Ah, dear sweet Gamecube. You had an astonishing acceptable amount of good games. With the release of the Nintendo Wii, your tiny discs sit in the used bins of local videogame retailers. Your games pop up on eBay, Amazon, and Goozex, gamers quick to part with you so they can pick up new Wii releases. But fear not, dear Gamecube. We here at Geekadelphia still love you and your games.

With the Nintendo Wii’s gaming selection being mediocre at best, one is often tempted to browse the used Gamecube game racks at local stores or turn to the Virtual Console, where great gaming classics are available from 500 to 1000 points a pop. Many of these games bring back great memories and provide a gaming experience unattainable by the mass shovelware being sold for the Wii… but be wary of how you spend those points!

For example, at 800 points a game ($8 US), the Sonic The Hedgehog series can get pretty pricey. Want the whole collection on the VC? Sonic, Sonic 2, Sonic 3, Sonic 3D Blast, & Sonic Spinball? That’ll run your pockets $40. Instead, why not pick up the Sonic Mega Collection for the Gamecube? At $10 on eBay or your local Gamestop, the collection boasts all those games PLUS Ristar (another $8 on the VC).

We’ve assembled a little list of our top Gamecube games that will save you money on your Virtual Console addiction, as well as some tips on how to find the rarer ones. Compilations like the Zelda Collector’s Edition, which boasts four different Zelda games, trumps spending nearly $40 on them individually any day.

1. The Legend of Zelda: Collector’s Edition: Given out as a promotion for the Gamecube’s Windwaker, this amazing compilation features the classic 8-bit The Legend of Zelda and The Adventures of Link for the NES, as well as the N64’s Ocarina of Time and Majora’s Mask. Both N64 games were cleaned up for this new release, running at a higher resolution than they did on the N64. You’re also treated to two video featurettes, all packed into that one, tiny GC disc. Amazing. This comp definitely tops our list of best compilations.

Note: Yes, I know, the game is fairly hard to come by. Stopping in your local Gamestop or shopping on eBay, this rare game will run you at least $30. Add up the amount of points you’d spend on each game, and you pretty much break even. The selling point? The space you’ll save on your Wii’s small hard drive.

2. Mega Man Anniversary Collection: This awesome compilation gathers up NES and SNES releases 1 through 7, and the Playstation exclusive Mega Man 8. You’ll also find the Power Battle series on the disc, totaling 10 games, as well as the Gamecube exclusive video interviews with Mega Man’s creators. So forget picking up Mega Man 2 on the Virtual Console for $8. Look for this gem instead.

2. Mega Man X Collection: If you’re able to get your hands on a rare copy of the Mega Man X Collection, you’ll find X1 through X6 waiting for you on the disc. Personally, I stopped digging Mega Man X when it hit the Playstation, his girly voice really ruined his persona for me. Just hit mute, and X4 through X6 play just fine.

Note: Both of these Mega Man collections are fairly rare, but if one turns up in your local Gamestop, they are generally priced at a fair $12… at least, that’s how much my copies were. I’ve seen the Mega Man X Collection selling for $30+ on eBay, the Anniversary Collection for $20 or so.

3. Sonic Mega Collection: The Nintendo Wii’s Virtual Console offers up several Sonic titles off the Sega Genesis and Sega Master System for 800 Wii Points ($8 in cash). The Sonic Mega Collection is truly a mega collection, giving you Sonic The Hedgehog 1 through 3, Sonic & Knuckles, Sonic 3D, Sonic Spinball, and a wealth of unlockable content, videos, and other games (including Ristar!). Used, you can pick up this title at a local Gamestop (or on eBay) for a mere $10. Seven games for $10, vs one game for $8 off the Virtual Console? Not a tough decision, dear gamers. Not at all.

4. Sonic Gems Collection: The Gems collection has some of the more obscure Sonic games on the disc, including Sonic CD, Sonic the Fighters (?!), Sonic R, all six of the Game Gear Sonic games (including Tails’ adventures), and both Vectorman games as unlockables. Vectorman is out on the Virtual Console, and happens to be another fine example of why to purchase a physical game instead of a digital download.

5. Midway Arcade Treasures 1 & 2: Two fantastic compilations that offer up alot of classic games that would otherwise cost you a lot more money on the Virtual Console. Part 1 offers up Joust, Paperboy, Rampage, Spy Hunter, Smash TV, while Part 2 has Mortal Kombat II & III, Pit Fighter, Primal Rage, and way more. Click those respective links to check out the games included in each comp. Why no Part 3? It’s all racing games. Don’t bother.

Bonus:

6. F-Zero GX: Sure, you could pick up F-Zero for the SNES or N64 on the Virtual Console for $8 – $10 respectively… or you could check out your local video game shop for a used copy of F-Zero GX. It’ll run your pockets less than $10, and offers up the best visuals in the F-Zero series.

Now, we mentioned that some of these games are fairly hard to come by. The Zelda Collector’s Edition and Mega Man X Collection are tough finds, but they aren’t impossible to hunt down for cheap. Check out Cheap Ass Gamer for some stellar deals from fellow deal hunters, in a community built by gamers, for gamers. If that fails you, pay a visit to eBay or Amazon, and search for the Buy Now! games with the lowest shipping and price. You’ll probably surprise yourself.

Happy hunting and gaming!