5 rarest Nintendo GameCube games you may never own

The Nintendo GameCube is one of the most beloved home consoles. Its library of games is filled with first-party and third-party classics that people love to revisit. To many Nintendo fans, the GameCube has some of the best modern-day titles the company has ever produced. But while many GameCube games are popular among players who grew up with the console, there are a few elusive titles that have become very rare. Retro game collectors are constantly looking for these gems that are considered valuable parts of the GameCube legacy. They're just not easy to obtain like most other GameCube games.

For Nintendo fans who love the console, these rare and valuable games may never be added to their collection. Their rarity has bestowed high prices upon them, making them even more prohibitively difficult for GameCube owners to obtain. But that doesn't mean everyone can admire them from afar and appreciate their place in gaming history. Here are 5 of the rarest Nintendo GameCube games that you may never get to own.

5 Go! Go! Hypergrind

Skating with toons

There was a period of time when extreme sports games were a craze among audiences. People were fascinated with playing video games based on skateboarding, snowboarding, BMX, and other alternative sports. Out of all of them, skateboarding became the most popular to adapt into video games across multiple consoles. On the Nintendo GameCube, Go! Go! Hypergrind was a stylized skateboarding game that was released in 2003 by Poponchi. The game was made in collaboration with Spümcø, Inc., the studio known for its animation work on the Ren & Stimpy Show. Many of the designs of the characters and locations in Go! Go! Hypergrind are reminiscent of that. Unfortunately, the game was only released in North America, despite being partially developed in Japan.

Although most GameCube owners know little about it, Go! Go! Hypergrind is valuable among retro collectors. A loose disc of the game can be worth over $280 alone, but a complete boxed copy can be worth more than $400 on average. Some online auctions of the game have seen copies with almost brand-new quality reach prices as high as $800.

4 Animal Crossing (pioneer edition)

Chill and very expensive

Animal Crossing is a beloved Nintendo series that has continued on different platforms. The latest entry in the series was on the Nintendo Switch, but things had very humble beginnings on the Nintendo GameCube, despite the series actually starting on the Nintendo 64 in Japan. Before the official release of Animal Crossing on GameCube, there was a period when Nintendo was trying to generate interest in the game outside of Japan. A promotional contest had people sending letters to Nintendo detailing why they should be considered Animal Crossing Pioneers. Around 250 winners were sent a "Not For Resale" edition of Animal Crossing for the GameCube, which was sent to them prior to the game's official release. This version of the game is identical to the retail version, but was sent out to winners with a calendar, 2 GameCube memory cards, and a special letter to Animal Crossing Pioneers.

It's the small details that make a world of difference when it comes to collecting games. Because the disc has a "Not For Resale" label, it makes this version of Animal Crossing far more valuable. Just the disc alone can fetch over $1,000 on the market, but things get crazier if someone has the full package. Complete-in-box copies of this promotional edition of Animal Crossing can be worth over $1,500 and even more if paired with the other materials the game was shipped with. It's a gem for Nintendo collectors from a period where a now beloved series was first getting its start with North American audiences.

3 Pokémon Colosseum (pre-order edition)

Getting in early pays out big time

The Pokémon Stadium games on Nintendo 64 are popular among fans of the series because of their interconnectivity with the portable Pokémon games. Players can trade their favorite lineup of Pokémon to and from the Stadium titles, opening up new rewards and stronger allies to bring into each entry. When the series made its way to GameCube, it came in the form of Pokémon Colosseum, a follow-up to the N64 games, with more Pokémon added from the more recent generations. Unlike standard Pokémon titles, Colosseum introduces the concept of snagging Pokémon from other trainers, instead of catching them in the wild. The game keeps the battles as a focal point, something that the series is well-known for, but also adds in other elements to the gameplay to keep things fresh and unique. Various Pokémon can be traded between this game and other Pokémon entries that were released on the Game Boy Advance.

Although the regular edition of Pokémon Colosseum can be valuable to some, it's the pre-order edition of the game that fetches a higher price. This version of the game was released with a bonus disc that included the Pokémon movie Jirachi: Wish Master, and it allowed players to add Jirachi to Pokémon Ruby and Pokémon Sapphire. This bonus disc alone from this version is valued at around $600 in some auctions, but a complete version of the Pokémon Colosseum pre-order edition can be worth well over $900. However, some auctions for the game online have been known to go above and beyond this price, with some even hitting the $2,000 range.

2 Cubix Robots For Everyone: Showdown

3D cartoon RPG action

If you were watching cartoons in the early 2000s on networks like Cartoon Network or FOX, then you probably came across a show named Cubix: Robots for Everyone. This was a series produced by 4Kids Entertainment, but originally began as a South Korean television show. The series was later adapted into a video game for the GameCube in 2003, which was developed by Blitz games. Cubix Robots For Everyone: The showdown includes many of the characters that appear in the show, with players engaging in turn-based battles with other robots and collecting some along the way. There was a version of the game planned for the original Xbox, but it was never released.

Some copies of Cubix Robots For Everyone: Showdown were bundled with a DVD that contained a few episodes of the show. The value of this release is higher compared to the standard version, which alone is priced around $300. However, a complete copy of this DVD bundle for the game can go as high as $1,300, and possibly more if the quality is close to brand-new. Most people may not remember the show, but they may have struck gold if they managed to hold onto their copy of Cubix Robots For Everyone: Showdown.

1 Disney Sports Basketball

Mickey's expensive sports era

Disney has often showcased its iconic characters, who engage in a variety of activities. During the early 2000s, Mickey Mouse and his friends participated in many kinds of sports, with a series of video game releases that highlighted this. Disney Sports Basketball is the fourth entry in the Disney Sports series made by Konami in 2002, which had everyone getting together for some 3-on-3 basketball. The game was released on the Nintendo GameCube at first, but also received a port to the Game Boy Advance with minor gameplay changes to fit the game onto the handheld. Characters like Mickey Mouse, Goofy, Minnie Mouse, Donald Duck, and Pete make appearances for various teams. However, the game also includes some other Disney characters, like Donald's nephews (Hewey, Dewey, and Louie), as well as other niche Disney characters like José Carioca and Max Goof.

The game itself may have been average to most people who played it, but its value has skyrocketed over the years. A loose disc of Disney Sports Basketball can be valued at over $450 alone, but complete-in-box copies of the game can be worth over $1,300 or higher. Some auctions for the game have even gone as high as $3,000 when sold. Disney collectors are willing to pay a lot to collect some of their favorite things, and this GameCube release is no exception.

Finding the GameCube goodies

Any retro game collector looking to build a great collection of Nintendo GameCube games is going to need to be prepared to pay a lot for some of the console's gems. These games are so rare that most GameCube enthusiasts will never get the chance to add them to their own collection. But even without enough money to spend on some of the rarest titles around, everyone who loves the console can still admire these Nintendo GameCube gems from a distance. They may not be the best titles in the library, but they're very valuable nonetheless.