Memorable Gaming Moment 2001: The Gamecube

When I think of gaming in the Year 2001, I think of Nintendo's little lunchbox: the Gamecube. I can remember when Nintendo announced the name and my first time seeing the console; it was so tiny. Also, the games themselves were tiny, but the system packed a lot of power. The Gamecube was released three days after the Xbox and I didn’t give a damn about the Xbox; Microsoft did not belong in the game biz. Nintendo was a powerhouse and had a history of bringing us some of the best games ever made. I couldn’t wait for Super Mario Sunshine, but day one I was getting Rouge Squadron II.

I told my wife, Sarah, that I wanted a Gamecube for Christmas. She and my mom ventured to Wal-Mart the night of its release and waited in line. They came home that morning, Cube-less, saying that they sold out a few places in front of them and that she would keep watch until Christmas. The devious thing was, as much as she was trying to hide it, my mother was behind her telling me she really got me one. However, a few weeks later we were walking through K-Mart and they had tons of Gamecubes. I knew I had one waiting for me at home, but if my wife saw that they had one and I didn’t beg for one, she would know I knew.

I ran up to her excited and said, "They have Gamecubes!" I may have put a little too much N64 kid in there, but I sold it rather well. I even pouted and walked away with a knowing grin on my face when she told me, "we don't have the money for it now." My sadness ended up being too convincing. She told my mom that we were not going to be able to leave the store without one because she knew my heart was broken (a trait she would everntually learn to ignore). My mother told her that I was just going to have to grow up and be disappointed. That night she told me she bought me the system, but not to tell my mother. Needless to say, I got a Gamecube on Christmas and it was a great day.