PKMACE Controller for Nintendo Switch, Replacement for Switch Controllers with Dual Vibration/Wake-up/Screenshot
$29.99 (as of April 25, 2024 02:30 GMT +00:00 - More infoProduct prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.)
Rise of the Ronin - PlayStation 5
$69.00 (as of April 25, 2024 02:32 GMT +00:00 - More infoProduct prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.)The Nintendo GameCube may now be a retro console, but it was home to some spectacular racing titles back in its heyday. With a strong lineup of high-speed exclusives, arcade ports, and multiplatform releases, GameCube offered superb racing action across various genres from realistic simulations to over-the-top kart racers.
This list covers the absolute must-play racing games that still live in infamy among Nintendo fans and racing enthusiasts alike. We’ll explore what made these games stand out and why they deserve recognition as the best racers the console had to offer.
1. F-Zero GX
- Developed by Sega along with Nintendo’s F-Zero team
- Blazing fast gameplay at 60 fps
- Intense challenge with steep learning curve
- Futuristic hovercraft racing on dramatic tracks
- High-speed combat and death races
The fastest title on the list, F-Zero GX continued Nintendo’s futuristic racing franchise at blistering new speeds. As a collaboration between Sega and Nintendo’s in-house F-Zero team, this 2003 launch cemented the series as the king of high velocity, anti-gravity competition.
Bringing hovercraft combat racing to dazzling new heights, GX renders speeds exceeding 1500km/h across visually stunning tracks filled with harrowing loops, jumps, and set pieces. With an arcade-perfect 60fps framerate, the sense of speed is unmatched.
The lightning reflexes and precision handling demanded makes this a challenging beast to master, but tremendously rewarding. Add to that a pumping soundtrack and impressive graphics powered by the GameCube, and F-Zero GX stands as a white-knuckle ride that’s arguably the best in its genre.
2. Mario Kart: Double Dash
- Unique co-op racing with two characters per kart
- Special weaponry specific to each character
- LAN multiplayer support for up to 16 players
- Vibrant graphics and creative course design
- Unlockable characters and karts
The Mario Kart series has long stood at the pinnacle of mascot kart racing, and Double Dash represents peak innovation for the franchise. Allowing two characters to ride in each kart, one drives while the other uses weapons, greatly expanding strategy during hectic races.
With a roster featuring the Mario universe’s most beloved characters, choosing your two-person team opens immense possibility for synergy based on individual special items. Add to that 16 player LAN multiplayer matches enabled by the GameCube Broadband Adapter and Double Dash becomes a party racing classic.
While later Mario Kart games have built upon the foundations laid here, creative co-op racing propelled the series forward into a new era of multiplayer mayhem and keeps Double Dash feeling fresh even today.
3. Burnout 2: Point of Impact
- High intensity racing focused on aggressive driving
- Crash Mode introduces signature destruction mechanics
- New graphics engine with slow motion crashes and realistic damage
- Adrenaline pumping rock soundtrack
- Multiplayer races support up to 8 players
The Burnout series redefined arcade racing with its hyper aggressive focus on taking out opponents by any means necessary. Never holding back on speed, style, or intensity, Burnout 2 amplified its predecessor’s formula across the board for some of the most visceral racing action ever witnessed.
New Crash Mode events introduced the series’ now signature catastrophic destruction mechanics by tasking players with creating mass vehicle pileups. Sparks fly as metal crumples across urban grids filled with traffic for players to demolish with style.
Add to that a heart pounding soundtrack, vastly improved graphics engine bringing slow motion crashes to life in thrilling detail, and multiplayer for 8 players, and Burnout 2 achieved pure arcade racing bliss on GameCube.
4. Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit 2
- First Need for Speed brought to sixth gen consoles
- Introduced authentic police chases into series
- Race as racer or police across scenic environments
- Diverse event types including time trials
- Supports multiplayer via GameCube LAN
Marking the debut for Need for Speed on sixth generation consoles, Hot Pursuit 2 delivered a throttle adrenaline rush packing in high stakes police pursuits. As the title suggests, engaging in intense chases with authorities became a central theme, bringing new excitement previously unseen in the franchise.
Diverse racing events across detailed environments let players experience pulse pounding races from either side of the law. Upping the stakes are formidable police tools such as roadblocks and spike strips for genuine highlights.
While certainly feeling dated now, NFS Hot Pursuit 2 earned distinction as the first true showcase for the beloved series on GameCube back in the console’s early days
5. Kirby Air Ride
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- Unique take on racing genre starring Nintendo mascot
- Single and multiplayer racing modes up to 4 players
- Control a variety of vehicles including Kirby on a warp star
- Fun, upbeat gameplay suitable for all ages
- Simple controls with focus on power ups over racing
Kirby Air Ride deviated from traditional racing games in the best way possible with a delightful twist starring Nintendo’s pink puffball mascot. Focusing less on pure racing competition and more on the fun power-ups scattered across tracks, Air Ride offered accessible and upbeat action for all skill levels.
With Kirby able to pilot his iconic warp star plus a selection of other vehicles, racing through colorful landscapes while battlng friends proved charming. Supporting up to 4 player local multiplayer with unique modes like Top Down enhanced Air Ride’s replayability exponentially.
While simplistic by design compared to hardcore racing sims, Kirby Air Ride’s vibrancy and creativity gave GameCube owners an irresistibly bubbly racing experience dialed up to 11.
6. Rally Championship
- Realistic rally racing simulation
- Customizable vehicle tuning and upgrades
- Rally and Rallycross modes across 44 tracks
- Challenging off-road terrain and weather conditions
- Additional challenge modes to master control skills
Providing a dedicated rally racing package, Rally Championship brought gritty off-road competition spanning 9 authentic rally licensed circuits to GameCube complete with mud, rain, snow, and gravel.
Realistic driving physics posed a significant challenge to master navigating uneven off-road terrain while pushing high performance vehicles to their limits. Custom tuning gear ratios and suspension catered to player preference across customizable cars.
With expansive career progression, diverse weather hazards, and razor sharp car control required, Rally Championship made a case for being the definitive rally simulator of its era. Offering an experience distinct from track racers, this rally racer pushed hardware while capturing the intensity of its real-life sport.
7. MX Superfly Featuring Ricky Carmichael
- Highly realistic motocross racing physics
- 12 outdoor national tracks, freestyle areas
- Play as actual pro riders including Ricky Carmichael
- Bike tuning options for performance upgrades
- Detailed graphics and animation
Motocross fans were treated to one of most authentic entries in the genre with MX Superfly. Boasting officially licensed professional riders like the legendary Ricky Carmichael and accurate bike physics reflecting real motocross capabilities, this dirtbike racer aimed for realism across the board.
Set on 12 demanding outdoor national tracks, players must carefully master navigating treacherous jumps and obstacles without crashing. Nailing proper aerial control while shaving seconds through winding off-road courses made for technical gameplay requiring precision.
For developers hoping to capture true motocross spirit within a video game, MX Superfly stood out as the defining example on GameCube. No other title quite captured the unique excitement of dirtbike culture with such dedication to recreate professional championship competition authentically.
8. 1080° Avalanche
- Sequel to beloved Nintendo 64 snowboarding title
- Race, freestyle snowboarding, and multiplayer modes
- Shredding across varied terrain and snow conditions
- Robust trick system with points driving unlocks
- Licensed gear from real brands
A successor to original Nintendo 64 snowboarding game 1080 Snowboarding, 1080° Avalanche improved upon its predecessor’s fresh powder foundation across the board while introducing more competitive depth.
With multiple modes supporting racing, freestyle trick events, and 8 player multiplayer, Avalanche catered to varying play styles. Pulling off complex combinations of grabs, spins, flips, and grinds racked in points used to unlock branded licensed gear. Additional riders and snowboards further incentivized mastery.
Smooth controls combined with more expansive, better realized environments truly made 1080° Avalanche feel like a complete package – realizing the potential of arcade extreme snowboarding on GameCube.
9. SX Superstar
- Realistic supercross racing physics and control
- Create a custom rider
- 16 pro supercross tracks spanning 3 difficulty tiers
- Authentic event formats including heat races
- Supercross and freestyle motocross modes
Specifically dedicated to supercross, extreme indoor stadium dirtbike racing, SX Superstar gave the uniquely intense motorsport its proper due with impressive understanding. All officially licensed tracks hosted popular real world events like the AMA Supercross Championship for authenticity.
With accurate bike physics and handling, conquering treacherous jumps inside cramped arena venues proved insanely challenging, just as in real supercross. The ability to create custom riders and progress through amateur ranks towards professional status introduced deep career progression as well.
While niche in its singular supercross focus, SX Superstar nailed portraying the one-of-a-kind sport’s gnarly essence through smooth controls and lifelike recreation of its extreme demands.
10. Ridge Racer 64
- Faithful arcade port of classic Namco franchise
- Blistering sense of speed even in 480p
- Drift-focused driving mechanics
- Unique story mode with mission based progression
- Rare example of true arcade racing on GameCube
While certainly graphically rough around the edges, Ridge Racer 64 represented a slick arcade racing triumph in an era when major developers struggled translating pure arcade experiences to home consoles. Staying true to its coin-op DNA, Ridge Racer provided white knuckle drifting thrills from start to finish.
Blazing fast pacing set to pumping electronic music makes judicious use of drift mechanics to master hairpin turns while barely avoiding walls. Missions based around objectives besides finishing first brought some unique flair. And a corny cringe-worthy story mode actually connected all the arcade-style pieces into an unexpected whole.
For showing what faithful arcade racing could resemble on GameCube hardware, Ridge Racer 64 indeed provided many good times for gamers seeking quick fix speed on Nintendo’s purple lunchbox.
Frequently Asked Questions
What genre defined GameCube’s lineup of racers?
While GameCube hosted various racing genres, its lineup leaned heavily into arcade-style experiences over hardcore simulations. With many titles focused on drifting, combat elements, or imaginative premises, GameCube racers prioritized fun, accessible gameplay for all ages over ultra realism. However, gems like F-Zero GX and Rally Championship still delivered faithful recreations of their respective sports.
Did any Mario Kart games release on GameCube?
Yes, Mario Kart: Double Dash!! released on GameCube in 2003 to critical acclaim. The game introduced creative new co-op racing mechanics and is remembered as one of the console’s most beloved multiplayer titles. Its signature two-characters per kart system and character specific special items brought innovation to the iconic Nintendo racer.
How did GameCube’s technical abilities enable new gameplay?
The increased processing power of GameCube allowed fluid 60fps performance and vastly improved physics, graphics, damage models and world detail compared to prior Nintendo consoles. This enabled fast pacing and visual flash in titles like F-Zero GX while allowing deeper simulation aspects as seen in rally racing and motocross entries. Games like Burnout 2 leveraged hardware for destructibility.
What was the best-selling racing franchise on GameCube?
Need for Speed, thanks to Hot Pursuit 2 catering directly to GameCube owners early on in the console’s lifespan. It stood as many fans’ first modern introduction to the arcade street racer. Mario Kart: Double Dash and F-Zero GX sold over 4 million and 2 million units respectively as well, making them top racers on the platform.
Meta Quest 3 128GB— Breakthrough Mixed Reality — Powerful Performance — Asgard’s Wrath 2 Bundle
$499.00 (as of April 25, 2024 02:32 GMT +00:00 - More infoProduct prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.)
