GameCube: 2005’s most anticipated games

Resident Evil 4

Most cried when it was announced that there would be no Umbrella; that there would be no zombies. Most are now licking their lips and preparing their changes of pants in anticipation for the next in Capcom’s well-established survival horror series. Judging by play-throughs of the American version, the wait has not been in vain. Everything that was good about the originals has been overhauled into something so much more – into something that a lot of people in America are already touting as Game of the Year. Resident Evil 4 will be with us in March – and it’s going to be great. It really is.

Geist

Our expectations of this title are about as vague as its name – nobody even knows if it’s still in development, though we can presume so – but this shooter raised eyebrows at E3 with its innovative gameplay. The player can possess NPCs, objects and even animals in order to frighten guards. NOA is newly quoting the second of May as a release for this, but even if we don’t see a release for this game this year, we should at least learn more about it.

The Legend of Zelda

Shown at E3 last year, a tentative 2005 release date has been pencilled in for this next instalment in the Zelda series, which sees a return to the atmospheric realism of Ocarina of Time which fans have long been pining for. More may be revealed in May, but for now the best we can hope for is a Christmas release…

Fire Emblem

The Game Boy Advance title was met with widespread critical acclaim, offering uniquely story-led strategic warfare with an oddly personal dynamic. The 3D version, if it delivers what fans want, should be an intense adventure with considerable graphical flair and the same character-driven basis that went straight to the hearts of its GBA fans.

Mario Party 6

Though the Mario Party series has been through numerous ups and downs, from the original two’s costume changes and frenetic button bashing that led to the blistering of many fingers to the cringe-worthy moral patronisation of the fourth instalment (‘You should brush your teeth before you go to bed!’), this sixth looks like it might breathe some of the life back into the series with all-new additions and voice-based innovation. It certainly couldn’t get much worse than some of its predecessors…

Viewtiful Joe 2

The original was a stunningly artistic, hard-as-nails fighting game that had people raving and eating their controllers in frustration in equal measure. The sequel looks to deliver more of the same, with a tweaked storyline and slightly-adapted style of play. Though no longer GameCube exclusive, Capcom looks set to deliver with this title.

Advance Wars: Under Fire

Whoah mama, this could be GOOD. Real-time, 3D strategic battling, with survival-type soldiers gaining experience and ability as missions go on – but with the transition into 3D, will the series lose some of its characteristic charm and unique style? We’ll find out come Q3 2005, when this title is reputedly to be released.

Splinter Cell 3: Chaos Theory

Being developed by Ubisoft Montreal – the team behind the original – gives us hope for great things from this true sequel to the original game. While Pandora tomorrow was great, it was more of a mission pack than a full sequel. GameCube owners will once again miss out on online play, but with state of the art visuals and new more brutal gameplay, this looks like a sure-fire hit.

Killer 7

This is the last of the original Capcom 5 that were announced exclusively for the GameCube. All of these games have gone mutli-platform, but that doesn’t stop us expecting big things from Capcom’s much anticipated Killer 7. We don’t know much about how the game plays, and if we are being honest videos suggest a game that is perhaps more style than substance, but coming on the back of the success they had with Resident Evil 4, we have faith this will be another GameCube must have in 2005.

Kirby Adventure

This is another game that is in this list purely on name alone. No real details have been released on the game and only a handful of screens have been seen. What is known is that the game will offer a substantial single player experience and a multiplayer component for up to four players. After Kirby Air Ride being such a disappointment to fans, we only hope he goes back to his roots in his next GameCube offering.

Odama

This game wasn’t really on the radar for most Pro-G staff, but a few of us (mainly Steve) believed that the game was original enough to warrant a place in this list. This was seen at E3 2004 and appears to cross a pinball game mechanic with some military strategy gameplay. We can’t be sure how it will turn out until we get some hands on time with it, but as far a games go, this has to be one of the most original ever devised.