The Nintendo GameCube was released in 2001 and sat between the Xbox and the PlayStation 2 in terms of graphical power. The machine was capable of some surprisingly great visuals and sounds and offered gamers fantastic gameplay experiences with timeless visuals.

The fact that many of these games still look amazing today is a compliment to the developers who were able to squeeze so much of their artistic vision onto the tiny GameCube discs. However, if there was one area where the machine suffered compared to its rivals, it was the ports. Many multi-platform games that released across all three major consoles didn’t fare well on Nintendo’s machine. Let’s take a look at five of the best-looking games on the system and five of the worst to see what does and doesn’t hold up.

10 Doesn’t: WWE Wrestlemania X8

WWE Wrestlemania X8 was released exclusively for the GameCube in 2002. It was hoped that the series would achieve the same success as the WWE Smackdown series did on the PlayStation 2. The mechanics also attempted to replicate the AKI-developed N64 wrestling games from WCW vs.NWO to WWF No Mercy.

Unfortunately, not only was it bad but WWE Wrestlemania X8 didn’t even look as good as the N64 titles. It had more clipping and issues with wrestlers going through each other and the grapple system was inaccurate. Worse still, the animation looks like it was a generation behind the Smackdown series on Ps2. However, if players want to see Hulk Hogan and Stone Cold Steve Austin look like ice skating robots then WWE Wrestlemania X8 is their game.

9 Looks Good: Star Wars: Rogue Squadron II – Rogue Leader

Released in 2001 as a launch title for the GameCube, Star Wars: Rogue Squadron II – Rogue Leader remains one of the most visually impressive titles on the system and a true showcase of what the GameCube is capable of. It is also one of the best Star Wars games ever created and captures the story and look of the original trilogy perfectly.

Rogue Squadron II is the best in the series and the detailed models of the ships like the X-Wings and Tie-Fighters look incredible. The game’s textures, layers, bump mapping techniques and draw distances still surpass games in the same genre released two generations later.

8 Doesn’t: Shrek Super Party

Released on the GameCube in 2002, Shrek Super Party was an attempt at cashing in on the popularity of Nintendo’s popular Mario Party series. Published by TDK who at the time, was known for releasing low-budget licensed games Shrek Super Party was unsurprisingly another terrible cash in.

Of course, another area where the game suffered due to its restricted budget are the visuals. The abysmally deformed art design is only let down further by the choppy framerate and blurry backgrounds.

7 Looks Good: Tales of Symphonia

Released in 2003 on the GameCube, Tales of Symphonia is a traditional Japanese RPG in the long-running Tales of series. For many fans, it was their first introduction to the series and holds a similar place in their heart as Final Fantasy VII did for its fans.

Visually, Symphonia uses a cel-shaded anime style that holds up beautifully in the character animations. The detail in the towns and cities is breathtaking when looking at the game’s finer details. It’s clear that a lot of love and attention was put into Symphonia and this is the reason why its transition to HD in the PlayStation 3 remaster was such a flawless one.

6 Doesn’t: Spyro: Enter The Dragonfly

Spyro: Enter the Dragonfly was released on the GameCube in 2002 it is reputably one of the worst platforming games of the generation. It was especially sad because the Spyro was, at one time of the most recognizable mascot characters in the PlayStation era.

Unfortunately, Enter the Dragonfly didn’t look like an advancement over its predecessors with PS1-style visuals and much worse performance. The game’s block graphics were accompanied by inconsistent framerates, graphical glitches, and terrible pop-in with areas jumping out of nowhere.

5 Looks Good: Resident Evil Remake

The Resident Evil remake was released in 2002 for the GameCube. It was a full remake of the original released in 1998 with updated character models and environments which remain some of the best in the series’ history.

Just like the original, the remake used pre-rendered backgrounds. However, they were recreated in stunning detail that holds up beautifully in its HD remaster on the Nintendo Switch, PS4, and Xbox One. Capcom’s artistic flair and cinematic camera angles that capture the game’s atmosphere perfectly is a testament to the developer’s talent.

4 Doesn’t: Charlie’s Angels

Released as a tie-in for the movie of the same name in 2003, Charlie’s Angel was another terrible licensed cash-in that was likely rushed in development to meet its release date. Unsurprisingly, the 3D beat-em-up is considered one of the worst games of all time.

In addition to the abysmal gameplay mechanics and outdated design, the graphics and character models managed to be both laughable and terrifying at once. Even early PS1 games had a higher polygon count than Charlie’s Angels, the animation is horrible, and the camera angles are all over the place.

3 Looks Good: The Legend Of Zelda: Wind Waker

The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker was released on the GameCube in 2002. It divided some fans with its artistic style. However, the gorgeous cell-shading has arguably aged better than Twilight Princess which was also released on the system.

The cell-shaded characters and environments look beautiful and have a Disney Saturday morning cartoon show feel to them. Wind Waker isn’t just a pretty game but there’s so much environmental detail in the game, from the blades of grass blowing in the wind to emotions of the character’s faces it’s a masterclass in drawing the player into its fantastic world.

2 Doesn’t: Aquaman: Battle For Atlantis

Aquaman: Battle for Atlantis was released on the GameCube in 2003. It was based on Peter David’s long-haired bearded Aquaman which in-turn inspired the Aquaman movie starring Jason Momoa. Unfortunately, that’s all Battle for Atlantis has going for it this terrible movie tie-in developed by Lucky Chicken and published by TDK.

Battle for Atlantis is an appalling game on all fronts especially the graphics and animation. Those hoping for a game that was at least on par with the Dreamcast’s Echo The Dolphin: Defender of the Future would be sorely disappointed. The titular superhero himself is badly designed and looks like he probably skipped leg day on more than a few occasions. The animation is rigid and robotic and the environments are enshrouded by a fog effect which still fails to hide texture pop-in.

1 Looks Good: Resident Evil 4

Released in 2005 for the GameCube, Resident Evil 4 became a landmark title for 3D action-adventure games. Its DNA can be found in games like Dead Space, Uncharted and Gears of War and had been ported several times to modern systems and is as relevant today as it was 15 years ago.

The survival horror mechanics were replaced in favor of a tense action-shooter and is one of the most effective games ever created. The visuals, of course, add to the intense atmosphere with character designs that look like something out of the movie The Thing. From start to finish Resident Evil 4 has a cinematic Hollywood action film look to it. Once again, however, it’s Capcom’s attention to the finer details that make RE4 so good. Everything from Leon’s hair and the textures in his jacket to the monster designs looks amazing helping bring the horror genre and action games into the modern age.

NEXT: 5 Classic Xbox Games That Still Look Good (And 5 That Just Don’t)