Let’s face it Nintendo fans; your favorite console isn’t quite known for its wealth of adult oriented titles. Nintendo’s big two heroes include a Lilliputian plumber, and a lion-hearted pre-teen in tights. No matter how dear to gamer’s hearts they may be; they don’t quite exude the blood spilling toughness of the likes of Master Chief or Solid Snake. Until Manhunt 2 is released, adult Wii owners are pretty much stuck with a plethora of kiddie titles to wave and waggle their Wiimote’s at. While the syrupy cuteness of MySims may make adult gamers want to vomit, the game just doesn’t come close to goretastic titles like Condemned and Gears of War. When the Gamecube was released, it was quickly slapped with the label "for the kiddos" by most gamers. However, there were some amazing games for the "cube" that were intended for adult audiences. Want to get your "M" rated game on while you wait for Manhunt 2? Put down your Wiimote and stop playing Cooking Mama. Here are the top five "M" rated games for the Gamecube that you can pick up on the cheap while you wait for the Wii to hit puberty.
5. Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes
Many gamers have fond memories of Metal Gear Solid for the original Playstation. The game reinvented the action genre and gave gamers one of the most iconic characters in video game history. No one can rock a mullet the way Solid Snake does. As it turns out, all of those cigarettes and nudie mags Snake indulged in from Metal Gear Solid caused him not to age very well. In 2004, Silicon Knights and Konami partnered with Nintendo to give Snake a facelift and remade the classic title which was developed exclusively for the Gamecube. The Metal Gear franchise released an exclusive title for the Gamecube…heresy! Sacrilege or not, Twin Snakes manages to retain all of the great qualities that made the original release so unforgettable. However, gamers won’t find much new in the storyline that adds depth to the plot. Twin Snakes does add the much needed first-person shooting ability that refreshes many moments of the game. Additionally, guards bodies no longer disappear which requires some heavy lifting by Solid Snake to give the recently departed a gym locker burial. Twin Snakes also boasts increased enemy AI. Unfortunately, enemies are still near-sighted and cannot see Snake from across the room. MGS’s gameplay mechanics and cutscenes were also updated in Twin Snakes by adding more complex combat moves and over-the-top cinematics. Like its original, Twin Snakes is a phenomenal game. If gamers never experienced Solid Snake in all of his glory in Metal Gear Solid, this game is a must own. For gamers who played and loved (who didn’t) this game on the Playstation, Twin Snakes will make them fall in love all over again.
4. Geist
Developed exclusively for the Gamecube, Geist provides a truly unique twist on the FPS genre. After a failed raid attempt on the Volks Corportation, the game’s hero John Raimi (no relation to Sam), is captured and is used as a guinea pig of sorts for their evil experiments. John’s spirit is ripped from his earthly body and turned into a ghost only to escape Volk’s capture and roam their high tech laboratory. As a spirit, John can (you guessed it) possess enemies and inanimate objects to exact his revenge on the Volk’s Corporation. Players can jump into enemy guards, dogs, mice, computers, telephones and a host of other living and non-living objects. This twist provides a refreshing variation on the oftentimes stale FPS genre. However, gamers can’t just go jumping in and out of anything they please. Gamers have to weaken the mental defenses of their hosts before taking control of their bodies. Essentially, this boils down to scaring the crap out of hosts by going all poltergeist on them. Geist isn’t without its flaws. The gameplay isn’t the tightest during battle sequences and lags when multiple enemies are on screen. Also, gamers don’t have the freedom to "possess" anything they wish (the women’s toilet is sadly off limits). However, Geist provides enough originality and enjoyable "M" rated gaming to justify the 10 bucks it currently costs.
3. Killer 7
Games like Killer 7 almost defy any sort of rational explanation. Playing out like some bizarre arthouse film, the Killer 7 is an assassination squad employed by a crippled old man named Harman Smith. However, this deadly squad could just be one man with 7 different personas (the WTF moments don’t end there). In any case, this squad is charged with eliminating a terrorist threat known as the Heaven Smiles which take the form of monster-like creatures who seem to enjoy blasting themselves in the head while maniacally laughing (the "T" rating goes right out the window on that one). The elements of violence and gore are not the only aspect of Killer 7 that makes it a "mature" game. Killer 7 is filled with oftentimes heavy-handed politically commentary that still manages to leave itself open to interpretation. The game uses metaphor and imagery extensively and seems to rely on confusing the player as a plot device. Don’t feel like a moron, the game is intended to be perplexing. For those gamers who don’t dig having to think in video games, there are plenty of (seemingly forced at times) F-bombs too. With 7 different playable characters, Killer 7 has a tremendous amount of subplots which make it an ideal title to play time after time. For all of its ambiguity in storyline, the gameplay is extremely linear. At times, the game can feel like more of an electronic story then an actual video game. Gameplay aside, this is one "M" rated game that doesn’t just satisfy gamers’ bloodlust. It leaves gamers scratching their heads and (gasp) thinking too.
2. Eternal Darkness: Sanity’s Requiem
Eternal Darkness is perhaps one of the most overlooked games in video game history. Not only is it the granddaddy of "M" rated games for the Gamecube; it is one of the most original video games ever released for any console. When it was released, it set the bar for action adventure gaming with a gripping storyline and unparalleled attention to detail. The story of Eternal Darkness is centered on the Roivas family and its connection to an ancient book called The Tome of Eternal Darkness. The game spans generations of the Roivas family (12 playable characters) and details how each of them came into contact with the book. Eternal Darkness give players control of 12 different characters each with unique abilities and its timeline spans eras such as World War I and the Spanish Inquisition. The storyline of Eternal Darkness is immersive and interweaving. It leaves central characters dead and gamers feeling like they just got punched in the stomach. The most interesting element of Eternal Darkness is the sanity meter. The more a character comes into contact with the evil undead, the less sane they become. As player’s sanity slips they begin to hallucinate by seeing visions of blood dripping down walls among other horrific sights. The hallucinations don’t end with characters on screen. Eternal Darkness accomplishes what is known as "Breaking the 4th Wall." When a player’s sanity meter is completely empty, the Gamecube will flash messages such as a controller is unplugged when it clearly isn’t (trippy huh). Eternal Darkness: Sanity’s Requiem is not just one of the best "M" rated Gamecube games, it is one of the best Gamecube games period.
1. Resident Evil 4
If some gamers didn’t see this one coming, their gamer cards should be immediately revoked. It should come as no surprise that the best "M" rated Gamecube game is clearly Resident Evil 4. For the one or two people who haven’t played Resident Evil 4, gamers play as Leon Kennedy, secret agent extraordinaire, who is charged with finding the president’s daughter. She has been…surprise, surprise…kidnapped by a mysterious Spanish cult-like organization. Leon travels far into the Spanish hill country to track down the kidnappers and save the president’s daughter. Upon arriving at the small farm town, Leon finds its residents to be less then inviting. Not much of the small town hospitality here. On a scale of undeadness, the townsfolk aren’t quite zombified, but not much is going on besides bloodlust with these people. After they take a look at Leon, they decide that he would look better with an axe in his head or a pitchfork in his eye. The storyline is intense and leaves the perfect amount of ambiguity that makes gamers uneasy at every turn and plot twist. The environments are beautiful and truly foreboding. Leon travels through sepia drenched farmhouses, slimy caves, and gothic churches. While gorgeous, the surroundings have a dead feeling to them that compliments the inhabitants perfectly. Flies buzz around spoiled food in every farmhouse Leon enters. A sense of decay abounds from every corner. The bosses in Resident Evil 4 are simply monstrous in size and equally gruesome. If being the best "M" rated game on the Gamecube wasn’t enough, Nintendo ported the title to the Wii for the bargain price of $29.99. If you didn’t already buy this title for the Gamecube, put your head down and go immediately to the nearest Gamestop and think about what a disappointment your life has become.
All five of these fantastic "M" rated Gamecube titles can be found at your local Gamestop for less than half of what they originally cost. Instead of trying to improve your 273 point Wii bowling average, go and pick up a game that you don’t need to turn off in embarrassment when your friends come over. Elebits be damned. Who ever said the Gamecube was just for kids?
Contact this writer at: jeremy@myarcadeplanet.com
