Few Nintendo fanboys know the story of the partnership between Nintendo and Panasonic, so listen close, and you might just learn something! You see, Panasonic was a key partner in helping Nintendo develop their very first disc drive-based video game system. Actually, that is a lie, because Nintendo originally worked with Sony in 1994 to help create the CD-ROM-based "Nintendo Playstation," and when Nintendo backed out of the deal, Sony got VERY upset, entered the game market, and revenge-released the PlayStation on their own to worldwide acclaim.

Fast-forward to November of 2001, when Nintendo released the Gamecube, a system loved (and hated) the gaming world over. At the time, Nintendo partnered with Matsushita (owners of the Panasonic brand) to lisence the small 3.5" DVD drive found in every Gamecube. As part of the deal, Matsushita asked if they could release a special DVD player with Gamecube hardware built in, and so goes the story of the birth of the Panasonic Q.

The Panasonic Q is a fully-operational DVD player and Gamecube, with quite a few extra features built in, such as a backlit LCD, a front-loading slot disc tray, an optical sound output supporting Dolby Digital 5.1, a separate subwoofer jack, and a stainless steel chassis. The controller ports light up with a glowing blue hue, and the unit shipped with a grey Panasonic-branded controller and DVD remote. It was only released in Japan, and was discontinued after two years due to poor sales. If you ever wanted a Gamecube on which to play your Full House DVD boxset, this is it. Q it up!