Nintendo Switch: 15 GameCube Games That Must Be On Virtual Console

9. Animal Crossing

Nintendo switch
Nintendo

Technically a port of the Nintendo 64’s Japan-only Doubutsu no Mori (or Animal Forest), Animal Crossing was another GameCube oddity that took an absolute age to travel worldwide. It had its Japanese release in 2001, a North American release in late 2002 and it finally reached Europe in 2004(!)

Nevertheless, those who bought into its slow-paced village simulation were treated to a top-down game (reminiscent of earlier Zelda titles) where the goal was to buy and decorate a house, go fishing, socialise with friends and spend your time however you wanted.

You could dig for fossils and build a museum collection by donating to Blathers the owl or instead buy and sell between Tom Nook, notorious Dickensian shopkeeper and other travelling salespeople (animals) like Saharah the camel who sold rare carpets and wallpaper.

The GameCube original also boasted 15 NES games you could unlock through trading or other nefarious means. It was simple but addictive fun; think The Sims, only Nintendo-style.

Contributor

Bryan Langley’s first console was the Super Nintendo and he hasn’t stopped using his opposable thumbs since. He is based in Bristol, UK and is still searchin' for them glory days he never had.