Overview:
Release:
Japan: September 2001
USA: November 2001
Europe: May 2002

Spesifications:
CPU: 485 MHz IBM "Gekko" processor
GPU: 162 MHz Nintendo/ArtX "Flipper" processor
Resolution: 480i/576i/480p

Peripherals:
-Standard controllers
-Wavebird wireless controllers
-DK Bongo controllers
-Microphone
-Memory card 59/251/1019
-GC/GBA cable
-Game Boy Player
-Various video output cables
-Modem/broadband adapter

Other:
Approximately 22 million units sold worldwide
4 controller ports
Top selling game: Super Smash Bros. Melee

The Gamecube, probably Nintendo's least successful console, was it's entry into the 6th generation and it faced Sony's Playstation 2 and Microsoft's Xbox in the console battle. It's lack of success was mainly due to it's very prominent lack of 3rd party support, losing Ninty's important partner in the previous generation, Rare, to Microsoft. Also Nintendo's "childish" image had become more prominent, making people believe that all their games were child-friendly and not as playable for adult. This led to the Gamecube's main audience being children or young teenagers, making them lose a huge part of the market share as children were no longer the main audience for video games. In addition to this, Nintendo's advertisement for the GC was poor/lacking.

Game-wise the Gamecube was lacking from the beginning, having only 2 first party titles at release; Luigi's Mansion and Wave Race: Blue Storm. This was Luigi's first solo adventure since the dreadful Mario is Missing and it recieved moderate success. Soon, however, Nintendo released great titles such as the incredibly highly acclaimed Super Smash Bros. Melee and Super Mario Sunshine. Ninty's other big franchises were also continued in The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker, F-Zero GX, Star Fox Adventures/Assault and Metroid Prime, Metroid not having had a game since the SNES, and not ever having been released in 3D. Metroid Prime was a relatively big success and somewhat proved that Nintendo's games were not exclusively for children. Resident Evil 4 also helped this cause.

In the end Nintendo had to see the GC get beat by both big opposing systems, selling only just under 22 million as opposed to Xbox' 24 million and the PS2's whooping 115 million (shipped, not sold).