All this talk of the 3DS’s release, including what software may or may not end up sitting on store shelves on day one or shortly thereafter, incites a certain amount of retrospection and, indeed, introspection: what does make a worthy launch? And, perhaps more to the point, what makes a worthwhile Nintendo launch?

That the NES (October 1985) and, to a lesser extent, Super NES (August ’91) had solid lineups goes without saying, only partially because they were two of the first three modern console releases. Historical context and objective evaluation only truly begin, sadly, with the Nintendo 64 (September ’96), a release made legendary by its infamy – even after a year’s delay, the system only sported two games on day one (that one of these was Super Mario 64, still largely regarded, 14 years later, as one of the best titles in the medium’s history, elicits a certain amount of nostalgia-enhanced forgiveness, however). Two months later, the N64’s third game shipped; by year’s end, its software library had increased to a whopping eight entries.

The N64 proved to be a stain on Nintendo’s up-‘til-then sterling reputation. The lack of software and developer interest resulted, unsurprisingly, in sluggish sales throughout the system’s lifespan, dropping Nintendo to a seemingly permanent second-place status – until Microsoft entered the console race five years later and pushed Nintendo down to a previously unthinkable third place. The company attempted a rebound with the GameCube (November ’01), but a resurgence in success and mainstream cultural significance would have to wait another entire generation, until the release of the Wii (November ’06).

It is the GameCube launch that, in many ways, is the most interesting in Nintendo’s 25-year history as a manufacturer and, in many more ways, has proven to be its most controversial, as well. Sandwiched between the lingering contamination of its immediate past and the near-future of continued failure, the GCN release has taken on a taint of disappointment and, even, disaster; it is a commonly held belief amongst gamers and gaming journalists of all stripes and colors, after all, that it was only a marginal step up from the dark days of the Nintendo 64 and still far removed from the golden era of the 8- and 16-bit generations. And with the 3DS’s release (more or less) imminent, this oft-repeated refrain has only increased in both frequency and intensity.

It’s time to clear some of the mythological clutter from the closet and set the historical record straight.

Available within the GCN’s “launch window” (November 18 – December 31, 2001) were three A-titles that, while not quite exemplary enough to be labeled as AAA software, were sufficiently polished and substantive to qualify as second- or even third-generation entries for other systems. Star Wars: Rogue Leader – Rogue Squadron II is not only one of the best Star Wars games to this day, it has also managed to pull off that rarest of feats in the medium: retaining its visual fidelity and impressiveness long after its release. Pikmin is easily one of Nintendo’s most original, clever, and, of course, endearing titles in its storied history. And Super Smash Bros. Melee, while a (relatively) shallow fighter, is, hands down, one of the most fun experiences to be had on any system in any generation – as well as one of the most replayable. That these were part of the console’s opening salvo of games is still impressive and mystifying, nine years and five launches later.

And then there are the B-titles, the games not worth buying a brand-new console for by themselves but which enrich a pre-existent collection immeasurably. Luigi’s Mansion is perhaps the very definition of a B-level release: a new and novel take on a long-running gameplay paradigm that doesn’t quite manage to coalesce into a top-notch experience. Super Monkey Ball, on the other hand, is superbly crafted but limited in its scope – a multiplayer-focused title that is slightly constrained in the number of game modes available. But taken together, these two games form a very compelling buttress to the library’s main structure.

Though these five flagship releases may not seem to amount to much in litany form, they actually are potent enough in quality and quantity both to eclipse the launch lineups of all three systems of the current generation, and they may just be able to successfully take on the heavyweights throughout the industry’s history – the Sega Dreamcast (September ’99) and Sony PlayStation 2 (October ’00) chief among them.

All this debate about the GameCube and its place in (Nintendo) history just may end up being moot, however: if things continue to shape up the way they have been going for the past several months, the 3DS will have such a stellar and unprecedented lineup – from brand-new entries in long-dormant franchises like Kid Icarus, to 3D remakes of such classics as The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, to third-party heavyweights like Resident Evil: Revelations and Metal Gear Solid: Snake Eater 3DS – that it will make the GCN a mere footnote and throw the gauntlet down for every other launch, handheld or console, for literally decades to come.

Let the new controversy begin.

Marc N. Kleinhenz is features editor at 

Material Culture, can be found here.