TheNintendo GameCubemay not be close to one of the best-selling Nintendo consoles, but it easily has one of the best libraries in gaming history, as proven by two 2023 releases. Nintendo launched theGameCubein the early 2000s as a successor to the Nintendo 64, meant to compete directly with the likes of Sony’s PlayStation 2 and Microsoft’s Xbox console. Unfortunately, the GameCube was massively outpaced in sales by the PS2, and it ultimately failed to even sell more units than its predecessor.
But while the GameCube didn’t exactly light the world on fire with its hardware sales, it wasn’t for lack of trying.Nintendo stacked the GameCube librarywith one landmark hit after another, with the console home to some of the best video games ever made. Fans were reminded of this thanks to the recent launches ofMetroid Prime Remasteredand theResident Evil 4remake, two titles that originated on the GameCube that are now the two highest-rated games of 2023 so far.
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Nintendo surprise-launchedMetroid Prime Remasteredin February, giving Switch owners the chance to experience the originalMetroid Primegame with improved graphics, modernized controls, and other enhancements. Since the originalMetroid Primeis one of the highest-rated games of all time, it came as no surprise thatMetroid Prime Remasteredreviews were similarly positive. The game currently has a 94 overall rating on review aggregate site OpenCritic and stands as the highest-rated release of 2023 so far.
Highest-Rated Games of 2023 So Far
The second highest-rated game of the year as of March 2023 is none other than theResident Evil 4remake, which has a 92 overall rating at the time of this writing. AsResident Evilfans may recall, the originalResident Evil 4was a timed GameCube exclusive, only hitting the PS2 eight months later and eventually making its way to nearly every gaming system under the sun in subsequent years.
WhereasMetroid Prime Remasteredis a remaster, as its title suggests, theResident Evil 4remake is a full-blown remake. But even though theResident Evil 4remake features new controlsand changes some things from the original version, it is still largely faithful to the 2005 GameCube game. The main plot beats remain the same and many of the same major gameplay moments remain intact as well. Therefore, it still helps underscore just how high quality the GameCube’s library of games were in its heyday.
The rave reviews forMetroid Prime Remasteredand theResident Evil 4remake serve as a reminder about the high quality of the GameCube’s library. It’s really no surprise why many fans are hoping to seeGameCube games come to Switch Online, as that would allow even more of the console’s best titles to get a second lease on life.
MORE:Metroid Prime Remastered’s Success Makes a Great Case for Other GameCube Titles to Follow Suit
