The Five Most Important GameCube Titles
Written By: Roger Taylor

5. Too Human

Too Human will show us two things. First, whether or not Nintendo’s acquiring of Silicon Knights as a second party was a worthwhile move, and second, whether or not mature games will find an audience on GameCube. To explain the second point first: very little is known about the game, but we can be certain that it will have a mature storyline and atmosphere to it. Nintendo’s outlook on mature games may rest solely in the hands of Too Human and just a few other titles early in the consoles life. And the quality of this game (or lack of it) will show the world what it is exactly that Nintendo sees in the young, ambitious and mysterious development team known as Silicon Knights.

4. Raven Blade

Raven Blade poses a similar situation. Retro Studios has yet to prove itself in the gaming world, being that it has never actually seen a game all the way through development yet. We can tell from early screen shots that Raven Blade will have it graphically, but until we play the game there is no telling whether Retro will be the next Rare, or just a waste of Nintendo’s money. But Raven Blade will also give us a hint as to whether or not RPGs will be a major part of GameCube’s library. If it sells, Nintendo will be likely to commission more RPGs from its second-parties. And you had better believe that third parties like Enix (makers of Dragon Quest) will be watching to see if GameCube is a viable RPG platform.

3. Metroid

No matter how it plays or how it sells, Metroid for Gamecube will be remembered. For many years now Metroid has been the game the hardcore gamers everywhere have been screaming for; partly because they loved the earlier versions, but mostly because they wanted some evidence that Nintendo still catered to older gamers. Well, stop screaming, because here the game is. Right now most people are skeptical about the new Metroid, as it will be in first-person view, and is being made by an inexperienced Retro Studios. And to top things off, there have been numerous reports of difficulties in the development of Metroid. But the game is still important. If it is successful, Nintendo will have yet another top-notch franchise on its hands. If it is not, it is still a step forward in Nintendo improving their "kiddy" image.

2. Zelda

Need Zelda’s importance be explained? Can Zelda’s importance be explained? Let’s try anyway. The biggest aspect of Zelda’s importance that pops into mind is that it is the game that everybody and their mother (not to mention their brother, uncle and even great grandmother) want to play. Every previous Zelda game has been an enormous success both financially and critically (barring only Zelda 2 for the NES, which was above average at best). Nintendo may have other games that are going to sell systems, but nothing comes close to Zelda. "When is the next Zelda game coming out?" is the big question on the minds of nearly every gamer, hardcore and casual alike.

1. Mario

"Itsa me! Mario!" These words still echo throughout the heads of gamers across the globe. It has been almost five years since the last Mario game was released for a home console, but Super Mario 64 is still one of the best selling titles for Nintendo 64. Like its predecessors, Mario 64 revolutionized gaming. Nintendo’s next Mario game will be no exception. Forget about the fact that the games are some of the best on the market. Forget about the fact that Mario will probably be Nintendo’s flagship GameCube title. The most important aspect of the next Mario game is that it will show us the future of gaming through its many innovations. If Nintendo gets Mario right, and there is absolutely no reason to think they won’t, then the stage is set for GameCube to be a worthwhile, and possibly great, console. And this is why Mario is #1 on this list. In the extremely unlikely chance that Mario will fail, Zelda and Metroid won’t even have the chances to be important games.

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Posted: 7-8-01