Highlights
- The GameCube instruction manual recommends users take a break every hour, even if they don't think they need it.
- Nintendo has a history of promoting health and wellness in its consoles, like with the Wii and its fitness-focused games.
- The trend of exercise games on Nintendo consoles is likely to continue, with the possibility of more in the future.
A Nintendo GameCube fan has pointed out that the console's instruction manual recommends that users take a break from using it every hour even if they don't think they need it. Nintendo released the GameCube back in 2001, and while it is far from the company's best-selling console, the system still had an absolutely stacked library of games.
The Nintendo GameCube is home to some of the highest-rated video games ever made, including The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker and Twilight Princess, Super Smash Bros. Melee, Metroid Prime, and many others. Many of the best GameCube games have stood the test of time, with Nintendo bringing some of the heavy hitters to the Nintendo Switch, like with the Metroid Prime Remastered shadow drop from earlier this year and the recently-released Pikmin 1 and 2 Switch ports.
Like most gaming consoles, the GameCube came with an instruction manual that explained how to hook it up and safety precautions users should take. As pointed out by Reddit user eru777, who recently shared some images of the GameCube instruction manual, one of the safety precautions advises users that they should take a break every hour, even if they don't feel like they need one. It's safe to say that the vast majority of gamers ignored this rule and continue to do so to this day, but that hasn't stopped Nintendo from trying to get its fans to be more healthy and active.
The GameCube was followed by the Nintendo Wii, a revolutionary console with a focus on motion controls. The Wii had a variety of games built entirely around fitness and exercise, with launch title Wii Sports reminding fans to take regular breaks through in-game messages. Nintendo later introduced Wii Fit and the Balance Board that took things to the next level.
Later Nintendo consoles have continued to focus on the health and wellness of their users through various software releases. The most notable modern day example is definitely Ring Fit Adventure, an exercise game with RPG elements that can provide a legitimately great workout for those playing it on the higher difficulty settings. Third-party developers have also released their own exercise and fitness games on the Nintendo Switch, and it's a trend that will likely continue. Details remain scarce about the next Nintendo console, but one has to imagine that it will have plenty of exercise games of its own to get gamers up and active.