GameCube
Nintendo's fourth home console, using optical discs for the first time.
The GameCube, Nintendo's fourth home console, arrived after the Nintendo 64 and went head-to-head with Sony's PlayStation 2 and Microsoft's Xbox during the sixth generation. It marked a major shift for Nintendo: instead of cartridges, games came on optical discs (a MiniDVD format), and save data went onto writable memory cards. Unlike its rivals, the machine was built purely for gaming—most models couldn't play DVDs or CDs. Its controller featured a handlebar design with staggered analog sticks. Add-ons included a link cable for connecting to the Game Boy Advance and e-Reader, the Game Boy Player for running Game Boy, Game Boy Color, and GBA titles, and the WaveBird Wireless Controller. Some games supported online play through a broadband or modem adapter.
The console earned praise for its controller and exclusive games, but drew criticism for its toy-like look and lack of multimedia features. It was profitable, yet sold far fewer units than the PlayStation 2 and slightly fewer than the Xbox, only beating Sega's Dreamcast. Nintendo sold well under its own expectations, a result blamed on a weak launch lineup and the company's focus on younger players—a smaller slice of the gaming audience at the time—rather than teens and adults. Third-party support was limited; some developers skipped the GameCube entirely, and others pulled back due to poor sales.
Nintendo discontinued the GameCube in February 2007, having launched its successor, the Wii, on November 19, 2006. Most Wii models played GameCube games and worked with its accessories. In retrospect, journalists have ranked the GameCube among the best consoles. Its library includes acclaimed titles like *Super Smash Bros. Melee* (2001), *Eternal Darkness* (2002), *Metroid Prime* (2002), *The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker* (2002), *Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door* (2004), and *Resident Evil 4* (2005). Several major Nintendo franchises—*Animal Crossing*, *Luigi's Mansion*, and *Pikmin*—started here. The GameCube controller has been supported on every subsequent Nintendo home console.
**History**
**Development**
In 1997, ArtX, a graphics hardware design company, was founded by twenty engineers who had previously worked at SGI.
Quick Facts
- Codename
- Dolphin
- Developer
- Nintendo
- Manufacturer
- Nintendo / Foxconn
- Generation
- Sixth
- Discontinued
- February 2007
- Os
- Proprietary
- Power
- 46-watt AC adapter (DOL-001) / 48-watt AC adapter (DOL-101)
- Cpu
- IBM Gekko
- Cpu Speed
- 486 MHz
- Memory
- 24 MB 1T-SRAM as system RAM / 3 MB 1T-SRAM as video RAM / 16 MB DRAM as I/O buffer RAM
- Memory Card
- GameCube Memory Card16 MB max. capacity
- Display
- 480i, 480p
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
Nintendo began developing the GameCube in 1998 after entering a partnership with ArtX to design a graphics processing unit. The console went through codenames including N2000, Star Cube, Nintendo Advance, and Dolphin. It was announced on May 12, 1999, with partnerships with IBM for the Gekko CPU and with Panasonic for the DVD drive. The console was announced as the GameCube on August 25, 2000. The GameCube controller uses a handlebar design with a staggered analog stick layout. Accessories include a link cable for connectivity with the Game Boy Advance, the Game Boy Player add-on, and the WaveBird Wireless Controller. Select games supported online gaming via a broadband or modem adapter. The GameCube received praise for its controller and exclusive games, but criticism for its toy-like design and lack of multimedia features. Unlike its competitors, the GameCube was solely focused on games; most models cannot play DVDs or CDs.
Reader's Guide
The GameCube sold far less than the PlayStation 2 and slightly less than the Xbox, only outselling Sega's Dreamcast. This has been attributed to a weak launch game lineup and Nintendo's focus on younger players, a minority of the gaming audience at the time, rather than teenagers and adults. Third-party support was limited; some developers skipped releasing multiplatform games on the GameCube, and others reduced support due to poor sales. Nintendo released a successor, the Wii, on November 19, 2006; most Wiis are backward compatible with GameCube games and accessories. It discontinued the GameCube in February 2007. In retrospect, video game journalists have ranked the GameCube among the best game consoles. The GameCube's library includes acclaimed games such as Super Smash Bros. Melee, Eternal Darkness, Metroid Prime, The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker, Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door, and Resident Evil 4. Several popular Nintendo franchises, including Animal Crossing, Luigi's Mansion, and Pikmin, began on the GameCube. The GameCube controller has been supported on every subsequent Nintendo home console.
Did You Know?
- The GameCube was the first Nintendo home console since the Famicom to not have a Mario game as a launch title.
- Nintendo developed and patented an early prototype of motion controls for the GameCube, which would later be deployed in the Wii Remote.
- The GameCube's graphics processor, codenamed Flipper, was designed by ArtX, a company founded by former SGI engineers who worked on the Nintendo 64.
- Leaked documents from 2020 included Nintendo's plans for a portable GameCube model with a built-in display, similar to the later Nintendo Switch.
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