The GameCube is a nostalgic console that many players remember fondly, but the sales and reception of the console were mixed and a little disappointing for Nintendo.
Because of this, tons of GameCube games only saw the light of day for a brief moment and have become hidden gems. Some of these games are worth a pretty penny too, and we are going to be looking at ten particularly hard-to-find games that will cost you an arm and a leg if you want to own them in 2024.
The information we have here is reported from PriceCharting.com, so check them out if you want to look for other rare GameCube titles.
Top 10 rarest and most expensive Nintendo GameCube games
10) Cubivore: Survival of the Fittest
Loose: $284.42
Complete in Box: $466.03
New: $667.99
Cubivore is a Japanese game about animal-like cubes called Cubivores. Players have to battle their way to the top to become King of the Cubivores and challenge the almighty Killer Cubivore and overthrow them.
Cubivore was originally not intended to see the light of day anywhere other than Japan, but publishers Atlus USA localized it, hence why it is rare for a GameCube title.
9) Gotcha Force
Loose: $319.99
Complete in Box: $476.83
New: $659.49
The 2003 Gotcha Force game was all about collecting robot-like toys called gachas and battling them. It received a lukewarm reception upon release, but its poor sales figures weren’t helped by the minimal advertising it received.
Gotcha Force is a valuable game thanks to the positive fan response and the cult following it has garnered over the last two decades. It is also relatively rare, even though Capcom began to reprint copies of it in Japan nine years after it first came out.
8) Go! Go! Hypergrind
Loose: $265
Complete in Box: $499.99
New: $800
The early 2000s had a plethora of skateboarding games across various platforms thanks to the popularity of the Tony Hawk games, and Go! Go! Hypergrind was another attempt to capitalize on this.
The game has a unique yet familiar art style due to the animation studio Spümcø—best known for their work on the infamous show Ren & Stimpy— acting as the collaborative art design firm on the project. Not only that, but the game broke the fourth wall with a plot revolving around Spümcø looking for a new star for their upcoming skateboarding cartoon. Players choose a cartoon character and will skateboard through various levels to try and pass the audition.
This unique game received mixed reviews for its somewhat lackluster skateboarding mechanics, but praise for its humor and art design.
7) NCAA College Basketball 2K3
Loose: $113.30
Complete in Box: $350
New: $1,015
Basketball video games are a dime a dozen these days, but NCAA College Basketball 2K3 is another story, becoming a rare gem of a GameCube game.
This is the only game in the NCAA Basketball series that had the College Basketball title, with the others being under the title College Hoops up to the discontinuation of the series in February 2010. This is also the first game on our list so far that received entirely positive reviews, which likely adds to the value.
6) Super Monkey Ball 2-Pack
Loose: $25
Complete in Box: $548.08
New: $1,499.39
You’ll notice that from here on out, there are a few entries on this list that are doubled-up game packs, such as this one, which features Super Monkey Ball 1 and Super Monkey Ball 2. This was a popular trope for games in the early 2000s, and while certain games might not be so rare or valuable separately, their value can increase significantly if they are part of one of these bundles.
The Super Monkey Ball 2 Pack GameCube game is a perfect example of this, as a new version of the game can reach an estimated value of almost $1,500. Sorry for those who only have a loose copy of the disc though, as for this you might get a somewhat less impressive 25 bucks.
5) Sonic Adventure 2 Pack
Loose: N/A
Complete in Box: $613.83
New: $1,246.17
Much like the Super Monkey Ball two-pack, the Sonic Adventure two-pack GameCube package offered two Sonic games for the price of one when it first came out. The two games that you get are classics in the Sonic franchise: Sonic Adventure 2: Battle and Sonic Adventure DX: Director’s Cut.
The director’s cut of Sonic Adventure DX is a remastered take on the original Sonic Adventure DX, while Sonic Adventure 2: Battle is a modified version of the classic Sonic Adventure 2, which is a popular fan favorite. The rarity of these modified versions of the Sonic games explains the prices, as they are considered excellent finds for retro gamers.
4) Metroid Prime & Zelda Wind Waker Combo
Loose: N/A
Complete in Box: $700
New: $2,725
Next is another rare and valuable GameCube double-up, but this one is a little different from the others that we have mentioned here. Instead of bringing together two games from the same series, this package included two games from completely different but hugely popular Nintendo franchises: The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker and Metroid Prime.
Both of these games are classics that were well-received when they were first released, so it isn’t too surprising that together they can fetch a good price.
3) Disney Sports Basketball
Loose: $249.27
Complete in Box: $1,066.40
New: $3,093
This basketball-themed Disney game was released for the GameCube and the Game Boy Advance, but both versions differ greatly due to one being on a handhold platform and the other a console.
Players could play as various classic Disney characters such as Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Goofy, and Donald and Daisy Duck and bring them together to create a basketball team. It’s giving Space Jam vibes if it were a Disney movie.
The prices for this one seem to fluctuate wildly, with the loose disc version coming in at almost $250, but new versions seemingly selling for over $3,000.
2) Pokémon Box: Ruby & Sapphire
Loose: $955
Complete in Box: $1,642.96
New: $2,749.99
Pokémon Box is a unique addition to this list, as it is technically more of a piece of software than an actual game. Box acts as a storage system for the Pokémon that were caught in the games released on the Game Boy Advance. It allows players to store, trade, and interact with Pokémon on the GameCube for games such as Pokémon Ruby, Sapphire, Emerald, Leaf Green, and Fire Red.
Box was only released via the online Pokémon Center store and the New York Pokémon Centre, but you can’t get it from either of these places anymore, hence why it has become so rare.
1) Sonic Heroes & Super Monkey Ball Duo Pack
Loose: $2,505.95
Complete in Box: $4,350
New: $8,000
The rarest and most expensive GameCube game that I could find is another double pack featuring two games from separate franchises: Sonic Heroes and Super Monkey Ball. These two games are staples in their respective franchises, with both being legacy games for the Sonic the Hedgehog and the Super Monkey Ball series.
That said, I’m not sure why these two franchises were brought together and released as a double pack for GameCube, but it has since become a coveted gem in the retro game space, fetching thousands upon thousands of dollars no matter whether you have a loose copy or a new one (though a new copy can apparently get you $8,000).
