Nintendo GameCube

Nintendo GameCube Release dates North America November 18, 2001 Japan September 14, 2001 Europe May 3, 2002 Australia May 17, 2002 Details Manufacturer Nintendo Media Nintendo GameCube Game Disk Predecessor Nintendo 64 Successor Wii

The Nintendo GameCube (ニンテンドーゲームキューブ Nintendo GameCube) is a video game console created by Nintendo, acting as the successor to the Nintendo 64. It was released on September 14, 2001 in Japan, November 18, 2001 in North America, May 3, 2002 in Europe and May 17, 2002 in Australia.

The GameCube was the successor to the Nintendo 64, and was the first Nintendo console to use optical disks as storage media as well as two slots on the console itself for memory cards. It was succeeded by the Nintendo Wii.

The console featured a single F-Zero title, F-Zero GX, released in Japan on July 25, 2003, North America on August 25, 2003, and Europe on October 31, 2003.

History

The fourth and final console to be released in the sixth generation of video games, the Nintendo GameCube was designed to address many of the criticisms surrounding the Nintendo 64. The controller, for instance, was designed to be more intuitive for players to use, and the GameCube was also Nintendo's first major console release to feature the use of optical media, in the form of specialised MiniDVDs. In an attempt to dispel claims that Nintendo exclusively catered to younger players, the company also attempted to court third-party support for the fledging console.

Despite a number of critically acclaimed titles, such as Super Smash Bros. Melee, Metroid Prime, Resident Evil 4, The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker, and Tales of Symphonia, the Nintendo GameCube only sold about 22 million units worldwide, lagging behind the Xbox's 24 million and far behind the PlayStation 2's 155 million units. Reasons for the lagging sales included Nintendo's decision to not go with the widely-accepted DVD format, poor online support, and a continued difficulty in courting third-party developers, with the Capcom Five debacle being considered a particularly high-profile example of this.

F-Zero games

The GameCube featured one F-Zero game, F-Zero GX. Furthermore, Captain Falcon returned as a playable character in Super Smash Bros. Melee.

Outside of F-Zero GX, all three Game Boy Advance F-Zero games can be played on the GameCube with the Game Boy Player add-on.

External links

• Nintendo GameCube on NintendoWiki, a wiki dedicated to consoles and other general info on Nintendo