The Little Lunchbox That Could

The first time I actually saw a Nintendo Gamecube in the flesh, I couldn't get over how tiny the thing was. It was an attractive little console too. I mean, I wouldn't call it's design sexy like I would the PS2, but you could at least see where Nintendo was going with their new machine, and it made the original Xbox look like a friggin oven in comparison.

Yes, it looks like a lunchbox. Yes, it's purple. But hell if it didn't have an awesome (if not extensive) library of games, and say what you will, but I always thought those half-dollar sized game discs were kind of cool. After unwrapping mine on Christmas morning along with Super Smash Bros and Rogue Squadron II, I never looked back.

We could sit here for hours and blab on and on about how sturdy and reliable Nintendo's Gamecube was, but at the end of the day it really comes down to the games. The software. In terms of quantity the Gamecube's library may pale in comparison to the PS2's, but I dare you to tell me that games like Metroid Prime, Mario Sunshine and Wind Waker can't stack up to Sony's and Microsoft's best offerings. I dare you. Oh, and how about Baten Kaitos? Baten freaking Kaitos? How under appreciated is that game? Name one other RPG that features a town made out of dessert pastries. You can't do it. It's also worth noting that Baten Kaitos had one of the best, most genuinely shocking plot twists you could hope to experience.

But seriously, can the Gamecube get a little love, at least in retrospect? It's easy to write it off as the catalyst of Nintendo's slide into obscurity, but it doesn't deserve to be tossed into the same category as the Wii. Believe me, nobody was more disappointed in Nintendo's commitment to motion controls and casual gaming than I was, but the Gamecube is not the Wii. Not even close. And so, for Spoiler Club's first post, I'd like to shout out to the console that delivered some of the greatest memories a gamer could ask for, not to mention a controller more comfortable than a silk condom.

Here's to you, Nintendo Gamecube. Cheers.