Soundtrack Central The best classic game music and more

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Zane May 3, 2009 (edited May 13, 2009)

My GCN and I have been spending some quality time together as of late, and as such I wanted to start a thread for the Discontinued Little Block That Could. Choo-choo, Gamecube. Choo-choo.

Call me a sucker, but after playing through RE4 again a week or two ago I realized just how comfortable and awesome the GCN controller is. Sure, it's missing a button or two when compared to a PS2 or Xbox controller, but it just feels right to me. The little clicks of the triggers, the sweet swagger of the C-stick, the tiny little d-pad. And I love you, Giant Green A Button.

I'm going through some older games on the system and am replaying some titles I've played before on the PS2 for kicks. Here's what I have either in my gaming queue or have recently finished up over the past couple of weeks:

Resident Evil 4 - Just finished up my eighth playthrough. I started fresh and didn't carry anything over from a previous save, and by the end of the game I had maxed out Leon's health and had fully upgraded the standard handgun (5x headshots ftmfw), Riot Gun, Semi-Auto Rifle and Broken Butterfly. I didn't buy the Tactical Vest or augment Ashley's health in any way. I guess that would be what playthrough number 9 is for! Best. Game. Ever.

Metroid Prime 2: Echoes - So, Metroid Prime is awesome. BUT. Over the past few years I have forgotten how amazing its sequel is. I absolutely loved the co-existence of Light and Dark Aether and thought the game had a killer finale. I got 100% without a guide or any help (although I did remember a few extra item locations as I played) and ended up spending a few hours just exploring once I had all the upgrades so I could pick everything up and get that 100% file. What a feeling of accomplishment!

Soul Calibur II - I had this for the PS2 a few years ago, but ended up selling it. I picked it up again for about ten bucks last week and have been gradually unlocking everything through the Weapon Master mode using Ivy exclusively. Man, that broad has some serious attacks... she was tough to get used to at first, but now she flows and playing her feels formless like water (ba dum ching). Having Link as a cameo character is cool and feels surprisingly more fun than Heihachi was on the PS2 and a lot less Necrid-y than Spawn on the Xbox.

Second Sight - I got this today for like seven bucks or something at a local game store (read: not Gamestop). It's made by Free Radical (Timesplitters, Haze) and isn't bad. It's a bit choppy and kind of easy, but I'm enjoying it very much so far. It's definitely inferior to Psi-Ops as far as psychic powers are concerned, but it has that Timesplitters-esque graphical style and Graeme Norgate provides a solid score for the game. I dig, although I probably won't play this one again for a while.

Here's what I have in my queue:

Eternal Darkness - I want to play through on the Xel'lotath path again to complete my Autopsy collection. And, of course, the game is friggin' amazing.

Prince of Persia: Warrior Within - My love for this game will never fade. Ever.

Tomb Raider: Legend - See above. Best TR game since the first, hands down.

Zelda: Twilight Princess - I flew through this one on the Wii so I'm looking forward to pacing myself a second time through without motion controls or having to point at the television. The reversed (or should I say the proper and canon) map will be fun to explore, I'm sure.


I know that Joe loves the Cube - who else does? I wanted to open the thread for everyone to share some GCN lovin'! What are your favorite Gamecube games? Do you have any recommendations for a gamer rediscovering the system or digging into the library for the first time? Any fond memories of playing the system that stand out in your mind?

(EDIT: found a copy of Timesplitters FP)

Ashley Winchester May 3, 2009

^^ I'm rather surprised there is no mention of Killer7 above wink

Angela May 4, 2009

Though I've long since retired the Gamecube to my closet in lieu of the Wii, I still have a few choice titles on hand should the urge ever hit.  Soul Calibur II, Super Monkey Ball 2, Ikaruga, and of course, the best Cube title ever, Viewtiful Joe.  Other greats I own but haven't played in an age are Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door, that sweet Legend of Zelda Collector's Edition (which included both Ocarina of Time and Majora's Mask on one disc),  Resident Evil 4, the Resident Evil remake (still drop dead gorgeous in the graphics department), and Donkey Konga and Jungle Beat, which made for some good, wholesome palm-hurting fun.

I loved that the Gamecube was one of the speediest disc-read based consoles around; pressing reset to have it go straight back to a game's title screen was really handy.  And it really benefited games like Mega Man X Collection, where load times are absolutely non-existent, and Prince of Persia: Sands of Time, where dying and starting over repeatedly became less of a nuisance when you didn't have to slog through loads for too long.  The Game Boy Player was one sexy add-on, too.  I love how flush it looks on the bottom of my black Cube, making for a very natural looking extension.

I'll give points to the GC controller for its terrifically-precise analog stick, but that's about it.  The d-pad, to me, is uncomfortably tiny, as was the placement of the "Z" button.  Never cared how the L/R shoulder buttons depressed and clicked; they required just a bit too much depression, making my index fingers hurt after long periods of Viewtiful Joe.  ('Sup, VFX powers.)  The controller was particularly abysmal for MGS: The Twin Snakes...... but that was due in part to Silicon Knights' baffling way of remapping the button layout.

There have been some titles I missed out, which I suppose still isn't too late to try out.  Chief among those are Pikmin 2, F-Zero GX, and Wave Race Blue Storm.

avatar! May 4, 2009 (edited May 4, 2009)

Oh yeah, the GC, like the Sega Saturn was high quality stuff! I honestly think the GC is higher quality than the Wii in many respects... but anyway, in terms of games, I think you mentioned a bunch of the great ones. Here are my top picks:

Eternal Darkness -simply amazing! Not to mention a gorgeous soundtrack, fantastic storyline, and all around high-quality everything... this game is hands-down better than anything Hollywood has done in the horror franchise in years! Oh and if you play the game, you need to finish all three paths, that way you unlock a special ending that ties everything together smile

Fire Emblem Path of Radiance -THE best Fire Emblem game ever! and that's saying quite a bit right there, but truth be told this game ends up being one of the best strategy-RPG games ever! The music, the characters, the story... simply phenomenal! Why on Earth Nintendo never released a soundtrack is beyond me... this game is on the top of my list of games that truly deserve a soundtrack but never got one (fortunately, there are plenty of rips out there smile

Ikaruga -an intelligent shooter, with kick-ass action (typically you're the one getting kicked), rockin' soundtrack, and beautiful visuals... need I say more?

Resident Evil -“...you, the master of unlocking, take it with you.” well, you won't hear that in this version! Instead, you get a beautiful, polished game! The controls are still stiff, but if you're a fan of horror games, I fail to see how you can not love this game. Plus Jill looks pretty hot...

Super Mario Sunshine -I thought it was a great game! Great music too... wish Nintendo would release a soundtrack, but Nintendo is a big-time slacker in this area.

Zelda Twilight Princess -was this a GC game, or Wii? I'm still not sure, but this is one of my all time favorite Zelda games! What makes it so great? The answer is "Midna". Midna is hot...Oh, and a great soundtrack too, which of course was NOT released (what the hell is wrong with Nintendo?!) Anyway, this was a game that truly deserves the title of "epic".

Runner-Up1: Legend of Zelda Collector's Edition -not a true GC game since it's re-releases, but it nicely collects many Zelda games together and throws in a few great bonuses!

Runner-Up2: Metroid Prime -I still prefer Super Metroid, but I have to admit MP was high-quality all the way, and had some amazing fights! Definitely worth getting!

non-GC exclusive games that still rock on the GC: Beyond Good & Evil, Viewtiful Joe

Games I haven't played but heard were great: Metal Gear remake, Paper Mario 1000 Year Door, Tales of Symphonia.

Idolores May 4, 2009 (edited May 4, 2009)

I adore my indigo hued beauty. Although it is no longer in use, it sits in my closet, respectfully alongside old hands such as my PSX (original model, not the PSOne redesign), and my beloved Saturn (which I need to get chipped). The system just looks cool. I love the cute, sleek design above the consoles that came after. That orange light that comes on when the power is turned on reminds me fondly of the Dreamcast, and the disc seeking noise has a particular cadence to it that makes me smile. I love you, 'Cube. As I type this, I have the Xenogears OST spinnin' in my player, and I'm listin' my favorites. I made the conscious choice to omit titles that I played and loved on the 'Cube that were available on other platforms, so forgive me for not mentioning them. smile

Resident Evil 4 remains in my top ten list of Gamecube games, which places it in high running for best game ever in my opinion (a list that constantly shifts, as I remember older titles long since forgotten). I picked up the GCN version over the Wii because I adore those tiny discs. Although I'm given to understand that the Wii lets you use Gamecube controllers for control. Might pick that one up as soon as I wear out my GCN edition. smile

Metroid Prime is easily my favorite game on the system. It felt like the developers took everything that made Super Metroid so great and either expanded upon it, or augmented it with three dimensions in mind. I didn't mind that the Space Jump was nerfed, or that the Speed Boost was completely absent. It let the game flow at a much more deliberate pace. The soundtrack continues to rock hard, maybe not as much as Super Metroid, but the two are very different beasts. While I admit that the sequel, Metroid Prime 2: Echoes was technically the better game, I had way more fun with the first. Zane, you do get a respectful nod for being able to appreciate it!

Resident Evil was an incredible experience. I missed out somewhat on the original on PSX (although I own a copy now), but I was there for RE2 and RE3, been following on and off since. Code Veronica was one I really loved, but the remake of the first game on my 'Cube completely destroyed me. It was a tough, masterfully atmospheric horror title that offered tons of replay value, and never seemed to get less scary on subsequent playthroughs. Damn Crimson Heads. sad

Tales of Symphonia didn't appeal to me at first. I disliked the art direction. However, as hype began to swell among my circle of RPG loving friends in high school, I got caught in it. I bought it on launch day, and I loved it deep down (though I complained about many things I saw as faults). Music was great, characters were remarkably rounded (not at all like the JRPG stereotypes I was heavily expecting), battles were fast paced and fun. Even the voice acting was good! Had exceptional replay value, too. I remember talking to my buddy who was playing it alongside me on the phone, telling each other hints, and doing play-by-plays with him, seeing what he did compared to what I was doing. Very fond memories.

Metal Gear Solid: Twin Snakes is kind of controversial, because it doesn't fit with Kojima's true vision. That's a fair statement, they changed a few things around for the worse. I particularly didn't like the re-worked voice track (where'd Mei Ling's sexy accent go?), and the redone soundtrack didn't feel as tense as the original PSX score, which was really sad for me, because that was one of the things I loved the most. But what's there is still really well done, and at the very least, worth checking out.

Super Mario Sunshine gets so much hate, and I cannot for the life of me understand why. I get that it isn't Mario 64, and that the game doesn't have that initial "holy shit! I'm playing in 3D!" feeling that Mario 64 had. But let's face it. If a game is seriously defined by your first moments of playing something brand new, is it really a good game? Sunshine had everything Mario 64 had and then some. That was some truly solid platforming there. The game looked gorgeous, too. Staring out at the sea from one of the many vistas to be found in the game. Isle Delfino was really huge, and it surely, truly, and absolutely was a joy uncovering it's secrets.

Eternal Darkness is something of a curiosity for me. My buddy and I had played through a substantial amount of it when it had come out. That night was awesome. His parents weren't home, it was a rainy, thundering night outside, and the rain would just not let up. So we cracked open Eternal Darkness. We had ordered a pizza, and during the time we were waiting for it to come, we went and got slurpees from 7-Eleven. Flash forward not even past the intro where Alex is in the Mansion, and we're quaking in fear. Nothing was even happening! The atmospherics were that good. And don't even get me started on the sanity effects . . .

Super Smash Bros. Melee burned so many of my high school days. My buddy and I would get together after school literally every day, and waste the night just playing and playing. My time spent on homework fell like a fat bitch that missed the couch, but miraculously, my grades didn't (had a girl I was in love with that did that job just fine. hmm). I had mastered Roy, Marth, and Samus, and it all culminated in two incredible victories. My buddies had a huge tournament at his place, where he had, like, four of us fighting each other and bots. I kept having to fight level 2 and 3 bots, but my buddies were stuck with level 9's, so it came as a complete shock to everyone when I owned the everloving f--- out of them all with Samus. Another time, my buddy and I had a huge argument over whose turn it was to pay for pizza, so we settled it with Melee. We turned off items completely, and set the stage for Final Destination. He was Roy, I was Marth. We had wittled each other down to 200% damage or so, and he was rushing at me. I jumped to avoid him, but he jumped before me and was going in for the final strike when I pushed Down + B, executing my sword counter move. He screamed "NOOOOOOOOOO!" as he watched his character sail helplessly into oblivion. smile

Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker is one of those titles I will pick on until the day I die. I had heard it was going to feature sailing, and exploring uncharted lands. The image of the game I had in my head was grand. I was expecting, like, two or three huge continents, sailing to and fro, fighting legendary sea creatures and pirates, and enormous dungeons, all with the neverending horizon at my back. Instead we got, like, thirty or so uninteresting little islets, fetch quests, and a criminally small list of dungeons. But honestly, when the game was in motion, it was such a treat. The game played a lot better than Ocarina when it came right down to baser salts, it looked incredible (though many deride the visual style. Link does bear a striking likeness to a certain Christmastime elf who wants to be a dentist), and it offered some surprisingly emotional moments. I liked a lot of what it had to offer, in the end. I should stop hating it for what I wanted it to be, and start loving it for what it was. Fetch quests can still go to hell, however.

Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess had me shaking my head. Two high profile Zelda releases for the 'Cube! Wow, we got lucky there. I honestly believe Twilight Princess to be the most technically accomplished game of the entire series. It had stunning art direction, and beautiful world and character design. Combat had been polished, and we saw the return of the quirky bomb-arrows so loved in Link's Awakening. I didn't like the bit where you had to destroy those glowing bug things, felt it was useless and distracting, but everything else was a slick, well-oiled machine. I hadn't seen dungeons of this magnitude in forever. The ice dungeon and the desert dungeon in particular were incredible. Truly a shame that we weren't blessed with an official OST release, because as Jon Turner said, this game demands one. Could Midna be the best new character to come along in forever? smile

That's it. Anything I missed out on? smile

Zane May 4, 2009

Ashley Winchester wrote:

^^ I'm rather surprised there is no mention of Killer7 above wink

Heh, well I played it through twice last summer-ish when I wrote my Soundtrack Guide for GameFAQs, so I probably won't play it again until late this summer or fall at the earliest. Gotta let it ruminate for a while (as best as I can at least). Although I should mention it's one of my favorite GCN games... as if I had to say that anyway given how I always talk about the game and its music like a broken record. wink

And Angela, VJ is an amazing game, for sure! I think I've made it through four or five times by now. I enjoyed VJ2, but nowhere near as much as the first.

Super Mario Sunshine is also an amazing game! Its real downfall was trying to find all of those blue coins, especially since a good chunk of them were episode-specific, but the gameplay, locales and Shine quests were almost always amazing. I played through this one again last summer and it's just as fun as it was when I first played it years ago. Avatar, even though there's no full release for the OST, there are a good selection of the games' tunes on the Mario 20th Anniversary Disc!

I might try to pick up the LOZ Collector's Edition because I've never actually tried out Majora's Mask and that would be a cool way to have it (as well as the other three Zeldas) on one disc. And Wind Waker... I'll play you again someday.

allyourbaseare May 4, 2009 (edited May 4, 2009)

Angela wrote:

Super Monkey Ball 2

I love you people so much. 

Definitely an odd-ball title, but if you can find it for a decent price I'd recommend Cubivore.  It's hard to describe, but it's put out by Atlus.  What more do you need?

Baten Kaitos.  Hell YES.  Enjoyed this one way more than Tales of Symphonia, and it boasts one of Motoi Sakuraba's best scores to date. 

REALLY surprised that no one's mentioned (to great length) Pikmin.  The first one felt more coherent than the sequel, but there was a TON more to do in the second one.  Unfortunately it's become quite popular (read: expensive) since Super Smash Bros. Brawl came out.

Because I'm a sucker for all things Sonic, definitely pick up Sonic Adventure 2 if you can.  It's Jun Senoue in his hay-days and a pretty good story as well.  Just don't go for "A" ranks on every stage.  I drove myself MAD!

Jodo Kast May 4, 2009

Actually, what I found most enjoyable about the Gamecube was an add-on that let one play Gameboy Advance games on a bigger screen. That's how I was able to play Harmony of Dissonance (legally). I had to download a ROM of Circle of the Moon and use my computer, but that was before the add-on came out. I'm still much more interested in 2D games in the vein of Super Metroid/Symphony of the Night.

The problem with 3D is that it was no longer a novelty by the time the Gamecube was released. Super Mario 64 had already shown me that and the GCN merely made 3D games look better but it did not make them more fun. For example, I greatly preferred Waverace 64 and Mario 64 to their GCN counterparts.

However, the processing power of the GCN did make the slow moving Resident Evil series more appealing. The RE1 remake and RE4 were very fun, but they still did not have the type of freedom I enjoy that a game like Super Metroid delivers.

Crystal May 4, 2009 (edited May 4, 2009)

Yay! Gamecube Lovers live on!


Pikmin 2: one of the best strategy games ever.  I love collecting all the items and directing my army.  There's no time limit here unlike the first game.

Legend of Zelda Wind Waker: the only Zelda game to make me cry at the end.
Not even the ending of LOZ:TP could do that.  And I think the cell-shading was a great choice.

Legend of Zelda Twilight Princess: the real-looking Zelda game that people have been clamoring for. 

Prince of Persia TT: a beautiful fun game, I love the voices of the Prince and the Dark Prince here.  The gameplay is better than SOT and the storyline so intricate.  The quick-kill system was much better than the SOT's Stop and kill, stop and kill system.

Other notable mentions: Super Mario Sunshine, Metal Gear TS, Metroid 1+2, Sonic Adventure 1+2.

Basically, the Gamecube is not dead!

avatar! May 5, 2009 (edited May 5, 2009)

How could I forget!

Skies of Arcadia Legends

What a truly breathtaking, epic, and just damn fun game that was smile
You know, the GC didn't have many RPGs, but seems like what it had was top class!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3P3VGHR0 … re=related

Angela May 5, 2009

And how could I forget "Chibi-Robo!"?  Joe and his avatar would most certainly agree. :)

Idolores May 5, 2009

Angela wrote:

And how could I forget "Chibi-Robo!"?  Joe and his avatar would most certainly agree. smile

Me, too. Brandy seal of approval.

God, though, that game was messed up. tongue

Nick G May 5, 2009 (edited May 7, 2009)

A few more no one has mentioned:

Burnout 2: Point of Impact - This was my first Burnout game, and maybe it's nostalgia talking, but I think it's the best. Manual transmission is selectable for any vehicle. Every Burnout game since limits you to automatic. It also has charm that the later games lack. I'll take its understated soundtrack over the licensed pop-punk crap of 3 and Revenge any day.

Mega Man: Network Transmission - Yeah, it's aggravating as hell. The classic Mega Man gameplay is there, though. It makes the chore of milking enemies for special items a lot easier to bear. And, as I've mentioned before, the soundtrack is amazing.

Warioworld - Didn't anyone else like this game? I still remember how sweaty my palms got in the bonus stages.

Mario Golf: Toadstool Tour - Not HotShots Golf caliber gameplay, but the classic characters and course designs made up for that.

StarFox: Assault - The vehicle portions are great!

Phantasy Star Online: Episode I & II Plus - I hope to get around to playing this someday. I love the soundtracks.

Angela May 5, 2009 (edited May 5, 2009)

Nick G wrote:

A few more no one has mentioned:

StarFox: Assault - The vehicle portions are great!

I would've given mention to Assault, if the on-foot missions hadn't been so shitty.

Nick G May 5, 2009

Angela wrote:
Nick G wrote:

A few more no one has mentioned:

StarFox: Assault - The vehicle portions are great!

I would've given mention to Assault, if the on-foot missions hadn't been so shitty.

Yeah, just trying to remember the good times hehe. One cool thing is that I have it on my shelf next to Killer7. Assault has a blue and white streak across the spine, while Killer7 has red and white streak. Looks neat!

Idolores May 5, 2009

Angela wrote:
Nick G wrote:

A few more no one has mentioned:

StarFox: Assault - The vehicle portions are great!

I would've given mention to Assault, if the on-foot missions hadn't been so shitty.

I hear that a lot. I would love to give this one a go, but if those moments of shittiness occur frequently, maybe not. sad

XLord007 May 7, 2009 (edited May 7, 2009)

I had some good times with my Cube.  I liked the controller when I first used it at E3, but the more I used it at home, the less I liked it.  It's just not that comfortable and the shoulder buttons (both the marshmallows and the Z button) don't feel right.  The kidney shaped X and Y  buttons and tiny d-pad don't help either.  The Game Boy Player was a godsend though.  Best.  Accessory.  Ever.  I played so many GBC and GBA on that, and I had a great time not only actually being able to see them, but also using the wonderful Hori Pad! :-)

As for actual GameCube games, RE4 was far and away the best, but Chibi Robo, Metroid Prime 1, Mario Sunshine, and Wind Waker were all great fun too.  I played Twilight Princess on Wii, but I'm sure the NGC version was swell (I have it, but never bothered with the finished Cube version).  F-Zero GX was amazing in many ways, but inaccessible due to the insane difficulty level.  Still one of the most gorgeous games I've ever played.  Killer 7, Geist, and Eternal Darkness were all fun, but not in the same league as the above games.  Paper Mario: TYD and Animal Crossing were quite entertaining as well, especially since this version of AC was the first on in the U.S. and it hadn't been beaten to death yet. 

Last but not least, my 2004 game of the year: Four Swords Adventures.  The most underrated Zelda game ever.  Forget about the goofy GBA-requiring multiplayer because the single-player game is fantastic.

Of course, I didn't enjoy every Cube game I bought:
-Metroid Prime 2 (immensely lame light/dark world game design; maddening difficulty)
-Twin Snakes (framerate)
-Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles (everything about this game sucked except for the amazing music)
-Star Fox Assault (flying = good; foot/tank = suck)
-Luigi's Mansion (good idea, boring execution)
-Mario Kart Double Dash (doesn't feel right with the goofy cars and two-man teams)
-Wave Race Blue Storm (so NOT the N64 game)

Yuvraj May 8, 2009

The Gamecube had some fantastic games. It suffered from lack of quantity just like the N64, but it also spotted the greatest games of the generation just like the N64. You know Zane, I still flounder over which game I like(d) more: Resident Evil 4 or Metroid Prime. Both games completely blowed my mind at the time and to be honest there hasn't been anything since that had gave me such an experience. Just thinking about these games gives me goosebumps.

Other games I loved: Eternal Darkness, Resident Evil redux, and Mario Kart DD. I remember I used to bash Wind Waker but in retrospect the game had a lot of charm. I just couldn't stand the boring sailing and treasure hunting. Mario Sunshine had some great levels, but couldn't compare to its predecessor so it didn't make such a big impression. I still want to play these games some day: Beyond Good & Evil, Resident Evil 0 & CVX and Luigi's Mansion.

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