# 25 Years Later, the GameCube’s 5 Best Launch Games Are Still As Good as Ever

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/25-years-later-the-gamecubes-5-best-launch-games-are-still-as-good-as-ever/
- Published: 2026-09-21T03:30:14+00:00
- Updated: 2026-09-21T04:39:47+00:00
- Original publisher: Polygon
- Original article: https://www.polygon.com/gamecube-launch-games-ranked/
- Topics: Gaming

## Key points

- Five GameCube launch games still stand out 25 years later.
- Third-party titles were central to the console’s early appeal.
- Rogue Leader and Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 receive particular praise.

## Summary

A retrospective marking the GameCube’s 25th anniversary identifies five launch-period games that remain especially enjoyable. It argues that the console’s appeal was built not only on Nintendo exclusives, but also on distinctive, high-quality third-party support.

The games highlighted are Wave Race: Blue Storm, praised for its fast racing and impressive water effects; Luigi’s Mansion, remembered as an inventive but initially awkward showcase for the controller; and Super Monkey Ball, whose physics-based puzzles and speedrunning appeal have endured. Star Wars Rogue Squadron 2: Rogue Leader offered memorable aerial combat, while Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 demonstrated the strength of the GameCube’s wider software lineup and remains the author’s personal favourite.

---
Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.