Nintendo 64/GameCube/Wii franchise comparisons

I’ve been doing a lot of thinking lately about how the GameCube fits in among the recent Nintendo consoles. I know that the GameCube isn’t remembered too fondly, but I think it competes with the N64 in certain ways, and even beats it in others, such as variety. For fun, I’m going to list the games from their respective consoles that were released on the N64 and GameCube (and the Wii for the hell of it) to see how the consoles stack up.

Mario (Main series):
Nintendo 64: Super Mario 64 (2)
GameCube: Super Mario Sunshine (3)
Wii: Super Mario Galaxy (1)

Winner: Wii

Legend of Zelda (Main series):
Nintendo 64: Ocarina of Time and Majora’s Mask (1)
GameCube: Wind Waker and Twilight Princess (2)
Wii: N/A (yeah I said it)

Winner: Nintendo 64

Metroid (Main series):
Nintendo 64: N/A
GameCube: Metroid Prime 1 and 2 (1)
Wii: Metroid Prime 3 (2)

Winner: GameCube

Donkey Kong
Nintendo 64: Donkey Kong 64 (2)
GameCube: Donkey Kong Jungle Beat, Donkey Konga 1 & 2 (1)
Wii: Donkey Kong Barrel Blast (fuck this game)

Winner: GameCube

F-Zero:
Nintendo 64: F-Zero X (2)
GameCube: F-Zero GX (1)
Wii: N/A

Winner: GameCube

Pokemon:
Nintendo 64: Pokemon Stadium 1 & 2, Pokemon Snap, Pokemon Puzzle League, Hey You Pikachu! (1)
GameCube: Pokemon Colosseum, Pokemon XD: Gale of Darkness, Pokemon Channel, Pokemon Box (2)
Wii: Pokemon Battle Revolution, My Pokemon Ranch (fuck both of these games)

Winner: Nintendo 64

Super Smash Bros.:
Nintendo 64: Super Smash Bros. (3)
GameCube: Super Smash Bros. Melee (2)
Wii: Super Smash Bros. Brawl (1)

Winner: Wii

Mario Kart:
Nintendo 64: Mario Kart 64 (1)
GameCube: Mario Kart: Double Dash!! (3)
Wii: Mario Kart Wii (2)

Winner: Nintendo 64

Star Fox:
Nintendo 64: Star Fox 64 (1)
GameCube: Star Fox Adventures, Star Fox Assault (2)
Wii: N/A

Winner: Nintendo 64

Paper Mario:
Nintendo 64: Paper Mario (1)
GameCube: Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door (2)
Wii: Super Paper Mario (3)

Winner: Nintendo 64

Overall winners:

Nintendo 64: 5
GameCube: 3
Wii: 2

I think that’s enough comparisons for now. Based on these ratings, I guess it’s fair to say that as far as the big franchise games go, the N64 is superior. However, there are still some great GameCube games that aren’t big Nintendo franchise games (Pikmin 2, REmake, Metal Gear Solid: Twin Snakes etc). All I can say is that both consoles rock.

My Playstation 2 Top 5 Games

Instead of going in-depth with the history of each console like I did with my Xbox and GameCube retrospectives, I’m just going to list my favorite games for each platform as well as my brief take on the console and its legacy, starting with the Sony Playstation 2.

My Top 5 Games:

1. Metal Gear Solid 3: Subsistence

A cool mixture of Metal Gear and James Bond story telling with a more mellow atmosphere compared to MGS2. The medical/healing mechanic of the game was a flaw but ultimately didn’t hurt the amazing experience.

2. Metal Gear Solid 2: Substance

I liked this game just as much as 3 but I didn’t list it above 3 because it’s less replayable and the whole Plant chapter area is pretty bland. However, the story is incredible and there are some cool set pieces.

3. Grand Theft Auto: Vice City

I’m not a huge fan of the GTA series, but I love Vice City mainly because of the city itself. It was way more compact than San Andreas which is a bonus in my book and had a cooler 80’s Miami beach setting. The music in the game is in my opinion the best in the series and the driving is way better than it is in GTAIV.

4. Katamari Damacy

I only got this game recently but it leaves a big impression pretty early on with its quirky gameplay, humor and music. I can already tell that the sequels don’t have the magic that this game has.

5. WWE Smackdown! Here Comes the Pain

Kind of an odd choice, most would say. Sports or extreme sports games don’t usually appear on top video game lists, kind of like how comedy movies are never nominated for Oscars. However, this is the best wrestling game of all time with a TON of customization, match types and gameplay. I literally played this everyday for over a year.

Legacy and My Own Thoughts

The PS2 went on to sell over 120 million units (and counting), and only recently dropped to 100 dollars in the US. As of now, it’s the best selling console of all time, and was a big reason for the DVD format’s success. I’ll be honest, when I think of the PS2, I think of a console that was (is, I guess, since they still make games for it as of this post) the jack of all trades, but not particularly strong in any particular genre except for Japanese RPGs. I know that’s an unpopular opinion, and anyone reading this will probably just think I’m crazy, but when I look at my list of PS2 games (it’s not like I don’t have many PS2 games, I have more PS2 games than anything else except for the GameCube) and I see a lot of good but not great games. Granted, I’m not a big RPG fan, so there are only a few amazing games like the two MGS games but I wouldn’t really list anything else as a “top 30 games of all time” caliber game. I played the PS2 a ton last gen and still play it now a fair amount, but I don’t see the memorable games. In fact, the reason why it’s only a top 5 list is because I couldn’t think of 10 incredible games. I’d like to note that I haven’t played too much of ICO or Shadow of the Colossus, so if you’re wondering why either of those aren’t on the list, well there you go. I’ll try and play both of them sometime this year, and I might edit the list accordingly if I like them enough.

Anyway, before I get castrated for what I said about the PS2, I’d just like to say that I’ll be doing a top 10 (yeah, that’s right, 10) list for the Dreamcast next time, so stay tuned (!).