Tech: Top 5 Overlooked GameCube Games, Part 1

The Nintendo GameCube never got much love during its lifetime. Maybe it was the handle protruding from the back, the proprietary mini-DVD format, or the perceived kiddiness of the console, but it never caught fire and it performed even worse than the N64.

In the following series, I'm going to highlight some of the best GC games that were, for whatever reason, not the hits they deserved to be. You won't see GC classics like Resident Evil 4, Metroid Prime, or Super Smash Bros., but you will see some underrated and lesser-known GC games.

First up is Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door. This is one of those classic RPGs many accused the GC of lacking. If you're looking solely for FF-style cinematics and pouty-faced, androgynous male protagonists, then yes, you'll be disappointed; if you want an RPG that has a fun combat system, a good story, and memorable characters, Paper Mario fits the bill.

Intelligent Systems, an internal Nintendo team, did a bang-up job with this one. About 30-40 hours of gameplay await you as Mario and company battle through dozens of neat, cel-shaded environments. The dialogue is better than you'd expect, though there's zero voice acting.