Quick answer: Twelve GameCube games appear on all four of the major “best GameCube games” lists we compared, and the top five are Metroid Prime, The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker, Resident Evil 4, Super Smash Bros. Melee and Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door. Metroid Prime is also the GameCube’s highest-rated game on Metacritic (97). A loose disc of a top-25 game has a median price of about $39.99 on PriceCharting, but a few are now expensive: Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance is $162.91 loose. Six of the 25 are in the Nintendo GameCube library on Switch 2, and several more have remasters.
Prices are PriceCharting’s US (NTSC-U) averages for 28 October 2026. They move, so treat them as a guide rather than a quote.
Affiliate links: if you buy through the Amazon links on this page we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. We link GameCube video adapters, not games, because second-hand game prices vary too much by seller.
How did we rank the best GameCube games?
We did not invent a ranking. We combined four published lists and ordered games by how many of them include each game, then by their average position across those lists:
- IGN’s 25 best GameCube games of all time (updated 10 April 2025)
- GamesRadar’s 25 best GameCube games (updated 3 February 2026)
- Ultimate Ranks, which combines 715 “best games” lists into a 60-game GameCube ranking (updated 22 July 2026)
- The top 50 of Game Ranks, a ranking built from popularity and engagement data rather than reviews
All 25 games below are on at least three of the four lists. We left out straight ports of older games that Ultimate Ranks counts, such as Ocarina of Time and Majora’s Mask (sold on GameCube in a compilation) and Capcom’s Resident Evil 2 and 3, because they are not really GameCube games. Metascores are for the GameCube version, from Metacritic. Prices come from PriceCharting.
The 25 best GameCube games, ranked
| # | Game (year) | On how many lists | Metascore | Loose / complete price | Easiest way to play today |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Metroid Prime (2002) | 4 of 4 | 97 | $18.10 / $26.08 | Metroid Prime Remastered (Switch, 2023) |
| 2 | The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker (2003) | 4 of 4 | 96 | $55.00 / $80.00 | Switch 2 GameCube library; Wind Waker HD (Wii U) |
| 3 | Resident Evil 4 (2005) | 4 of 4 | 96 | $34.99 / $43.87 | Ports on Switch, PS4, Xbox and PC; 2023 remake |
| 4 | Super Smash Bros. Melee (2001) | 4 of 4 | 92 | $49.65 / $72.00 | Original disc only |
| 5 | Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door (2004) | 4 of 4 | 87 | $31.10 / $45.49 | Switch remake (2024) |
| 6 | Super Mario Sunshine (2002) | 4 of 4 | 92 | $32.99 / $45.00 | Switch 2 GameCube library |
| 7 | Animal Crossing (2002) | 4 of 4 | 87 | $44.99 / $65.20 | Original disc only |
| 8 | Pikmin 2 (2004) | 4 of 4 | 90 | $42.86 / $57.00 | Pikmin 1+2 (Switch, 2023) |
| 9 | Beyond Good & Evil (2003) | 4 of 4 | 87 | $35.00 / $50.52 | 20th Anniversary Edition (2024) |
| 10 | Eternal Darkness: Sanity’s Requiem (2002) | 4 of 4 | 92 | $72.57 / $122.50 | Original disc only |
| 11 | Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance (2005) | 4 of 4 | 85 | $162.91 / $227.50 | Switch 2 GameCube library |
| 12 | Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes (2004) | 4 of 4 | 85 | $75.50 / $109.49 | Original disc only |
| 13 | Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time (2003) | 3 of 4 | 92 | $14.49 / $19.99 | Original disc; PS3 Trilogy HD |
| 14 | The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess (2006) | 3 of 4 | 96 | $159.99 / $193.50 | Twilight Princess HD (Wii U) |
| 15 | SoulCalibur II (2003) | 3 of 4 | 93 | $19.95 / $32.15 | Switch 2 GameCube library |
| 16 | Mario Kart: Double Dash!! (2003) | 3 of 4 | 87 | $54.95 / $71.50 | Original disc only |
| 17 | Star Wars Rogue Squadron II: Rogue Leader (2001) | 3 of 4 | 90 | $12.14 / $17.77 | Original disc only |
| 18 | Viewtiful Joe (2003) | 3 of 4 | 93 | $25.30 / $40.00 | Original disc (also on PS2) |
| 19 | Resident Evil (remake) (2002) | 3 of 4 | 91 | $29.49 / $50.85 | Resident Evil HD Remaster (2015) |
| 20 | Metroid Prime 2: Echoes (2004) | 3 of 4 | 92 | $35.99 / $58.57 | Original disc; Metroid Prime Trilogy (Wii) |
| 21 | Ikaruga (2003) | 3 of 4 | 85 | $39.99 / $57.89 | Switch and PC versions |
| 22 | F-Zero GX (2003) | 3 of 4 | 89 | $49.99 / $79.99 | Switch 2 GameCube library |
| 23 | Tales of Symphonia (2004) | 3 of 4 | 86 | $21.01 / $28.57 | Tales of Symphonia Remastered (2023) |
| 24 | Skies of Arcadia Legends (2003) | 3 of 4 | 84 | $128.56 / $175.03 | Original disc only |
| 25 | Luigi’s Mansion (2001) | 3 of 4 | 78 | $47.47 / $63.61 | Switch 2 GameCube library; 3DS remake (2018) |
“Loose” means the disc only (sometimes with case); “complete” means disc, case and manual. “Switch 2 GameCube library” means the game is part of Nintendo GameCube – Nintendo Classics, which needs a Switch 2 and a Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack membership.
If you only play five
- Metroid Prime. First on IGN, Game Ranks and Metacritic. The cheapest way in is a disc at $18.10 loose, and Metroid Prime Remastered on Switch is the easiest.
- The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker. GamesRadar’s number one. It is in the Switch 2 GameCube library, so you do not need to pay $55.00 for a disc.
- Resident Evil 4. Second on Ultimate Ranks and Game Ranks, with a 96 Metascore. The original version is sold on Switch, PS4, Xbox and PC, separately from the 2023 remake.
- Super Smash Bros. Melee. Still played competitively, and never re-released. A disc is $49.65 loose.
- Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door. Third on Game Ranks. The 2024 Switch remake keeps the story and battles, so most people should play that.
What do the best GameCube games cost now?
- Cheapest classics: Star Wars Rogue Leader ($12.14 loose), Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time ($14.49), Metroid Prime ($18.10) and SoulCalibur II ($19.95). Big sellers and reprints keep these cheap.
- The expensive ones: Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance ($162.91 loose, $227.50 complete), the GameCube version of Twilight Princess ($159.99 loose, $193.50 complete) and Skies of Arcadia Legends ($128.56 loose). Eternal Darkness ($72.57) and The Twin Snakes ($75.50) are also well above the median.
- Check for a cheaper version first. Twilight Princess came out on GameCube in December 2006, after the Wii version, and the Wii disc is a separate (and usually cheaper) listing. Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance is now in the Switch 2 library, and a year of Expansion Pack (£34.99 in the UK) costs far less than a loose disc.
For more GameCube values, see our GameCube price guide and the most valuable GameCube games.
Why did the top 10 make it?
- Metroid Prime (2002). Retro Studios turned Metroid into a first-person exploration game. It is on all four lists, never lower than third, and its 97 is the best GameCube Metascore.
- The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker (2003, 2002 in Japan). Cel-shaded sailing across a flooded Hyrule. It is in the top eight of all four lists, and first on GamesRadar.
- Resident Evil 4 (2005). Launched as a GameCube exclusive before its PS2 port. Every list has it in the top four.
- Super Smash Bros. Melee (2001). The best-known GameCube multiplayer game. It is in the top seven of all four lists.
- Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door (2004). An RPG with timed-button battles. Game Ranks puts it third.
- Super Mario Sunshine (2002). Mario with a water pack (FLUDD) on a holiday island. It is on all four lists and in the Switch 2 library.
- Animal Crossing (2002). The game that started the series in the West. It has never been re-released, so a disc ($44.99 loose) is the only official way to play it.
- Pikmin 2 (2004). Nintendo’s plant-army strategy game, with more to do than the first. It is in the Pikmin 1+2 pack on Switch.
- Beyond Good & Evil (2003). Ubisoft’s photojournalist adventure, and a cult favourite that is on all four lists.
- Eternal Darkness: Sanity’s Requiem (2002). Horror with “sanity effects” that fake glitches and errors. A 92 Metascore, never re-released, and one of the dearer discs here.
Twilight Princess (14th) is lower than its 96 Metascore suggests only because it is missing from the GamesRadar list. IGN ranks it fifth and Game Ranks sixth.
How can you play GameCube games today?
| Option | Best for | What it costs | Catches |
|---|---|---|---|
| An original GameCube and discs | Collectors, and games with no re-release (Melee, Animal Crossing, Eternal Darkness) | A console plus discs from about $12 | Needs a video adapter for a modern TV; prices for some games are high |
| An original Wii | Playing GameCube discs on a cheaper console | A used Wii | Only early Wii models (RVL-001) have GameCube controller and memory card ports; the Wii Family Edition, Wii mini and Wii U cannot play GameCube discs |
| Switch 2 GameCube library | Six of these 25, with online play in some | Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack (£34.99 a year in the UK) | Switch 2 only; 11 games so far |
| Remasters and remakes | The best picture with the least effort | Varies by game | Some are changed a lot (the Resident Evil 4 remake is a new game) |
| Dolphin on a PC | Higher resolution, using discs you own | Free, open-source software | You need to dump your own discs (usually with a homebrewed Wii) |
Which should you get?
- You have a Switch 2: start with the GameCube library. On 28 October 2026 it had 11 games: The Wind Waker, SoulCalibur II, F-Zero GX, Super Mario Strikers, Chibi-Robo!, Luigi’s Mansion, Wario World, Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance, Pokémon XD: Gale of Darkness, Super Mario Sunshine and Star Fox Adventures. Nintendo’s GameCube Classics page has the current list.
- You want the originals on a modern TV: a GameCube or an early Wii with a proper digital or component adapter. Our guide to the best GameCube HDMI adapters compares the Carby, Kaico, Prism and EON options. For a plug-in adapter, check the price of Kaico GameCube HDMI adapters on Amazon.
- You have a PC and your own discs: use Dolphin. It is legal to use with games you own; downloading discs you do not own is not. If you use RetroArch, see whether RetroArch can play GameCube games.
- Your GameCube will not read discs: see our GameCube disc read error fix before buying another console.
UK and PAL buyers
The prices above are for US (NTSC-U) discs. UK buyers usually want PAL copies, which are priced separately on eBay and in retro shops, and some games have different names in Europe (Super Mario Strikers is Mario Smash Football). A PAL GameCube will not play NTSC discs without a region adapter or a mod. Many PAL GameCube games offer a 60Hz mode (some ask at start-up; on others you hold B as the game boots), so you are not stuck with slower 50Hz play if your TV supports 60Hz.
Honourable mentions
These are on two of the four lists, or rank high on one, but did not make the 25: TimeSplitters 2 (88), SSX 3 (92), Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 (91), Pikmin (89), Super Monkey Ball (87), Killer7, Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory (81) and Need for Speed: Underground 2. For less obvious picks, read our list of underrated GameCube games still worth playing.
Related guides
- Best GameCube HDMI adapters
- Underrated GameCube games still worth playing
- GameCube price guide 2026
- Can RetroArch play GameCube games?
- Best PS2 games of all time
Sources: IGN, GamesRadar, Ultimate Ranks and Game Ranks rankings; Metacritic GameCube Metascores; PriceCharting NTSC-U loose and complete prices on 28 October 2026; Nintendo’s Nintendo Switch Online pages and publisher announcements for re-releases. We ranked the games from published lists and did not play them for this article.
FAQ
What is the best GameCube game of all time?
On the four lists we combined, Metroid Prime ranks highest overall. It is first on IGN and Game Ranks, second on GamesRadar, third on Ultimate Ranks, and has the GameCube’s best Metascore (97). The Wind Waker is first on GamesRadar.
What are the top 5 GameCube games?
By agreement across IGN, GamesRadar, Ultimate Ranks and Game Ranks: Metroid Prime, The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker, Resident Evil 4, Super Smash Bros. Melee and Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door.
Which GameCube games can you play on Switch 2?
On 28 October 2026 the Nintendo GameCube – Nintendo Classics library had 11 games, including The Wind Waker, Super Mario Sunshine, F-Zero GX, SoulCalibur II, Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance and Luigi’s Mansion. It needs a Switch 2 and Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack.
Why is Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance so expensive?
It was a late GameCube release that was never re-released until it joined the Switch 2 GameCube library in 2026, so collectors chased the disc. On 28 October 2026 a loose US copy averaged $162.91 on PriceCharting. It is now in the Switch 2 GameCube library.
Can a Wii play GameCube games?
Yes, early Wii models (RVL-001) play GameCube discs and have GameCube controller and memory card ports. The later Wii Family Edition, the Wii mini and the Wii U cannot.
Is it legal to play GameCube games on Dolphin?
Dolphin itself is legal. Use it with copies of games you own; downloading game files you do not own is copyright infringement in the UK, the US and most other countries.