The GameCube may be Nintendo's lowest-selling home console to date, but for some it's a special part of the company's history. It was the last occasion when a Nintendo system competed toe-to-toe with contemporaries in terms of raw graphical power, it brought us some absolute classics in its library, and it had a handle. Its controller — and the wireless Wavebird — are also much-loved, especially by Smash Bros. fans.
Like all Nintendo hardware it has its share of fun secrets, too, and the folks over at the Did You Know Gaming? YouTube channel have once again dug out some of these little facts. Some are well known, but others are relatively surprising and particularly cool to know; it's still amazing how many self-referential nods and winks Nintendo includes in its hardware and games.
Check it out below and let us know what you think.
Comments 45
"to date"
You just had to put that in there didn't you, tempting the Wii U's fate
Edit - watched the video. I'm surprised anybody can make a 7 minute Gamecube video and not show the Link vs. Ganandorf footage that helped to so enrage fans when the WW cell shading was first introduced.
Gamecube had some great games Sunshine, Luigi's Mansion, Pikmin and Starfox Adventures. Gamecube adpatr adn new Gamecube controller dated today, what else will we get to use them with besides SSB U?
I hope Nintendo's next home console is something that will blow the competitors out the water with its power. The Gamecube was an awesome system!!
I loved that little box. Hooked it up with a VGA adapter to my monitor and ran through classics like Wind Waker.
I loved that system. I think it is still my fave Nintendo system (SNES wins the nostalgia award but WIIU is pushing GCN out of my top spot). I can totally understand why Nintendo went in the opposite direction after those terrible sales though.
@Tsurii897 I have that problem with the xbox controller, that's why I don't like playing them
but as for the camecube controller I found it very comfortable, in fact for me it's one of the best I ever used
but different people like different things
Remember buying the Metroid Prime bundle for maybe 150 dollars. Glorious day. Top 3 favorite consoles.
This was a great console and I hate that mine was stolen. Even after the third party support dwindled for it, it still produced some great hits. I also understand Nintendo's frustration that although they had the most powerful console (and proved it time after time outside of tech demos), the entrenched install base of the Playstation and the American marketing strategy by Microsoft doomed Nintendo's system as a "kiddie machine" not for serious gamers.
The Gamecube is my favorite, but the Wii U is starting to change that, especially with the great virtual console games from the DS coming online. The only "popular" Nintendo console that was I really enjoyed was the SNES. I often think when Nintendo's sales are down it drives them to publish more top notch software themselves and therefore I like the system better, something I think we see the Wii U doing right now. My least favorite Nintendo console was the Wii and the sales on that system were incredible.
Good times. I really enjoy this series of videos.
Memories......I wish I had them again..........
DYKG is putting out a lot of great Nintendo-related content recently I loved the Gamecube. To me, it was the end of the Nintendo that existed when I was growing up, although I didn't know it at the time. Metroid Prime, F-Zero GX and Wind Waker, so many good memories
I already knew most of this. And hey, I have that Peach's Castle tech demo. If you REALLY want to go in depth, here's a good read. http://www.dromble.com/2014/01/07/dolphin-tale-story-of-gamecube/ It's a long one, but boy is it worth it. Have fun.
Still my favorite Nintendo system
Too bad they stopped trying to set new graphical standards.
Corey Olcsvary works for Nintendo now!
I liked my GameCube but it was the first Nintendo console that I mostly played alone. Probably more because of age and circumstances then anything else, but because of that it doesn't reach the same level to me as N64. Still a ton of great games that I'm glad I got to play.
The Gamecube Controller is my most favourite Controller ever...
@rjejr hopefully gamecube games will be playable again.... if modders can do it within a couple of months, and Nintendo don't do it after relaunching gamecube controllers, I will be pretty disappointed.
@rjejr "Gamecube adpatr adn new Gamecube controller dated today, what else will we get to use them with besides SSB U?"
Is a Gamecube virtual console too much to ask? It is? I figured.
@Nintenjoe64 There are probably some serious programming barriers between hackers starting up a Gamecube disc and making it actually playable and emulated perfectly. Controller input (USB adapter vs hardware sockets) and memory card functionality (Flash vs Memory Card input) could take some work to re-code.
That said, I would do a happy dance if I could purchase the original Animal Crossing, Smash Bros Melee, and other classic GCN games.
Being a life long nintendo fan...I didn't like my gamecube. I had it for about 3 years of the cycle, but aside from the obivious good games, it wasn't as good of a console as its counterparts, ps2 and Xbox. I had a top of line gaming pc back then that got way more use. I sold it to get a ds that got tons of use. Wii ended up being my fav console ever. Not only is it a gamecube, but like 9 consoles of VC/wiiware games and now my wii u is really a 8 year old system with about 300 games since it all transfers over.
@FullbringIchigo I've never liked PlayStation pads much for long sessions but the only pad I've ever had cramps with was the Wii u pro controller after about 2 hours. I do have very big hands though and I love the gamepad so no problem really.
Those controllers were so much quicker for learning how to play games for the first time. The bean buttons were genius. I'm sad they are gone from modern designs. The only problem was that those onscreen button maps were sort of hideous in games and most games didn't have options to slide them out of the way once you were used to the game.
I really loved the sounds when it started it up. SO glad they didn't go with that baby sounds one. Yikes. I thought the sounds picked were fun yet still classy and a bit of excitement.
I do wonder if Nintendo will go for more cutting edge graphics next time. A half step towards the next-gen (past PS4/XB1) with good timing could be worth it. With the split of casuals and non-gamers off to the Quality of Life platform, perhaps it can do this. The only problem is the handheld. Since the best benefit will come if they can have a symbiotic relationship where the performance of the handheld and console don't have a huge gap, there might be a temptation to keep the console held back.
Gamecube just might be my favourite console ever. So many quality titles.
Gamecube is my favorite Nintendo console thus far, not just because of the library of incredible game, but because it was the first console I bought with my own hard earned cash. And I still have my library of games.
Had already experienced Gameboy with Pokemon but this is where my home console gaming begun and haven't skipped a home console since then "nogstalgic goosebumps"
@ricklongo @Nintenjoe64
I'm hoping the Wii U VC as a whole has been so limited b/c they are waiting to unleash it all in some type of PlayStation Now or PS+ type service like Gametap on the PC. They have so many NES and SNES games they really belong in a $10 monthly subscription service w/ rotating 1 N64 and 1 Gamecube game per month. I've been calling it "Nintendo eSelects" for about a year now in anticipation. Hey, we got a date for SSB U today, anything is possible now right
@Darknyht - "some serious programming barriers"
If Wii is emulated on the Wii U and Wii played Gamecube games no problem - before the newer model literally pulled the plug - shouldn't the Wii U ipso ergo facto mundo play Gamecube games, at least in Wii mode? Obviously they need to account for the save data and controller issues you mentioned but I wouldn't classify that as serious programming barriers. It's not like porting a Playstation or Xbox game to a Nintendo console. And the Gamecube adapter really should have had a memory card slot just in case. Maybe they can make a memory card adapter that plugs into a port on the Gamecube adapter
What a great console, I skipped to the Gamecube after the Dreamcast.
Star Wars Rouge Leader sold me the console and I still have my copy of Twilight Princess which was the last game I bought new, great game and I still think better than the Wii version.
I also liked the action replay for playing imports (which ran at 60hz and were therefore often superior to the PAL version).
Some US games (like Burnout 2) also supported an edtv component mode, which is not supported on the PAL Gamecube hardware.
However, this can be activated on a PAL Wii with a component cable, if the action replay is used in Gamecube mode (if you can find one that works, earlier versions of the gamecube action replay were blocked by various Wii system updates).
My first console and favourite. Timesplitters 2, Crystal Chronicles and Pokemon XD ruled my childhood. I don't claim to know anything about emulation but couldn't they just use the same thing as the modders and fool the Gamecube so it thinks there's a memory card inserted when in reality, it just saves onto the Wii U system memory?
Favorite console ever. The list of top notch games is endless for the 'Cube, every gamer should have one in their collection.
How many people have seen this? Because I know every one of them is going to paint themselves blue and eat worms to get a Wii U, 3ds, and 5,000. Now If you'll excuse me, I've got some painting to do...
@fortuneandlame Haha i bought that one aswell, i want gamecube VC badly.
My favourite Nintendo console
Uh, Nintendo's lowset-selling home console to date is the Wii U... Only 6m compared to the GC's 21m.
AH the last of a tradition video game system. Now it seems they are all multimedia players.
'NGC' was a GameCube magazine of the time, and I assume that they used the abbreviation before Ninty could get their mitts on it. I should know, I had a subscription. That's right, I was a cool kid.
GCN is amazing.
I should know because I played one for seven years, and my family bought a Wii...because it could play GameCube games!
An RGB cable and 30 minutes spent setting the HD tv let me play GC games with style! Wind Waker, Luigi's Mansion and Paper Mario still rules!
Best Console Ever!
Curious. I knew about most of those, but I never knew the connection between the GameCube menu and the Famicom Disk System tune (though I do remember "Piroli" on DDR: Mario Mix).
@Tasuki
Ha, true.
GameCube will always be my fave <3
God damn, I love me some Gamecube. The best time to be a gamer for sure.
@Ristar42
A fair few US Gamecube games support 480p and a lot look stunning even now e.g. Burnout 2 (as you said), F-Zero, Mario Sunshine
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Nintendo_GameCube_games_with_480p_and_16:9_support
Where Can I Buy A Gamecube? Are They Really Discontinued?
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