Summary
Nintendo’s beloved GameCube system may not have been the most well-known for its FPS games, but that’s not to say there aren’t still a few excellent titles within this popular genre that landed on the console over its lengthy lifespan. It was primarily during the GameCube era when Nintendo began emphasizing theirfamily-friendlyaesthetic, meaning they tended to avoid games that were too graphic and brutal from being on the system.
Considering how chaotic and violent a lot of first-person shooters can be, not all developers were able to put their games onto the console, and Nintendo themselves wereusually more focused on platformersand action-adventure games. As time went on, more and more FPS titles became available for the GameCube, and though not all of them stuck the landing, the ones below most made a big impression on those who played them.
Games that are considered on-rails, but that still use an FPS perspective, will be taken into account.
Set duringthe Pierce Brosnan era of James Bond,007 Nightfirefollows the suave and charismatic spy as he attempts to retrieve a missile guidance chip that has been stolen by a group of terrorists. Though the story may seem a little cookie-cutter on the surface, it does contain quite a few twists and turns, and also spans many different locales, with Bond even journeying over to Tokyo at one point in the game.
Anyone who has playedGoldenEye 007on the Nintendo 64 will feel right at home with the gameplay that’s on offer here, specifically the tight and snappy gunplay which requires quick reflexes and a pretty quick trigger finger to fully master. Alongside a small arsenal of deadly firearms, Bond also has a few handy gadgets that can be used to navigate through specific areas, providing a nice break from the thrilling gunfights that make up the core of the game.
Basing a game around the concept oftime travelis always a risky move since it can be all too easy to either make it too confusing for players to grasp or for it to be a little too unimportant. One game that many hold up as being a prime example of how to use it correctly isTimeSplitters, a fast-paced and cartoon-like FPS game that puts players in the shoes of Sergeant Cortez, a man who jumps between several different periods in the past to try and save the world from being destroyed in the future.
This gives the game a ton of variety since each level feels truly distinct and vastly different from every other. For example, one moment, Cortez will be transported to a creepy mansion in 1994 where he’s forced to hold out against hordes of zombies, while the next, he’ll arrive in the year 2243 where the entire world has been taken over by merciless robots. Pair this with a lovable cast of characters and a staggering number of devastating weapons, and it’s easy to see why so many people look back fondly onTimeSplitters, even after all these years.
Medal of Honor: Frontlinemay not seem too out of the ordinary in terms of its gameplay, but what helps it stand out is the environment and the story.Set during the Second World War, players will venture through several war-torn cities spread out across Europe which are all eerily realistic and richly detailed, adding an extra layer of immersion to the experience, and driving home the devastation caused by the conflict.
The game kicks off with the Omaha Beach landing, but it’s not long before the story takes a sudden turn after the Allies find out about an immensely powerful secret weapon which is said to be capable of tipping the scales of the war.Medal of Honor: Frontlinealso features a built-in reward system that will grade players for each level depending on how much health they lose, and the amount of enemies they kill. This single feature incentivizes players to jump in for another playthrough as soon as they meet the credits screen to see if they can improve on their previous high score.
Arguably the game that putSuda51and Grasshopper on the map,Killer7is a colorful, chaotic, and effortlessly addictive FPS game that somehow manages to merge on-rails gameplay with an action-adventure style. The way it does this is by allowing players to wander around each area to find items and solve puzzles, before then removing their movement options once an enemy appears.
Speaking of the enemies, players are encouraged to be strategic when placing their shots in combat to make encounters easier to handle. Blasting off a Smiles' legs for example will slow it down to a crawl, while hitting the glowing weak point will wipe it out immediately. Desperately trying to line up a critical shot while being surrounded by enemies makes for some truly intense and exhilarating gameplay sections, which are made all the more enjoyable thanks to the vibrant visual style that pops from the screen.
The sequel to the much belovedTimeSplitterssomehow managed to improve upon its predecessor in virtually every way, which resulted in it becoming an instant smash hit upon its release in 2002. Though players are still able to run in guns blazing to cause as much chaos as they can with their catalog of devastating firearms, this time around, there’s also the opportunity to use stealth for certain sections instead, which adds a nice bit of variety to the gameplay.
In turn, this also means many of the environments feel a lot more open and explorable compared to the first game, granting greater freedom for players to take on encounters in unique and creative ways with their weapons and gadgets. Of course, since this is aTimeSplittersgame, it still includes plenty of time travel and a wonderful variety of levels which all come with their own main and side objectives to look out for. Once players are done with the story, they can even try out the four-player Arcade mode, or tinker with the campaign levels inthe MapMaker.
Considering how much people adored the immersive and snappy FPS gameplay of the originalMetroid Prime, there wasn’t any need to change this up for the sequel. Instead, developers Retro decided to spend more time implementing new mechanics, such as the addition of “Safe Zones” which are needed to survive in the Dark Aether, and placing more emphasis on the story.
This results in the overall plot ofMetroid Prime 2feeling like one giant thrill ride that spans numerous planets and even dimensions. Dark Samus is an excellent addition to the game whose mysterious aura makes hera captivating antagonist, and the space pirates that Samus comes across during her adventure seem genuinely terrifying due to their designs, and how many of them appear on-screen at once. Though it’s more difficult than the original,Metroid Prime 2is still an incredible game that FPS andMetroidfans alike definitely need to try out.
Not only isMetroid Primeoften considered one of the best games ever released for the GameCube, but many even consider it to be one of the greatest games of all time. It’s honestly staggering just how authentically Nintendo managed to replicate the world ofMetroidinto a fully 3D first-person shooter game, but it makes for a wonderful experience where every level is full of awe-inspiring landscapes and so many areas to explore.
Alongside the exploration,Metroid Primealso features platforming areas, puzzles, combat sections, lore rooms, and so much more, making Samus' journey very unpredictable and so much fun to be a part of. There was also a huge amount of attention dedicated to making Samus' visor as realistic as possible, which makes players feel as if they’ve stepped into the shoes of the legendary bounty hunter herself. Being able to use a scanner to seek out information and spot enemy weaknesses is also a nice addition that doesn’t feel immersion-breaking, since it makes sense why Samus would have one built into her suit. Overall,Metroid Primeis a timeless classic title that proved not only that could Nintendo dip into the FPS genre, but that they really should try to more often, considering how amazing this game turned out to be.
