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Cult Classics: GameCube Article
GameCube Retro Article by Keza MacDonald
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Did you read parts one and two? Shame on you! Whatever your answer. In our final selection of Cult Classics for GameCube, Keza touches on all the most influential genres: real-time pinball strategy, asymmetrical team-based '80s arcade games, rhythm shooters, and duck-based top-down aviation puzzling.
Lost Kingdoms 1 and 2
- Developer: From Software
- Release: 2002 and 2003
These two, like Baten Kaitos, are card-battling games, but they don't bring as much polish and aesthetic flair to the genre as Namco's effort. Their world is neither as gorgeous nor as distinctive as Baten Kaitos', but the card battling is probably very slightly better, and certainly more accessible. If you're into your Magic or card-battling in general, you'll probably force your way through this game's faults to enjoy it now that it's not GBP 40 of your money, and the multiplayer card-battling actually tips these two games into the realm of 'recommended' instead of leaving it to lurk with the rest of the losers in the 'average' zone.
What we said: "Entertaining though Lost Kingdoms can be when it's raising two fingers to RPG convention, it's still blighted by conventional RPG problems."
Luigi's Mansion
- Developer: Nintendo
- Release: 2001
Okay, this isn't really a cult classic. It was a GameCube launch title and sold plenty (well, by GameCube standards). But it feels like a cult game - a strange, offbeat, interesting diversion, an experiment, a ten-hour (if that), humorous novella of a game. Nintendo's excuse for delivering such an oddity for a console launch in place of a Mario or a Zelda was that it was adapting to the times, that it was going to release smaller games more often instead of annual big hits - unfortunately, that turned out to be a bit of a lie, but Luigi's Mansion is at least an interesting product of that philosophy.
Nintendo really is good at making games that work with their technology. Luigi's Mansion is so intrinsically GameCube; it's one of about six games that ever bothered to use the pressure-sensitive shoulder buttons properly, and like Wind Waker, it has a graphical style that works perfectly happily within the limits of its technology. It will never look dated. Playing this through again, you realise that Luigi's Mansion was far from the lazy cobbled-together launch title that many disappointed, Mario-hungry fans labelled it. It is carefully and cleverly designed to maintain tension and atmosphere, closing off the mansion tantalisingly, much like Peach's Castle in Mario 64. It's a funny, endearing, innovative game, full of slapstick scares and little fan-pleasing in-jokes. It deserves so much more love than it gets.
What we said: "Luigi's Mansion is a delightful little game, instantly appealing to anybody with more than a passing interest in its heritage."
Odama
- Developer: Vivarium
- Release: 2006
Odama might be brilliant. I'm not sure that anyone on earth could really make their mind up about it. It's certainly the most intricately fascinating game that the Cube ever had, with its elaborate rules and strategies, most of which you ended up discovering by accident. There's little point trying to explain how Odama's mix of pinball, military strategy and Japanese philosophy works - instead, it's better to say that if you like interesting games, Odama is a must-have. It's so detailed and so weird, and there's nothing else remotely like it in the world.
What we said: "If you care about games rather than simply caring about which games are good, you'll want to play it."
Kururin Squash
- Developer: 8ing
- Release: 2004 (Japan only)
You are a duck in a helicopter, but don't let that worry you too much, because Kuruin Squash - like its GBA launch title predecessor, Kuru Kuru Kururin - is in all practical senses a maze game where you manouevre a spinning bar past obstacles while trying not to let it touch anything (see, no need to be frightened). It's over in no time at all, but it's completely captivating until it is, thanks to cute, amazingly smooth graphics and inventive level design. At the time we moaned that it gave it all up a bit too easily, which it does, but that hardly matters now; if you get the chance to buy it, just do.
What we said: "It'll captivate you for as long as it lasts, but don't be surprised if it then spins off onto a shelf with only a duck in a helicopter's chance of ever returning to the fore."
Are you excited about Bloody Roar: Primal Fury on GameCube?
View Eurogamer readers most anticipated games
Related Games
Luigi's Mansion
Lost Kingdoms
Bomberman Generations
Star Fox Adventures
Skies of Arcadia Legends
Lost Kingdoms II
P.N.03 (Product Number 03)
The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Adventure
Odama
Kururin Squash
Pac Man Vs.
Bloody Roar: Primal Fury
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Comments: 1-43 of 43 in total
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There was a reader review for Bomberman Generations. Written by me in fact :-)
Not my finest work admittedly, but here we are. |
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BillyBrush
12/03/08 @ 15:15
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Loved Luigi's mansion
the character model was fab, like claymation or something, and he had a hoover which is a big bonus, and when you went in the music room you could turn all the instruments one by one into a mario medly!! it doesn't get much better than that...but it does, the disc could glow in the dark! (if you put it near a light 1st) PN03 is somewhat interesting too, i beleive it inspired the change in Resi4 but maybe that's just because it was wot Mikami did 1st, the game is far to rigid in control though, you'd have thought a dancing character would have had a lil more room for expression rather than being space invaders in 3d |
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seasidebaz
12/03/08 @ 15:24
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ah, bloody roar...
the only game ever where a rabbit could beat the crap out of a tiger... |
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JohnnyWashnGo
12/03/08 @ 15:42
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Skies of arcadia requires a sequel right now on the Wii.
Am I right in assuming that the Gamecube version was sanitised by Nintendo and included none of the naughty things found in the dreamcast version? I only played it on the dreamcast so I don't know if the rumours were true. |
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Skies of Arcadia, best game ever. :)
"Am I right in assuming that the Gamecube version was sanitised by Nintendo and included none of the naughty things found in the dreamcast version?" I think so, something like that. They changed the name of alcohol, too, if I remember right. I don't agree with a sequel on Wii though, it just couldn't do a SoA2 justice. It's a great console, but I'd prefer an expansive world to explore that only the 360/PS3 could produce well enough. |
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Philistines! Odama was amazing. When your men were near the gate, it was somehow amazingly exciting repeatedly yelling "PRESS FORWARD!" at the top of your lungs to force them over the line. Anyone who gave it 3 or 4/10 clearly just found it too hard. It's telling how few reviews featured shots of any stages after Level 4 or 5.
But I digress. I'd like to express my gratitude to Keza for a fantastic feature that almost brought nostalgic tears of joy to my eye. Most. Underrated. Console. Ever. |
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It's telling how few reviews featured shots of any stages after Level 4 or 5.
Except, y'know, most reviews only use screenshots from the press material. So that isn't so much an argument. Loved these Cult Classics articles, by the way. Good stuff. How about doing a comprehensive feature series on lesser known Dreamcast, PSX and N64 games? |
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Skies of Arcadia was censored in exactly the same way on the Dreamcast in Europe and the States.
The only untouched version is the original Japanese release, apart from stuff like the drinks one of the characters is a colossal pervert, you can still see some trace of this in a certain scene where Aika is given some unwelcome attention when she is imprisoned. |
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PlugMonkey
12/03/08 @ 17:28
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I'm truly loving these articles. Had completely forgotten about Odama. Now winging its way to me by the magic of eBay.
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Muddtallica
12/03/08 @ 21:25
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Good calls on the very underappreciated Luigi's Mansion and Four Swords. Luigi's, once you let go of the fact that it's not the epic Mario launch title everyone wanted it to be, is a beautiful and eminently playable cartoon cross between Ghostbusters and Resident Evil, with some excellent stylish touches (the game's soundtrack of Luigi's humming, which gets more tremulous the more damage you take, is little short of genius) and a great sense of humour. Four Swords, meanwhile, is one of the best co-operative multiplayer games of all time; I can't think of a game that is better at filing you with a sense of warm camaraderie one moment, before turning it to vicious, hate-filled rivalry the next (for example, by having all four players standing on pressure pads, only for ONE gem to drop down as a reward...). It's also pure Zelda, albeit Zelda re-envisaged as the sort of old-school multiplayer dungeon crawler that defined a generation's perception of gaming back in the Eighties...essential purchases, the both of them, in my book.
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Four Swords Adventure was and still is awesome, managed to get three of us on at once and that was great, I can imagine how that factor must be multiplied by the addition of just one more person.
I agree with the idea to make some sort of version on the Wii using DS, perhaps as a downloadable Wiiware game? |
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GiarcYekrub
12/03/08 @ 23:43
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I disagree with Star Fox Adventures, apart from Tricky being a Dick it's a fantastic game.
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Triggerhappytel
13/03/08 @ 00:02
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I find that image of Link on the front page somewhat misleading.
I was all ready to rant about how Zelda will never qualify as a 'cult classic'. Boo. |
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Triggerhappytel
13/03/08 @ 06:56
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Why all the GameCube hate, Shaka? Or are you just fishing for an arguement?
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No, Shaka is just 13.
Because you had to spend in the area of seven hundred pounds to play it, once you've taken into account the game, the four GBAs, GameCube, four special GBP 15 cables and television big enough and pretty enough to show you Four Swords in all its sumptuous 2D glory. You forgot the cost of the chairs and/or couch! What about food? The house? Your taxes every month, without paying those you couldn't be playing the game. But seriously, I just hope that line was tongue-in-cheek. I have a hard time telling. ;) |
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spacenugget
14/03/08 @ 03:27
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Ah the Gamecube... my favourite console ever, and the only console Ive actually spent time and effort collecting for despite owning many.....
The cube was cursed I tells ya. Underrated gems and an underrated console, but I could care less because of the enjoyment my housemates and I have slapped out of it, Im only getting to play the games now because I bought most of them during my first college years! :) Funny that since I finished Bioshock Ive played the Cube more than the Wii or 360 lol (just realised thats a little sad :/) But tales of symphonia is amazing!!!! and wheres the wave race love? sigh (Stares at 40+ games, 4 bongos, two dancemats, 5 pads and 8 memory cards and laughs at the fact a college grant could afford beer to!!) ;oP |
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Four Swords was lovely, in both single and multiplayer. End of. As for the cost, well hello, most people I played with on the game had their own GBA SP and link cable. Just leaving someone to supply the Cube and the screen...
Lost Kingdoms was also great, played that to death. Likewise Pacman Vs in multiplayer. The Cube version of Skies of Arcadia made the random battling ALMOST bearable... still a classic title. |
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Starfox Adventures didn't work because it was Fox levered into a different game (Dinosaur Planet) that Rare had in development. It's a decent adventure in its own right with moments of humour and drama.
I was lucky enough to watch (not play) a four GAMECUBE set-up playing Four Swords. That's right, four Gamecubes, each with a GBA player, linked up to a projector. It was immense. |
Comments: 1-43 of 43 in total
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