The Nintendo GameCube

We asked our team to tell us about their favourite ever piece of design. It could be a logo, a building, an object (shoes, gadgets, product packaging). The only criteria was that they consider it a thing of beauty and have an emotional connection to it.

The Nintendo GameCube - by Peter Handford (Managing Director)

“The most beautiful games machine you could ever put under your TV.”

Why do you love it? What does it mean to you?

Video game consoles always bring up fond memories because they remind you of the games you played on them and the good times you had – either solo or with friends. But, if we are honest, very few of them are aesthetically beautiful. Just look at ALL Xbox designs.

But the GameCube was different. Released in 2002 in England, the GameCube got off to a slow start because it was the first Nintendo console to launch without a high-profile Super Mario or Legend of Zelda game, but the quality of its unusual design shone through from the moment it appeared.

Originally called the ‘Star Cube’ (which I still think is the better title), this was a petite cube-like wonder in a sea of black or white slabs of ugly plastic that was (and still is) the standard for video game console design. There has never been anything like it before or since.

It is a masterclass in subtle, understated design, and in all the time I owned it, it never got less impressive to look at. Most consumer items wow you for the first few weeks and then just become part of the background of your life, but every time I walked in the room and saw the GameCube I always stopped for a second and thought ‘it’s so small and cool!’.

Photo: Metro

What are your favourite aspects of it?

I loved the click of the button as you changed the game inside the console, I loved the handle on the back of it that I never actually used because it wasn’t really a portable console.

I also loved the games themselves – they came on tiny 3-inch miniDVDs, which meant the rest of the console could be kept really compact – nothing about the console screamed for attention.

Nothing about it was ostentatious (I am looking at you, PlayStation 3). It always gave the air of a piece of design that was completely confident and didn’t need to try hard – it was cool already and didn’t need to prove itself to anyone.

When you see the console, what memories does it bring back?

I originally bought it when I was at University in Loughborough, so the main memory is being broke as a result of the purchase!

I remember long nights playing two player Super Monkey Ball – particularly the ten-pin bowling game – so it gave us lots to do when we couldn’t afford to go out.

I moved back to my parents for the summer that year, so spent lots of time hiding in the spare room playing Resident Evil 4 and Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker.

I think looking back, the GameCube means most to me because it was there through lots of major events in my life (which I won’t bore you with now); there were so many good games released for it consistently throughout it’s whole life, that it was with me for many years, so has a special place in my memories at a time when lots of other things were changing for me.