, like myself, will also enjoy it if they just like a well-made game. If you enjoy racing games and come across Dirt to Daytona, get it. You'll be glad you did.

Release Date: December 18, 2003 (JP)
Publisher: Bandai
Developer: Infinity
Genre: Sports - Golf

Ribbit King is a unique take on golf involving mallets instead of golf clubs and frogs instead of balls...It's called frolf, for those keeping track at home. Known as Kero King in Japan, this is the first entry of the franchise in North America, and unfortunately, the only entry as well. It's good, comedic fun and the story mode has some nice gags in the cut scenes as well. If you like golf, but would enjoy a comedic, unique take on the sport, then Ribbit King is a great game to play. It's not perfect, but its still very good. I highly recommend it.

Release Date: November 23, 2004 (NA)
Publisher: O3 Entertainment
Developer: The Behemoth
Genre: Shooter - Third-Person

Alien Hominid is a pretty dang good throwback to the 8 and 16-bit days of scrolling shooters, with enough of its own personality and charm shining through to make it a little different. This is mostly your standard run-and-gun shooter, but with a few features like charging your shots or burrowing underground to surprise attack your enemy added in to keep the game from feeling like some sort of clone. If you're a fan of older games with challenge, you'll fall in love with Alien Hominid. Get it and enjoy.

Release Date: September 14, 2001 (JP)
Publisher: Nintendo
Developer: Nintendo
Genre: Action

I always wanted a game that starred Luigi - but this isn't what I had in mind. Thankfully, Nintendo usually knows what its doing in terms to their franchises, and the end result for Luigi's first starring role was a Ghostbusters-like survival horror game, which wasn't the greatest game ever made by any means, but was still a solid, fun experience - one that finally put the spotlight on the tall, green plumber.

Release Date: December 20, 2001 (JP)
Publisher: Sega
Developer: Sonic Team
Genre: Platformer

I liked Sonic Adventure 2 on the Dreamcast, and this is a decent port of it over to the Gamecube...But the main game isn't what kept me hooked. The Chao raising is what got me. I'd pop the disk in and play the main game for a little bit, but go right back to raising my Chao before long. In a sense, it's the first "virtual pet" game that I ever got hooked on. That said, aside from the Chao raising, this is mostly the same Sonic Adventure 2 from the Dreamcast, complete with the "Escape From the City" song from the first level of the game (and the demo) that has burned itself into my brain...I'm humming it right now and ashamed to be doing so.

Release Date: November 17, 2001 (NA)
Publisher: Acclaim
Developer: Z-Axis
Genre: Extreme Sports - BMX

Dave Mirra Freetsyle BMX on the Dreamcast and Playstation was a decent alternative to the Tony Hawk's Pro Skater franchise. Dave Mirra Freestyle BMX 2 improves on just about everything from the first game and adds in a few extra touches to make sure that fans of extreme sports that were Tony Hawked out had another game they could go to that provided almost as much fun. The ability to bail off of your bike and watch the rider go limp in mid-air before slamming into a tree or pole or whatever else you aimed him at was a fun little game in itself, and it made sure that I lost hours just wandering around the game's levels looking for places that would be amusing to bail into or off of. The Gamecube version has two extra levels in it, making it the version that I'd recommend getting.

Release Date: November 22, 2002 (JP)
Publisher: Bandai
Developer: Aki
Genre: Fighting - Wrestling

Made before Def Jame Vendetta, Ultimate Muscle has even more over-the-top action. It's also more of a fighting game than a wrestling game, as your goal is to knock your opponent out rather than go for a three count. With about 20 playable characters, and each one being unique and with a different moveset, and a different story, there's plenty of replay value to be found here. It's got enough wrestling action to appeal to wrestling fans, and it's enough like a non-wrestling fighting game to appeal to fans of fighting games...It's right in that sweet spot, making it a game that fans of both genres should try.

Release Date: November 17, 2001 (NA)
Publisher: Acclaim
Developer: Sega
Genre: Action

Crazy Taxi was simply a re-release of the original Crazy Taxi game that was released on the Dreamcast about two years prior. On the Dreamcast, Crazy Taxi was amazing. The re-release is still very fun, but by the time it came out, the second Crazy Taxi game had already been released on the Dreamcast and the third was in production for the Xbox, so it felt outdated. For those that missed it on Dreamcast, this is a good, solid game to pass a few minutes of time every now and then. If you already have it for Dreamcast, then there's not really any reason to get the re-release.

Release Date: September 16, 2002 (NA)
Publisher: Activision
Developer: Treyarch
Genre: Extreme Sports - Surfing

When Tony Hawk's Pro Skater was at its peak, Activision did what it likes to do when it has a successful franchise - overload the market with similar products so nobody wants it anymore. Kelly Slater's Pro Surfer was victim of this - a solid surfing game, possibly the best game dedicated to surfing that I've ever played, but in an over-saturated market of Tony Hawk-style games, this one was largely ignored. But, like I said, I don't think I've ever played a better surfing game, so if surfing is your thing, or if you just want to play something a little different, this is a pretty good game to try to acquire.

Release Date: September 16, 2003 (NA)
Publisher: Vivendi Universal Games
Developer: Radical Entertainment
Genre: Action

Like just about all Simpsons games at the time, Simpsons: Hit & Run was a rip-off of a popular game at the time. This one happened to be the Grand Theft Auto franchise. The game does an okay job with it, but like most games that imitate others, it doesn't come anywhere close to the quality of the original. Simpsons fans may find it fun to drive around in an open-world Springfield, but as someone who has never really been a fan of the show, I got bored after a while of doing not-so-entertaining missions and having the cops chase me every time I decided to run over enough civilians or destroy enough property. Overall, it's a decent attempt at a Grand Theft Auto clone, but as I said earlier, it's nowhere near the quality of games in Rockstar's money-making franchise.

Release Date: February 22, 2005 (NA)
Publisher: Electronic Arts
Developer: EA Canada
Genre: Sports - Soccer

FIFA Street was EA's attempt at capturing the magic it had in NBA Street in the most popular sport in the world - soccer...or football if you're one of those folks that gets their undies in a bunch for calling it soccer. Anyway, while it's a decent game, and it's fun scoring much more frequently than in a real game of soccer, it just doesn't work in the same way that NBA Street did. It's good if you love soccer and are looking for a slightly different take on the sport, but otherwise, there are much better options out there for the sport than this game.

Release Date: July 21, 2005 (JP)
Publisher: Nintendo
Developer: Now Production
Genre: Sports - Baseball

Mario Superstar Baseball is a very arcadey game of baseball with plenty of power-ups and wackiness to both amuse and frustrate you. Playing a game of baseball and filling out your team's roster with a variety of characters from the Mario universe is quite fun. Being able to go to bat as a goomba was a highlight for me. I also really liked how, goofy aspects aside, it played like the baseball games of the 8-bit days - simplistic, but fun. Aside from regular, ol' baseball games, there's also a variety of mini-games and such to keep you busy should the normal ball game begin to wear thin on you. It's not great, but Mario Superstar Baseball is a decent rookie effort for Mario in a new sport.

Release Date: July 18, 2002 (JP)
Publisher: Konami
Developer: KCEO
Genre: Sports - Soccer

Disney Sports Soccer is a surprisingly good soccer game. Or maybe not so surprisingly, given that the folks that made the critically acclaimed International Superstar Soccer series also made this game. Purists may not like the cartoony "magic" aspects of the game, but those can be turned off, and you can pretty much have a traditional game of soccer with Disney cartoon players if you'd like. The lack of a Season mode kind of derails this game from being better, but there's a couple of tournaments that you can compete in aside from your basic exhibition, so the gameplay options aren't completely barren. If you like soccer, Disney Sports Soccer is very much a worthwhile game to purchase, but you may be left wanting some game modes with a deeper experience.

Release Date: September 12, 2003 (JP)
Publisher: Natsume
Developer: Marvelous
Genre: Adventure

I've always enjoyed how relaxing Harvest Moon games are. Wandering around, tilling the land, milking cows, hitting on the lady folk in an attempt to get wed - good stuff. I prefer Harvest Moon 64 to A Wonderful Life, but this is still one of the better Harvest Moon games ever made, in my opinion. The slow pacing of the game definitely isn't for everyone, but if you're looking for a nice, relaxing experience on your Gamecube, A Wonderful Life is a decent choice.

Release Date: December 12, 2003 (JP)
Publisher: Nintendo
Developer: Namco
Genre: Music

While it's not overwhelmingly fun or even innovative, Donkey Konga is still a solid music game for Gamecube owners. The bongos are a fun peripheral to use and they help give the game a little bit of a unique, and simplistic experience. Unfortunately, while Donkey Konga is fun, there's not enough here to ensure that the fun lasts much longer than maybe an hour or two at most, which drags the experience down a little...But it's still fun while it lasts and well worth checking out if you're a fan of music games.

Release Date: December 18, 2003 (JP)
Publisher: Hudson
Developer: Bitstep
Genre: Fighting

With the success and popularity of Super Smash Bros., Hudson jumped on the bandwagon with a fighting game of its own, teaming up with other publishers like Konami, Bandai, and Mattel. It allowed for match-ups like Master Higgins from Adventure Island against Optimus Prime from Transformers...And pummeling a robot in disguise with a stone hammer is a delight...to a degree. While this game is passable, and the match-ups and interesting, DreamMix TV still very much pales in comparison to Nintendo's fighting franchise. But, if you want something similar to Smash Bros. with some different scenery and characters, you could do much worse than playing this game.

Release Date: December 19, 2002 (JP)
Publisher: Majesco
Developer: Hudson
Genre: Action

Bomberman Jetters is okay...But it's often pretty slow-paced and that's not likely what folks used to the multi-player chaos in most standard Bomberman games are gonna want out of this game. That's not to say that the classic, multi-player madness we all know and love isn't here - it's just that it's a side game mode. The "Normal Game" mode is a 3D action game has a nice, cel-shaded look and it has a charm to it despite the slow pacing...If you stick with it, you'll find a decent little experience here. I've got a feeling some folks may give up on it before they discover that, though.

Release Date: July 3, 2003 (JP)
Publisher: Capcom
Developer: Capcom
Genre: Racing

Auto Modellista is unique in the graphical sense, as it features real cars and realistic racing, but the art style is cel-shaded, which I've always found to be neat. The downside is that there's just not a whole lot of content here to make it much more than a novelty racing game. You can have a garage and do races and the like, but when the original Gran Turismo, released about six years prior, has a much, much deeper experience, it makes the game game feel very shallow in comparison. That's not to say that the game is bad, 'cause it's not by any means, but it almost feels like the developers thought that players would overlook its flaws due to the fancy coat of paint...Well, this player didn't. Decent racing game - not great.

Release Date: March 18, 2002 (NA)
Publisher: Activision
Developer: Eighting/Raizing
Genre: Fighting

Bloody Roar: Primal Fury is a decent fighter. It had been a few years since the original Bloody Roar introduced the concept of transforming into a half-man/half-animal creature in the middle of battle when Primal Fury came out, and as a result the novelty wasn't quite as impressive as it had been several games in the series prior. That said, the game is still solid and fun, but it just didn't seem to hook me like previous games in the series had. If you want a solid fighting game experience on the Gamecube, this is an okay choice, but there are still better options out there on the console.

Release Date: September 8, 2003 (NA)
Publisher: THQ
Developer: Yuke's
Genre: Fighting - Wrestling

I really want to give Wrestlemania XIX a better score. The in-ring action greatly improved from that found in Wrestlemania X8...But in a head-scratching decision from THQ, there is no story mode/career mode/title mode or anything like that for you to play. In its place is the terrible "Revenge" mode, which if not for the solid action that takes place in the ring, would have totally ruined this game. Revenge mode is sometimes a brawler, sometimes a platformer, sometimes a wrestling game, and always a pain in the hiney. Thankfully, there are plenty of match types to choose from to give you at least a little bit of replayability. If you're just fine playing exhibition matches all day long, then WWE Wrestlemania XIX will be right up your alley. If you're looking for an engaging story or season mode, you'll be heavily disappointed.

Release Date: October 28, 2003 (NA)
Publisher: Atari
Developer: Pyramid
Genre: Fighting

I have never seen an entire episode of anything with both of the words Dragon and Ball in the same title. I have friends that love the show, but the five minutes I was shown of one show was more than enough for me. Not a fan. That said, I was still fairly amused by this game. I don't get or care about the story they tell here, but the gameplay was decent. So I assume that if I feel that way about this game, that someone who likes Dragon Ball Z will likely love it. If you're a fan of the television show or just a fan of fighting games in general, Dragon Ball Z: Budokai is not too shabby.

Release Date: December 3, 2001 (NA)
Publisher: Acclaim
Developer: Acclaim
Genre: Fighting - Wrestling

After losing the WWF licence to THQ and after ECW went bankrupt, Acclaim was left without a wrestling promotion to make games for, so they decided to create a game with wrestling legends. They also opted to create a new style of gameplay rather than sticking with their WWF Warzone formula that had aged badly in a short period of time...Unfortunately, the new gameplay style still wasn't very good. In fact, the rest of the game (including the story mode where you travel the territories like in the old days) is well done, but it's the actual in-ring gameplay that holds this back from being a truly good game. Also baffling is how it's a game about the Legends of Wrestling, but instead of being authentic, Acclaim opted to give everyone fancy schmancy new moves - moves that weren't even invented in the heyday of most grapplers in the game. If you're a big wrestling fan, there's enough here for you to appreciate the good and overlook the bad. For everyone else, this is probably a game that you should stay away from.

Release Date: November 28, 2003 (EU)
Publisher: Nintendo
Developer: Nintendo
Genre: Sports - Extreme Sports - Snowboarding

1080° Avalanche isn't necessarily a bad game...It just doesn't live up to games that had already been released. EA's great SSX franchise was already going strong by the time this game released, and it made the game seem poor in comparison. Had this game been released 3 or 4 years earlier, it probably would have been a hit if the previous game in the 1080° series is any indication...But with its poor trick variety, lack of replay value, and short length, 1080° Avalanche ends up being just a barely passable experience.

Release Date: June 9, 2002 (NA)
Publisher: THQ
Developer: Yuke's
Genre: Fighting - Wrestling

I absolutely hated WWE Wrestlemania X8 when I first played it. In fact, I sold my copy within a few weeks and never bothered to re-add it to my collection until nearly a decade later. However, after recently playing it again, I definitely see plenty of flaws like a shallow combat engine, choppy animation, a poor control scheme, and the fact that it's lacking the themes of several members of the game's roster....But despite the flaws, I don't see why I hated it so much back when it was released. Anyway, it's a passable wrestling experience, but not a whole lot more than that.

Release Date: November 18, 2003 (NA)
Publisher: Atlus
Developer: Poponchi
Genre: Extreme Sports - Skateboarding

Go! Go! Hypergrind is a cel-shaded, cartoony take on the skateboarding game genre and the result is both good and bad. The game plays solidly enough - not quite controlling as tightly as the Tony Hawk games, but still solid just the same. Unlike most games, avoiding hazardous situations is frowned upon. See a giant buzzsaw? You should be skating into it and hitting the X button. Despite the wackiness, the gameplay does get a bit old after a while. And it should be said that the folks behind Ren & Stimpy handled the art style of the game, so if you're into that sense of humor, the comical aspects of Go! Go! Hypergrind will be right up your alley, and help you overlook some of the game's less desirable qualities.

Release Date: September 11, 2003 (JP)
Publisher: Nintendo
Developer: Hal Laboratories
Genre: Racing - Kart

Kirby Air Ride is a tough game to rank...On one hand, I appreciate the simplicity of it...On the other hand, I also feel like the simplicity hurts it a tad. Basically, you have no control over your accelerations - the star you ride accelerates on its own. You can slow down using the A button, which triggers a boost when you let go...But that's about it. The whole game is played with the analog stick and the A button. It's not a horrible game to play with friends, but it gets boring when playing by yourself for a while. I appreciate the minimalist attempt on the racing genre here...I'm just not sure it was the best move for this game.

Release Date: July 20, 2004 (NA)
Publisher: Electronic Arts
Developer: Argonaut Games
Genre: Action

I am as surprised as you for me to say this...But Catwoman is not a horrible game. It's not good, mind you, but it's not the trainwreck that I was expecting it to be. The controls, animations, and graphics are all smooth...but the thing preventing Catwoman from being a good game is the gameplay itself, which can be pretty boring. It results in an experience that is just barely passable, but far from being a masterpiece of any kind.

Release Date: June 18, 2003 (NA)
Publisher: Sega
Developer: Sonic Team
Genre: Action

Sonic Adventure DX came out several years after it was initially released on the Dreamcast and about a year after Sonic Adventure 2 (a superior game) was re-released on the Gamecube. With that info in mind, one would expect improvements to be made on the game...Instead, Sonic Adventure DX is actually inferior to its Dreamcast release in several ways, which stinks. If this is the Director's Cut - the original vision of the creator of the game, then it's no wonder the 3D Sonic games have been such a mess since Sonic Adventure 2. If you haven't had access to a Dreamcast and this is your only opportunity to play Sonic Adventure, this is still passable...But very disappointing for anyone who had played the original on Sega's last console.