It has been over two decades since the release of the GameCube, and it’s no secret that it wasn’t Nintendo’s best-selling system. In its seven years of production, it managed to sell just under 22 million units worldwide, making it the company’s second worst-selling home console behind the Wii U.
Despite this, the GameCube was a beloved console to many. From series debuts like Luigi’s Mansion and Metroid Prime to continuations of popular franchises like The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker and Super Smash Bros. Melee, there were plenty of gems for all types of players.
The games that came out during this era have seemed to grow in popularity, especially since many of them saw re-releases over time. And because the console didn’t sell remarkably well, many of the games have become scarce over time.
We’ve put together a list of the ten rarest GameCube games on the market right now that would cost you an arm and a leg and probably a kidney to buy. If you own any of these games, hold onto them tight, or consider selling them for a pretty penny.
All of the estimated prices are taken from the PriceCharting website in June 2023 and reflect the CIB (Complete In Box) prices of recently sold listings.
Skies of Arcadia Legends – $150-180
Skies of Arcadia Legends, released in 2002, was one of the few JRPGs that existed on the GameCube. It’s a port specifically for the GameCube since the original release was on the Dreamcast and was simply called Skies of Arcadia.
The plot revolves around a young air pilot named Vyse who teams up with friends to stop the Valuan Empire from using ancient weapons to destroy the world.
While Skies of Arcadia received critical acclaim on the Dreamcast, the GameCube version received more criticism because the graphics weren’t improved despite the more powerful hardware.
There are a good number of copies of Skies of Arcadia Legends on the market, but they’ll still run you $170 or more. Recently sold CIB copies in June 2023 went for $155 and $180, with an outlier selling for $205.
Fire Emblem Path of Radiance – $200-300
In 2005, Intelligent Systems released the ninth game in the Fire Emblem series, Path of Radiance. This tactical JRPG introduced the character Ike who travels across the land of Tellius to restore peace and ease tensions in other countries.
Fire Emblem Path of Radiance was only the third Fire Emblem game to be released in the west, meaning the audience in this part of the world might not have been very familiar with the series yet. Because it was released at the very end of the GameCube’s life, it didn’t have too much time to sell a ton of copies before the Wii came around.
It’s not difficult to find copies of Fire Emblem Path of Radiance on the secondhand market, but they go for roughly $200-300 CIB, probably because the Fire Emblem series has gained substantial popularity in the west since this game’s release.
Chibi-Robo!: Plug Into Adventure! – $250
The first game in the Chibi-Robo! franchise released in 2005 on the GameCube. It was a delightful adventure game in which players controlled a small robot tasked with cleaning and solving puzzles in a household setting.
Despite its unique blend of platforming, exploration, and heartwarming storytelling, Chibi-Robo! saw only modest sales. It was not seen as a significant commercial success, selling fewer than half a million copies.
The franchise continued on, though, with four more games after the original. It’s now seen as a niche Nintendo IP, so it’s no surprise that collectors want a copy of the first game. There have been several CIB copies sold throughout June 2023 with an average price of around $250.
NCAA College Basketball 2K3 – $300-400
Most sports games don’t typically hold up in value, especially the yearly releases. NCAA College Basketball 2K3 is an exception.
The reason why it’s so expensive today is because so few copies exist. SEGA stopped producing its 2K games on GameCube very soon after NCAA College Basketball 2K3 was released and then recalled the game after it was in print.
People weren’t exactly running out to buy the latest college basketball game, so as a result, very few of them actually made it into the hands of consumers.
A handful of CIB copies have been sold in 2023 with the most recent going for $425 in June 2023. This is on the higher end, though; the few before it have sold for around $280-380.
Go! Go! Hypergrind – $300-500
You might not be too familiar with this game, but more power to you if you are. Go! Go! Hypergrind, a skateboarding game developed by Atlus, was released in 2003 exclusively in North America. The art design was a collaborative effort with the studio behind the cartoon Ren & Stimpy.
There’s a bit of a range on the market right now for this game. CIB copies sold in June 2023 have sold for $300 and $550. In May 2023, a few copies sold in the mid-$300 range. There seem to be plenty of listings currently, so you probably don’t need to bid too high if you want to nab one.
Cubivore: Survival of the Fittest – $400+
Cubivore: Survival of the Fittest was a bit of a weird game with a weird history. It was originally released in Japan in 2002, and Nintendo had decided to not localize it for other regions. However, Atlus ended up localizing it for North America later that year.
Cubivore involved controlling a cube-shaped creature that can eat other creatures to mutate and grow stronger. There were some role-playing elements involved, but the combat was easy and fast-paced, and the graphics were simple and reminiscent of the Nintendo 64 era.
Collectors have been paying over $400 for CIB copies of Cubivore in June 2023, which seems to be on the lower end from prices in the $500-range earlier in the year.
Gotcha Force – $500-$600
Gotcha Force was one of those odd, unique games that didn’t perform well critically or commercially but gained its own niche cult following. This 2003 game by Capcom was both a fighting game and a third-person shooter; players could collect gacha toys and battle with them in-game.
In 2012, Capcom reprinted copies of the game in Japan, which may have stirred a newfound interest in players. This, paired with the few sales of its original release, could explain why the game sells for over $500 on the secondhand market.
A few CIB copies of the game were sold in May and June 2023 for $550 and $700. On average over the past few months, it has sold for around $600 with the occasionally “good” deal for under $500.
Disney Sports Basketball – $800+
Disney Sports Basketball might not be the most highly acclaimed game on this list, but of course, anything with the name Disney in the title will be sought after by collectors. Developed by Konami, this game was released on both the GameCube and the Game Boy Advance in 2002.
In the game, you could play as various teams led by your favorite Disney characters like Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck. Despite the fact that Disney Sports Basketball received unfavorable reviews, the game sells on the secondhand market for a pretty high price.
The recently sold CIB listings are a bit all over the place, with the most recent copy in March 2023 selling for a whopping $1,200, but other recently sold listings from this year hover around $750-800. If you settle for a loose CD with no box, you can pay less than $200.
Metroid Prime & Zelda Wind Waker Combo – $1,000+
If you’ve been scrolling through this list looking for a game you own, your heart might have stopped when you saw the two games in this section. Neither Metroid Prime nor the Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker sell for very much on their own (sorry!), but you might not know that these games were once paired together in a special release.
It was released exclusively in the United States during the 2005 Christmas rush, according to the Nintendo Fandom website. The case had discs for both Metroid Prime and Wind Waker inside with no changes at all to each game.
Because this game’s cover art is easily replicated, you should look out for fakes if you are seriously planning on purchasing a copy. Legitimate copies show up on the secondhand market occasionally and fetch high prices due to the special case art.
The most recently sold listings were in April and May 2023, selling for $1,000 and $1,037 respectively. Earlier in the year, some copies sold for around $550-750, so there seems to be a bit of a spike in price currently.
Super Monkey Ball 2 Pack – $1,400+
Now we’re starting to get into ultra-rare territory. This was a special edition player’s choice game that contained both Super Monkey Ball and Super Monkey Ball 2 together in one boxed package. Not much is known about when it was originally for sale or how many copies might have been sold.
Legitimate copies of this compilation don’t show up often. Most of the sold copies listed on PriceCharting were from 2020 or earlier for around $600-700. The most recently sold CIB copy, however, was in March 2023 for a whooping $1,395. The most recently sold loose disc copy was in May 2023 for $1,069.
If this is a game you desperately must have for your collection, you’ll need to keep an eye out for a listing to pop up, which seems to only happen once or twice every few years.
Pokemon Box Ruby & Sapphire – $1,500+
Pokemon Box Ruby & Sapphire wasn’t really a “game,” but it was GameCube software nonetheless. It was released normally in Japan in 2003, and then it was launched in 2004 in North America where it was only available for purchase at the Pokemon Center store in New York City.
The “game” acted as storage software for players’ Pokemon from the games Pokemon Ruby and Pokemon Sapphire. Up to 1,500 Pokemon could be stored and organized. This software also gave you the ability to play Ruby or Sapphire on your TV if you had a copy of the game.
Because this game was extremely hard to come by, and because it is sought after by Pokemon collectors, Pokemon Box Ruby & Sapphire sells for over $1,500 on the secondhand market. A few CIB copies have sold in June 2023 with price tags ranging from $1,350-$2,375.
Sonic Heroes & Super Monkey Ball Duo Pack – $4,000+
This last game is a little bit of a mystery. At some point, Sonic Heroes and Super Monkey Ball were paired together in a single package by Sega. Like the Super Monkey Ball 2 Pack, it isn’t really well-documented when, where, or why this bundle was released.
If you’re interested in learning more about this duo pack, the best source currently is probably this video from Craig’s Game Room in 2020; he added this holy grail item to his collection and gives a pretty thorough history of it.
In short: it’s extremely rare. The last record of one selling was earlier this year in February 2022 for $4,350.
If you manage to find a copy of this game for sale, you likely won’t be paying less than $4,000 to add it to your personal collection. If you just found a copy somewhere in your basement and are looking up how much it might be worth… congratulations.
Published: Jun 22, 2023 04:00 pm