Howard, you can't give credit to the n64 for being the first console with analog thumbsticks since the Saturn 3D controller came out at pretty much the same time. Besides technically the Vectrex was the first "console" to have an analog thumbstick. Everyone seems to forget about that.
Everyone also seems to forget that the N64 completely abandoned 2D gamers, while the GameCube tried to recapture them with both software and hardware support.
I'll only defend a few things for the GameCube because I know GC fans are few, as are Dreamcast fans to which these consoles share a similarity in being extremely underrated systems:
Yes the Gamecube was a financial failure for Nintendo, as stated earlier, but it wasn't for its library. It's because it's install base was small due to Nintendo trying to compete with the same mature market as Sony and Microsoft. At the time, Sony gained momentum from the PS1 and had a huge install base. With the PS2's backwards compatibility, it secured a really large foothold on an older-more-gaming-evolved market that didn't take the GC seriously as an alternative to the mature titles the PS2 was putting out l, as well as having their already huge library of PS1 games (Another reason why the N64 was a poor system, there were a lot of games for it, but not as many as the PS1, and only a handful of them are good. Yes, even great as Howard pointed out).
But hey the GameCube had gameboy/gameboy advance support through the Gameboy Player, for both game library compatibility as well as console connectivity. As mentioned, this was also an attempt to win the 2D gamers over and appealed to the huge portable market that Nintendo dominated in, so as a business decision this made complete sense - grab a market from your concurrent products and expend your consoles usability. But not enough people from that market bought-in for the GC to get into homes.
The GBA link cable was also our precursor to the WiiU's controller screen. Games that supported the connection was the test bed for this kind of interaction, and it was yet another Nintendo innovation.
One thing I love about Nintendo is they keep trying to innovate, no matter if they fail, no matter if the ideas are wacky. In every system they've attempted to push the boundaries of gaming interaction, which is one of the core ideals of game development: interfacing the users control with the software. But I digress...
Saying the GC had bad games is both unfair and inaccurate. Metroid Prime. I too loved Prime, and I played it again on the Wii's Metroid Prime Trilogy and still loved it.
Mario Sunshine was a perfect follow-up to Mario 64, giving players a pseudo open-world Mario 64. Without it you wouldn't have Galaxy since a lot of the engine as well as design was built and experimented in Mario Sunshine. In fact you haven't seen that kind of experimentation in Mario game for a long time till Mario Maker came out recently.
Mario Kart Double Dash was a fun game and a nice innovation to the karting gameplay they already established. Some people hated the switch mechanic so it's popularity was pretty split. It also supported 16 player LAN matches! Seriously.
That's another thing the GameCube doesn't get enough credit for, they were really pushing the console connectivity angle with a lot of their titles. At the time Microsoft was also boasting their system link tech, Sony was third in this race.
You have one of the greatest Resident Evils -- 4, which changed the landscape for not only RE titles, but setting the bar for action titles that modern games like Uncharted, Last of Us, Assassin's Creed, etc. can attribute to. The GameCube version of RE4 was the definitive version over the PS2 as well.
Again, I mention Soul Calibur 2 which had the exclusive character choice of fighting as Link. As a Zelda series fan, this was huge! As a fighting game fan this was insane! And Namco did a great job at adapting Link's play-style to their fighting engine. SC2 is like The Godfather II, some argue the best of the series, but wouldn't be anywhere for not for the first one. Sure, using the GC controller for this Third-party game is awkward, but anyone who plays arcade-style fighting games seriously plays with an arcade stick. This is true now as was back then.
F-Zero GX was the best of its series.
Star Wars Rogue Leader was probably one of the top Star Wars games, and it blew the N64 attempt out of the water in terms of design and immersion and fixed the control scheme and camera from N64's Rogue Squadron. It also had an arcade-like difficulty that I'm sure everyone here can appreciate.
I mean I can list a bunch more excellent titles like Beyond Good and Evil, Luigi's Mansion, Incredible Hulk: Ultimate Destruction, the Mario Party series, etc.
The games for the GameCube were pretty great, I don't see how any Nintendo fan can shun it.
The Wii was nintendo's answer as a non-competition system with the big-boys, targeting the younger crowd and families. The GameCube is considered nintendo's last attempt at breaking-out of the childish stigma the N64 gained from its toy-like aesthetic and younger target audience. Which is significant now, since the NX is supposedly another attempt at breaking into the mature market in-lue of the Xbone's failing at competing with the PS4. The PS4 has more than double the install base. I'm very interested if the NX succeeds in jumping through that window M$ left open. Who knows, in a few year's time we might be saying the NX is nintendo's worst console or one of the bests.
You really don't know with Ninty, they either produce a banger, or a complete failure.