The Nintendo GameCube is not the company's most celebrated console, though it was also far from a failure. Despite its place between the Nintendo 64 and Nintendo Wii, two mammoths notable for the best games from the company, the early aughts console still has a lot going for it.
The strong library of titles includes classics like Super Smash Bros. Melee and Metroid Prime. However, more games were supposed to make it to the platform, but were canceled for one reason or another. Most of these were first-party exclusives, while others were set to be multiplatform releases. Surely the developers had a good reason to cancel these projects, but it still stings to know they got the ax.
10 Diddy Kong Racing
Before Rare was purchased by Microsoft, the team was working on a follow up to the Nintendo 64 kart racer, Diddy Kong Racing. The game was looking to be more ambitious than any other entry in the genre prior. Also in development was a Donkey Kong racing game. Considering Diddy Kong Racing's legacy, it is a shame to know it never received a proper sequel.
9 Super Mario 128
This is a weird one, since most see Super Mario 128 as a GameCube tech demo. However, all signs point to a Super Mario game in development which never came to proper fruition. All evidence suggests that elements from this cancelled game made it into Super Mario Galaxy and its sequel, but it would have been better for Nintendo to put these ideas into practice during the GameCube generation.
8 Starcraft Ghost
Starcraft is one of the most legendary RTS games of all time. While gameplay is the main focus of the series, it has a surprisingly deep plot, something players would have received a new perspective on if Starcraft Ghost had made it to consoles in the mid-2000's.
Game Informer even used the project for a cover story. Blizzard canceled the project after it entered development limbo, and footage from the project leaked a couple of years ago, showing gamers what could have been.
7 Conker's Other Bad Day
Another victim of Rare's acquisition by Microsoft, Conker's Other Bad Day was meant to be a proper sequel to the raunchy Nintendo 64 platformer. Once the studio left Nintendo, Microsoft instead had the company remake the original game and add an extensive multiplayer component. While it was nice to have a remake on the Xbox, fans would have more heavily appreciated a proper follow up.
6 Kirby Tilt 'N' Tumble 2
A neat idea on the Game Boy Advance, Kirby Tilt N' Tumble 2 was meant to expand this idea to the GameCube, using Game Boy Advance connectivity to act as a sort of second screen Kirby could fall into. After its initial reveal, the game showed up at a different event without the Kirby license before dropping out of existence all together. The GameCube was a tough time for the pink ball, who saw few releases during this time.
5 Stage Debut
While this game never saw the light of day, one can see a clear connection between Stage Debut and the introduction of Miis for the Nintendo Wii. Using the Game Boy Advance GameEye camera, players could snap a photo of themselves and put it in the game. The avatar would then partake interact with famous Nintendo characters. The accompanying peripheral never came out, dooming the project.
4 Action Adventure
While probably not the actual title of this project, it never received a proper name after Retro Studios abandoned the project in favor of Metroid Prime. All evidence points to the title being a action game following three female protagonists in a post-apocalyptic future.
The company had several other unfinished projects in the works, all of which it canned once the company decided to dedicate all its efforts to Samus Aran's adventure.
3 3D Kirby Games
Several Kirby games went through development troubles on the GameCube, explaining why a proper 3D entry for the character never came to light on the console. Three unreleased platformers were in development; two 3D games and one 2D adventure. While these never came out, the Wii saw the character come back in full force with Kirby's Return to Dreamland and Kirby's Epic Yarn.
2 Pilot Wings
Factor 5 is known for the legendary Star Wars: Rogue Squadron series. During the GameCube era, the developer also worked on a proper reboot to the Pilot Wings franchise. While the project was never officially announced, it was heavily rumored during the GameCube's life and was eventually revealed as truly in development only recently. It would have used the Cold War as a backdrop for the gameplay and had a more involved story.
1 Earthbound
While this game never entered proper development, a concept was made for a pitch, which itself has an associated story. Then Nintendo President Satori Iwuata set up a meeting between Yasuyuki Honne, who had a sequel idea to Earthbound, and Shigesato Itoi, the original director the SNES cult classic. Funnily enough, it was set up as a typical lunch with no inkling of it being an Earthbound pitch. Unfortunately, Itoi was not interested in making a follow up to the game, though stills from the concept exist on the Internet.