Nintendo's GameCube is the cheapest of all the consoles to come out (except the ill-fated Dreamcast which has been cancelled by Sega). It does not offer DVD playback like its competitors (although Panasonic is producing a version that will, for an extra $100) and instead focuses on being an efficient gaming machine. It is easily more powerful than the PS2, and comparable to the Xbox. It does not have the Xbox's raw power, but it is quite efficient with few bottlenecks, and small load times. It uses a 6:1 compression technology to save textures in as little space as possible, which is good, since it's memory cards and discs do not have the memory capacity of other consoles (although it is arguable that neither will be a problem, especially the memory cards, which come in varying sizes). The console is often portrayed as being child oriented, which is simply not the case. What is true is that it is not "adult-only" oriented. There are exceptions like Resident Evil and Eternal Darkness, but most of it's games are suitable (and enjoyable) for everyone. Mario, Zelda, Donkey Kong, Star Fox, Smash Brothers, etc., are all common franchises that Nintendo is famous for. Nintendo looks to clean up it's mistakes with the Nintendo 64 and become the developer-friendly console with all the exlusive titles, although in the meantime it may have to regain the trust of the consumer slightly.