the gamecube controller is really good for certain gamecube games, but give me the xbox one controller any day as an all purpose pad. the gamecube controller, like the n64 before it, is niche as all hell, tbh
let’s also not ignore that the c-stick is pretty shite and the d-pad is an embarrassment, and that the triggers are very hard on your hands in many games (this is a problem with a lot of controllers, tbh, but the amount of analog distance in the triggers for gamecube is really excessive)
doesn’t mean melee/f-zero gx/mario sunshine/luigi’s mansion/etc will ever feel OK with anything else, though
I love that this is a GCN/ED thread so sorry for the derail, but I still think Anchorhead is the best Lovecraft-inspired game in the text or graphical game landscape.
If not for Breath of the Wild, I could say that none of Nintendo’s first-party titles have really interested me since the GameCube. There were some very good ones on that platform:
Wind Waker
I liked this game’s art style a lot, and hoped that it would be influential. The joystick on my controller was broken, making it very difficult to play the songs. Despite this frustration and my annoyance at the fanfare over each worthless item collected, the game became one of my favorites.
Pikmin
It would be difficult for me to choose a single favorite GameCube game, but this one would be in the running. Playing Pikmin 3 recently reminded me how much I like the concept and its execution. And although I enjoyed some of the new elements introduced in the sequels, the original game had the best story and atmosphere.
Metroid Prime
I still remember how impressed I was by just the title screen of this game. For me, a 3D game based on an existing 2D series typically ends up far inferior to the earlier titles. (Super Mario Bros. and Castlevania totally lost me when they made that jump, for example.) Metroid Prime fared much better, though even in that case I still prefer the 2D games.
Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance
I never really bothered with handheld video games after the original Game Boy, so I don’t know how the console Fire Emblem games compare to the portable ones. But the GameCube title is excellent. It’s been a long time since I’ve played a good tactical RPG. I’ve tried some of the recent Disgaea games, but all they really have going for them is mechanics. I miss the ones with decent stories. The Wii Fire Emblem game was also worthwhile, though not as good as the GameCube one.
Chibi-Robo
Although I always felt as if I should probably be doing actual work instead, that didn’t stop me from playing this all the way through. I was surprised that the game appeared to have a suicide side story (at least until you find out that it wasn’t actually suicide). I have one of these on my desk at work:
