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5 Games I Wish Had Come to the Gamecube
Someone asked online “What’s 5 games you wish got released on the Gamecube?” This is a question I always ask myself about for the N64 and Wii U. [In fact I already did a post about 5 games I wish had come to the Wii U. So check that out.] Anyway, here’s the deal. I’m going to try to not list games produced by Sony and Microsoft [for example, I’m not going to bother saying Halo. Obviously, that was never coming to the Gamecube.]
#1 Psychonauts
Psychonauts was developed by Double Fine Productions. It was one of the best 3D Platformers of this generation. However, it a commercial flop compared to Super Mario Sunshine, Jak and Daxter and Ratchet and Clank. Still this game had a unique setting, taking place at a summer camp for kids with psychic abilities. Its story, gameplay, level design, and power ups were all greatly unique. I think it stood out even then in a sea of 3D platformers and holds up well even today.
I think it would have been a welcome addition to the Gamecube. It was offbeat and an oddball. Which is basically the motto of the Gamecube with other quirky 3D Platformers like Billy Hatcher already on the console. Something I learned only a few years ago is that Psychonauts was not an Xbox exclusive. In fact it was only exclusive to Xbox for roughly two months.
When Microsoft canceled [if that’s the right word?] publishing Psychonauts, Majesco picked up the publishing rights. With Microsoft out of the picture, Psychonauts was free to explore publication on other console. Of course they stuck with releasing it on OG Xbox, but it also got a Playstation 2 release. So why no Gamecube version?
I’ve heard three reasons. So if anybody can confirm or deny any of the reason, sound off below. 1. Majesco was a mid tier publisher. They didn’t have the resources of someone like Microsoft. As a result, they had to be selective about what consoles got it. 2. The Gamecube was failing this generation. Despite the head start and the brand recognition, they finished 3rd behind Playstation and Xbox. There was just no reason to port it to a losing console. 3. I saw some people say the Gamecube’s lack of 4 shoulder buttons would make it hard or impossible to port the game over to Gamecube. This is the reason I find hardest to believe. I can’t say I cross refernced this, but I just feel like surely other games that took advantage of the four shoulder buttons also released on the Gamecube. 4. That generation was already winding down. Psychonauts released early 2005. The Wii would release in 2006.
All four of these reasons I’m sure have some degree of merit. And if you mix it all in a blender, it would explain why no Gamecube port ever happened. It’s a shame a Wii port was never developed either. But hey, Psychonauts is great and you should go play it.
#2 Okami
To be fair, it is pretty obvious why Okami did not come to the Gamecube. It was released late into the 6th generation cycle. It was released roughly seven months before the Wii released. Also, from everything I read, Okami was designed for the PS2 specific. So there never any plans for the Gamecube or, heck, even the PS3.
They loved the art style and the graphics on the Playstation 2. They loved the controller of the Playstation 2. The thought of designing it for another console never seemed to cross their minds.
Its a shame it never came to the Gamecube because I feel like the unique nature of it, the look of it, the appreciation of Japanese mythology would fit right at home with the Gamecube. Capcom and Clover Studios both have great relationships with Nintendo as well. Capcom had big plans for the Gamecube, originally working on the Capcom five, five games planned as Gamecube exclusives. Of those five, two were developed by Clover Studios [P.N.03 (Directed by Shinji Mikami) and Viewtiful Joe.]. But the Gamecube fell behind in marketshare, Capcom turned their attention to the Playstation 2. Clover Studios began making Playstation 2 exclusives with Okami and God Hand. However, upon the Wii’s unveiling, fans outcried for a Wii port to take advantage of the Wiimote. This one was just never in the cards for the Gamecube.
#3 Dark Cloud 1 and 2
It is funny to think about Dark Cloud 1 and 2 being Playstation exclusives now. Of course, when Level-5 began they partnered with Sony. So really, that’s the story. Dark Cloud published its first five games exclusive to Playstation systems before releasing Professor Layton and the Curious Village on Nintendo DS [more on that later]. I did not realize Level 5 developed Dragon Quest VII. Anyway, I think most people today would associate Level-5 with Nintendo, specifically the DS family of handhelds. Level-5’s most recognizable games these days are Professor Layton, Fantasy Life, and Yokai Watch. However, to me, Level-5 will also be the Dark Cloud series. My dad told me he found a game that was basically Zelda on the Playstation 2. Of course, childhood me was curious. When I saw the dungeon crawling, the weapons, the village building, the allies, and all these aspects coming together to make something truly unique beautiful.
Dark Cloud 2 is currently one of my obsessions, I’ve put in over 30 hours so far and feel like I am still just scratching the surface. It keeps the formula of visiting new locations. Once you arrive, you venture deep into dungeons, collects parts of the town, and rebuild each city. Some aspects have changed like party configuration and the way city building is handled, but I am fine with that. The camera invention, time hopping, and the plethora of city goers add so many layers to the original Dark Cloud mythos. Dark Cloud 1 would have been nice on the Gamecube, but Dark Cloud 2 looks like it could have fit right in on the Gamecube. Dark Cloud 2 is beautiful. I think its graphics would have absolutely popped on the Gamecube.
#4 Kirby: Return to Dream Land
Kirby: Return to Dream Land was considered the best game in the series for a good while (but the Kirby series has been on fire lately!). There was a time when this was considered a momumental entry in the franchises, a must play, the GOAT of Kirby games… and it almost didn’t exist! That’s such a wild thought to me. I loved Kirby 64 and desperately wanted the Wii Kirby games as a kid. I never got them and had to wait until I was an adult to buy them for myself. But all I ever heard about growing up was how fantastic this game was. So imagine my surprise to learn this iconic entry almost didn’t happen.
The Gamecube was a great experimental time for a lot of Nintendo franchises. Mario got water nozzle, Samus went first person, and Donkey Kong got some bongos. The same was true for Kirby. Coming off of Kirby 64, Kirby would get a combat racer titled Kirby Air Ride. This game, to me, was wildly unique and totally fun. However, Kirby wasn’t done with the Gamecube. In 2005, Nintendo revealed a trailer for Kirby GCN. The hype was real. We were going to get a traditional side scrolling platforming Kirby Adventure with cool allies and neat power ups.
This is one I’m going to do more research for myself. I am very curious to read more about why they canceled this one. They also waited six years to reveal what would become Kirby Return to Dreamland for Wii. It would have been really cool to see this one to come to life on the Gamecube and just have Kirby Return to Dreamland act as a sequel. Unfortunately, that is not the timeline we got. Did you know there was a canceled Kirby game for Gamecube?
#5 Star Wars Battlefront 1 and 2
Star Wars was extremely popular during the Gamecube era thanks to the Prequel being in full… force. The Gamecube got a hefty seven Star War’s title including fan favorite Rogue Squadron 2 and 3 and the Lego games. However, noticeably missing from the line-up were the Star Wars Battlefront games. Melee and Halo get credit as the best versus games of the generation, but Battlefront has that Goldeneye energy of the N64. If I went over to a friends house and they had the Battlefront games, then you already knew what we were playing. While Star Wars certainly had console exclusives, Battlefront wasn’t even one of them. It released on Playstation 2 and Xbox.
I couldn’t find a definitive answer for why LucasArts didn’t release these games for the Gamecube. I saw people mention the controller not having enough buttons (like with Psychonauts, I am not sure whether this is a legitimate reason studios gave or just fan theories?), or that the games were too big for the Gamecube disc (this seems like it could have been a reason but games launched with two discs all the time.), and that LucasArts simply abandoned Gamecube support towards the end of its life. Possibly. Pandemic Studios released Star Wars Battlefront 1 and 2 around 2004 and 2005. This means the Gamecube still had a good year or two left before the Wii arrived. More so, Star Wars would still release Lego Star Wars 1 and 2 after Battlefronts release. Maybe they just trusted the Lego series to sell fine on the Gamecube? Maybe they didn’t think Star Wars Battlefront’s gritty, darker aesthetic would vibe with Gamecube owners?
I don’t know. If you have more official information let me know. Either way, it is sad these gems never came out on the Gamecube. The Gamecube had four controller slots, two more than the Playstation 2. This is childhood series I really want to return to. I’ll probably end up buying them on OG Xbox since Battlefront 2 on Xbox supports 4 players.
So that’s 5 Gamecube games I wish I had come to the Gamecube. I could have named more like Katamari, Grand Theft Auto, or Devil May Cry, but these are the five that I feel like could have truly made the library better. Anyway, what games would you have liked to see released on Gamecube. Let me know! Thanks for reading and have a great day!
The Mandalorian Review
Alright, everybody, The Mandalorian has finished its first season and appears well on it’s away to becoming a cultural mainstay. Let’s discuss it.
SPOILERS: Some for the early episodes, not too many for the later episodes.
Let’s first begin with Star Wars as a whole. I thought it was very weird to launch a Star Wars show during the hype of Episode 9. Maybe it was smart. I don’t know. The Mandalorian seemed very much intended for die hard fans as well as casuals. There were references to the events of the OG movies, but seeing the movies that predicated the show doesn’t seem like a requirement to enjoy The Mandalorian. Now, this seems smart as Baby Yoda, as dubbed by the community, grappled in plenty of new people who didn’t care about the franchise. You got to remember this was a launch title for Disney Plus. Meaning thousands of people tuned into this show just because they bought the streaming site for Disney originals.
My favorite Star Wars film is Episode 4 A New Hope. Several of the films that follow it may be more epic, but the cast was perfect for this first go round. The writing was great. This film was set in a very dire time, yet there was still plenty of humor and fun characters. I say all of this to say I feel similarly about The Mandalorian as I do about Star Wars Episode 4. I’m not saying the series is better than the movie, just that this was a very, very strong showing.
Characters: For the characters, we will focus on the main two. The Mandalorian, which is referred to as Mando for most of the show, and the child, referred to as Baby Yoda by the community but I will refer to him as the child from here on out. Depending on who you are, one of these two characters made the show for you.
For me, that was Mando. He is such an interesting character. He is tasked with recovering the child from another planet. Mando is successful but instead of honoring his mission to return the child, he proceeds to steal the child back from his original client. This seeks off a season long game of hide and seek. To understand why this action on Mando’s part is so strange, you first have to understand Mando. Mando is a bounty hunter who belongs to two creeds. The Mandalorians and the Bounty Hunter Guild. Mando is a very honorable(if I can use such a word to describe a bounty hunter) man due to the fact he swears to uphold both of the two factions rules. He also values money more than most other things, or at least that is how the first episode perceives him. So, for him to forsake the mission, betray the Bounty Hunters Guild, and sacrifice all the money he would have earned, it is just so uncharacteristic of what we are taught to expect of him.
Sadly, I can’t recall the show ever deep diving into why Mando does this. The only explanation I can justify is through flashbacks. Mando, as a small child, is rescued by Mandalorians and raised in their faction. There’s a nice parallel scene of Mando as a child clinging to a Mandalorian as they jetpack off his planet, which is being ravaged by droids and than of Mando as an adult with the child clinging to him as he jetpacks both of them off of their current planet, Nevarro.
The child is the other character most people fell in love with. He is adorable and without ever uttering one word captured the hearts of many. He goes through character development but not in the traditional since which is why it is hard to gauge him. The child can randomly use the Force to aid Mando and himself throughout their adventures. At times, this feels a little Deus ex Machina. Mando’s losing to a Mudhorn. How will he survive, lets have the child Force levitate it in the air buying Mando time. That’s just one example, but it occurs ever so often. What stops it from being annoying is often it doesn’t work and Mando has to outmaneuver varies foes. Short of that though, I didn’t see any discernible growth on behalf of the child. It isn’t so much a flaw or complaint as much as it is an observation. The child is very likable from the get-go and stays that way. They didn’t ruin the character in any way and, as far as I am concerned, they left a lot of interest in what he will ultimately become.
Plot: I touched base on the main point of the plot in the above sections, so we will not dwell too much here. The Mandalorian is tasked to go retrieve the child. Upon doing so, he double crosses his client and the rest of the series is other characters trying to kill Mando and bring back the child. It is very simple but very good.
The World: Well, it is a Star Wars show, so we actually bounce around about 4 or so planets. The main one is Nevarro. It has a form of civilization hosting a bounty hunters guild and a group of Mandalorians. However, it takes place after Episode 6 so the planet looks like a wasteland at times. None of the other planets get more than one maybe two episodes of screen time. The forest planet of Sorgan stands out as a cool planet, but again it only gets one episode.
Recap: This show is great for first time viewers, casuals, and die hards all alike. If you are invested in Star Wars, you’ll love the references to the old movies and shows. If you are completely new here, the story is not dependent on massive Star Wars lore. It is a great starting point just to get someone introduced to the setting and writing of most Star Wars films.
Action: Plenty. I love how the Storm troopers allow for massive amounts of violent while also keeping it PG.
Romance: I can honestly say it is almost noexistent which is very weird to say. One episode hints at a potential love interest, but Mando’s line of work kills any kind of hope of romance. Though, if you aren’t careful Baby Yoda will steal your girl.
Plot: At times, the episodes feel like typical TV show episodes. There’s nothing wrong with this because they are so darn enjoyable.
Characters: A+. Many of the characters still need more developing in the future, but all were enjoyable and great at their roles.
The World: One of the biggest shames is that we didnt explore more worlds or stay on the ones we did go to longer. It probably would have detracted from the narrative. But I hope Season 2 looks into more of the worlds out there.
Humor: Not it’s strongest suit, the humor was still there for a few good laughs.
The Ending: Near perfection, honestly.
Verdict: I’ll just quote Jessica here. “So, when do you want to rewatch it?”
Score: Against maybe my better judgment I’m going 9 out 10. This score could retroactively go up or down depending on season two, as some stuff is unresolved or underdeveloped. But just judging it against itself it was worth every bit of my watch time. I highly recommend it.
Da_Hubbz 