N64 would've sold 70+ million units easily IMO if they had compromised with their SNES third party partners and used cartridges and CDs (a cartridge slot costs practically nothing to keep). 

I think they beat Sony that gen, they would have retained Final Fantasy VII and companies like Konami would not have been able to justify not having at least multi-plat N64 versions of games like MGS and RE1/2/3, combined with Mario 64, GoldenEye, Zelda: OoT, and Sony would've been toast. 

CD + cart combo games could've been a smart way to go too ... you could off-load all music, voice, FMV, and a lot of other data onto a 10 cent CD disc, while keeping game/level data on a smaller sized cartridge (no need to go up in cartridge size and make the games even more expensive). 

Yeah exactly what I was thinking. Unless he just meant less popular. Still weird way to describe it when Gamecube was very noticeable more powerful than PS2. That gen for graphics it was xbox > gamecube >> ps2

Obviously the Switch is the perfect culmination of the Wii and the Wii U. But I would say yeah Nintendo's searching for a simpler more intuitive way to play games started with the Gamecube's odd button formation and trying to make something that seems more like a toy that anyone can pick up and play rather than a fancy high tech device that's only for gamers (even though the Gamecube was indeed cutting edge lacking only a little behind the giant xbox). Then the Wii really opened things up with motion controls and just a couple main buttons. Wii U was a half measure between the Wii and the Switch. In the end they moved back from really simple couple of main buttons to the standard format that has existed since the SNES. They blended everything together perfectly: standard controls and motion controls, console play and handheld play.

Will be interesting to see where they go from here. Switch seems to be the perfect system form. Maybe Switch 2 will combine Switch plus Virtual Boy! That's really the only thing I can think of if the tech is there. Console/handheld/vr hybrid. I mean you can use mobile phones for VR games, though I assume its not as good an experience as full VR sets, so Switch 2 could definitely go that route. Otherwise I can't think of anything but just up the specs. They really have come to the conclusion of their innovation of the last almost 20 years.

I actually think the cartridges resulted in better games looking back, many old Playstation games are near unbearable with load times now. However, I understand the CD held more data and lost them Final fantasy, etc... I just personally am happy with the output we got out of those ugly carts

GameCube's issue was that they launched too late after the PS2, giving the market leader a full 18 month headstart was not smart. They needed to back off the N64 sooner, sure give it some games like Banjo-Tooie and Paper Mario to close things out, but Perfect Dark and Zelda: Majora's Mask should've been moved to the GameCube and they should have focused on launching it for holiday 2000.

Letting Sony build such a big headstart with PS2 and then having to launch alongside XBox with no advantage was a mistake.

Also whoever thought the purple lunchbox design was the way to go needed to be booted into outer space.

I'd say Gamecube is the Gamecube done right.

I little updated you list...when you look at strength of 1st/2nd party games of N64, you realise that N64 is console that probably had strongest 1st/2nd party lineup ever (its not wonder why for me N64 is best console ever :D). On other hand its console that probably had worst 3rd party support ever.

Yeah N64's library is small due to the terrible third party support, but its first and second party lineup is absolutely legendary.

Rare in their prime were a powerhouse, and Nintendo were pumping out some of their greatest games. Games like Mario 64, Ocarina of Time, and Goldeneye 007 virtually pioneered gaming as we know it today.

Yeah, Nintendo + Rare were killing it that gen with quality of games.

Not even close. The Switch is the antithesis of the Gamecube.
If anything, the Switch is the Wii successor done right.

The Gamecube was the PS2 done wrong.