you can do all the gba-gcn features, since it's just a gamecube controller input, it's the game boy player (that thing that plays game boy games on the tv) that you have no use for.
also... I'd suggest starting with a few different games... I hated colosseum, and since XD was the newer one, I voted for that one, but I'd suggest other games for gamecube. Thinkin Four Swords Adventures, WindWaker, Kirby Air Ride, Melee, Pikmin series, Viewtiful Joe.. most any game that isn't those colosseum games (awful pokemon games, imo)
guessing you already have wild world or city folk... animal crossing is a good game, but if you don't have time to play it often/over a long period of time.. it won't be very much fun, like every other animal crossing game
hope that helped/s.