Emma Singer is an Anime & Gaming Editor from New York with over two years of experience writing about media for CBR. Outside of writing, Emma enjoys doing yoga, and playing golf and tennis.
The Nintendo GameCube has been re-evaluated over the past decade, as gamers have come to realize just how remarkable the underrated purple lunchbox’s library of titles really is. In 2025, The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess, Resident Evil 4, and Super Smash Bros. Melee aren’t merely viewed as some of the best games of all time, but just the tip of the iceberg as far as their native console is concerned.
Some of the most popular hidden gems on the GameCube include the Baten Kaitos duology, Custom Robo, and Chibi-Robo!. However, the well goes much deeper than these now relatively well-known titles, with some truly exceptional games having been played by hardly anyone.
Hello Kitty Roller Rescue Was a GameCube Exclusive in America
Hello Kitty, as a brand, prints money and garners attention in a way few others ever have, which may make it seem odd that the titular character’s GameCube game is so unknown. Sadly, this is due simply to Hello Kitty Roller Rescue only being released for the GameCube in America, despite it releasing for the Xbox and PS2 elsewhere, and the GameCube being the clear loser of this console war.
Hello Kitty Roller Rescue is an action-adventure title that’s obviously targeted towards kids, but that’s still a simple, fun time all the same. It’s cute and charming, it plays well and has a great soundtrack, and anyone whose player either a classic N64 platformer or a 2000s-era skating game will find a lot to enjoy here.
Ultimate Muscle Turned an Overlooked Anime Into an Underrated Fighting Game
Ultimate Muscle The Kinikuman Legacy: Legends vs New Generation is based on the English Dub of the relatively unpopular sequel to one of the most formative shonen anime of all time. With that much baggage behind it, it’s unsurprising this fighting game only ever found a niche audience but, for what it is, it’s actually an extremely fun experience.
Ultimate Muscle is a classic 3D fighter with cel-shaded graphics designed to age well, a healthy roster of weird combatants to play as, and the delightfully weird sense of humor of the anime it’s based on. It may not compare with Tekken 5 on PS2, but it’s still clearly one of the better fighting games on the GameCube.
Amazing Island is Among the Most Forgotten Sega Games
Following the death of the Dreamcast, Sega began primarily developing and publishing games for the GameCube. While this led to well-known titles like Sonic Heroes and Billy Hatcher and the Giant Egg, it also led to obscure games like the Sega-published, but not developed, Amazing Island.
Amazing Island is a light-hearted attempt at blending monster collection and party game-style minigames. It received middling reviews upon release, and it definitely isn’t the best single-player experience to be found on the GameCube by a long shot but, with the right group of people, the multiplayer mode can easily allow for a fun, memorable afternoon or evening for anyone needing a break from Super Smash Bros. Melee.
Odama Combined Pinball With Tactical Warfare
One of the final Nintendo-published games for the GameCube, it’s no surprise that Odama slipped under the radar. That said, it likely would have failed to pick up much traction no matter what, regardless of its quality, due to its absurd premise: Odama is a pinball game themed around feudal Japan with real-time strategy elements.
Odama received middling to above-average reviews, but it frankly deserved so much better. Ambition and originality pour out of every ounce of this game, its presentation is immaculate, and anyone who actually enjoys pinball is bound to have an amazing time with it. In another world, this could and should have been the GameCube’s quirky equivalent to the PS2’s Katamari Damacy.
Gotcha Force Had the Potential to Launch a Franchise
By all rights, Gotcha Force should have been able to at least attempt to mimic the success of Pokémon or Digimon or, at the very least, achieve the future level of success of something like Dinosaur King. Alas, this monster-capture arena fighter failed to take off, and has been relegated to cult classic status.
Explosive battles in Gotcha Force play extremely well, especially compared to the modern slop that has come to define the arena fighter genre, and among the hundreds of Borgs to collect and fight with, players are bound to find at least a few they’ll fall in love with. Combat itself feels like a mix of a fighting game and a third-person shooter, and the infamously atrocious voice acting guarantees some laughs along the way.
