Remember the simple times, having friends over and playing video games all night? If you were lucky you could con your parents into making some pizza rolls. Sometimes things could get intense, but that was just part of the fun.
Playing games with multiple people became much easier with the advent of MMORPG’s, and even console games like Destiny and Call of Duty can now be played remotely with hundreds of people you never have to meet.
Those are all fun, but nothing beats the experience of having a bunch of friends over and playing games in person. It’s also awesome to share the games with someone who wasn’t able to enjoy them the first time around. Bonus points if you can get them to bring the snacks.
Relive the old days by whipping out the GameCube ( you know you held on to it) and having some friends over. Get the party started with these old school games that are fun and meant for 4 players. Throw in some pizza rolls and let’s get going with the 10 Best 4 Player Gamecube Games of all time!
The Best 4 Player Gamecube Games Of All Time
1. Mario Kart Double Dash
Easily THE best 4 Player Gamecube game ever made.
Is it really a party if you don’t bust out Mario Kart? In this version of the classic game, there are 2 players in each kart who can switch places. This was the first console game to support LAN play, so if you can find a GameCube BroadBand adapter, you could have up to 16 people play. There are 20 characters to select from, 11 of which were new to the Mario Kart series.
Mario Kart Double Dash is everything you expect from Mario Kart, the zany tracks, the power boosts, and traps you can use to sabotage your friends. Things can get heated while playing Mario Kart, so use your turtle shells with caution.
2. TimeSplitters 2
If you want a game with a story that you and your friends can really get into, Timesplitters 2 might be the one. This first-person shooter lets you choose from a cast of 100 characters, as you travel through time.
The levels go from the wild-west to the 20th century. Multiplayer modes include capture the bag, deathmatch, and team deathmatch. As you beat different levels in the game, more modes will become available.
This game is great for people who are heavily into games like HALO and is most likely better for a group of people who are slightly more hardcore gamers. First-person shooters of any kind can be tricky to figure out, and there is always one person who dies and respawns every 5 seconds.
3. Super Monkey Ball
You’re a monkey trapped in a ball, and you travel from place to pace by tilting the entire world! Tilt with care, because you can tilt the monkey right off the edge.
This arcade-style game is deceptively simple, but you and your guests will find yourselves getting caught up in the game. Bonus tip, tilting your entire body with the game screen might not help, but it feels like it does.
Super Monkey Ball is good for a quirky good time, and strangely competitive for a game about a monkey in a ball. There are several games in this series and if you can get your hands on any of them you’re in for a treat.
4. The Legend Of Zelda: Four Swords Adventure
You can’t beat Zelda for a good old fashioned adventure. With The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Adventure, you can play in a cooperative mode as 4 different Links, or play in a competitive mode.
In the cooperative mode, all the players will need a Gameboy Advance as part of the gameplay. Competitive mode is a battle to the death until only one link is left standing.
5. Wave Race Blue Storm
If you like racing games, but you want something a little different, give Wave Race Blue Storm a try. In this game, players take to the water, racing through on jet skis.
The courses are made more difficult by weather conditions, and players can be pelted by rain and waves, which have the ability to push players off course.
This title is a true old-school game. As it was one of the launch titles for GameCube back in 2001. Blue Wave could be played as a multiplayer game in stunt mode and championship mode.
For a game of its time, the physics of the water are remarkable and the randomness with which the waves came in makes it unpredictable.
A downside is the overly sensitive controls, which could make gameplay more difficult, and the graphics aren’t quite where they could have been, but overall it’s a fun game and a good time.
6. Extreme G Racing
Picture Mad Max crossed with Tron, and you have the Extreme G Racing series. This futuristic racing game will have players racing on plasma bikes through a series of different tracks.
Each player can choose a team to race for, which comes with different abilities and weaknesses. With 4 players you can play in a capture the flag competitive, or battle mode.
The fun futuristic backgrounds make this game pleasing to look at, and the controls are easy to adapt to, which makes it easier for your friends who may not have gamed in a while, despite the learning curve involved.
These games were praised for their speed when originally released, but it was noted that playing in the 4 player mode slowed things down, and the frames could look a little choppy.
7. WarioWare Inc Mega Party Games
This is a compilation of wacky mini-games for multiple players. The games all have a strict time limit, which adds to the competitive edge. There are 8 multiplayer modes adapted from the WarioWare MegaMicrogames.
This game is perfect for a GameCube party since the focus of this game was placed on multiplayer capability. However, This game does have a single-player mode as well.
It’s hard to quantify this game since it’s basically a giant mini-game, but that’s what keeps it moving along. The sheer goofiness of this game is part of its appeal.
WarioWare Mega Party Games did receive some criticism for its similarity to MegaMicrogames, which is unfair since the latter was released on the Gameboy Advance, making it a completely different experience.
8. Donkey Konga
If you aren’t in the mood to take a game too seriously, then Donkey Konga is perfect for you and your friends. The gameplay is easy in theory since this game only requires you to clap along or bang on the bongos and match the beat to show off your rhythm skills.
The game gets increasingly more difficult as you move along, ending with extremely difficult patterns of clapping, and banging on bongos.
One difficult part of acquiring this game is the fact that it does require accessory pieces, you will need the DK Bongos for each player, and those may be difficult to track down.
This is a great party game for friends that may not be into “gaming” . It’s fun and light-hearted enough for everyone to enjoy, without a person needing time to adapt to controllers and figure out how to make their character move.
9. Karaoke Revolution Party
Warning. Since we’re living in the era of social media, make your friends put their phones away before you play this game.
Like the name suggests, Karaoke Revolution Party is a good, old fashioned Karaoke game. The point of gameplay is to match the pitch, so even if you don’t know the words just make some up or hum along.
You will also have a crowd A meter on the side of the screen will measure your pitch, with the intent being to make the meter completely green. You are represented by a microphone meter that shows how receptive the “audience” is to your performance. wielding an avatar on the screen.
Is it a little cheesy? Sure, but that’s what makes it so much fun, and it paved the way for games — like Rock Band — that were wildly popular. This game is definitely a great time, especially if you’re still ready to party after a night out.
10. Mario Party 6
Mario Party 6 has you playing against each other board game style to earn coins and stars. Each game board also has minigames. This game can go on for a while because it features 81 mini-games, none of which are repeats from previous installations of the game.
Instead of bonus stars, players can find orbs. The orbs serve a purpose similar to the turtle shells in MarioKart, you can use them against your friends, by stealing their coins, stalling them, or by collecting all the stars for yourself.
Despite a few of the differences like the orbs, this game isn’t that different from the previous Mario Party games. Even so, this is still a fun game, and worth playing for the nostalgia factor.
Dust Off That GameCube and Start Playing!
On the off chance you didn’t save your GameCube, or never had one. You can still find GameCubes and accessories available online.
Most are refurbished, but don’t let that stop you. It’s worth it to have the Cube party experience.
Curious about more GameCube Games? Check out The 15 Best GameCube Games to Play With a Friend.
