The Best GameCube Strategy Games
Pikmin
A new Nintendo franchise for the GameCube, Pikmin is a weird and wacky adventure featuring Olimar, a stranded astronaut, and helpful, anthropomorphic plants. Olimar must recover the missing parts of his ship within thirty days or he will remain stranded on this strange planet forever.
Players must make use of strange creatures, called Pikmin, which have different subspecies, each with their own attributes, and can grow from the ground. Players must work on a day/night schedule, exploring the world during the day and returning to your ship with as many Pikmin as possible at night. The environments in this title are exciting, each showing the beauty that Nintendo is known for and level-design to rival some of the biggest games ever.
Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance
Even though this series was still pretty new to the West, its awesome narrative and turn-based combat quickly caught on. Featuring Ike, who many may know from Super Smash Bros., he must stop the invading forces of Beorc and save Crimea’s heir. In this series, players must choose their actions wisely because when a unit falls, they are gone forever.
As the game progresses, players will venture through various battlegrounds, moving their units in order to complete one of a few objectives. Allies will level up throughout each mission, boosting their stats, making them a more formidable foe against bandits and Beorc forces. Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance is an awesome strategy title with plenty of awesome quirks and loveable characters.
Harvest Moon: Magical Melody
The final Harvest Moon entry on the GameCube brings plenty of charm that this series is known for. There are higher stakes in this title, giving players the task of restoring the Harvest Goddess back to her former glory.
Players still need to build up their farm, similar to previous entries in the series. However, the town that surrounds the farm is more alive than ever, giving players dynamic characters to interact and fall in love with. Harvest Moon: Magical Melody is an exciting, yet relaxed, adventure through a rustic town full of mystery, love, and magic that is sure to engross players.
Gladius
Return to the days of blood sports with a strategic edge in Gladius on the GameCube. Players can choose between Ursula or Valens, each with their own perks and unique backstory, to embark on a wild adventure through increasingly distinctive locations.
A dark force has risen again to threaten the world, and the heroes must fight in tournaments to gather a skilled and sizable force to vanquish this darkness. Each area features unique classes of fighters and side quests that can boost your stats or hide exciting treasure. The combat itself is turn-based, similar to most other RPGs, with meters that can affect the efficacy of various strikes.
Pikmin 2
After the success of the original Pikmin, Nintendo had to satiate fans once more with Pikmin 2. This title has Olimar returning to the strange planet looking for rare artifacts to bring back home, with the help of his apprentice Louie.
The gameplay, aside from a two-player mode, is much the same with the addition of a couple more Pikmin types. If you were a fan of the original title, this is a much-appreciated upgrade, providing players with exciting and challenging new levels and environments. Pikmin 2 is a landmark title and a must-play for any Nintendo fan.
Goblin Commander: Unleash the Horde
Goblin Commander: Unleash the Horde is what happens when you mix arcadey, home-console action with a PC style RTS. There are five goblin clans in this title, each with its own unique abilities and missions that players will need to embark on to progress the game.
These missions take players through the strange and mystical world of Ogriss, showing players what the GameCube is capable of with its dynamic and exciting backdrops. This title is a perfect game for those who want to get into classic RTS without the steep learning curve.
Worms 3D
The Worms series has long been the king of exciting turn-based combat, allowing players to blow anything up that stands in their way. Worms has upgraded, giving players an entire new dimension to explode with a giant arsenal of new weapons.
The environments in this title make the third dimension even more exciting, giving players lush backdrops with catchy music to go with it. The worms themselves are more expressive and exciting than ever as well. The gameplay itself still follows the Worms formula, providing the same turn-based action that players are used to. Worms 3D is the perfect title to play with friends and a must-have for the GameCube.
