The Nintendo GameCube is one of the more unique and fascinating consoles ever made, as it's the first time Nintendo tried to prioritize power above all else while pursuing bizarre gimmicks to stand out. While their mini discs and grips didn't help them outsell their competitors, we love the GameCube for what it was (and its perfect controls), because it delivered some of the best gaming experiences ever.
And to this day, some GameCube releases still hold up incredibly well visually, making them enjoyable on modern screens. While they won't look nearly as good as some of the juggernauts being released these days, they're still amazing, and that feeling was even greater when they were released over two decades ago!
Super Mario Sunshine
Starting off is the beloved Super Mario Sunshine, which features a stylized tropical setting, distinct stages, and some of the best lighting in the series. Although it has since been eclipsed by Galaxy titles and Odyssey, Sunshine still holds up remarkably well today.
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Even if you think it's the worst of the 3D Mario titles, there's no denying that Super Mario Sunshine is a gorgeous game from start to finish. Not to mention, it still has some of the prettiest water ever, making you just want to dive the moment you see it. We love everything about this game!
Star Fox Adventures
Star Fox Adventures
- Released
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September 23, 2002
- ESRB
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Teen // Animated gore, mild violence
Speaking of controversial titles, Star Fox Adventures enters the conversation. Look, we get that it's not what hardcore Star Fox fans wanted, and its gameplay can be described as okay at best, but we like this game for what it is and think it looks amazing even by today's standards.
Fox McCloud's fur, Tricky's scales and the beautiful environments full of foliage and life combine to create a cohesive, stunning visual experience. Whether you love or hate this game, you cannot dismiss its visual presentation. And for the record, we love Star Fox Adventures with all our hearts!
F-Zero GX
F-Zero GX
- Released
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August 25, 2003
- ESRB
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Teen // Comic Mischief, Mild Violence, Suggestive Themes
- Developer
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Entertainment vision
After that we have F-Zero GX, which is arguably the best racing game on the GameCube (sorry, Double Dash). Although it is still debatable, one thing is clear: it is undeniably the best-looking racing game on the platform, offering stunning visuals that impressed everyone who played this gem at the time.
Fortunately, that's still true today, as it's still amazing to watch in motion. Even though you're traveling at breakneck speeds, the environments, crowds, and other obstacles are high quality, and the backgrounds are out of this world, making F-Zero GX age like a fine bottle of wine!
Metroid Prime 2: Echoes
While we hope Metroid Prime 2: Echoes gets a remaster of the same quality as the first entry in the series recently had, we're still more than happy to play through the original version of this masterpiece. The gameplay is still exciting, and the visuals still powerful, and we couldn't be happier.
Overall, Metroid Prime 2: Echoes still rules, and nothing will ever take it away from that. Retro Studios knocked every single aspect of it out of the park, taking full advantage of the GameCube's hardware. If you haven't played through this trilogy, you won't be disappointed by its graphics, even two decades after its first release!
Super Smash Bros. Melee
Next up is Super Smash Bros. Melee, one of the few older Nintendo titles still being played competitively today, with a thriving community. While the fast, technical gameplay is a big part of it, its stunning visuals are also part of that formula, as it has aged well across the board.
Melee has surreal textures for its time, and the shading of every scene and character is just as amazing. Every character looks their best, and the light breathes life into every step. This is without a doubt the best the series has ever looked and will ever look. Melee deserves the passionate fanbase it has because it crushed everything it needed to!
Luigi's mansion
Luigi's Mansion takes the next slot, launching alongside the GameCube and giving Luigi his first full-scale 3D adventure. While it may not be the best-looking game on the platform, it is undeniably impressive, and the excellent use of lighting and atmosphere is second to none.
Each room you enter in the mansion has its own atmosphere, and slowly moving around it as Luigi's flashlight highlights the setting is still perfect. Even though some of the textures don't hold up very well under scrutiny, the game as a whole does, and that's all that matters. The dark corridors, dank basement and luxurious pool room look incredible, even today, as does the rest of the game!
Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door
Another banger is here, and it's the legendary Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door, the best entry in the series by a country mile. And why is that so? Well, the combat, exploration, writing, and characters are all amazing from top to bottom, and the visual integrity of the game brings them together perfectly.
Everything in this game has such a visually distinct and striking art style and actually looks like it was made of paper. Not only that, but the use of color and lighting makes everything pop. It's a delightful, pleasant title that makes great use of its non-hyper-realistic art direction. Even without the recent Switch remaster, The Thousand-Year Door is breathtaking in every sense of the word!
Star Wars Rogue Squadron 2: Rogue Leader
Who can forget Star Wars Rogue Squadron 2: Rogue Leader on the GameCube? This title has the potential to be the best looking game on the entire system, and it was a launch title. Factor 5, the game's developers, used a unique bump-map technique and other fancy tricks to get the most out of the GameCube, and it paid off big.
Rogue Squadron 2 is also a great title worth your time based on the gameplay alone, but you'll probably be relieved to hear that it still looks perfect today. Even if you're not a super Star Wars fan, you should see what this game looks like, while remembering that they achieved that level of graphical fidelity on a GameCube over 20 years ago!
The Legend Of Zelda: The Wind Waker
Perhaps a controversial pick, as we're running with The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker over Twilight Princess, as we think it aged the best overall due to its gorgeous art style and direction. While some fans were mad about it back in the day, we always loved the way it looked, and we think it was absolutely the right call all these years later.
Is it absurd that we still think this might be the best looking game in the series? Sure, Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom look remarkable, but the HD release of The Wind Waker more or less cemented our opinion on the matter. Even on the GameCube, the game's shading, color palette, and overall vibes were unmatched, and it's still unchanged all these years later!
Resident Evil 4
Last up is Resident Evil 4, which you probably saw coming from a mile away. Still, it deserves to be on this list, as it may literally be the best-looking game on the GameCube. The way the stone pillars look in the castle, as the light from the fire bounces off them and the floor, is striking to say the least.
Enemies look grotesque, Leon and Ashley look incredible for a GameCube game, and the environments draw you into the creepy and unnerving environments. There really is nothing like Resident Evil 4 on the platform. Capcom nailed almost every aspect of the game, especially from a visual standpoint. Even though the remake looks even better, there's still something special about the original, and that says a lot for how phenomenal it looked!
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