-
Open matte -
Cropped 4:3 variant -
Widescreen -
Commercial/Demo Disc variant
Visuals: Against a black background, a purple cube drops in the middle of the screen (causing a hexagon shape to flash briefly) and begins rolling around, forming a blocky purple "G" out of squares. When the cube finishes rolling, it spins around rapidly and lands in the center of the "G", causing it to shake a bit as the hexagon shape flashes again, and the cube's trail of squares solidifies into a solid line with a large cube in the center, and the words "GAMECUBE", in white, drop out from under it. The word "NINTENDO", in small gray letters, unfolds above it.
Trivia:
- As part of a promotion for the 2023 film The Super Mario Bros. Movie, Universal and Illumination created a Super Mario Bros. Plumbing website. For a while, if "Call or Text Us at 929-55-MARIO" at the top-right corner is clicked, the GameCube theme would play (minus the first sound and ending chord) on a xylophone. This Easter egg is no longer intact, as if one clicks the text it prepares the phone to call them instead. In the film proper, the theme is Luigi's ringtone for his phone. The sound can be heard here.
- In the Nintendo GameCube Nintendo Classics app on Nintendo Switch 2, if either the L-Stick, ZL or ZR is held while launching the app, the startup will appear. Also, the ZR button works exactly as the Z button.
Variants:
- If a console is turned on without a disc inserted, after the regular animation, the "G" will spin rapidly as the text moves down and fades away. This segues into the animation of the GameCube system menu.
- If a GameCube is turned on with the cover open, the completed logo will fade in. Like before, the logo segues into the system menu animation.
- One can turn the cube around by holding the A button and moving the Control Stick. Also, if one keeps turning it, the hexagon shape will appear again and become brighter as the regular animation on it disappears, and the cube segues into the animation of the GameCube system menu.
- On Wii platforms for when a GameCube disc is in the console, the logo is a still graphic, except for some lines in the background.
- On most of the American demo discs, the cube rotates to its position before the letters fade in one by one. The FOV is slightly higher than normal, making the G look indigo.
- Sometimes, a 16:9 widescreen version of the boot exists. This may be found on the Nintendo GameCube Nintendo Classics app on Nintendo Switch 2, as described above, albeit being cropped in 4:3.
- Also, an open matte is used for exposed framing.
Technique: CGI rendered in real time.
Audio: It starts with a laser-esque sound (almost sounding more like a psytrance bass drum) when the purple cube drops down, followed by a series of xylophone notes and plucked string notes as the cube trail is formed, and a short drumroll/string chord when the cube lands in the center. Composed in E minor (in the C Mixolydian mode).
Audio Trivia: The startup sound can be found on the GameCube disc channel, if a GameCube disc is inserted on a Wii console.
Audio Variants:
- If the console's cover is open or there is no disc inserted, several synthesized "humming" sounds are heard as the menu forms.
- Depending on how much the cube is spun around with A, some of the "humming" sounds that segue into the menu screen can be heard, which dim the regular logo's audio.
- If the system is turned on with the Z button on the controller held down, different tunes play, which vary depending on how many people are holding the button down (if multiple controllers are plugged in). Here are the variants:
- 1 controller: A series of squeaking vibraphone sounds ending with a "boing", comedic drum sound effects, and a child laughing.
- 4 controllers: A Japanese "Yooooo" sound followed by the beating of Japanese drums, which ends in a "ding".
- The demo disc variant has a soft voice whispering "GameCube".
| Device Name | Date of Release | Additional Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Nintendo GameCube | September 14, 2001 | Debut appearance. |
| Nintendo Wii | November 19, 2006 | Still variant It only appears on the original model (RVL-001), as GameCube support was officially removed from the Wii Family Edition (RVL-101), the Wii Mini, and the Wii U (although functionality can be restored via the homebrew software Nintendont, and with an IPL dump can even access the original bootup). |
| Nintendo Switch 2 | April 2, 2025 | It sometimes appears when a GameCube game is being booted on the Switch 2. |
Unused Screen
Visuals: On a lime green background, a 3D outline of the Nintendo 64 logo spins around on the left side. The background switches through different shades of green.
Trivia: This logo was never seen to the public outside Nintendo, however the GameCube's IPL source code was leaked on July 2021 and included this very early animation.
Technique: Real-time 2D CGI.
Audio: None.
.svg){kind=small}
