So I know the next generation of console gaming is fully upon us but there are many of us who can’t afford the upgrade just yet so for those of us still on the last-gen wagon here are my picks for the big 3 systems.
Today I’ll be covering the Nintendo GameCube, currently the most affordable (it’s only $49.99 at Amazon, even brand spanking new) and a great option if you can’t afford/can’t find a Wii.
The Legend of Zelda: The Twilight Princess and The Legend Of Zelda: Wind Waker -The Zelda series pretty much speaks for itself in terms of quality and production values so the choice to be made here depends on your personal style preference. Wind Waker has a cell-shaded cartoony look that left many fans scratching their heads in confusion, but the gameplay is pure Zelda goodness. Twilight Princess offers a more realistic, dark moody feel and the ability to shapeshift into a wolf to add a new gameplay element. Both are awesome in their own right and definitely worth your money and time.
Mario Party 4-7 – The Mario Party series is a nearly perfect mutiplayer game. Up to four players compete in minigames and board-game style play for hours and hours of multiplayer goodness! Play as Mario, Luigi, Yoshi and many others as you button-mash your way to super-stardom.
Metroid Prime & Metroid Prime 2: Echoes – The Metroid series makes the leap into 3-D in this intense First-Person-Adventure update of a classic. I say FPA and not FPS in this case as you spend nearly as much time exploring and solving puzzles as you do in combat. Classic Metroid enemies and music combine with tight controls and great visuals to make some of the best fun to be had on the Cube.
Resident Evil 0-4 – Five great games. Two original Cube titles and three remakes of PS1 classics done very well. RE 1, 2 and 3 were smash hits on the PS1 and updated with better graphics, sound and controls are definitely scary and worth your money. Zero was the first new RE on the cube and was a fun solid game, nothing to gripe about. Then you have the masterpiece that is RE4, and I think we all know just how great Leon’s adventure in Europe was incredible. These games are best played in order starting with Zero but can be taken individually if you like. Just play them all. Even if you already played them on the PS1, just do it. they Rock.
Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes – Another PS1 remake done exceptionally well. The next-gen controls from MGS2 on the PS2 were utilized here on the GCN to update the original MGS and bring it to a new audience. The graphics are top-notch for the system and the re-done cutscenes are pure joy to watch. Basically they kept everything about the game that was good and added the muscle of next-gen hardware to create a fitting addition to a spectacular series.
Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door – Platforming hero Mario ventures into the realm of classic RPG in this oddly charming and exquisitely playable title. To understand this one you have to think characters from the Mario universe take away about half the normal amount of platforming action and replace it with turn-by-turn RPG style action a la Final Fantasy and you get the idea. Lots of fun for the RPG fan, a little off-putting for the fan of classic Mario gameplay. I say try it, you’ll like it. Trust me.
Tales Of Symphonia – A somewhat by-the-numbers RPG, but a welcome one considering the Cube’s oddly lacking number of games in this department. Very Japanese in it’s visual style and story this one manages to suck you in early and doesn’t let up ’till the end. The gameplay is good-old RPG until you get to the combat, there’s where this one truly shines, instead of picking a command from a menu and watching an animation on screen you can be in complete control of your characters at all times using different button combinations to pull off battle techniques. This one came and went without much press, but it’s worth checking out if you like RPG’s. [Zee's note: I am completely obsessed with this game, so this is a good pick if you're introducing a girlfriend or female friend to RPG's... it's fun and not too cutesy and has a lot of great puzzles and fighting to keep you busy]
That’s just a small taste of the gaming goodness to be had on Nintendo’s “Purple Lunch Box”, but all that I have room for (both here and mentally) so for now that’s it.
Next up I’ll give you my list of XBOX games you simply MUST have.
Adios!
The Gamer Hero
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[...] back soon. Also, speaking of GameCube… our sister site Gamer Hero just posted a list of his top GameCube games – because the GC console’s going for like $50 now, so really, just buy one if you don’t [...]