In a perfect, ideal world where GameCube games are plentiful on Nintendo Switch and Nintendo has a quality VR system for it, the two would hopefully combine to create some truly spectacular experiences. But, we’ll just have to settle for other means of GameCube VR for the time being.
Using the VR branch of the Dolphin emulator, we’re able to get a glimpse into what our favorite childhood games would play like in virtual reality, albeit without motion controls or first-person views, (at least most of the time.) If Nintendo really were to engineer GameCube games for a VR platform, which ones would be the most interesting?
10 Resident Evil
Resident Evil VII: Biohazard works phenomenally well in VR with its first-person perspective that other games in the series lack, and the fixed camera in the GameCube Resident Evil probably wouldn’t be as much of a deal breaker as it may seem.
While a first-person perspective is ideal for a VR game, being able to look around the different environments from a fixed camera would make it feel as if you’re looking down at a playset or from a security camera, and adding something like an optional security camera filter would be a unique and creative touch.
9 Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes
Metal Gear Solid has been known to use both third-person and first-person perspectives for different parts of gameplay, but it wouldn’t be too farfetched to imagine the bulk of the action taking place in first-person.
As a stealth game, virtual reality would do wonders to enhance the feeling of strategically hiding from enemies and waiting for just the right time to strike, even making the game a bit scary. Being able to physically peer around the corner to see an enemy in the distance would make your play area feel like the tight corridors you’re sneaking through.
8 Mario Kart: Double Dash
As long as you’re not prone to motion-sickness, racing games are exponentially more exciting when viewed from the eyes of the driver. Or, in this case, the passenger. Double Dash’s unique dual-racer karts would actually be a pretty neat concept to pull off in VR.
Driving would be obvious, as you’re just driving in first-person like in Mario Kart 8 but with full camera control. The passenger, on the other hand, could always be facing the opposite way as to avoid staring at the back of the driver’s head the entire time, and the second player could wait for items to appear and physically throw them at others with the controller.
7 Pikmin
Now, imagining Pikmin in full first-person is an absolutely terrifying prospect, as seeing gargantuan enemies trying to eat you would quickly turn Pikmin into the best horror game of the decade.
But, giving the players the option to go into first-person should be available for anyone looking to shrink down to the size of a battery. The sense of scale alone would be the best part, but physically throwing Pikmin at enemies and objects would really be something else.
6 Kirby Air Ride
We’ve already established that racing games just make sense for VR, but Kirby Air Ride is definitely one of the most unique and unorthodox racing games around. The standard racing mode wouldn’t be too different from Mario Kart, but the City Trial mode would be the main attraction.
Since you have free range to explore a huge map in search of goodies, being able to do so from the eyes of our favorite pink basketball would be a total joy. Seeing other players rushing at you would be just a bit terrifying, but totally enjoyable.
5 F-Zero GX
If one word was used to describe the entirety of F-Zero’s gameplay, it would be “speed”. As such, seeing the racetracks whiz by at the speed of light from the eyes of Captain Falcon would keep players coming back for more.
Again, there would need to be several motion sickness warnings given, but getting a little queasy from the most intense race of your life would totally be worth it, and adding in a slower speed for good measure wouldn’t be a half-bad idea. Nintendo has to bring back F-Zero in some way, right?
4 The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess
There really aren’t any current VR games that are able to live up to the adventurous scope of a Zelda game, which really is a shame. Imagine how breathtakingly dangerous it would feel to leap from Clawshot targets in the City in the Sky with the open-air beneath you, or swimming through the monster-infested waters of the Lakebed Temple.
Being able to ride through Hyrule Field on Epona from Link’s view would be nothing short of awesome, and collecting the Tears of Light in the Twilight-infested Hyrule would be three-times as unnerving.
3 The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker
Most of the statements about Twilight Princess apply to The Wind Waker, but sailing the Great Sea & looking for treasure, discovering new islands, and taking in the view in a first-person VR perspective would make the lengthy sailing portions more enjoyable than ever and be the main selling point of a VR port.
Not every VR game has to have a realistic art style to make you feel like you’re in the game’s world, and Wind Waker’s timeless cel-shaded style would transport the player into a wonderful world to explore to their heart’s content.
2 Luigi’s Mansion
Horror games are a perfect fit for virtual reality, as the fear & dread of walking through a creepy hallway is amplified ten-fold by placing the player directly into the world. While Luigi’s Mansion isn’t considered scary, it’s pretty creepy and would be even more so in first-person.
Using VR controllers for the flashlight or Poltergust would work extremely well, and the player could even pull up the GameBoy Horror to look at the map. They’d have to do something about that mirror transition, though, as that would be pretty vomit-inducing.
1 Metroid Prime
Native first-person? Check. Proven quality motion controls from the Wii port? Check. A creepy, alien-infested world to explore? Check. Metroid Prime would surely be the prime candidate for a VR port, as it just makes too much sense.
The unique HUD surrounding the screen would make the VR headset feel like the actual head of Samus’s suit, and being able to move the arm-cannon freely with VR controllers would be great. Although, players might have a difficult time adjusting to the extreme yoga maneuvers needed to use the Morph Ball.
NEXT: 10 GameCube Games We Hope Get A Remake Soon
