5 Best GameCube Beat ‘Em Ups That Still Hold Up Today

The GameCube wasn’t Nintendo’s most successful console, as the company continued to struggle to bring in key 3D party support. That said, fans of the console know that it’s still filled with several bangers, including a few phenomenal beat ’em ups. Like Nintendo, the genre wasn’t exactly at its high point during the GameCube era, but a handful of developers kept the torch alive, delivering fun gameplay that was a blast to dive into with friends.

If you want to get into a GameCube beat ’em up these days, these are the five games to check out.

5) Batman: Rise of Sin Tzu

Batman has had an up-and-down career in video games. For every all-time great like Batman: Arkham Asylum, we’ve gotten a stinker like Batman Forever. Rise of Sin Tzu sits somewhere in the middle of those two, giving fans a mostly competent take on The New Batman Adventures animated TV series.

The best part of Sin Tzu is undoubtedly Kevin Conroy’s voice work as Batman. That’s to be expected from the veteran voice of The Caped Crusader, but it’s worth mentioning that it’s once again phenomenal here. While Sin Tzu isn’t doing much to push the genre forward, it’s got a fun co-op mode and an engaging progression system. Unfortunately, Sin Tzu, who was created for the game, didn’t enjoy the same level of success and wasn’t seen in the Batman universe again until 2016.

4) Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Chaos Bleeds

You’d be forgiven for thinking that a game based on the hit show Buffy the Vampire Slayer wouldn’t be any good. After all, the series already had two horrible Game Boy Advance games to its credit. There was some hope after the 2002 Xbox game, but this was the first time developers were adding multiplayer.

It could’ve been a disaster, but the team at Eurocom Entertainment actually did an exceptional job adapting the fifth season of the show. Plus, in something of an oddity at the time, the GameCube version of Chaos Bleeds was better received than the PS2 and Xbox versions. Sure, it looked a little dated at the time, but it’s got great combat, atmosphere, and a solid story. You can probably toss the multiplayer aside at this point, but if you want to dive into some Buffy deathmatch gameplay, it’s there.

3) Viewtiful Joe 2

The sequel to Clover Studio’s excellent beat ’em up (more on that later) kicked off right where the first game ended. Playing as either Veiwtiful Joe or his girlfriend Sexy Silvia, you need to fight off the villainous Gedow group, who have invaded Movieland.

Like the original, Viewtiful Joe 2 is a nifty mix of 2D and 3D cel-shaded graphics. Not only does it look great, but the various VFX powers you can use will help turn the tide of battle in style. Silvia adds a new Replay ability, which lets her record an action and then repeat it three times, adding even more strategy to the mix. Also, like the first game, Viewtiful Joe 2 didn’t sell well, but that doesn’t keep it from being one of the best beat ’em ups on the system.

2) Gotcha Force

Gotcha Force was not a critical or commercial darling when it launched in 2003. That’s largely down to the relatively simple battles that led to many reviewers falling off. While it’s absolutely true that Gotcha Force doesn’t have the most engaging combat, the central gimmick is great, and this game deserves more love.

This is essentially a gacha game merged with beat ’em up gameplay. You need to acquire new Gotcha Borgs and then send them into combat. Adding that collectible wrinkle to Gotcha Force helps turn it into a game you could easily spend hours in as you learn all the different strategies open to you. Toss in a fun, anime-inspired look, and you have a solid beat ’em up that’s understandly become a cult classic.

1) Viewtiful Joe

The first Viewtiful Joe was a revelation for beat ’em up fans. As mentioned, it didn’t sell very well, but Capcom’s new IP was a critical darling. Part of the sales problem came down to its original status as a GameCube exclusive. Viewtiful Joe came to the PS2 about a year later, but by that point, the gaming public had largely moved on.

Still, Viewtiful Joe was made on a tight budget and was genuinely one of the more inventive beat ’em ups from the era, thanks to the VFX powers. It also didn’t hurt that it had a striking look that made it easy to love. That made the sequel possible, and while fans are very glad they got all the Viewtiful Joe they did, it does feel like there’s plenty of meat on those bones. Hopefully, Capcom goes back to the series someday soon.

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