Summary
- Nintendo's icons like Mario and Zelda are for all ages, not just kids.
- The GameCube had mature horror games like Eternal Darkness for teens/adults.
- Resident Evil 4 revolutionized horror game mechanics and was initially a GameCube exclusive.
Given the gallery of cute mascots under the Nintendo name, people tend to believe that Nintendo is exclusively for kids. Firstly, Mario, Zelda, and Kirby are for all ages. Secondly, Nintendo consoles still have plenty of mature games for teens and adults to enjoy. Just look at the GameCube.
For every year of the GameCube's life, there was at least one solid horror title to enjoy. Admittedly, some years were pretty dire for the console in general, so it is slim pickings for a couple of the entries on this list. The other years more than make up for this by having what many consider to be some of the best horror games ever released.
Even though Nintendo officially discontinued the GameCube in 2007, this list only goes until 2006. Only a handful of games came out in the console's last living year and none of them were horror games.
6 Luigi's Mansion - 2001
A Comical Haunted Mansion That Has Some Surprising Frights
Luigi's Mansion
The GameCube tried to shake things up by having an unconventional adventure game starring Luigi as its premier launch title rather than a platformer centered around Mario. Luigi's Mansion is still catered toward younger gamers despite being about ghosts and taking place in a haunted mansion.
Nothing in the game should really scare you to the point of not wanting to continue playing. It is really just amusing watching Luigi's terrified reactions to everything going on around him. Anyone who did not enjoy it just had to wait a little bit before Mario got his starring GameCube role with Super Mario Sunshine.
5 Eternal Darkness: Sanity's Requiem - 2002
A Unique Horror Experience That Plays On What Gamers Know
Eternal Darkness: Sanity’s Requiem
- Released
- June 24, 2002
- Developer(s)
- Silicon Knights
- Publisher(s)
- Nintendo
- Platform(s)
- GameCube
- Runner Up: Resident Evil
2002 was a great year for the GameCube with timeless classics like Super Mario Sunshine, Metroid Prime, and The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker. It also had a little cult classic called Eternal Darkness: Sanity's Requiem. This game was not the average survival horror game that fans of the genre might have expected.
It used the gaming medium to play with gamers' heads in unique ways. It acts as if the TV shuts off, pops off the character's head randomly, and most convincingly feigns accidentally corrupting the GameCube memory card. It knows gamers' worst fears and exploits them to the fullest.
2002 Runner Up: Resident Evil
Resident Evil
- Released
- April 30, 2002
- Developer(s)
- Capcom Production Studio 4
- Publisher(s)
- Capcom
- Platform(s)
- Nintendo GameCube, Nintendo Wii
The debut Resident Evil title is still one of the finest horror experiences to play today. The 2002 remake improves upon perfection with gorgeous graphics and an expanded narrative. It is a perfectly balanced survival horror experience, not becoming too big like Code: Veronica or too convoluted with a gimmicky mechanic like Resident Evil: Zero.
Every Resident Evil Remake, Ranked
Capcom has generally delivered awesome Resident Evil remakes, but some are better than others.
It still retains some of the pulp sensibilities of the older games, so newcomers should not expect the hyper seriousness of the Resident Evil 2 and Resident Evil 3 remakes. All the same, it will terrify people who play it even more than two decades after its release.
4 Resident Evil - Code: Veronica - 2003
Puzzling Mechanics & Intimidating Size Makes A Tense Horror Experience
Resident Evil CODE:Veronica
- Released
- March 28, 2000
- Developer(s)
- Capcom
- Publisher(s)
- Capcom
- Platform(s)
- Sega Dreamcast
- Runner Up: Resident Evil 2 re-release on the GameCube
2003 did not see many horror games coming out on the Nintendo GameCube. It did, however, see the series play catchup on Nintendo consoles. Resident Evil Code: Veronica was released on the console so people could play every game on the system before it continued into the future.
Originally released on the Dreamcast, this version has a few bonus extras for players. Code: Veronica is easily the biggest Resident Evil game in the old formula. It is almost too big for its own good and contains the series' most obtuse puzzles. No one will blame players if they use a guide to solve some of the more perplexing riddles.
3 Second Sight - 2004
Multiple Twists To Pull The Game Into Psychological Horror Territory
- Release: September 3, 2004
- Developer: Free Radical Design
- Platforms: GameCube, PS2, Xbox, PC
While not distinctly a horror game, Second Sight's story is filled with twists and turns that put it firmly into the psychological thriller territory. Players jump into the shoes of an amnesiac who simply needs to find out who they are and what they are supposed to do.
As the story goes on, flashbacks occur that seemingly change the future and the reality around them. Once it reaches its conclusion everything is clear, but it still leaves people with goosebumps.
Developer Free Radical was known for deep multiplayer modes with TimeSplitters. Second Sight, however, is a purely single-player experience.
2 Resident Evil 4 - 2005
An Evolution Of Horror Games In Terms Of Mechanics & Story
Resident Evil 4
- Runner Up: Killer 7
It is hard to believe that someone was not there during the lead-up to release, but Resident Evil 4 was initially a GameCube exclusive. Nintendo's system certainly had something to be proud of for the revolution in game design that the game was able to bring, captivating horror fans and those who adore action titles. Maybe it was not as scary as the other Resident Evil titles, but it was still extremely fun and created a new type of tension with the way enemies overwhelm Leon Kennedy.
Every Boss In Resident Evil 4, Ranked From Easiest To Hardest
Resident Evil 4's bosses can be quite the challenge. This is how every boss in the game ranks, according to difficulty.
Not only did the game influence the direction of the series over the next ten years, but it also had a profound impact on action games in general, with many adopting the over-the-shoulder camera for more visceral combat and better control over the protagonist.
Though it started out as a GameCube exclusive, Resident Evil 4 is now available on almost every modern console.
1 Monster House - 2006
Essentially Resident Evil For Kids
- Release: July 18, 2006
- Developer: Artificial Mind and Movement
- Platforms: GameCube, PS2, Game Boy Advance, Nintendo DS
The GameCube had already run out of steam by the time 2006 rolled around. The best game that year, Twilight Princess, also came out on the Nintendo Wii. Really, when it comes to horror games the best fans could get in terms of new releases was the video game adaptation of Monster House, a third-person survival-horror game.
It is not going to terrify most players and almost serves as a Resident Evil for kids. Considering that many licensed games were complete garbage at the time save for exceptions like Spider-Man 2, kids could do a lot worse than Monster House.