The Rarest GameCube Games (& How Much They’re Worth)

Key Takeaways

• The GameCube paved the way for unique design & games. Rare titles continue to appreciate in value, enticing collectors to pay big bucks.
• Prices for rare GameCube games fluctuate, with some reaching four figures. Collectors should seize the opportunity before values spike.
• High-quality, exclusive GameCube titles like Super Monkey Ball 2 Pack & Gotcha Force hold significant value in today’s market.

The GameCube was an innovative lunge towards creativity, and it showed this even in its appearance. The console was released by Nintendo in 2001 and stands as an iconic chapter in the history of console gaming. The console departed from its predecessors in terms of technological advancements and design and offered up a small yet exceptional library of games for video game lovers to enjoy.

Over the years, the console’s library expanded further, and the community still appreciates it even today. Collectors and gamers alike are often willing to pay a hefty amount of money to get some of these games, as there are titles that sell for as much as four thousand dollars. With so many titles left unattended for many a year, the most expensive GameCube games are now starting to garner the kind of attention they really deserve.

Updated November 16, 2024 by David Heath: It’s a rough time to get into retro games collection, as even some common games from back in the day are now going for high prices. Metal Gear fans can still find the PS2 version of MGS2 for cheap if they’re not picky on condition or extras. But if they want MGS: The Twin Snakes, the Gamecube remake of MGS1, they’re going to have to shell out roughly $96 for it in a box. $5 less if they just want the disc.

Even so, that’s a drop in the bucket compared to the Gamecube’s rarest games, which are only getting rarer with each year. Some are tempting enough to pop out of their packaging, but others are worth keeping in as pristine condition as possible. That’s why this list has been updated with a few more rarities for the Gamecube, including some territory-specific gems, and updated prices for all the old entries, as yesterday’s treasure can become today’s tin, and vice versa.

All prices were taken from
PriceCharting.com
and were accurate at the time of publication.

16 Gotcha Force

Gotcha Money

Gotcha Force is a third-person shooter game that is known for its unique gameplay, which focuses on collecting and using various toy robots called Gotcha Borgs. In the game, players will have battles against numerous computer-controlled robots where they will have to use the unique skills and abilities of their selected robots.

The game has many Gotcha Borgs to collect and fight with, each one having its own stats and moves, and collecting a good team is the key to overcoming the enemy in battles. Gotcha Force was loved for its unique robot battles and still holds its value as one of the most expensive GameCube games. Well, in North America anyway. Japanese copies are relatively cheap at $60 loose, and PAL copies are double that at $120.

15 Frogger Beyond (PAL)

Beyond What Most People Can Afford

Some classic arcade games had trouble fitting in as games got bigger. Score attack games like Breakout and Frogger have their place in gaming history, but couldn’t compare to wide-spanning adventure games like Metal Gear Solid and Super Mario Sunshine. That’s not to say they didn’t try. Frogger Beyond gave the frog a story about proving himself to a council of elders — mostly by hopping past obstacles from one end of the level to the other like in the classic game. Just with 3D graphics, power-ups, and a variety of settings.

It wasn’t anything special, and its NTSC prices reflect that. Its PAL copy is even cheaper as a loose disc. But Europe must be full of loose Frogger Beyond discs, as it’s much harder to find this game in its box. CIB copies have risen in cost to $450 and are climbing, and new copies have climbed even higher. They went from being $217 in late 2021 to being $1,260 now. That price has stayed steady since August 2024, but is unlikely to drop, as it’s been on a consistent upward trend.

14 Cubivore

Devouring Money

One of the ways a game can rise in value is by flopping on release. It’s not great for the developers, but neat for collectors. It worked out for Cubivore at any rate, where players fought their way through the dwindling wilderness in order to grow strong enough to take out the Killer Cubivore and restore the natural balance. It was meant to game-ify nature, as the cubivores can mutate into one of 5 forms, from defensive Yellowbrates to fast-running Greyodons, and mate with others to produce more evolved variants.

It received above-average reviews for its unusual gameplay and cubey graphics, which didn’t result in large sales. However, its cult-classic status and rarity led its prices to surge. The CIB game is now worth over 7 times its cost from 2014, going from $65 to $462. It’s easier to get it that way than brand new, as prices for pristine copies are prone to wild spikes. For now, it’s steadily risen to $684, but it has spiked to being worth just under $2,000 a few times in the past.

13 A Star Wars Experience Action Pack (PAL)

The Force Can’t Help Make This Set Any Cheaper

Thankfully, the days of the NTSC/PAL frame rate difference issues are mostly over. Europeans don’t have to struggle with Sonic the Hedgehog feeling sluggish, and Americans can play The Chaos Engine/Soldiers of Fortune without it feeling too fast. Still, these regions can still have exclusive offers in the form of special packs. Different stores in different countries were able to bundle two or more games together in one pack to appeal to new customers. It was more fussy than just having a ‘buy-one-get-one-free’ deal, but it produced some rare items.

For example, A Star Wars Experience Action Pack combined Star Wars Rogue Squadron 2: Rogue Leader with Star Wars: The Clone Wars, and was exclusive to Europe. Rogue Leader was a fun arcade shooter, The Clone Wars less so, which might be why the Action Pack received a ‘Volume 2’ that replaced it with Star Wars: Bounty Hunter. Both are expensive, with PriceCharting listing CIB copies of Volume 1 at $504, and Retroplay offering Volume 2 for €1,199 ($1,264).

12 Go Go Hypergrind

Not as Cartoony as the Prices

Go Go Hypergrind was a cartoony skateboarding game released exclusively in North America, despite being designed by Japanese developers Team Poponchi via Atlus Japan. The character designs were by Spumco, the Ren & Stimpy creators, where their wacky cartoon figures take each other on in skateboarding trials for a spot in a boarding-based cartoon. Aside from the addition of cartoon violence and slapstick, it was essentially an easier Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater.

Being region-exclusive and one of Spumco’s non-Ren & Stimpy-related projects before their closure in 2005, it’s risen in value over the years. In 2016, it was between $17-35, then started gradually climbing from there to $263 loose, $505 CIB, and $805 new. As more copies either get lost or bought up, those prices are only going to rise higher. So, if anyone has this game lurking in their collection, they might want to dust it off and fix it up.

11 Interactive Multi-Game Demo Disc Version 16

Relive the Days of Playing Demos in Stores

Remember when game stores had displays where people could try out games before they bought them? Maybe some places still have these setups, but dedicated displays have become a thing of the past. It’s easier for game companies to plonk demos onto their digital storefronts, if at all, than to put them on discs for Gamestop or magazines these days. Though that also means they likely won’t mind if these formerly ‘Not for Retail’ discs ended up on the market.

The blandly-named Interactive Multi-Game Demo Disc Version 16 is the most valuable of the Gamecube’s demo discs, as it came with a few quirks. Players can use it to download a patch for Pokemon Ruby/Sapphire that gives them a Shiny Zigzagoon with a Liechi Berry, and fixes a glitch in the game that stopped Berries from growing. Back in the day, gamers had to be in the right store at the right time to get the patch. Now they just need to cough up $239 for a loose disc, $525 for a complete box, or see if it can be emulated.

10 Super Monkey Ball 2 Pack

Ever-Changing Prices

Curiously, the Super Monkey Ball 2 Pack‘s prices have been as erratic as the tricky ball-balancing gameplay. For most of the 2020s thus far, its loose copies were going for at least $99, and CIB prices reached their peak in June 2023 at $1,069. Now the loose prices are much more bearable at $14.99, and CIB prices have remained around half-price at $537. The prices for new copies are still astronomical, and there’s still a chance all prices could spike across the board again.

The pack offers the first two Super Monkey Ball games, which revolve around monkeys trapped in balls, which players must roll around various maps with intricate puzzles to solve within the time limit. It was particularly fun in multiplayer mode, as two players had to try and stay on course and reach the goal before their friend did. There are newer Monkey Ball games, yet surprisingly, the only way to play the original games (for now) is via the Gamecube versions. Best grab the pack loose while the price is still low.

9 Sonic Adventure 2 Pak

Taking Bank Balances On an Adventure

Fans know they’re going to have to go big when the box for the Sonic Adventure 2 Pak alone goes for just over $435. This pack includes two classic Sonic games, Sonic Adventure DX: Director’s Cut and Sonic Adventure 2: Battle. The first one is a remaster of the original Sonic Adventure game, which touches up the graphics and adds Free Camera movement, but as a result, it ended up with some bad bugs the original Dreamcast game didn’t have.

Sonic Adventure 2: Battle had a better transition to the Gamecube, and offers the same high-speed platforming, racing, and treasure-hunting gameplay the players are used to. Both it and SA: DX are the most commonly ported versions of the game, appearing on later consoles and PC, and even their original Dreamcast and Gamecube copies can be found for fair prices individually. But they were rarely put together as a bundle prior to Steam deals. As such, this North America-exclusive double pack is a rare gem, and just as pricey.

8 Metroid Prime & Zelda: The Wind Waker Combo

Blondes Have More Funds

Another NA-exclusive two-in-one pack that costs nearly $1,000 is the Metroid Prime & Zelda: The Wind Waker Combo. As the title suggests, it offers players two critically acclaimed Nintendo titles in one bundle: Metroid Prime and The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker. In Metroid Prime, players will get the classic Metroid experience from a 3D first-person perspective. Considering it led to 2 sequels and a highly anticipated 4th game in the works, it was a successful move.

The other game in the pack, The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker, was initially controversial for its unique art style, as fans were expecting something moodier, like the later release Zelda: Twilight Princess. But its bright cel-shading aged better over the years, and offered a new sea-faring adventure where Link works with his sister Tetra to stop Ganon. Separate NA Wind Waker copies are getting more expensive, with loose copies going for $55, which is still much cheaper than this combo bundle.

7 Gadget Racers (PAL)

Where the Prices are Racing to the Top

Tiny toy cars have been entertaining kids since the rise of motor vehicles. Some people might remember playing with Micro Machines or their video game equivalents. Japan’s Choro-Q toy car line was relatively late to the party, with the lackluster Penny Racers on the N64, and the slightly better Gamecube/PS2 racer Road Trip, aka Gadget Racers in PAL territories. The NA version isn’t so hard to find, and is much easier to afford across the board.

But it’s the different title and lower frame rate that makes it worth a decent chunk of change. While the game didn’t set the European charts alight, its rarity and connection to a long-running Japanese toy brand have seen it rise considerably in price. It spiked suddenly in 2021, then steadily rose over the years until toy fans would have to shell out $717 or so for a CIB copy. So, any Gamecube-owning racing fans in Europe might want to check if they have this game in their collections.

6 Pokémon Colosseum Pre-Order

It Pays to be a Pokéfan

Everyone knows Pokémon at this point. They may even know Pokémon Colosseum, the Gamecube follow-up to the Nintendo 64’s Pokémon Stadium games. It had similar strategy-based combat, but threw in a storyline and action-RPG elements to offer the player more than constant battling. Players could even trade Pokémon from all 5 GBA games to Colosseum and vice versa via the link cable. Some versions come with the Pokémon Box, which is now ironically cheaper than getting the Box on its own.

The most valuable version of the game is the Pre-Order edition, as it came with a bonus disc that had trailers for the Jirachi: Wish Master movie, and let players add Jirachi to Pokémon Ruby & Sapphire. The bonus disc can be bought separately for over $200 loose, but if they want it with Pokémon Colosseum, they’ve got to shell out over triple that price at $714, and even more if they want it in-box.

5 Disney Sports Basketball

Low Quality, High Value

Developed by Konami, Disney Sports Basketball was a part of the Disney Sports series, which featured various Disney characters doing sports of all kinds. In this case, players choose from Mickey Mouse and Goofy to Huey, Dewey and Louie, to put together their basketball team. The game was designed to be accessible and family-friendly, so everyone could have a friendly basketball match. In execution, it wasn’t so great, getting poor reviews and a Metascore of 37.

For years, the game was practically worthless, since supplies were high and demand was low. But it started spiking in value in the late 2010s, to the point where players who picked up a CIB copy in 2014 for $30 can now sell it off for $1,150 in 2024. Provided it’s still in good condition. If it’s practically new, they can get just over $3,000 for it. It proves the old adage true: one man’s trash is another man’s treasure.

4 Pokémon Box

Now Worth a Treasure Chest

Ever fancied the idea of spending $2,000 on a disc that lets players use their Gamecube as a hard drive for their Game Boy Advance? That’s what the Pokémon Box does, as it acts as a literal storage box for Pokémon from Pokémon Ruby & Sapphire. By hooking the GBA up to the console, players can store up to 1,500 of the critters on the disc. For players who did splurge on it back in the day, it offered some built-in challenges and rewards for using it, and a Pokédex offering stats, levels and other data for their stored Pokémon.

It’s also one of the most expensive Pokémon games that money can buy, spiking in value across the 2010s and 2020s. Anyone who bought it new for $20 in 2010, and kept it wrapped and in pristine condition, can now get nearly 300x their investment in 2024 at $6,000+. Otherwise, they’ll have to make do with $1,000-2,000 for Loose and CIB copies. If that’s too dear for one’s blood, the PAL version is only $70 loose, and Japanese ones are common as muck, being $30 loose and $75 new.

3 Animal Crossing Pioneer Disc

There’s Gold in Them Thar Hills

2

Animal Crossing used to be pretty niche, starting off as a Japan-exclusive Nintendo 64 game before getting its more widespread Gamecube edition. Now it’s a Nintendo mainstay, proving particularly popular with women for its focus on social interaction and exploration, and was even used in a pro-democracy protest in Hong Kong via Animal Crossing: New Horizons. It led to it getting pulled from Chinese stores, though Chinese players can still find it and other games if they know where to look.

Though it’s American players who’ll be due for a windfall if they have the game’s Pioneer edition. They were made as prizes for a contest Nintendo held in 2002 where, if fans successfully explained within 50 words why they should be Animal Crossing ‘Pioneers’, they would receive the game in advance of its official release, along with a calendar and an online chat with the localization team. It stands out from retail copies because it has ‘for promotional use only’ stamped on the disc. Beyond that, the content is the same, but its value is priceless.

1 Sonic Heroes & Super Monkey Ball Duo Pack

Had a Heroic Price Rise

If getting the Super Monkey Ball 2 Pack and Sonic Adventure 2 Pak sounded steep, they’ve got nothing on the Sonic Heroes & Super Monkey Ball Duo Pack. It’s just a bundle that puts together two iconic Sega games: Sonic Heroes and Super Monkey Ball. The former splits Sonic and his friends into trios to use their individual Speed, Power and Flight abilities to tackle tricky 3D stages and face off against classic Sonic villains. While SMB is the first game in the monkey-themed ball-rolling puzzle series.

The Xbox had a similar compilation in the 2 in 1 Pack: Sonic Heroes and Super Monkey Ball Deluxe, which at most goes for $99.95 new. So, why is the Gamecube edition sky-high? For one, the Gamecube had the best versions of both games, as the XBox ports had their hiccups (albeit less so than the PS2 versions). The Duo Pack is also rare, being exclusive to NA regions. That said, its price spikes are relatively recent. Anyone who felt silly buying the complete box for $115 in 2021, or for $500 new, will be laughing all the way to the bank now if they find a buyer.