Best M-Rated Nintendo GameCube Games, Ranked

The GameCube struggled a bit next to competing consoles like the PS2 and the original Xbox. While it was never the hottest-selling console on the market, it still had its fans thanks to a wide variety of games. Super Smash Bros. Melee could be argued as the most popular game on the system along with the biggest one in the series.

Fans are still playing it in tournaments to this day. Other hits on the console include Metroid Prime and Super Mario Sunshine. All three of these games were not M-rated though and the other consoles had plenty of M-rated games to cater to a newer market. The GameCube did have a few M-rated games though both exclusively and from third-party publishers.

8 XIII

Metacritic Score: 73

XIII also had a cel-shaded art style but it took after comics more as that’s how a lot of the cutscenes played out. The game starred a nameless man with amnesia who was played by The X-Files’ David Duchovny.

The game begins on a beach wherein agents start attacking him and the man’s combat memory starts to return a little. It’s kind of like the Jason Bourne movies except the man in XIII doesn’t have a killer amount of movies beyond weapons training. Perhaps if the game ever gets a sequel beyond the botched remaster, this amnesiac man can get some Bourne-like combos.

7 BloodRayne

Metacritic Score: 73

BloodRayne was a unique twist on the vampire genre that was exploding in both the gaming and movie scenes. It starred Rayne, a female vampire assassin who was tasked with killing Nazis during World War 2.

It may sound like a schlocky sci-fi channel movie, but the subject matter is a bit more serious although there were some winks at the camera. Rayne could shoot enemies, but her best line of defense was her bladed arms. There were two games during this generation but oddly the GameCube only received the first which is better than nothing.

6 Killer7

Metacritic Score: 76

Killer7 was one of the weirdest games to hit the GameCube. It was directed by Goichi Suda, or as he is better known Suda51 who makes a lot of oddball games. Killer7 put players in the role of an assassin with a split personality who could manifest these personas into different people in reality.

All playable characters had varying abilities, weapons, and tools which affected how the levels and story played out. It was one of those games that took a few tries to figure out as it was deeply challenging and a bit nonsensical too but it has remained a cult classic plus the cel-shading was great.

5 Def Jam: Fight For NY

Metacritic Score: N/A

• Released
  : September 1, 2004

• Developer
  : AKI Corporation

• Platforms
  : Xbox, PlayStation 2, GameCube

Def Jam Vendetta was another unique gaming idea for the GameCube era as it brought together a bunch of famous rappers from the 90s and put them in a wrestling match. Players could fight as Red Man, Method Man, Ghostface Killah, and more.

The problem was that it was rated T for Teen across the board which is a problem that was fixed in the sequel, Def Jam: Fight For NY, which got the M rating. This meant that the language could be more colorful in the game as could the licensed music which was one of the best parts. There were a lot of other great additions to the sequel too like using the ring more as a weapon, but the ESRB upgrade was huge.

4 Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory

Metacritic Score: 81

This series was like Ubisoft’s answer to Metal Gear Solid and it was originally an Xbox exclusive. Eventually, it started coming to other consoles too and Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory was the third in the original trilogy. It’s also the only game in the original trilogy that is M-rated, even on the GameCube.

The overall series starred agent Sam Fisher who was constantly dealing with one terrorist plot after another and it very much felt like a CBS weekly TV show plot which wasn’t a bad thing. The story may have been less whacky than Metal Gear Solid but the stealth aspects were a lot more involved as darkness was Sam’s best friend.

3 Eternal Darkness: Sanity’s Requiem

Metacritic Score: 92

Eternal Darkness: Sanity’s Requiem was an experimental horror game for the GameCube and it has been exclusive to it ever since. It was developed by Silicon Knights who went on to do some great and not-so-great things like X-Men: Destiny. On the great side, this game messed with players on a constant level. One of the classic gags was turning down the volume as if someone had the TV remote.

The first time it happened was haunting and it only got weirder from there. These paranormal activities were assuredly inspired by Psycho Mantis’ trickery during his boss fight in Metal Gear Solid. Eternal Darkness: Sanity’s Requiem is one of those games where knowing less is better if one has never played it before.

Metacritic Score: 85

However it happened, Silicon Knights coincidentally went on to spearhead the remake of Metal Gear Solid aka Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes. The first game has been ported and re-released many times over like 2023’s Metal Gear Solid Master Collection Vol 1.

However, this GameCube remake has never left the system sadly, turning it into an obscurity. It looks and plays like Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty and it even gave players the first-person perspective when firing their gun. This fundamentally changed how players progressed through the missions, turning it into a unique experience along with the inclusion of multiplayer.

1 Resident Evil

Metacritic Score: 91

• Released
  : March 22, 2002

• Developer
  : Capcom Production Studio 4

• Platforms
  : PC, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Wii, GameCube, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch

For this series, most would probably pick Resident Evil 4 as the best entry on the GameCube. While that is a classic, it was kind of even more amazing that Capcom greenlit an exclusive remake of the original game on the GameCube as it had only been a few years since its debut. The graphics were astounding at the time and the lighting still looks good natively on the GameCube although the remaster is technically better.

The inclusion of the new zombie types, Crimson Heads, made things scarier and unpredictable. It was almost like a new game and one that was filled with surprises. Resident Evil 4 took the series to new heights while this remake of Resident Evil perfected the original formula and sent it out with a bang.