Lost GameCube LCD Screen Revealed in Newly-Uncovered 2002 Footage

Some new footage from E3 2002 appeared online recently, showing off an unreleased portable LCD screen designed for the Nintendo GameCube. 

As spotted by GoNintendo, the YouTuber (and employee of Ziff Davis, IGN’s parent company) Adam Doree uploaded a video of unseen E3 interviews with notable Nintendo figures, such as the late Satoru Iwata, discussing the unreleased GameCube LCD screen. In the interview, Iwata notes that the device was available for demo on the show floor, noting that the company had yet to decide “how or what form” it would release the display, if at all.

The more interesting tidbit from that portion of the interview was that Iwata revealed that he met with Yuji Naka, where the pair discussed the LCD peripheral and discussed ways of getting the most mileage out of the device, including if there was a way to “make Phantasy Star Online and make it a portable game.”

It gets crazier. This actually had 3D capabilities. They just never showed it off. Thank you Iwata Asks for revealing that info. In fact, the PSO Ep. 3 figurines inside the case were stolen and never known to be recovered. Imagine if the monitor was stolenhttps://t.co/FwK5wi2v3m pic.twitter.com/gxeKABrKYX

— Spindash (Greg) (@Spindash54) March 7, 2023

The GameCube’s LCD screen may have been 3D before the 3DS

From the recovered footage, we can see a glimpse of the GameCube LCD screen and a few specs of what the device included, such as a 5-inch display with a 4:3 aspect ratio with a 320 x 240 resolution. And as Twitter user Spindash54 points out, the device could offer glasses-free 3D. In the second volume of Iwata Asks, the former Global Nintendo President confirmed that the device was capable of 3D, but the company “kept it secret.”

IGN went hands-on with the unreleased GameCube LCD screen in 2002, where we noted that “the image quality was quite impressive.” 

Of course, if you are familiar with Nintendo’s hardware history, you’ll know this device never saw the light of day. This is a bummer given the GameCube’s compact design and handle on the rear, making it one of the sixth generation’s more portable-friendly home gaming consoles. LCD screens on consoles are nothing new, of course, as we have seen devices such as the PS One released to the market, while third-party companies such as GAEMS and UPspec Gaming have released similar peripherals that allow you to play your home console on the go (or if all the TVs in your house are unavailable). 

Taylor is the Associate Tech Editor at IGN. You can follow her on Twitter @TayNixster.