A few questions about the soon-to-be-revived (kinda) Gamecube library

[Blademaster]

Blah blah blah, technology, blah blah blah, repeat of the last thread, yadayadayada.

Onto the point: Exhibit B. The "Wii-makes" of Gamecube games. I missed a SHITLOAD of great Gamecube games, and while it's all well and good that Nintendo wants to rectify that by re-releasing Gamecube games on the Wii with updated graphics and motion controls, my Gamestop has Gamecube games that're dirt-cheap that I can play instead on the Wii.

Like my GBA topic, I asked /v/ for a list of great Gamecube games. After trimming the fat, I wound up with this list of titles/franchises:


-Animal Crossing
-Baten Kaitos
-Battalion Wars
-Beyond Good & Evil
-Chibi Robo
-Cubivore
-Custom Robo
-Eternal Darkness
-Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles
-Fire Emblem
-Freedom Fighters
-geist
-Gotcha Force
-Ikaruga
-killer7
-LOZ Four Swords Adventures
-LOZ Wind Waker
-Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes
-Metroid Prime
-PN03
-Phantasy Star Online
-Pikmin
-Prince of Persia
-Red Faction II
-Resident Evil
-Skies of Arcadia-Legends
-Sonic Adventure
-Tales of Symphonia
-Timesplitters 3
-Viewtiful Joe


Once again, what is missing from that list, and what can be axed off of it?

Also, this is the last of these lists. So don't worry - this ain't gonna become a regular thing. I'm just trying to play 'catch-up' here.

Thanks guys.

[Andrew]

-Animal Crossing - Boring as shit.
-Baten Kaitos - Interesting, but a fairly flawed battle system and overall lacking.
-Battalion Wars - Wanted to play.
-Beyond Good & Evil- No Idea
-Chibi Robo- NI
-Cubivore - NI
-Custom Robo - Lame lame lame ripoff of Pokemon
-Eternal Darkness - OH MY GOD GET THIS GAME
-Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles - Unless you have friends, don't get it
-Fire Emblem - If you like the GBA one, get this
-Freedom Fighters - What now?
-geist - Had it, sold it. Not very good. Not very bad.
-Gotcha Force - ?
-Ikaruga - Oh?
-killer7 - FAN TASTIC GET THIS NOW!
-LOZ Four Swords Adventures - No.
-LOZ Wind Waker - Oh god, NO.
-Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes - No idea.
-Metroid Prime - Didn't appeal to me.
-PN03 - No Idea
-Phantasy Star Online - No idea
-Pikmin - Irritating.
-Prince of Persia
-Red Faction II
-Resident Evil
-Skies of Arcadia-Legends - Meant to play.
-Sonic Adventure
-Tales of Symphonia - Boring as shit.
-Timesplitters 3
-Viewtiful Joe - Always meant to play.

[The Blue Avenger]

I agree with Andrew that Baten Kaitos' battle system is a little off, but the prequel fixes that in a big way. I'd say the series is definitely worth it.

[Austrian ViceMaster Alex]

Don't get Red Faction 2, I had the "pleasure" to play through it on the PC and it was a very weak shooter. Awesome GeoMod engine (enables you to destroy the environment) but that's all it had to it.

[PNT510]

Battalion Wars, Geist, Red Faction 2, PN03 Skip for sure
Skip Zelda FSA and FF:CC unless you plan on playing multiplayer with 4 people with 4 GBA thats how they're fun. CC just got a sequel for Wii I hear it fixes a lot of the crap problems from the first.
Metroid Prime you would be best off waiting for the Wii-Make

[Drago]

I'll try to minimise the amount of 'there's a sequel' commentary that I used last time, considering that you stated you like sequels/rehashes, however for the first one on that list...

Animal Crossing is a mixed beast. On the one hand, no you don't do anything, and you're simply to continue going about your mediocre tasks at whatever pace you choose for the rest of your life... It's not exactly immersive, but I personally still feel drawn into its world - I like the characters within it (though arguably there are only 8 different ones in the village, presented in different avatars, plus the other side-characters who pop up), and I find myself wanting to find as much as the game has to offer.
Anyhow, Wild World on the DS offers more of the same, and I'm told it's the same case with City Folk, so if you're looking for something this one has that the others don't, it'd be NES games. They're not easy to find, but they're in there, and they offer you a chance to have a go with games like Balloon Fight and Excitebike without forking out the extra dough.
So yeah, it's either a game you love or you hate. I love it, and even though I have the first two games, I know I will succumb before too long and grab the Wii edition. I figure you're the kind of guy, Blade, who's into the 'Nintendo magic', and though it's in a form that can be hard for some to like, it's definitely in there.

Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles is a game I hate. My friends and I invested so much money into this game (game + four GBAs + four link cables) for little pay-off. It's a bit of fun, but NOT worth all the effort it takes to get the full package. Maybe I was playing with the wrong people, but it was predominantly my friends trying to screw each other out of getting to the chests, while I had to hang back and carry the chalice while casting healing and revival spells... and the solo adventure is a lonely thing that feels like it needs others in it.
So basically, it's alright fun, but it really didn't need the GBA/link cable necessity handcuffed to it. It was just a stupid move to make more money.

LOZ Wind Waker: don't listen to Andrew :P, it's fun and it's different. In a way similar to Mario Galaxy separating the action into planetoids, once WW opens you to travelling the sea as you see fit, your points of interest are separated into islands, some bigger than others, to explore. I wholeheartedly recommend this one. Plus, when I got it I scored the bonus copy of OoT. Yay!

...Will continue later.

[Andrew]

I just don't enjoy Zelda games. I feel oddly compelled to play and finish them. But always with a snotty tone. LIke I'm better than the LOZ series.

[PNT510]

What you don't understand is the Zelda series is better than you Andrew.

[Heald]

Wind Waker is alright, not as good as either OoT or Twilight Princess, but still a good game in its own right, although it does have the most stupid overworld feature I've ever seen in a AAA game.

[Drago]

Continued!

Phantasy Star Online is basically a poor man's MMORPG. It's only got eight worlds to explore across its two 'episodes', and there isn't a great deal of difference in each region you explore. I never got a chance to play it online (never could find the Gamecube router available anywhere), but it does offer the option to play it offline. Despite my criticisms, I have fond memories of playing it offline with a couple friends of mine - we hadn't had any prior experience in MMORPGs so we didn't really know that there was much better stuff out there, but we appreciated it for being a low-quality hack and slash adventure. As is often the case in Sega games, it's got some pretty sweet bosses.

Pikmin is a game I would probably still recommend, though I'd expect you'd only play through the whole thing once. It's definitely got a lot of neat stuff on offer, and it's satisfying delegating little squadrons of Pikmin off to doing different tasks around the area - it doesn't have the 'underground' segments like its sequel does, but I feel like it has better all-around level design. Maybe the Wii re-release with updated Wii controls is worth looking into?

Give Sonic Adventure a miss for sure. It tries to throw too many different play styles out there, and its overworld hub is full of worthless areas that make it appear bigger than it really is. It's inferior to its sequel, which is a fairly cheap experience in itself, too.

Ugh. Tales of Symphonia. The level design is dreadful, the characters are annoying as all hell and the battles are incredibly meh. It has a fairly vocal fan following, but I can't see the appeal in it at all. Even the enticing draw of four-player co-operative battles is just a crowded, clunky affair.

[The_Missing_Link]

Wind Waker is alright, not as good as either OoT or Twilight Princess, but still a good game in its own right, although it does have the most stupid overworld feature I've ever seen in a AAA game.

The sailing can be a bit annoying but otherwise, it's a wonderful game. I was dubious back in the day when they said it would be cel-shaded but it turned out beautifully and the music is totally awesome. The boss battles are simple but it's really fun

As PNT said, skip FSA. Not worth it unless you plan on doing multiplayer


I tried out PoP: Sands of Time. Got stuck on one part and haven't gone back to it since. That's just how I play but until then, it was a good game


I'm taking a class called Game History and Development and for one project, we got into groups and played and reviewed games. One of them was Chibi Robo (not my group) and their main complaint was that it's not a game to be played for long stretches at a time. It has a cool concept and should be played for it's storyline but the sound effects can get annoying. They said at most, it should be a rental

[Heald]

PoP: Sands of Time is one of my favourite games of all time. The puzzles were fantastic, the combat was decent and the gameplay was sublime. The most annoying thing about it for me was it glitched when I was about 80% through the game (so about 15 hours of gameplay) and I couldn't continue. Basically, you have to stand on a lift and wait for your partner to go and activate off-screen, except she never did. She had just disappeared off the face of the planet, meaning the lift wouldn't start, meaning I was stuck forever in this room.

FFFFFFFFFFFUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU-

[Blademaster]

OK, so far I've chopped Custom Robo, Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles, geist, Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Adventures, Metroid Prime, PN03, Red Faction II, and Tales of Symphonia.

Conversely, I'm definitely trying Baten Kaitos, Eternal Darkness, Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker, Pikmin, Prince of Persia: Sands of Time, Skies of Arcadia, and Viewtiful Joe.


The remaining list is:


-Animal Crossing
-Battalion Wars
-Chibi Robo
-Fire Emblem
-Phantasy Star Online


That stuff is all undecided. Right down the middle...


-Beyond Good & Evil
-Cubivore
-Freedom Fighters
-Gotcha Force


...And that stuff hasn't been touched.

Um... Tiebreaker, anyone?

[Drago]

Any chance you could rent any of these games and take them for a test drive? A game like PSO you'd decide whether or not you're fond of it within the first couple hours of play.

[Blademaster]

I can't rent them from Gamestop, but if they carry any of those games I could just take 'em back for a refund the next day.

[classy_cat18]

-Animal Crossing - Cut this one off for sure. Every time I tried playing this game, I only got two weeks in and then got bored. The NES games are the only high point. Everything else is just as good (if not better) on the DS version.
-Battalion Wars - The Gamecube version of Advance Wars, in 3-D. Play Advance Wars, then see if you want this.
-Chibi Robo - TML is right in that it has an interesting concept but I couldn't keep myself interested in it.
-Fire Emblem - Never played FE, remember?
-Phantasy Star Online - Too repetitive. Plus it ain't worth getting the online stuff.
-Beyond Good & Evil - Now I've heard really good things about this game. Like the biggest sleeper hit on the Gamecube. Definitely worth a look.

You're forgetting Ikaruga. You should have Ikaruga on here. Top-down, hard-as-hell shooter. Which kinda got me playing it for six hours straight once because I was trying to beat my personal high score. Ohhh, the insomnia...



I'm taking a class called Game History and Development and for one project, we got into groups and played and reviewed games. One of them was Chibi Robo (not my group) and their main complaint was that it's not a game to be played for long stretches at a time. It has a cool concept and should be played for it's storyline but the sound effects can get annoying. They said at most, it should be a rental

What school do you go to and what major are you in? O_O

[The_Missing_Link]

It's a private college in Vermont but I'm a criminal justice major. The class used to be closed off to gaming majors only but they freed it up as an elective recently

[PNT510]

I think you should reconsider axing Tales of Symphonia. It's my personal favorite gamecube game. A really solid long RPG.

I also say Axe Animal Crossing if you plan on getting the Wii version. Animal Crossing is a great game but there are very few changes between GC, DS, and Wii so you really only need one version. Gamecube has NES games Wii has a few more things around town, but not a ton.

[Blademaster]

You're forgetting Ikaruga...

No I'm not.


I think you should reconsider axing Tales of Symphonia. It's my personal favorite gamecube game. A really solid long RPG.

Unless the game is really phenomenal and/or original, or is part of a franchise I really like, I doubt I'll have THAT much fun with it. I'm not much into RPG's and the general consensus was to ditch Tales. What does it offer that makes it so great?

[PNT510]

My main reason for saying to grab it is I felt it was the best RPG on a system that didn't have many good ones. Certainly better than Baten Kaitos.

Although I didn't know you don't really care for RPGs. I can understand you skipping it then because while it's a great RPG it doesn't really break the mold in a way to appeal to people who don't really care for them.

[Andrew]

I personally can't STAND Animal Crossing. Not much happens, and it's pretty much a game full of annoying chores.

Fire Emblem, it's a good game, but you def need to read some gamefaqs if you've never played it before. I have enjoyed it muchly.

That's all I can offer.

[Jeff]

I like the Animal Crossing games, but the original is pretty unnecessary at this point. The sequels are basically the original with some extra features tacked on, so if you want to pick up an AC game, go with City Folk or Wild World.

[Drago]

Yeah, if there's any chance of you getting City Folk, Animal Crossing on GC would just be redundant. Don't be sucked in like me, owning both the first two and yet somehow still wanting to get it on the Wii... I don't know how Nintendo still continues to grab me by the balls and make me buy the same game again and again - I'm even starting to go a little crazy and consider re-thinking my stance on Pokemon Platinum... Dude, I think I'm addicted to Nintendo. :(

[Andrew]

Tony, dude, I'll stay strong on Plat if you do.
We'll be addicts, together.

[Heald]

Pokemon is still the one Nintendo game I'll buy without question (not including all the stupid spin-offs such as Ranger, Stadium or Dungeon, just the pure Pokemon : (insert colour/metal/gem here) games). Perhaps just hoping the next one would invoke some of the feelings I had about Red, which I frankly loved. Unfortunately, considering RSE and PDPt were more or less the same was R/B, except just different Pokemon and a couple of gimmicks added on. It'd be nice if they actually released a game that had the same battling mechanics, but was completely different from the usual 'Pick Fire/Water/Grass, catch a caterpillar, a rat and a bird, fight gyms, save the world from some group trying to cause global warming, beat the Elite 4, ????, PROFIT!'.

[Outlaw JT]

OK, so far I've chopped Custom Robo, Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles, geist, Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Adventures, Metroid Prime, PN03, Red Faction II, and Tales of Symphonia.

Conversely, I'm definitely trying Baten Kaitos, Eternal Darkness, Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker, Pikmin, Prince of Persia: Sands of Time, Skies of Arcadia, and Viewtiful Joe.


The remaining list is:


-Animal Crossing
-Battalion Wars
-Chibi Robo
-Fire Emblem
-Phantasy Star Online


That stuff is all undecided. Right down the middle...


-Beyond Good & Evil
-Cubivore
-Freedom Fighters
-Gotcha Force


...And that stuff hasn't been touched.

Um... Tiebreaker, anyone?

Tales of Symphonia was a great rpg. Ignore these naysayers. Given how shallow the genre was on the Gamecube it was actually one of the systems best. Geist was a decent game that could have been phenomenal because of the concept but ended up mediocre. Crystal Chronicles and Four Swords are awesome games but only if you have at least two friends to play them with. Custom Robo was a good game but as someone else said it felt too much like a few other titles. It was like pokemon meets front mission or something along those lines. Metroid Prime was awesome though a bit awkward at times with the controls. PN03, there is a lot of criticism about this game but it had a charm about it that I actually really loved. I say if you find it cheap enough snatch it up and give it a try. You need to get a couple stages in to fully appreciate it, though.

I have no comments about your definitely try list. It's a solid all around list of must have titles. Once you get past the excessive random battles Arcadia is actually one of my favorite rpg's of all time, up there with Lunar.

As to your remaining list:

Animal Crossing - only worth it if you're prepared to put in a couple of hours every couple of days for the rest of your natural life. It's fun, it's addictive, but it's like crack. It gets you addicted quickly and then it starts killing you inside while pulling you away from your friends and family until one day the game whispers at you to shoot yourself.
Battalion Wars - the 3D realtime version of advanced wars. In my opinion the series did not translate well from turn based to realtime strategy. Which is a shame because I really wanted to like this one.
Chibi Robo - this is a really cute and fun collection platformer with exceptional level design. If you hate collection platformers you should give it a wide birth, though.
Fire Emblem - You either love it or hate. There are other games with similar systems that I just happen to love a lot more so I pass on it unless I have ungodly free time.
Phantasy Star Online - Worth one play through solo or multiple if you are online and have friends joining you.

Beyond Good & Evil - Awesomely fantastic game that shouldn't be overlooked!

Your last three titles I have no viable opinions about.

[classy_cat18]

Tony, dude, I'll stay strong on Plat if you do.
We'll be addicts, together.

Join the club.

And Tony? Advice on how to stay away from Animal Crossing? Don't watch the commercials.

[Drago]

Ehh, the commercials don't really do much for me - I feel like Nintendo's really lost its touch in the advertising game; they certainly don't push out great stuff like the ads for Mario Party (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O012W744xP4) or Smash Bros (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DdhS-JKt_Ns&feature=related)...

Anyhow, I don't mean to de-rail the conversation at all, but I'd still like to hear a solid argument for ToS; granted, my argument against wasn't exactly solid, but I did offer my opinions on the negatives (unfortunate level structure, annoying characters, clunky battle system) - I'd be more than happy to hear what its strengths are? Maybe I just missed them.

[Master Rudy]

Ok Blade let's see if I can help you out here. Just note these are games I've personally played ^_~

-Eternal Darkness
Intresting new take on survival horror. I loved ED....shame it never developed into the series it should have been :-/
-LOZ Wind Waker
UGH! Always hated that art style....big turn off for me personally but at the end of the day it's Zelda. You seriously got to ask on this one bud? lol
-Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes
Doesn't matter if you've played the original or not. In my book it's a must buy! It's pretty much the original MGS with the graphics and gameplay of Sons of Liberty. However if you do happen to like this then it'll be a huge plus to know who's who for MGS2-4 ^_~
-Metroid Prime
Once again do you need to ask? lol.....buy it
-Resident Evil
Not sure if your an RE junkie but I say go for it! At the very least pick up the remake of the original and RE4
-Sonic Adventure
Sonic's gotten a bad rap in recent years but I personally thought the second SA game was ok. Stay away from Sonic Heroes and Shadow's game however.
-Tales of Symphonia
WTF.......seriously guys. Why all the hate? Best game on the GC IMO. I easily logged almost 200 hours on it before being forced to trade it in for money.
-Timesplitters
It was done by the old Goldeneye team for one. So in other words if you like shooters and loved GE then go for it.