The GameCube Anthology is the latest anthology book published by Geeks Line that was successfully crowdfunded on Kickstarter in January 2018. Compared to the PlayStation Anthology predecessor, there are three available editions: the Classic Edition with 360 pages of content, the Collector’s Edition featuring the Classic Edition content with an exclusive cover and slipcase and finally, the Ultimate Edition, limited to 1000 units worldwide, that includes both the Collector’s Edition and GameCube Box Art Edition and a certificate of authenticity. As described by the publisher, the GameCube “earned itself a special place in the hearts of gamers thanks to an expansive and diverse library of exclusive hits.” This review covers the GameCube Anthology Collector’s Edition that was written by the same author of the Nintendo 64 Anthology.

Written by Mathieu “Math” Manent, the contribution hardware selection was handled by Emmanuel Lesnes and Erwan Le Cainec with translation work credited to Cain Garnham and Jade-Roxanne Garnham. As expected from a top tier Collector’s Edition, the Anthology covers the GameCube’s origins, the hardware and software library, the momentous launch, collectible games and objects, cancelled titles and the official accessories. With respect to the hardware, it covers in prominent detail the packaging, controllers, accessories, models and packs and the optical disc format that defined the GameCube in its market rivalry alongside Microsoft’s Xbox and Sony’s PlayStation 2. The book is filled to the brim with high quality glossy pages and coverage that truly speaks to the amount of time and dedication invested in the production of this Anthology. An alphabetical listing of the gaming library covers in great length the software that graced the GameCube as Nintendo’s first and only 128-bit console. The hardware section of the book is no slouch with all the rare and exclusive hardware that Nintendo fans and collectors came to love and treasure: limited edition bundles, game cases, accessories, controllers and the nuts n’ bolts of the system’s architecture.

Despite the absence of listed Q&A interviews with game industry veterans, I thoroughly enjoyed and appreciated the Anthology’s focus on the hardware and software aspects of the Nintendo GameCube in its prime years. The listings of the games available in alphabetical order brought back many memories of browsing through video game magazines, back when they were the primary sources of game industry information prior to the Internet era. The aesthetic choice to use purple and black and the top and bottom portion of each page is a great visual compliment to the book that covers all things GameCube. The challenges Nintendo faced with the Gamecube’s launch in both the North American and European markets is a fascinating read for fans to gain insight about everything that happened behind the scenes by the powers that be. The references made to the GameCube’s legacy in a brief section mentioning the Wii and Wii U successors is certainly a welcome touch.

Having enjoyed the previous anthology books by Geeks Line, the GameCube Anthology continues to uphold their track record of top quality gaming Anthology publications. Fans that bought the Nintendo 64 Anthology will instantly fall in love with the GameCube Anthology with its tribute and love letter to celebrating the game console’s memory. The price is similar to that of their other anthology books with the GameCube Anthology’s Ultimate Edition serving as the exception. Gaming fans are in for a treat with the anthology book to relieve their fondest memories of Nintendo’s transition to the world of digital media that was initially known as “Project Dolphin”. The GameCube Anthology is the perfect gift for yourself or another as the gaming community awaits the anticipated future release of the Super Nintendo Anthology in 2019.

This review is based on a physical book copy of the GameCube Anthology Collector's Edition provided by the publisher.