The GameCube was not known for its shooters. This applies to first-person shooters and third-person shooters. Overall, the system had some trouble with its game supply thanks to the PS2 dominating the market. It could never keep up even when the system had a hit.
For example, the GameCube did have some stellar first-party support in the shooter genre thanks to Metroid Prime, which ended up being the right direction to take for the series. It was a gamble, but it paid off well. What about third-person games though? Do any of these Nintendo games truly hold up? Some skirt the line on how much of a shooter they are, but, rest assured, these classics won’t disappoint.
8 P.N.03
P.N.03 was part of a project known as the Capcom Five. It was tied to a bunch of GameCube exclusive Capcom games that included Resident Evil 4Viewtiful Joe. As the years have passed though, P.N.03 remains the only one that has remained truly exclusive to the GameCube.
Sadly, P.N.03 remains partly lost to time due to the GameCube being largely ignored by today's Nintendo; save for a few chosen elite titles, that is. Granted, it's nowhere near as good as the other Capcom Five games, but it still looks pretty good on the native hardware or an emulator.
7 Enter The Matrix
Enter the Matrix was a tie-in to the two sequel movies, The Matrix Reloaded and The Matrix Revolutions. It was an in-between sequel that showcased two minor characters: Niobe and Ghost. They were barely in the movies, but the tasks they accomplished in the game helped shape the world.
Without these minor agents, Neo might have failed. It was all canon too, with the movie talent reprising their roles, it was actually quite a big deal at the time. This wasn’t the first shooter to use slow-motion gameplay, but it was satisfying to use and is still enjoyable now.
6 Gun
Gun might be one of the worst names in gaming history despite its decent reviews. It says almost nothing about what it is, an open-world Western. This was before Red Dead Redemption and it is easy to see what that game borrowed from Gun.
Granted, Red Dead Redemption perfected nearly everything that Gun tried, but that doesn’t mean that Gun is completely without charm now. It’s still one of the very few modern Westerns which appeal to a certain type of gamer. For those in the mood for some gun-slinging, even average shooters like Gun will do.
5 Bloodrayne
Bloodrayne combined two genres that not a lot of games tried before and not a lot have tried since. It starred a female vampire who hunted down fascists and took place in an alternate World War II setting. It could be likened to Devil May Cry since there is melee action aside from the gunplay.
However, try as it might, Bloodrayne just wasn't as stylish nor as well-balanced as Capcom's Devil May Cry games. It was big enough to get two live-action movies though, so that's something. As a fascist vampire game, it can be pretty cheesy, but sometimes a little cheese in games is okay.
4 James Bond: Everything Or Nothing
Most gamers believe GoldenEye is the ultimate James Bond game and it was, for a time. The campaign was good for a movie tie-in, but the multiplayer is really what made it a hit. That aspect is still fun for old-school LAN parties, even if the gameplay is a little clunky by modern standards.
Everything or Nothing, on the other hand, holds up better on just about every level. It is one of very few original games in the movie franchise and even uses movie talent like Pierce Brosnan. It’s a fun shooter, and maybe even the best licensed Bond release of the mid-2000s.
3 Splinter Cell
Splinter Cell is another spy-related game in a genre that was at the time being dominated by Metal Gear Solid. Its goal was to take the over-the-top antics out of the equation and instead focus on brutal kills and stealth gameplay that utilized the dark rather than silly gimmicks like hiding in boxes.
The story may be forgettable because of how down-to-earth it was. However, getting some stealth kills in pure darkness still feels satisfying, even if the game doesn’t handle as well as it used to. Getting caught is a bit more punishing than Metal Gear Solid, for example.
2 Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes
Metal Gear Solid may not have much in the way of realism, but that's arguably part of the reason why it's remembered so fondly. The boss encounters and story were incredibly innovative for the era and ridiculously memorable to boot. It was wild then. that the GameCube, of all consoles, got an exclusive remake of the game.
Not only did Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes improve the game's visuals, but it also added a multiplayer mode as well. That aspect is a bit rough to go back to now, but the main game is still solid. It’s too bad it never got ported anywhere else, but that is a plus for the GameCube’s clout.
1 Resident Evil Remake
Resident Evil 4 is most fans' favorite entry on the GameCube, and it’s easy to see why. It pushed the series to new horizons. However, of the games that stick to the classic Resident Evil formula, there are none better than the remake of the original.
It is truly amazing how well Resident Evil Remake looks natively on the GameCube hardware. The HD remasters make it look even better and tweaked gameplay too. It is a horror classic that helped to redefine a genre, which makes it even more important.