The Gamecube was one of those consoles that got hyped up so much before release and then just sort of disappeared. It didn’t sell well at all and before long, people forgot all about it. It was resigned to the gaming history books with other big failures like the Dreamcast and the N-Cage. But these days, people are selling Gamecubes second-hand for a good price and a lot of collectors are eager to pick one up. Even though it was a bit of a flop at the time, it’s actually one of the best consoles ever released and we should cut it some slack. Here’s why the Gamecube was such an amazing console.
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Innovative Design
Games consoles look pretty boring most of the time. Although the PS5 looks a lot different, old iterations of the Playstation and Xbox are all just boring black rectangles. But the Gamecube was something completely different. It was a colorful box that looked unlike any other console ever created. In the years since, Nintendo have been pushing the boundaries of design with their consoles and the Gamecube was arguably the beginning of that trend.
Incredible Games
The games are the best way to judge any console and the Gamecube had some incredible offerings. Games like Super Mario Sunshine, The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker, and Pikmin became instant classics, even if the console itself didn’t do brilliantly. The good news is, you can still download Gamecube roms and play them on an emulator. So, even if you can’t get your hands on an original Gamecube, you don’t need to miss out on these classic titles.
Motion Controls
You might think this entry is a mistake because Nintendo didn’t launch their innovative motion controls until the Wii came out. But you have the Gamecube to thank for this incredible leap forward in gaming technology. Nintendo first took out patents for motion controls and started experimenting with applications for the Gamecube. If it had sold better, there were plans to release a new version with these motion controls, but Nintendo eventually decided to create a brand new console and the Wii was born.
Value As A Collector’s Item
If you still aren’t convinced about buying yourself a Gamecube, think about its value as a collector’s item. The price isn’t that high at the moment, but full boxed ones still go for quite a lot of money. There are not that many Gamecubes around because they didn’t sell well and they weren’t on the market that long. The renewed love for the console means that the ones that are still left in circulation will only keep going up in value, so consider it an investment.
The Gamecube might have been a commercial failure, but you shouldn’t just judge a console on how many units it sold. It had so many great games and it pushed the boundaries in terms of design. Not to mention that it was partly responsible for the invention of motion controls used in later consoles. So, why not pick one up today?
