The Nintendo Switch 2 reveal didn’t slay like the GameCube’s
These days, a company can unveil a new piece of hardware in a stream or even drop a trailer on X – this is how Nintendo revealed the Switch 2. However, I’d like to take you back to a simpler time, to a place where companies went all out to show off their consoles. Despite the lackluster announcement of the Nintendo Switch in 2016 and its successor, the Japanese publisher absolutely slayed the GameCube reveal.
In 2000, back when it wasn’t all about the next Nintendo Direct, it was all about the next Nintendo Space World, an annual event the Japanese publisher hosted to show off its upcoming tech, accessories, and games. In what would be the penultimate Space World, Nintendo unveiled two consoles, the Game Boy Advance and the GameCube, the latter of which continues to live rent-free in the minds of longtime Nintendo fans. Who cares if the GameCube got a mixed reception due to things like a lack of third-party titles? Its unveiling slayed like no other.
Picture this: exciting, thunderous music, dim lighting, and a big, mysterious box in the center of the stage. You’re intrigued, and Nintendo knows it. Two people pull a cover down in front of the once-empty box, causing even more mystery. There’s smoke now, and you know something big is about to happen, then BAM! Fireworks go off in front of the box; the covering goes back up to reveal five people holding different colored cubes in their hands.
In black outfits, the people begin to walk around the stage, and for the first time, you get a close-up look at the Nintendo GameCube. Suddenly, the music turns funky, and you can’t help but bop along as the five consoles are placed on pedestals at the back of the stage. Beyond seeing a new console, you don’t know what’s going on, but you’re excited.
That, my friends, is what console reveals used to be all about, none of this shadow-dropping malarky on social media. I don’t want to see a mediocre trailer; I want excitement and some flare. Something that the Nintendo Switch 2 ‘reveal’ seriously lacked. A tweet declaring an announcement from Nintendo and a subsequent link leading to the official trailer is hardly an enthralling way to unveil the next generation of hardware. Then, to top it off, we need to wait until April to get a look at the software, minus the cameo appearance of a new Mario game, more specifically, Mario Kart 9.
I wouldn’t care about not hearing more about Mario’s next outing or a new Zelda game if Nintendo entertained me like this. But alas, this era of gaming is long gone, so all that’s left to do is grab my GameCube, put on the Space World reveal, and strike a pose to the music. Well, actually, you can check out our list of the best Switch games if you need something to play on Nintendo’s current console.
