So...my local game shop, which I consider to follow in the same spirit of GOG (i.e., making old console games and consoles available to those of archaic taste) had a sale and I picked up a Gamecube, all the prerequisite peripherals, and a copy of Metroid Prime for twenty five bucks. I've already found the rare Legend of Zelda heritage collection (LOZ, LOZ2, LOZ:OOT, and LOZ:MM), Paper Mario, Pikmin, and Metroid Prime Echoes to go with it. Now I'm wondering...anyone else have any recommendations? This place can get me pretty much anything I want if I'm patient enough, I've just always been a fan of the PS2, Metroid, and Zelda (the latter two of which I first played on the GBA). I basically made this first shopping list by browsing IGN's top 25 Gamecube games and dredging up memories of playing Ocarina of Time for the N64 - I know very little about the Nintendo franchises other than this.
Oh, and Metroid Prime is possibly one of the absolute best first person shooter / atmospheric suspense / space marine games I've ever played. Umm...not that there are THAT many that fit in that category...
So anyway...I just wanted to share my excitement, but I suppose I can make this a question - are there any CONSOLE SPECIFIC Gamecube games that I just shouldn't pass up? Thanks in advance!

I bought AC when I got the Cube (came with its own memory card). It is very fun game at first, but after time passes it turns into a constant weed-pulling adventure if you are way any length of time. I must admit it was fun hooking up a GBA to the Gamecube and sailing off to visit the island and hear the wonderful little songs that are sung in the process. Well done there.
EDIT: Yeah, I have both Harvest Moons for the Cube.

So Animal Crossing what...plays itself while you're gone?
And out of curiosity - can anyone tell me a bit about Baten Kaitos? The IGN review was singularly unhelpful to me - it told me a lot about production quality, but very little about the game itself. 2D or 3D? And what is the battle system like? Turn based or real time? How does the 'card' thing work?
Thanks!

We are having a Game Cube Game renaissance here. Not because of a new Cube but because they can all be played on the WII. Its like the kids have re-discoverd all their old games.

Is it me, or is Resident Evil 0 the scariest of the bunch?

Interesting...I'm not sure I get that exactly, but it sounds kind of weird and rather awesome...thank you!
And yes, Lou...except for those like me that like the old systems. There's just something about knowing exactly what's available on your chosen system, then digging through old yard sales and bargain bins and little hole-in-the-wall shops finding hidden gems at ludicrously low prices. It feels more satisfying than just buying whatever you want at GameStop or WalMart.
And on a side note, I finally replaced my long-departed GBA SP with a Game Boy Micro - I love it...so much.

AC keeps tack according to time that passes, and the date. For instance, on a holiday you may see something take place. Weeds grow in the game, and if you do not pull them they keep growing, and growing, and growing! You can hunt down a ghost at midnight to weed them for you, but that always seemed like a waste of time.
AC does not like it if you shut the system off without saving. The little mole will scold you when you return before you get to play again.
There are a lot of things to do, but just not enough for the amount of time you will spend in the game. I would say try it out though, as it is worth playing to see how cute or mean the characters can be.
The card system is well done, and you can get combos, pairs for more power. However, since you posted you lose interest if you can not finish a game quickly that is likely not going to happen with this game. You will be playing for a good amount of time, and some of the bosses are not always easy. Still a fun game though.
If you like platformers, or casual games I can list some of those.
One game that is lots of luck, silly, kiddish, but I find fun is Ribbit King. It is a golf style game using frogs and launchers (Frolf), with lots of silly obstacles to avoid, or gain points from.

The fact that I am excited about the prospect of hitting frogs around with a golf club probably speaks poorly of my overall respect and devotion to the rights of animals...

I love how small and portable the Cube was. Just grab and the handle and go! (Ignore the sound coming from behind, as the TV falls from the stand, because you didn't unhook the cables.) Seriously though, it was an interesting design, and I liked that they made the different system colors available somewhere other than Japan.
The rotating interface was neat as well. (Switch between Memory card browsing, in-system disc, settings, etc...) I suppose the 1.5GB discs were a bit small for data storage compared to the standard 4.7-8.5GB DVDs, but it really never seemed like that big a deal, and they took up less space physically.

I think it's interesting how much they crammed onto those tiny discs - I mean, this Legend of Zelda Heritage collection (or whatever they called it; unfortunately I don't have the original box or stuffing) has FOUR full games on it, plus a demo of Windwaker and some sort of Zelda documentary - even if they are older games, that's pretty darn impressive!

The Legend of Zelda Collector's Edition is what it's called. It was a promotional disc that came with the gamecube I bought back in the day and the box says "Not for Resale" in big red letters on it. Maybe people were worried about getting caught selling a disc that says that so they just threw the box away. Whatever. I played that disc quite a bit because someone decided to walk off with a box of 40+ NES games I used to own, including the two Zelda games. Bastards!
You seem to like Zelda. If you don't mind a little bit of humorous foul language, <span class="bold">check this out</span> for a time line. His jokes are a bit corny, but I love the rants that he goes on in his reviews when playing a game, mostly because I've played the games he's reviewing and I know he's not exaggerating.

Runehamster, there a lot of Cube games. I have played many of them (hardly any sports ones though), and can at least give you my personal opinion of them. I received the Zelda collection for free when I subscribed to Nintendo Power for a year. I paid like $15.00 for the magazine and got the disk as a bonus. :o)
Oh, another really good game I do not think has been mentioned is Wario Ware Inc.. A blast to play as it is a ton a Micro-games (last only seconds), but really fun to play with a group.