Best games
Best GameCube games of 2001
The 8 best GameCube games released in 2001, ranked from 2,353 critic and player ratings.
The best GameCube game of 2001 is Super Smash Bros. Melee, with a critic score of 100/100 — updated September 2026.
How this ranking is built
- Games are ranked on the aggregated critic score out of 100 imported from IGDB and Metacritic, never on Tier's own grades.
- A game only enters the ranking with at least 80 external ratings, so a single enthusiastic review never outranks a proven classic.
- Community grades from F to S are shown next to every game, and only stated as a fact above 5 Tier ratings.
- Release window covered: 2001.
- 8 games are listed on this page, carrying 2,353 ratings between them.
- Rankings are recomputed hourly; this one was last rebuilt on 29 September 2026.
Top 8
01
Super Smash Bros. Melee
Super Smash Bros. Melee is the second installment in the Super Smash Bros. series and the follow-up to the Nintendo 64 title. It includes all playable characters from the first game, and also adds characters from franchises such as Fire Emblem, of which no games had been released outside Japan at the time. Super Smash Bros. Melee builds on the first game by adding new gameplay features and playable characters: it's major focus is the multiplayer mode, while still offering a number of single-player modes.
100
/100
02
Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3
Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 is a 2001 skateboarding video game and the third installment in the Tony Hawk's series. Skate as the legendary Tony Hawk or choose from a dream team of 12 top pro skaters, including old favorites like Lasek, Thomas, Muska, and Steamer, as well as new talent like Gilfberg, Caballero, Koston, and Mullen. Travel from L.A. to Tokyo, Suburbia to Skater's Island performing challenges and meeting goals with new moves that include the Revert, which allows you to link vert tricks, and flatland tricks such as Caspers, the Primo, and Handstand Manual.
94
/100
03
Animal Crossing
Occasionally strange but completely addictive, Nintendo's Animal Crossing for the GameCube is not so much a game as a simulation of life on a small town. Players begin the game by setting out to live life on their own in a colorful town, where they are greeted by a seemingly endless supply of things to do and characters to meet. Time passes in Animal Crossing in real-time, as the month, day, season, and time of day matches that of the player's. Holiday seasons come and go in Animal Crossing, just as they would in the real world. Experience the freedom to fish, decorate your house, go bug catching, garden, write letters, and even play original Nintendo NES games in this imaginative, and addictive game.
87
/100
Super Smash Bros. Melee
Super Smash Bros. Melee is the second installment in the Super Smash Bros. series and the follow-up to the Nintendo 64 title. It includes all playable characters from the first game, and also adds characters from franchises such as Fire Emblem, of which no games had been released outside Japan at the time. Super Smash Bros. Melee builds on the first game by adding new gameplay features and playable characters: it's major focus is the multiplayer mode, while still offering a number of single-player modes.
100
/100
02
Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3
Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 is a 2001 skateboarding video game and the third installment in the Tony Hawk's series. Skate as the legendary Tony Hawk or choose from a dream team of 12 top pro skaters, including old favorites like Lasek, Thomas, Muska, and Steamer, as well as new talent like Gilfberg, Caballero, Koston, and Mullen. Travel from L.A. to Tokyo, Suburbia to Skater's Island performing challenges and meeting goals with new moves that include the Revert, which allows you to link vert tricks, and flatland tricks such as Caspers, the Primo, and Handstand Manual.
94
/100
03
Animal Crossing
Occasionally strange but completely addictive, Nintendo's Animal Crossing for the GameCube is not so much a game as a simulation of life on a small town. Players begin the game by setting out to live life on their own in a colorful town, where they are greeted by a seemingly endless supply of things to do and characters to meet. Time passes in Animal Crossing in real-time, as the month, day, season, and time of day matches that of the player's. Holiday seasons come and go in Animal Crossing, just as they would in the real world. Experience the freedom to fish, decorate your house, go bug catching, garden, write letters, and even play original Nintendo NES games in this imaginative, and addictive game.
87
/100
04
Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance
Baldur’s Gate: Dark Alliance is a revolutionary action adventure with an epic tale of intrigue, fierce alliances, explosive spell effects and highly detailed creatures and environments. Baldur’s Gate: Dark Alliance is a benchmark of technology and gameplay.
85
/100
05
Ikaruga
In this vertical scrolling spaceship shooter, you control a ship that can change its polarity at will. As blue/white, the ship can easily destroy red/black enemies, and vice versa. Bullets of your polarity can be collected to fuel your energy gauge, but those opposite will kill you. Destroying an enemy ship causes them to fire revenge bullets which can be absorbed and fired back by the player. Different difficulties exist to change exactly how you interact with polarized points, or how they appear. It is the spiritual successor to Radiant Silvergun, featuring similar level and boss design, as well as it's buddhism inspired themes and aesthetics. Both are directed by Hiroshi Iuchi, who also composed Ikaruga's soundtrack.
84
/100
06
Sonic Adventure 2
Sonic Adventure 2 is the sequel to Sonic Adventure. It was the final Sonic game for the Dreamcast after Sega discontinued the console. Two new playable characters were introduced, Shadow and Rouge, who would go on to become two of the most recurring characters in the Sonic series. The story features good vs evil: Sonic, Tails and Knuckles attempt to save the world, while Shadow, Doctor Eggman and Rouge attempt to conquer it. The levels are divided into three gameplay styles: fast-paced platforming for Sonic and Shadow, multi-directional shooting for Tails and Eggman, and action-exploration for Knuckles and Rouge.
79
/100
07
Luigi's Mansion
Luigi steps out from the shadow of his brother Mario and into the gloomy shadows of a very haunted house in this, his first-ever starring role. When Luigi learns that he's the proud new owner of a creepy old mansion, he's thrilled. Of course, his feelings immediately shift when his brother, the storied Mario, disappears from the house. Now, you'll have to help Luigi track his brother down, making your way through expansive 3D levels. Each stage is packed with ghosts and ghouls to put you on edge; and you'll be armed with a flashlight and a vacuum cleaner to help you capture your foes. Armed with a flashlight and a customized vacuum cleaner, Luigi must rid the mansion of Boos and ghouls -- and find his missing brother to boot!
78
/100
08
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone is the first Harry Potter video game for the PlayStation, and one of several different games based on the book and movie. This version is a three-dimensional action adventure, where Harry must complete a number of challenges in order to pass his first year of studies at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Successful completion of the tasks often results in house points for Harry's house Gryffindor and failure in some deducts points, so the race for the House Cup can stay open until the end.
60
/100
Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance
Baldur’s Gate: Dark Alliance is a revolutionary action adventure with an epic tale of intrigue, fierce alliances, explosive spell effects and highly detailed creatures and environments. Baldur’s Gate: Dark Alliance is a benchmark of technology and gameplay.
85
/100
05
Ikaruga
In this vertical scrolling spaceship shooter, you control a ship that can change its polarity at will. As blue/white, the ship can easily destroy red/black enemies, and vice versa. Bullets of your polarity can be collected to fuel your energy gauge, but those opposite will kill you. Destroying an enemy ship causes them to fire revenge bullets which can be absorbed and fired back by the player. Different difficulties exist to change exactly how you interact with polarized points, or how they appear. It is the spiritual successor to Radiant Silvergun, featuring similar level and boss design, as well as it's buddhism inspired themes and aesthetics. Both are directed by Hiroshi Iuchi, who also composed Ikaruga's soundtrack.
84
/100
06
Sonic Adventure 2
Sonic Adventure 2 is the sequel to Sonic Adventure. It was the final Sonic game for the Dreamcast after Sega discontinued the console. Two new playable characters were introduced, Shadow and Rouge, who would go on to become two of the most recurring characters in the Sonic series. The story features good vs evil: Sonic, Tails and Knuckles attempt to save the world, while Shadow, Doctor Eggman and Rouge attempt to conquer it. The levels are divided into three gameplay styles: fast-paced platforming for Sonic and Shadow, multi-directional shooting for Tails and Eggman, and action-exploration for Knuckles and Rouge.
79
/100
07
Luigi's Mansion
Luigi steps out from the shadow of his brother Mario and into the gloomy shadows of a very haunted house in this, his first-ever starring role. When Luigi learns that he's the proud new owner of a creepy old mansion, he's thrilled. Of course, his feelings immediately shift when his brother, the storied Mario, disappears from the house. Now, you'll have to help Luigi track his brother down, making your way through expansive 3D levels. Each stage is packed with ghosts and ghouls to put you on edge; and you'll be armed with a flashlight and a vacuum cleaner to help you capture your foes. Armed with a flashlight and a customized vacuum cleaner, Luigi must rid the mansion of Boos and ghouls -- and find his missing brother to boot!
78
/100
08
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone is the first Harry Potter video game for the PlayStation, and one of several different games based on the book and movie. This version is a three-dimensional action adventure, where Harry must complete a number of challenges in order to pass his first year of studies at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Successful completion of the tasks often results in house points for Harry's house Gryffindor and failure in some deducts points, so the race for the House Cup can stay open until the end.
60
/100
Frequently asked questions
What is the best GameCube game of 2001?
Super Smash Bros. Melee currently tops the ranking with a score of 100/100 across 1,071 ratings. Ranking updated September 2026.
How is this ranking built?
Games are ranked on their aggregated critic score out of 100, with a minimum vote threshold so a single glowing review never outranks a proven classic; the Tier community's own F-to-S grades are shown alongside each game.