The year 2001 was pivotal for gaming, with the Play Station 2 dominating headlines alongside Grand Theft Auto III, Metal Gear Solid 2 and Final Fantasy X. Nintendo entered the fray with the GameCube, launching in Japan on September 14 and North America on November 18. While it lacked DVD playback and third-party support, the console built a remarkable library over time.

Animal Crossing launched for US players in 2002 and established a beloved formula of real-time clocks, daily activities like fishing and bug hunting, and quirky villagers. Though it couldn't connect online, players traded memory cards to visit each other's towns. The franchise remains strong today alongside Luigi's Mansion and Pikmin.

Eternal Darkness by Silicon Knights stands as one of the weirdest horror games ever made, using fake save deletions, audio dropouts and psychological tricks to unset players. Published by Nintendo, it blends Lovecraftian mythology with third-person combat and a magic system. Despite its acclaim, it remains unplayable without original hardware.

Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance from Intelligent Systems showcased tactical depth and character development, building on the series' growing popularity. Though the GameCube era ended without a defining exclusive like Halo: Combat Evolved, these titles proved Nintendo's innovation.