In the Nintendo 64 era, Nintendo released several different Pokemon games to tie into the rise of the franchise. The Gamecube didn’t get as many, sadly. However, there are still some bangers.
On this page, we want to introduce you to the best Pokemon games for Gamecube. We have ordered this list based on our own preferences, but any of these Pokemon games is amazing.
The only problem is that many of these games can be pretty tricky to track down nowadays, particularly the first on this list. Let’s jump in, shall we?
Pokemon Colosseum
Pokemon Colosseum is a role-playing game (RPG) which takes the rather unique approach of not having you catch wild Pokemon. Instead, you gain Pokemon by stealing them from other trainers, although in a much nicer way.
No random battles in this game. It is all about fighting other trainers that you meet along the way. You will be completing all sorts of quests too.
On top of this, you have a separate battle mode, which acts in a similar way to Pokemon Stadium on the Nintendo 64.
Obviously, the Gameboy games are RPGs, so Pokemon Colosseum is very similar to those, although it builds upon things a little bit. As we said, wild-caught Pokemon are out of the window here. Instead, you are going to be traversing a world following an epic story.
The thing that we love about Pokemon Colosseum is the fact that the story is a little bit darker than the mainline games. Not so much so that children are not going to be able to play this, but Pokemon Colosseum has a bit more of an adult feel to it.
If you love Final Fantasy VII, then you will probably like Pokemon Colosseum. While the game plays out a little bit differently, people have likened the graphics and the overall tone of Pokemon Colosseum to that of Final Fantasy VII. There is just a bit less complexity in Pokemon Colosseum.
We are sticking this game at the top of the list, mostly because it ended up being the best-reviewed Pokemon game on the Gamecube.
To check the current price and availability of Pokemon Colosseum, click here to view the listing on Amazon.
Pokemon XD: Gale of Darkness
Pokemon XD: Gale Of Darkness is the follow-up to Pokemon Colosseum, although we are hesitant to call it a sequel. It is set in the same world, but the story is not a direct continuation.
Pokemon XD: Gale of Darkness allowed you to bring in the Pokemon from the Gameboy Advance games, if you had caught them. It added a new dynamic to the game. Again, much in the same vein as Pokemon Stadium that came out on the Nintendo 64.
Wild Pokemon do appear in Pokemon XD: Gale of Darkness, but they can only be caught in a couple of specific spots in the game. There is also a Battle Mode, which is rather challenging to get through. You have about 100 trainers to battle your way through. This is separate from the main game.
To check the price and availability of Pokemon XD: Gale of Darkness, click here to view the listing on Amazon.
Pokemon Channel
Pokemon Channel was a weird experimental game for Nintendo. In fact, so much so that it is actually hard to tell you what genre it fits into. There isn’t a whole lot of interaction in the game. On one hand, it is a Tamagotchi-style game where you raise pets, then some action, collecting, and even a bit of TV watching.
Pokemon Channel didn’t review well when it first came out, but a lot of people seem to love the game nowadays.
The game is an odd mix of raising your own Pikachu, while also helping Professor Oak start up his own TV channel.
This is a game that actually requires a multi-day commitment. You can’t accomplish everything on the first day.
It is unique, and certainly not for everybody. However, if you have always dreamed of raising your own Pikachu, we suppose that this is the closest that you are going to be able to get on the Gamecube.
To check the current price and availability of Pokemon Channel, click here to view the listing on Amazon.
Pokemon Box: Ruby ; Sapphire
We are going to wrap up with Pokemon Box: Ruby ; Sapphire. Technically, it isn’t a game, nor was it easy to purchase. In fact, in Europe, it was only available through the Nintendo Rewards program. In the US, it came in a package with Pokemon Colosseum.
If you have played the most recent Pokemon games, then you will know that they use something called Pokemon Bank where you can transport and save the Pokemon that you have caught in the games.
Pokemon Box: Ruby ; Sapphire is mostly a system for saving the Pokemon from those games onto a Gamecube memory card. However, you can also connect your Gameboy Advance up to your Gamecube (using the included cable) to play those games on your TV.
This is incredibly rare nowadays, and because it isn’t actually a game, you can probably avoid it (in most cases). It is for the Pokemon completionists.
Is Pokemon XD or Colosseum Better?
This is always going to be dependent on who you ask. In our opinion, Pokemon Colosseum is a little bit better. It has the better story, and that is important in an RPG.
On the other hand, Pokemon XD does have better graphics, and it builds upon Pokemon Colosseum by offering a variety of extra features. It will take you a lot longer to play through Pokemon XD than it would through Colosseum.
At the end of the day, however, they are both great games.
Final Thoughts
The Gamecube didn’t have as many Pokemon games as the Nintendo 64 had. However, we did get a couple of awesome games on the system.
Pokemon on the Gamecube was characterized by the two RPGs that appeared, as well as a couple of oddities in the form of Pokemon Channel and the early form of Pokemon Bank.
Remember, because the Gamecube was a pretty low-selling console for Nintendo, it never had a whopping number of games sold. This means that tracking down some of the best Pokemon games for Gamecube can be pretty expensive.