Nintendo reportedly – at one point – considered a Switch-like GameCube Portable handheld console, complete with a dock that would allow it to hook up to a television set.
Leaked internal documents show that, in the early part of the century, the company conceptualised the idea of launching the device that would have supported original controllers via the TV dock, as well as support for external storage and a TV tuner. Another report speaks of a “mini-DVD drive.”
According to Nintendo documents leaked online, the console may have been planned as a follow-up to the original system and a rival to Sony’s PSP console (via Eurogamer). It’s not known how far Nintendo got in the development of this system, but it does suggest the idea for the Nintendo Switch had been floated at least a decade before it actually went on sale in 2016.
The dock had GC controller ports, SD card / GC Memory Card slot, AV out, and then optional TV tuner + MPEG4 Encoder and wireless stuff. pic.twitter.com/FW5848Wdy0
— LuigiBlood (@LuigiBlood) September 2, 2020
The leaks don’t stop there. Another internal report cites the potential for a HD successor to the GameCube (which originally launched in 2001) around 2005.
Related: Best Nintendo Switch Deals
The PowerPoint-style presentation promises a gameplay experience that had “parity with PS3 and Xbox2” as well as HDTV support. Of course, that console did not come to fruition and Nintendo changed tack and went with the Nintendo Wii. That, of course, was a phenomenal success for the company, and the rest is history.
The GameCube itself was probably Nintendo’s least successful major console aside from the Wii U. It’s believed to have sold just 22 million units worldwide, putting it behind Microsoft’s original Xbox (24m) and the phenomenally successful PS2, which sold 155 million units.
However, despite the critical misstep, there were some excellent games along the way. Those included Metroid Prime, Super Smash Bros. Melee, The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Walker, Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time and Resident Evil 4.
Would you buy a GameCube portable if Nintendo were to release one in 2020? Would you like to see GameCube games come to the Switch Online service? Let us know @trustedreviews on Twitter
Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
