9. Beyond Good and Evil
Originally known as Project BG&E, Ubisoft’s Zelda-inspired title followed protagonist Jade as she tries to save the planet Hillys from the DomZ. While the game received near-universal critical acclaim, director Michel Ancel’s offering struggled on store shelves. In fact, the game was so over-looked that it received the number one spot on Nintendojo’s list of the Top Ten: Hidden Gems on Nintendo systems. Still, the title’s gorgeous graphics and strong story have stood the test of time, maintaining a cult following that has lasted over a decade after the game’s release.
It has been a struggle over the last few years for fans of Beyond Good and Evil. The game ended on a bit of a cliffhanger, and Ancel has been trying for years to get a sequel produced. After all these years, it looks like patient fans will finally get to see a sequel to the title during this console generation. We’ll keep our fingers crossed that the game appears on Wii U.
Glad to see Super Monkey Ball so high on the list. (Although I prefer the second one) It’s a shame that Amusement Vision isn’t around anymore, because I really enjoyed what they were doing on the GameCube.
Great list. All are worthy of inclusion. I’m particularly glad to see Skies of Arcadia Legends get some love; it’s a very good RPG and filled a massive hole in the Cube library at the time of its release.
I have long thought Baten Kaitos Origins to be the best of the Cube RPGs — better than Symphonia, better than Arcadia. It gets little love because it was released so late and sold in very few quantities. Even in my own list I left it off, mostly because Symphonia was a more groundbreaking and important RPG, and because its combat was pure awesome.