Five GameCube games that made my childhood awesome

In 2001, after I had spent so much time playing consoles like the Nintendo Entertainment System and the Nintendo 64 (N64), I was so ready for Nintendo’s newest console: The GameCube. I got it for Christmas and I was absolutely fascinated by the controller and the amazing new graphics. At that time, I couldn’t believe how realistic everything looked. Looking back, while the graphics still look good in some games, it’s so funny to see how outdated it all looks now. 

I have so many fond memories related to the GameCube. Here are five of the games that helped define my childhood.

1. Mario Power Tennis

After spending hours playing Mario Tennis on the N64, I obviously had to have the next game in the series: Mario Power Tennis. The graphics were better, there was a larger roster of characters, and it came with the addition of power shots, which were special types of shots unique to each character. I probably clocked more than 1,000 hours in the game over my lifetime. It is still one of my favorite tennis video games to this day. 

2. Donkey Konga

While most game-loving  kids had a PS2 or Xbox with Rock Band or Guitar Hero, I had Donkey Konga - a rhythm game where you used a set of bongos to drum along to various songs. At the time, this was my favorite game ever. Being a band geek, I always had pretty good rhythm and coordination, so I was great at the game. One of my favorite things to do was invite friends over and play it with them so I could show off my awesome skills. To this day, I adore this game. Sure, it’s just a watered down Taiko game (made by the same developer), but it has charm. 

3. Tony Hawk’s Underground

Years ago I wrote about my favorite N64 games and Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater was on that list. Naturally when Tony Hawk’s Underground was announced for the GameCube, I was ecstatic. I drooled over the idea of being able to get off your board and explore, and I couldn’t wait to see what new songs were on the soundtrack. I played through the whole story mode, and if I’m being honest, I believe that was the second game I ever beat. I still adore this game even though I’m absolutely terrible at it now. 

4. Mario Kart: Double Dash

Pretty much everyone has played a Mario Kart game at some point in their lives. Double Dash was revolutionary at the time; not only were there more characters, new tracks, and new multiplayer modes, but you could choose TWO characters to play at once! One character would drive, and the other would throw the items - and you could switch who did what with the tap of a button. This is probably my favorite Mario Kart game ever and it holds up to this day. 

5. SpongeBob SquarePants: Battle for Bikini Bottom

When you Google the title of this game, you will see that you can buy it for current consoles and PC, but did you know it’s a remake of the 2003 GameCube classic of the same name? This game absolutely blew my mind as a kid. Like most other kids in the early 2000s, SpongeBob had become my entire life; I had the bedspread, toys, you name it. Prior to this game’s release, I had a SpongeBob game called Revenge of the Flying Dutchman; it wasn’t very good. Battle for Bikini Bottom, however, blew everyone’s minds at the time. It was so true to the TV show and being able to walk around and interact with the characters and environments you knew so well was simply magical. I remember calling my mom into the room to show her how amazing the graphics were. 

The joy the GameCube brought me as a childhood was immeasurable. I am so grateful that my parents got me one because of the amazing memories it brought me. And I still have it hooked up in the living room as an almost 30-year-old.