It goes without saying for many gamers that the GameCube console is one of the best home consoles ever produced by Nintendo; for me personally, it is second only to the mighty Super Nintendo of the nineties. From its wonderfully-designed controller to its compact and easy-to-handle design, the GameCube was certainly a landmark for Nintendo’s console development. Much of its success, however, must be given to its stunning library of games. This list counts down my picks for the best GameCube games ever made!

10. Animal Crossing (2001)

“Animal Crossing” impresses with its lack of ambition, and I say that in the best possible way. There is no final boss or ultimate goal, unless you want to count paying off your debt to NPC Tom Nook or expanding your home. No, the real beauty of “Animal Crossing” is in its life simulation elements. These elements are highly interactive and reflect an approximation of real-world community interaction, albeit with cutesy animals and oddly-formed humans. The various means of multiplayer were neat and inventive as well, like visiting other players’ villages via swapping memory cards. It isn’t the most complex game on this list, but it never needed to be--it’s still creative, charming and fun.

9. Viewtiful Joe (2003)

“Viewtiful Joe” is a high-concept game if there ever was one. Players control the titular Joe, a dudebro-turned-superhero who utilizes unique powers related to film effects and editing: zoom, slow motion and fast motion. These powers are put to the test in intricate and intriguing ways through combat, platforming and puzzles. As a result, the gameplay never feels too similar to your average side-scrolling beat-em-up; it’s a lot more rigorous, robust and challenging than that. On top of that, particular kudos should be given to the story, which is original, inspired, tongue-in-cheek and lovingly dedicated to fans of anime, film, television and pop culture in general. For GameCube owners back in the day, this was a game that definitely stood out among the rest.

8. Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes (2004)

In case you weren’t aware, “Metal Gear Solid” is perhaps the greatest title on the original PlayStation, combining cinematic storytelling with intense stealth action. “The Twin Snakes” revamps the original PlayStation game from top to bottom, with re-recorded dialogue, detailed character models and environments and brand-new cutscenes never featured in the original. Most importantly, GameCube owners were given the added bonus of enhanced gameplay mechanics, such as the ability to aim down a weapon’s sights, that ultimately make the game more accessible and fun to play. While some may have nostalgia for the original, “The Twin Snakes” is a superb way to experience Kojima’s stealth action classic.

7. Resident Evil 4 (2005)

This entry in the wildly successful “Resident Evil” franchise took big steps in modernizing an increasingly outdated formula. As enjoyable as the original “Resident Evil” titles are, it was no secret that especially at the time, the tank controls and fixed-camera perspectives of yore really didn’t have a place in gaming. “Resident Evil 4” answers that call with a much-appreciated third-person perspective akin to most third-person shooters, a revamped combat system that was made more accessible to casuals and a smart inventory system. The game also changed the franchise tonally, with more action set pieces put in place to impress and challenge players. Regardless, the tension of the original games is still in there, as “Resident Evil 4” pits you against a wide variety of creatures and infected enemies that are resilient, numerous and very very deadly. While remakes of the original games did exist on the GameCube, it was “Resident Evil 4” that proved that this long-running franchise, unlike its undead enemies, had a lot of life left in it.

6. F-Zero GX (2003)

On the one hand, “F-Zero GX” is beautiful, the music is adrenaline-pumping, the build-a-vehicle features are great and creative and the racing is deliciously frantic. On the other hand, this has to be just about the most rage-inducing game on the GameCube, with courses that require intense memorization and an AI that will drive circles around your vehicle’s smoking remains as you wonder why you can’t stop crashing or driving off of cliffs. Jests aside, the difficulty in “GX” makes every turn, every drift, and every boost a risk-reward scenario that requires quick thinking and laser-focused precision. When you pull it off and get that first place rank, though, it makes it all worth it in the end. Throw in a multiplayer mode to boot, and you have one of the most entertaining--albeit frustrating--racing games of all time.

5. The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker (2002)

This game had two things running against it: following up the excellent “Ocarina of Time” and “Majora’s Mask,” and the criticism directed at its cartoony, cel-shaded style. “Wind Waker” overcame these struggles with its expressive characters, impressive settings, engaging story and satisfying gameplay. The game even makes improvements to the mechanics introduced in its Nintendo 64 predecessors, such as adding a counter function in combat. The game is also fondly remembered for its smart and rewarding puzzle design that truly was evocative of a “Zelda” title. Overall, “Wind Waker” was the sign of a brave new world ahead for the “Zelda” series and wowed gamers with a fresh look, feel and style of play.

4. Super Mario Sunshine (2002)

Incredibly, the “Super Mario” franchise has lost practically none of its creativity in its decades of existence; “Super Mario Sunshine” is but one example of that. Utilizing the smooth and accessible nature of the GameCube controller, “Sunshine” updates and fine-tunes the mechanics introduced in “Super Mario 64” to bring Mario to the GameCube in an interesting and exhilarating way. New mechanics such as the FLUDD peripheral given to Mario added a new dimension to battling enemies and traversing environments. The island aesthetic also helps to set “Sunshine” apart from other platformers and even from other “Super Mario” titles. If you liked “Mario 64,” this game retains the things you liked while adding new challenges, new mechanics and a visually striking sun-bleached paradise to roam around in.

3. Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door (2004)

As “Super Mario RPG: The Legend of The Seven Stars” and the original “Paper Mario” have proven, our favorite mustachioed plumber is more than adaptable to the tactical and engaging RPG genre. In “The Thousand-Year Door,” players are given a deceptively simple turn-based combat system that requires plenty of hand-eye coordination and careful planning. Not only is the gameplay addictive and intelligent, but the story is also pretty enjoyable too; it’s chock-full of emotional, hilarious and memorable moments from beginning to end, surprisingly subverting the idea that a “Mario” game can’t have a good story. The game also blends two-dimensional and three-dimensional visuals in a unique and sensible way, ironically giving depth to a world filled with flat characters. “The Thousand-Year Door” succeeds on the gameplay and especially the storytelling and presentation fronts, immersing players in a vastly different but still loveable “Mario” world.

2. Metroid Prime (2002)

Breathtaking. That’s how I can describe the first time I ever played “Metroid Prime,” the first 3D game in the acclaimed “Metroid” franchise. The environments are dripping with detail and atmosphere, from the lava-filled and rocky depths of the Magmoor Caverns to the icy peaks and snowblind of the Phendrana Drifts. While it is first-person, don’t think that the game is just a “Halo” clone; the balance of combat and puzzle-solving is still very crucial to the game’s identity, and it is no less challenging or rewarding than the old-school 2D “Metroid” games. The music is limited, but appropriate and pulse-pounding when it shows up, and has some of the most affecting and powerful tunes in the series, most notably the theme for the game’s penultimate boss. “Metroid Prime” fully realizes the potential of a 3D “Metroid,” offering a dazzling and marvelous mixture of exploration, shooting and platforming.

1. Super Smash Bros. Melee (2001)

Many GameCube owners would probably say that they bought a GameCube to play “Super Smash Bros. Melee.” Selling a whopping 7 million plus units worldwide, this GameCube best-seller began a whole generation of “Smash” fans that only continues to grow to this day. Aside from the obvious visual improvements over its Nintendo 64 forefather, “Melee” manages to reinvent the “Smash” formula in big ways, with new characters, items, stages and balancing. For the time, it was one of the hallmark fighting games, and to this day it is still revered and played frequently within the fighting game community. An inspiration to fighting games and one of the most content-filled, fine-tuned games on the GameCube, “Super Smash Bros. Melee” is nothing short of a knock out.