Summary
TheNintendo GameCube is home to some of the most iconic video games ever made, whether they were published by Nintendo or made by third-party developers. There aren’t many video games in which players aren’t confronted with conflict, usually at the hands of an evil character, such as Ganondorf fromThe Legend of Zeldaor Bowser fromMario.
Some of these games may be underrated by fans, but even more underrated are the game’s antagonists. These characters are etched into the memories of GameCube players, for better or worse, because of how they enticed fear out of the protagonists of each game. Thankfully, none of these six underrated GameCube villains got to win in the end.
Dark Samuswas perhaps one of the more underrated villains from theMetroidfranchise, prior to being included as an Echo Fighter inSuper Smash Bros. Ultimate. However, Dark Samus definitely takes the cake for beingone of the most terrifying creatures from the series, even compared to legendary Samus rivals like Ridley, Kraid, or Mother Brain.
Appearing inMetroid Prime 2: Echoeson GameCube, Dark Samus is a being made of pure Phazonwho takes the form of Samusafter her suit merges with the remains of the titular Metroid Prime. Evil versions of characters appear frequently in Nintendo games, but few are as menacing and threatening to the protagonist as Dark Samus is to Samus.
ThePokemonfranchise has seen its fair share of terrifying villains, from Gen 1’s Giovanni to characters like Lusamine fromSun & Moon. However,only those who playedPokemon ColosseumandPokemon XDremember the characterMiror B., a flamboyant yet fearsome Pokemon Trainer who reveals himself to be one of the more corruptPokemonfigures.
InColosseum, Miror B. is responsible for taking over Pyrite Town and handing Shadow Pokemon out to winners of colosseum battles. InPokemon XD, Miror B. has organized his own evil team, with the sole purpose of capturing every Pokemon in the world, making him a prime enemy for any aspiring Pokemon trainer, including the protagonist.
4Rahu
Mystery Gives Way For Menace
Custom Roboisone of Nintendo’s most underrated franchises, not seeing an entry release since 2006 for the Nintendo DS. The series' most notable title is probably the GameCube’sCustom Robo: Battle Revolution, in which main characters become Robo Commanders, building titular robot soldiers to battle other Commanders inPokemon-esque arenas.
In the GameCube title, a villain emerges inRahu, a mysterious enemy that takes the form of a robot toy. Although some human characters attempt to control Rahu for their own nefarious purposes, the being turns out to be more powerful than anticipated. Thankfully, the hero and their allies use their own fully-powered up Custom Robo to defeat it.
Billy Hatcher and the Giant Eggwas an attempt from Sega’s Sonic Team torecreate the magic of their beloved blue-colored hedgehog. Unfortunately, the series never took off beyond its one title for the GameCube. However, the game did create one of the more interesting villains Sega has ever produced in theDark Raven.
In the story ofBilly Hatcher, Dark Raven invades the peaceful Morning Land by covering the terrain with a never-ending night. He leads an army of Crows, who become the main enemies for Billy Hatcher to fight against throughout this 3D adventure. Plus, Dark Raven has an even more fearsome final form known as Ultimate Raven, the game’s final boss.
Fire Emblem: Path of Radianceis notable among Nintendo fans for introducing the character of Ike, who has appeared as a playable character in theSuper Smash Bros.series since the Wii’sBrawl. However, the GameCube game also produceda significant villain in theFire Emblemuniverse: Zelgius, a.k.a.the Black Knight.
The Black Knight does a lot to establish himself as one of the most personally terrifying foes in anyFire Emblemgame. In pursuit of Ike and his group of mercenaries, he (spoiler alert!) kills Ike’s father and becomes the protagonist’s main rival. In a surprising turn of events, however, Zelgius re-appears in the Wii sequelRadiant Dawnas a playable unit.
Viewtiful Joe
LIFE IS VIEWTIFUL!
… Meet the world’s newest celluloid super-hero! Introducing Joe… an average guy that gets caught up in a crazy stunt-filled action movie world in order to rescue his girl, Silvia, from the clutches of evil! Blessed with viewtiful moves, Joe must use his newly acquired super powers to clobber an army of enemies. Utilize VFX power to zoom in, slow down or activate mach speed to fight your foes with style! Loaded with cool and funky visuals and non-stop action, Viewtiful Joe will remind you just how fun video games can be!Henshin a Go Go Baby!
Viewtiful Joe is way cool.
• Re-defines Action Games! Innovative 2D/3D Hybrid Action with Stunning Visual Effects!
• Fight Evil-Doers with Style and Rescue Your Girl, Silvia from the Clutches of Evil!
• Obliterate You Enemies Using VFX Power (Slow, Zoom In & Mach Speed)
• Vividly Comic and Funky Cartoon-Style Visuals… An Absolute Joy to Play!
Viewtiful Joeis widely regarded as one of the more underrated titles for the Nintendo GameCube due to its poor sales upon initial release. Thankfully, the game has retained a cult following thanks to its cheeky movie reference-filled plot. Players control Joe, a movie-lover who teams up with his favorite superhero,Captain Blue, to rescue his girlfriend from villains.
In a twist ending, however, it’s revealed thatCaptain Blue is the real mastermindbehind the entire game’s turmoil. Joe must face off against his own hero, who transforms into the robotic King Blue, and defeat him. However, Captain Blue remains a sympathetic figure, simply corrupted by his own love for movies, just like Joe.
