GameCube

The Nintendo GameCube is a home video game console developed and marketed by Nintendo. It was released in Japan on September 14, 2001, in North America on November 18, 2001, and in Europe on May 3, 2002. It is Nintendo's fourth major home console, succeeding the Nintendo 64, and competed with Sony's PlayStation 2 and Microsoft's Xbox in the sixth generation of game consoles.

Nintendo began developing the GameCube in 1998 after entering a partnership with ArtX to design a graphics processing unit. It was the first Nintendo console to use optical discs instead of ROM cartridges, supplemented by writable memory cards for saved games. Unlike its competitors, the GameCube was solely focused on games; most models cannot play DVDs or CDs. The GameCube controller uses a handlebar design with a staggered analog stick layout. GameCube accessories include a link cable that enables connectivity with the Game Boy Advance (GBA) and e-Reader, the Game Boy Player add-on for running Game Boy, Game Boy Color, and GBA games, 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. Though profitable, it sold far less than the PlayStation 2 and slightly less than the Xbox, only outselling Sega's Dreamcast. Nintendo sold 21.74 million GameCubes worldwide, much fewer than anticipated. 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. Compared to its competitors, the GameCube's 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, in November 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 critically acclaimed games such as 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 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.