What That Port On The Bottom Of The GameCube Was Actually For

The Nintendo GameCube gave us some iconic games you can also play on the Wii and a beloved controller that's still compatible with newer hardware like the Nintendo Switch 2. Even if you spent a lot of time playing games like Super Smash Bros. Melee and Resident Evil 4, you might not have noticed that there are three covered ports on the bottom of the console. One is the Hi Speed Port, which was used to connect the Game Boy Player add-on, allowing users to play cartridges from Nintendo's handhelds on a big screen. The others are labeled Serial Ports 1 and 2, and while only one was ever used, it actually brought the Internet to a console you may not have known could use it.

Serial Port 1 is used to connect the GameCube Broadband Adapter or Modem Adapter, adding online functionality to the home console. That makes it the second Nintendo console to have network support after the Nintendo 64 DD expansion, which was never released outside of Japan. With the attachment, you could connect the console to your home internet for online and local (LAN) gaming. Nowadays, some use this to download unofficial software, though there are plenty of clever DIY projects for your old GameCube that make it useful even if you no longer want to play games on it. However, while the adapters were a sign of gaming's online future, not many GameCube games actually supported the devices.

Of the 600-plus games that were released on the Nintendo GameCube, only eight actually took advantage of the console's network capabilities. We've listed them here in alphabetical order:

• 1080° Avalanche
• Homeland
• Jikkyō Powerful Pro Yakyū 10
• Kirby Air Ride
• Mario Kart: Double Dash‼
• Phantasy Star Online Episode I & II
• Phantasy Star Online Episode I & II Plus
• Phantasy Star Online Episode III: C.A.R.D. Revolution

Of these, two (Homeland and Jikkyō Powerful Pro Yakyū 10) were released only in Japan. Three (1080° Avalanche, Kirby Air Ride, and Mario Kart: Double Dash) were racing games published by Nintendo with LAN support for multiple players. The rest come from Sega's Phantasy Star Online series, a franchise of role-playing games (RPGs) that's still going to this day and allows players to team up online to fight enemies and complete quests. The game's official servers were shut down in 2007, but it's still playable on the original hardware thanks to fan-made servers.

The GameCube's network adapters were a step forward for online gaming, but they also demonstrate Nintendo's distinct philosophy. The PlayStation 2 and original Xbox could also go online, but those systems had far more games that supported multiplayer and other Internet features. Nintendo was slower to adopt online gaming, prioritizing the in-person experience, which is why it shouldn't be a surprise that only first-party GameCube titles to use the adapter had only LAN support. Even now, as other hardware makers chase technical improvements, Nintendo focuses on offering unique experiences, like the Nintendo Switch 2, a major upgrade over the original.