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[Nintenleo]

Nintendo games were completely crazy in that age.
Gamecube days have been such a good ride. Man, what a lineup.

Super Mario Sunshine is an astonishing experience, it's a joy to play and a HD remaster with the five additional worlds originally intended to stay in the game would be awesome.

Wind Waker is not my favourite Zelda, but it's a true gem and it was very brave to make such a leap from OoT/MM chapters.

And then we have the successful experiments of Metroid Prime 1 & 2 (two of the best games ever, especially the first), Luigi's Mansion at launch, DK Jungle Beat, Kirby Air Ride, Pikmin 1 & 2, Paper Mario 2, the two and only Pokèmon rpgs for home consoles, Eternal Darkness, Chibi-Robo, the first Animal Crossing outside Japan, Melee, Double Dash (even if I didn't like it at all), Doshin the Giant (originally published for the 64DD expansion), etc.

Wii and Wii U first party games are still great and some of them even better than their Gamecube chapters (Galaxy is generally considered better than Sunshine, Mario Kart 8 destroyed everything before it, Pikmin 3 is imo better than 1 % 2 and maybe I'm the only one who liked Skyward Sword more than Wind Waker), but that "taste" has been quite lost.

 

[AgeEighty]

By and large they got slagged by gamers and the media for their bold new takes on games—especially with Wind Waker—and rewarded with disappointing sales pretty much across the board.

Back then I remember telling people they were being unfair and that these games would one day be appreciated for being ahead of their time aesthetically and offering fantastic gameplay, but I was pretty much called a fanboy by a lot of people.

I wouldn't expect to see an era like that again. And we kind of don't deserve another one.

 

[cacildo]

Its not "experimental"

Its just that you miss when nintendo made games about exploration

Mario Kart, Smash Bros, Splatoon. Amazing games! But you´re always rushing.

You cant explore the levels. Find secrets, itens, bosses, etc

As i remember, there is just TWO exploration games from nintendo on wiiu:

Zelda WW hd
and
Xenoblade X

...where the few exemples OP gave from the gamecube era are ALL exploration games (except kirby Air Ride)

EDIT: I too miss this kind of exploration games made by nintendo

 

[balladofwindfishes]

Its not "experimental"

Its just that you miss when nintendo made games about exploration

Mario Kart, Smash Bros, Splatoon. Amazing games! But you´re always rushing.

You cant explore the levels. Find secrets, itens, bosses, etc

As i remember, there is just TWO exploration games from nintendo on wiiu:

Zelda WW hd
and
Xenoblade X

...where the few exemples OP gave from the gamecube era are ALL exploration games (except kirby Air Ride)

EDIT: I too miss this kind of exploration games made by nintendo

All that exploration in Double Dash and F-Zero GX. Also the exploration was the worst part of Star Fox Assault.

 

[UncleSporky]

NSMBU, SM3DW, and DKC:TF all reward exploration. They're not open world but they all require plenty of exploration.

 

[10k]

Based Yamauchi. Nintendo in their prime. GameCube is my favourite Nintendo console still. I miss that little purple cube

The risks they took that gen were awesome. Not to mention some of the best versions of third party games (Soul Calibur II, Tales of Symphonia, Viewtiful Joe, etc)

The Capcom 5, Rogue Squadron, some jrpgs like Baten Kaitos.

The new genre defining IP like Pikmin.

Melee changing smash forever and still regarded as the best smash.

Reviving metroid as a first person adventure and nailing it.

Using cel-shaded graphics first on one of their biggest IP and getting pissed on by the fanbase but ultimately nailing it when wind waker came out.

Sunshine being different than SM64 but still being fun.

Going with powerful hardware at an affordable price.

Multi coloured SKU's

Best Mario Kart game (definitely the most experimental)

F-Zero GX

Digital and analog triggers into one trigger

The awesome ads and marketing campaign are way better than what they have now (actually they have no marketing now)

Fucking wavebird becoming the first widely used wireless controller with virtually no input lag.

Best bootup jingle next to the PS1.

Nintendo's finest years.

RIP you magnificent son of a bitch.

The GameCube and Wii U are kind of polar opposites. While the GameCube was pretty standard on the hardware side Nintendo took risks with their own IP and new IP including investing in some third party exclusives.

The Wii U is experimental and risky hardware-wise but software wise the games so far are pretty "safe" sequels to their franchises. There are exceptions of course like Bayonetta, Splatoon and TW101, etc.

This could also be my grade 8-12 nostalgia talking ;p

 

[Beelzebufo]

I'd say less experimental and more just weird. And it's great!

 

[Baron Doggystyle von Woof]

Mario Sunshine was amazing. Gamecube had so many great games.

- Paper Mario TTYD
- Metroid Prime
- Pikmin
- Windwaker
- Mario kart DD

 

[gerudoman]

How so? Moving Zelda to a massive open world, non-standard progression? Splatoon as a game type they've never done before? All the new ideas in Nintendo Land? The controller that's a big experiment of its own that turned off a lot of people? Breaking into social networking with Miiverse?

Miiverse and the tablet controller are indeed pretty big innovations, but have failed to make a meaningful impact in its games, which is its main purpose after all. Nintendo's most important games on the system are Mario 3D World, Pikmin 3, Donkey Kong Country Tropical Freeze, Mario Kart 8 and both New Super Mario and Luigi, all of them iterative sequels which bring almost nothing new to the table. Splatoon, Nintendo Land and Mario Maker are refreshing experiences, but in the end they are in the minority.

 

[Regulus Tera]

This era is far more experimental. Nintendo home console without an exclusive Zelda game, they never tried THAT one before

And coincidentally, both the Wii U and the GCN are Nintendo's worst home-selling consoles!

 

[wbEMX]

Probably my favorite Nintendo console with the Super Nintendo. I freaking adored that time. The only downside for me was Mario Sunshine. Don't get me wrong, Sunshine is a great game. But it's nothing against the greatness of Mario 64 or Galaxy.
But we had one of the best Metroid games, the best F-Zero, Mario Strikers, one of the best Mario Kart titles, Wind Waker, Four Swords Adventures, Donkey Konga (God, I love that game), Resident Evil 4, Paper Mario 2, Smash Melee...

Damn, I miss the GameCube era.

 

[enigmatic_alex44]

Didn't Animal Crossing start on the Gamecube as well?

Still waiting on Animal Crossing Wii U...

 

[wbEMX]

Didn't Animal Crossing start on the Gamecube as well?

Still waiting on Animal Crossing Wii U...

Technically it started on the 64DD, but the first Western release was the GameCube game.

 

[Stat Flow]

Sunshine was great
Metroid Prime was great
Double Dash was great
Wind Waker was great

Best Nintendo era.

This.

And let's not forget the most beautiful mistake in gaming: Melee.

Gamecube...one of my favorite systems of all time. Best Nintendo by far for me.

 

[UncleSporky]

Miiverse and the tablet controller are indeed pretty big innovations, but have failed to make a meaningful impact in its games, which is its main purpose after all. Nintendo's most important games on the system are Mario 3D World, Pikmin 3, Donkey Kong Country Tropical Freeze, Mario Kart 8 and both New Super Mario and Luigi, all of them iterative sequels which bring almost nothing new to the table. Splatoon, Nintendo Land and Mario Maker are refreshing experiences, but in the end they are in the minority.

The same could easily be said for all the best Game Cube games. Wind Waker iterates on the "one thing in every map tile" design of Zelda 1, and refines the combat of OoT. Double Dash was iterative of Mario Kart 64. F-Zero GX was iterative of F-Zero X.

Sunshine iterated on the "couple of large worlds/paintings that you keep going back to" of Mario 64. The FLUDD was a new powerup, just like the Galaxy series introduced spring Mario, boo Mario, bee Mario, cloud Mario, etc. and Mario 3D World introduced cat Mario, the double cherry, the cannon box, Kuribo's Skate, multiplayer in a mainline 3D Mario game, etc. Way more than just FLUDD.

They're just as inventive today as they were before, if not more so due to the controller changes.

 

[Oersted]

Wasn't Wii pretty experimental? Probably more so than Game Cube?

I mean, when you're releasing whole Zelda games that people say they simply can't play because they don't know how/can't move their arms the way the game wants them to, that's getting into really esoteric territory.

Plus balance board as a method of control, spinoffs like Link's Crossbow Training, new IPs that just fell flat like Flingsmash...

Flingsmash was developed by Artoon in 2010. They got eaten up by the mothercompany, which went defunct in 2011 because of the merger with Marvelous Entertainment. They are now cursed to develop Rune Factory games till they die.

Try out Half-Minute Hero, fun series.

 

[enigmatic_alex44]

And let's not forget the most beautiful mistake in gaming: Melee.

Smash started on N64 though...

What do you mean "beautiful mistake"? Was Melee supposed to be different than how it turned out?

 

[UncleSporky]

Smash started on N64 though...

What do you mean "beautiful mistake"? Was Melee supposed to be different than how it turned out?

They accidentally added just the right amount and kind of glitches to make it a dream for technically-minded fighting game fans. Wavedashing was an accident.

They haven't been able to reproduce the same amount of enthusiasm in later entries yet, not that new Smash is doing a bad job or anything.

 

[dragonyeuw]

A shame Nintendo hasn't filled in the gaps of Wii U's game schedule with a few more GameCube HD remasters.

That's what I was thinking reading the topic title. I'd kill for an F-zero GX HD update...

 

[cacildo]

NSMBU, SM3DW, and DKC:TF all reward exploration. They're not open world but they all require plenty of exploration.

you know what im trying to say. Exploration in 3d. Play at your own pace, find itens, find pieces of the story, level up, fight bosses.

How many of this type of games did nintendo made for the Wiiu? Two: Wind Waker HD and Xenoblade X

And these games were all around back in the gamecube days. Most games were like this

I hope the release of Mario Maker kill the nintendo 2d platformer factory forever. Because i really wish they got back to Gamecube days when every game was a 3d exploration game.

 

[SolVanderlyn]

Sunshine was great
Metroid Prime was great
Double Dash was great
Wind Waker was great

Best Nintendo era.

Succinct and true

 

[balladofwindfishes]

Because i really wish they got back to Gamecube days when every game was a 3d exploration game.

Except for all the ones that weren't (racing games, sports games, DK Jungle Beat, Smash Bros). Or the ones that were, but were critically panned for it (Star Fox). The best selling games were Smash and Mario Kart, and there's no 3D exploration there.

Nintendo made a lot of great games during the GCN era, but it wasn't from some magical abstract concept of exploration which seems more appropriate for the N64 era anyway.

Sunshine and Windwaker aren't open world at all, and have designated end goals, just really large maps to get there, but ultimately are more or less linear mission based (especially Sunshine). Metroid Prime is just Super in 3D with excellent map design. And Pikmin is the big one here, as it's actually open world, but isn't really 3D. And if you count Pikmin you have to count Pikmin 3 on the Wii U. And then you have Smash Bros, Animal Crossing, Donkey Kong Jungle Beat, Donkey Konga, Odama, Wave Race, Mario Parties, Mario Tennis, Mario Golf, Mario Kart, Wario Ware, Four Swords Adventures, F-Zero, and the good parts of Star Fox Assault.

 

[UncleSporky]

you know what im trying to say. Exploration in 3d. Play at your own pace, find itens, find pieces of the story, level up, fight bosses.

How many of this type of games did nintendo made for the Wiiu? Two: Wind Waker HD and Xenoblade X

And these games were all around back in the gamecube days. Most games were like this

I hope the release of Mario Maker kill the nintendo 2d platformer factory forever. Because i really wish they got back to Gamecube days when every game was a 3d exploration game.

No I don't know what you're trying to say. I have the same amount of fun exploring a Mario 3D World level as I do a Mario Sunshine level. I had the same amount of fun exploring Skyward Sword as I did Wind Waker, and by all accounts the new Zelda will be the most exploratory open world Zelda yet.

Rare made Starfox, not Nintendo. It was the last gasp of the type of games they used to make on the 64 like Banjo Kazooie, and frankly the formula was getting stale.

Do you even read what you're saying? "i really wish they got back to Gamecube days when every game was a 3d exploration game?" You want every Nintendo game to be part of the same genre, really? You don't think they get ragged on enough for having multiple side scrolling franchises, you want every franchise to be 3D exploration now?

 

[BronzeWolf]

Not me. The GC got great games but I would not want to relieve the third party ship jumping that occurred during those years. It hurt

 

[Mr. Nice_Guy]

Twas a golden era. First console I ever bought myself and every game brought something new and exciting. I don't think I can explain how excited I was for Pikmin. I was borderline obsessed up till it's release.

 

[Fox Mulder]

Jungle beat was a very experimental game that still seems crazy. Beating on a bongo controller to play a platformer. Love it.

Not me. The GC got great games but I would not want to relieve the third party ship jumping that occurred during those years. It hurt

Better to have support for stuff like viewtiful joe than nothing at all.

 

[wanderingprostheyltite]

Some of my fondest gaming moments were had playing hooky from school and going to a friend's house to play his Gamecube. Rogue Squadron, Super Monkey Ball, Sunshine, it was all a blast. Monkey Ball in particular had so many fun mini games, that ramp you go down to open your monkey ball open and use as a glider before closing it back up again, to try and land on targets in the ocean...so good. I never owned one myself though.

Dreamcast was my favorite in terms of titles, it was just the best arcade style system. Crazy Taxi, Power Stone, Soul Caliber, MvC2, House of the Dead, plus loads of off the wall games or types of games you just don't see a lot of anymore like Jet Grind Radio, Seaman, Ecco, Shenmue (bless that KS)etc. System felt like magic back then.

 

[Thunder Monkey]

I've always viewed GCN as their most conservative modern console design... until WiiU. WiiU is pretty much "Here's a 360 with a screen on the controller!"

Sales of both lead Nintendo to playing it safe. Wii and N64 were experimental era Nintendo.

 

[ced]

Gamecube was great, last good days of Nintendo.

 

[enigmatic_alex44]

you know what im trying to say. Exploration in 3d. Play at your own pace, find itens, find pieces of the story, level up, fight bosses.

How many of this type of games did nintendo made for the Wiiu? Two: Wind Waker HD and Xenoblade X

And these games were all around back in the gamecube days. Most games were like this

I hope the release of Mario Maker kill the nintendo 2d platformer factory forever. Because i really wish they got back to Gamecube days when every game was a 3d exploration game.

Neither of your posts has made ANY sense. What are you trying to say?

Why would the release of Mario Maker kill their 2D franchise? Mario Maker doesn't even let you use slopes. 99% of the user created level will be trash, just like what happened with the Littlebigplanet community. Levels created by Nintendo will always be superior to user generated content (as cool as the Maker is looking).

Plus what does "exploration" have to do with Gamecube's library? The GC had a larger assortment of genres to choose from than Wii U. "Most games" were not like Wind Waker HD and Xenoblade X on the Gamecube, not even close.

Gamecube was great, last good days of Nintendo.

wait, what?

The Wii U has a small but incredible library. Nintendo phoned it in during the Wii era but the Wii U has some of the best entries of their respective franchises (3D World, MK8, Pikmin 3, Wooly World, New Mario Bros. U etc.). Only thing is the games on Wii U play it safe on daring hardware, whereas the games on Gamecube were daring on safe hardware.

 

[balladofwindfishes]

The Wii wasn't really phoned in either.

Metroid Prime 3, Kirby Return to Dreamland, Skyward Sword, Twilight Princess, NSMB Wii, Mario Galaxy, Mario Galaxy 2, Donkey Kong Country Return, Punch Out, Mario Strikers Charged, Sin and Punishment.

Plus the Wii has the definitive versions of Metroid Prime 1 and 2, Jungle Beat and Pikmin 1/2.

A better Donkey Kong and a better NSMB came out on the Wii U, but at the time, the Wii had the best for those.

 

[ghibli99]

Gamecube was great, last good days of Nintendo.

Uhh, not by a long shot.

 

[SatoAilDarko]

I think that's nostalgic talking.

Wii and Wii u more experimental. Even not count motion-controls.

You had stuff like Xenoblade, Pandora's Tower, Wonderful 101.

Mario Galaxy is more a deviation from 64 than Sunshine.

For better or worse Metroid Other M is also one huge experiment. There's a much greater emphasis on plot and Samus' narration. The gameplay with switching to fire-person is also weird.

Skyward Sword was a more experimental game than Wind Waker or Twilight Princess in a lot of ways. Why I think the returning to past areas thing was handled poorly it still is a pretty big gameplay differentiator. You also have the upgraded system and direction-based combat.

Star Fox Adventures wasn't an experiment. It was Star Fox put on a Zelda clone so Rare couldn't get an IP before going to Microsoft.

 

[SephLuis]

It's sad when no one mentioned Custom Robo. While it's an old Nintendo series, it was the first localized. And I really liked it =(

Deserved a new one with online.

 

[Dreams-Visions]

I'm still going through Metroid Prime withdraw. Nintendo pls.

 

[Neoxon]

Gamecube was great, last good days of Nintendo.

lolwut?

 

[fernoca]

Loved the Gamecube, but I wouldn't call it experimental, when it was Nintendo trying to compete with the PS2 and Xbox and what made them realize they shouldn't.

They took risks of course, but they still do. Heck, the Wii U is more experimental and a disapointment in sales, yet they've supported it with some of the best iterations of said franchises along new ones like Splatoon.

 

[balladofwindfishes]

Star Fox Adventures wasn't an experiment. It was Star Fox put on a Zelda clone so Rare couldn't get an IP before going to Microsoft.

And then you have Star Fox Assault, which was a couple of poor design decisions away from being something amazing. It had great graphics, absolutely amazing (orchestrated) music, the cast was good and the voice acting was good. And the space missions were great.

But then it gets bogged down with slow on foot missions that sadly make up the majority of the game.

It's really too bad. Star Fox Assault could have gone from a mediocre game with some highlights to a great game with a few boring missions if they had cut way back on the foot missions.

 

[Spring-Loaded]

It was fucking great. "Experimental" in that tried-and-true design for their mainstay series was eschewed in favor of stuff like the perspective in Metroid Prime, multiplayer in Star Fox, or art style in Wind Waker. Anything straightforward was still godly like F-Zero and Smash Bros.

The experimental aspect wasn't gimmicky control inputs. Just good and interesting approaches to Nintendo IPs.

 

[Anth0ny]

gamecube era nintendo was so fucking great. everyone sucks for buying the inferior ps2 instead.

 

[cacildo]

Neither of your posts has made ANY sense. What are you trying to say?

Why would the release of Mario Maker kill their 2D franchise? Mario Maker doesn't even let you use slopes. 99% of the user created level will be trash, just like what happened with the Littlebigplanet community. Levels created by Nintendo will always be superior to user generated content (as cool as the Maker is looking).

Plus what does "exploration" have to do with Gamecube's library? The GC had a larger assortment of genres to choose from than Wii U. "Most games" were not like Wind Waker HD and Xenoblade X on the Gamecube, not even close.



wait, what?

The Wii U has a small but incredible library. Nintendo phoned it in during the Wii era but the Wii U has some of the best entries of their respective franchises (3D World, MK8, Pikmin 3, Wooly World, New Mario Bros. U etc.). Only thing is the games on Wii U play it safe on daring hardware, whereas the games on Gamecube were daring on safe hardware.

Let me try to explain what im saying:

- I miss 3d games made by nintendo in which you could explore the world at your own pace. Some exemples: Super Mario Sunshine. Metroid Prime*, Star Fox Adventures, any 3d Legend of Zelda

- Nintendo games for the wiiu are great. But most of em have this thing: you cant explore the levels, you can only fight/race/shoot in a limited time. There´s always some sort of timer. And i dont like it very much

- I own Mario 3d World. I really like it, but i wish the levels were more open. And that "exploration" wasnt only "Find the three stars and stamp and rush to finish the level!!!!" And that it didnt had a fucking timer.

- It FEELS like back in the gamecube days there were more games like those i miss. Even if there was also versions of smash, mario kart in the same gen.

- I can only point TWO wiiu games published by nintendo that follow this pattern im looking for/missing: Zelda Wind Waker and Xenoblade X

- I am, like a lot of people that play nintendo games, really, really, REALLY tired of 2d platformers. There´s too much of em. Not only on nintendo systems, but most indie games released on consoles are 2d plataformers (i think - i only own nintendo systems) And back in the gamecube days there wasnt that much, right?

Star Fox Adventures wasn't an experiment. It was Star Fox put on a Zelda clone so Rare couldn't get an IP before going to Microsoft.

My god i wish we had any franchise being made as a zelda clone

Im really missing zelda clones. They dont do it anymore!

 

[Creamium]

You're right, it definitely was an experimental time for Nintendo, especially if you add LM and Pikmin to the mix.

I would love to see an hd remaster of Mario Sunshine, I'd love to replay that game. I liked a lot, and there was enough 'classic' Mario in the fludd-less levels.

 

[Placiibo]

Sunshine was great
Metroid Prime was great
Double Dash was great
Wind Waker was great

Best Nintendo era.

Melee arguably the best Smash game.
F-Zero GX was great
Pikmin was great
Twilight Princess was great

 

[MrT-Tar]

I would say the Wii generation was more experimental overall, from having motion controls (and making them so central to the console itself); to the weak hardware power; the variety of wonderfully weird and niche software such as Captain Rainbow, Zangeki no Reinglev, Disaster DoC, etc; Nintendo localising such an amount and variety of games that would've been unthinkable just a generation previously (if somebody would've told me in 2004 that Nintendo would localise games such as Project Zero/Fatal Frame 2, Disaster: DoC, Solatorobo, Pandora's Tower, etc I wouldn't have believed them); to the DS having two screens, and so on.

I think the poor start to the 3DS' life put an end to this. Nintendo tried to pick sure fire winners for the WiiU launch, but chose incorrectly. They are now worse off as a result.

 

[FunkyPajamas]

Gamecube is still my favorite "modern" Nintendo console, with the SNES just being my favorite overall.

I wish they went back to their first party (and collaborations!) game output for that era.

 

[Coffee Dog]

Gamecube was the weakest era for nintendo.

Sunshine was inconsistent, the best parts of the game were refined and made into galaxy.

Wind waker had great presentation and awful dungeons. Twilight had awful presentation and passable dungeons.

Double dash had horrible tracks and item balance. It's been bettered in every way by Mario Karts 7 and 8.

Total genre death that took out several big franchises (ie 2D platformers)

Pikmin, Melee, and metroid prime were fun at least. But when compared to the greats of the other eras the gamecube entries of Nintendo's long running series just don't stack up.

 

[Azuran]

Gamecube was great, last good days of Nintendo.

Wii U is better than the Gamecube and I'm saying this as someone that really loves that purple lunchbox.

So lol no

 

[krumble]

Gamecube is still my favorite "modern" Nintendo console, with the SNES just being my favorite overall.

I wish they went back to their first party (and collaborations!) game output for that era.

Completely agree!

 

[CO_Andy]

the climax of nintendee's experimental era

 

[daTRUballin]

Gamecube was just a very weird time for Nintendo. At the time there were just so many management changes at Nintendo and so many of their Western studios left them. I mean, just take a look at all these events:

January 2002 - Minoru Arakawa and Peter Main (President of NOA and VP of Sales & Marketing, respectively) retire and are replaced by Tatsumi Kimishima and Peter MacDougall

March 2002 - Ken Lobb leaves Nintendo and joins Microsoft

May 2002 - Hiroshi Yamauchi steps down as President of Nintendo and is replaced by Satoru Iwata

September 2002 - Rare is bought by Microsoft

December 2003 - Peter MacDougall is replaced by Reggie Fils-Aime as VP of Sales & Marketing (Didn't Left Field leave sometime in 2003 as well?)

2004 - Silicon Knights leaves Nintendo

2005 - Hiroshi Yamauchi retires from Nintendo for good

May 2006 - Tatsumi Kimishima is replaced by Reggie as President of NOA

November 2006 - The Wii is released, and the GC era ends

It's also worth noting that Howard Lincoln also left Nintendo back in 2000, but that was during the late N64 era.