Happy 10th Anniversary, GameCube

[BetaWolf47]

I know a lot of people were disappointed with the GameCube. Myself, I view it as an improvement over the N64 that, like the Dreamcast, didn't receive the recognition it deserved. It did a lot of things right which it does not get due credit for.

First, it signified Nintendo's willingness to roll with the trends. Being Nintendo's first optical disk based console, it helped increase their third-party support over the N64's. While the third-party support was still lacking compared to PS2 and Xbox, it did ensure that we had good games to play during dry summers after Nintendo delayed their latest first-party title. We had games like Prince of Persia: Sands of Time, Ikaruga, Beyond Good and Evil, Timesplitters 2, Resident Evil 4, and Tales of Symphonia while we were waiting for Twilight Princess to eventually be released.

Second, although it rolled with the trends, it still tried to think outside the cube. Add-on peripherals, while seen as gimmicky to many, did change things up a bit. GBA connectivity allowed us to duel our trained Pokemon on the big screen. Certain games also allowed a second player to plug in a GBA and assist the first player with bombs and map data. Finally, using the advantage of a separate screen, Pac-man Vs. is often seen as the best use of GBA connectivity. There were also other peripherals such as Bongos, a LAN adapter, and a microphone, but support for these was rather scarce compared to the connectivity cables.

The innovation didn't stop there. The GameCube was also the first contemporary console to use PowerPC architecture, a trend which was picked up by Nintendo's competitors and continued on Wii. PowerPC is now the standard for video game consoles.

In addition to this, GameCube had built-in hardware for stereoscopic 3D, according to an IGN article from early this year. Unfortunately, utilization of this feature never saw the light of day, and was never realized until the 3DS. Luigi's Mansion was originally a tech demo that showcased this new technology.

Of course, it was the games that made Nintendo stand above the crowd. In particular, a good portion of last-gen's highest rated games were on GameCube notably Metroid Prime, Resident Evil 4, and The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker. Though the number of games on the system was almost laughable compared to PS2, there were a solid amount of good in-between games to tide GameCube owners over until the next killer app.

On a personal note, while this may make me sound like an idiot, GameCube is possibly my second favorite Nintendo console of all time. Whether or not you agree about GameCube being as good as NES or SNES, I'd still argue that GameCube is far from the failure many people view it as.

[RCM]

GameCube was the last console I picked up at launch. It wasn't bad, and I probably like my gc library as a whole more than any other Nintendo console, shockingly.

GameCube represented a low point in terms of marketshare for Nintendo, but wii represents a low point in creativity. Not just for Nintendo, but most dev houses who worked on it. Not that wii is the worst console ever, it just didn't deserve the success.

Anyway, happy bday GameCube!

[Cloud121]

I didn't get my GameCube until December 26, 2003, as I was way too occupied by my Mega CD and 32X in 2001 to care about the GameCube.

It'd probably my favorite Nintendo console (With the N64 being a very close second), and it has the most comfortable controller I've ever used, with an amazing button layout. Just one flaw, and that the d-pad was just a little too small.

It's funny, I'm a hardcore Sega nut, and yet my two all-time favorite games are Nintendo exclusives. One of them being on the GameCube: P.N. 03.

[FoxNtd]

This was also my last console purchased on the North American launch date. I remember persuading a manager to let me buy Rogue Leader for it the day before it launched so I didn't have to waste a second trip for nothing to come back the next day. :)

I was never disappointed with the console. There are still games I want to get for it even now. :popcorn:

Oh, and I'm glad Black was a color available in the beginning. Purple I never could agree with and I still remember how much complaining there was over that color being chosen as the default. :deadhorse:

[jb143]

Also, you can play blindfolded frisby with the discs in a gravel quarry and they will still work fine.

I hate all these 10'th Anniversary threads...they make me feel old.

[substantial_snake]

I really think the Gamecubes major failing was the marketing.

If the console headline color wasn't purple and their commercials weren't seemingly all aimed at children they may have attracted sufficient market share for third party developers to invest more in the console. It was a neat little box but unless you adore nintnedo first party offerings it again was another Nintendo-Fans-Only offering by the company. It had a few good third party offerings like the Resident Evil 1 remake and Zero but I honestly can't think of any great exclusive games outside of the Zelda, Metroid, Mario team.

[Satoshi_Matrix]

It's not purple, its not blue; its Indigo!

I got jetblack Gamecube in late 2002 because I wanted to play three games for it - Super Smash Bros. Melee, Star Wars Rouge Leader, and the game I wanted most was Medal of Honor Frontline.

Many hours were spend with friends playing Frontline's splitscreen multiplayer and to this date I still think Frontline has one of the best soundtracks in all of gaming.

For GameCube, here's my favorite ten games for the tenth anniversary

Eternal Darkness
F-Zero GX
Medal of Honor Frontline
Metroid Prime
Nintendo Puzzle Collection
Pool Paradise
REmake
Resident Evil 4
Tales of Symphonia
Zelda WindWaker


I also have to give props to excellent games such as Cubivore, Metal Gear Solid The Twin Snakes, Serious Sam Next Encounter and XII.

[VertigoProcess]

Also, you can play blindfolded frisby with the discs in a gravel quarry and they will still work fine.

I hate all these 10'th Anniversary threads...they make me feel old.

no joking man!

[Yago]

I just played Viewtiful Joe 1-2 the other day. No reason not to own a Gamecube. I have a silver one new in box and own a few loose ones different colored. Got em' at this game store for only $15 each system. And you can still get Gamecube games at any game store including Gamestop for dirt cheap. But by far Resident Evil 4 is still one of my all time favorite games having completed it a whopping 13 times. And I still to this day load up one of my saved points to play one of my favorite parts in the game. Good times.

[Sunnyvale]

I think the GC is a studly little console, for many of the reasons the OP pointed out. Personally, I think it's lack of hard-core gamers picking it over the XBOX or PS2 had a lot to do with the lack of internet capabilities and DVD playing capabilities. Had the Cube sported these as well, it would have done considerably better, IMO.

[Tempest]

I've got a bit of a 'thing' for the GC. If the game is available on Xbox, GC, or PS2 I'll get it on the GC just because. I didn't pick it up until later in its life (I think it was an old Super Mario Sunshine bundle), but I loved it. Sadly it got majorly overshadowed by the PS2 and the Xbox.

[BlastProcessing402]

I didn't get one at launch, got mine either late spring/early summer the next year. Made sure to get the black one, not the fruity pebbles purple model :)

Lot of good games, but I think the lack of disc space really hindered things. I mean, the tiny discs were neat and all, but it really would've been nicer if they'd just used full sized.

I didn't really care for the controller. It was too tiny and my hands would cramp up if I played very long. The tiny/giant/liverspot/liverspot button layout was weird too.

Haven't used mine since getting a Wii. Not much reason to, unless I get a used gba player.

[Press_Start]

I really think the Gamecubes major failing was the marketing.

If the console headline color wasn't purple and their commercials weren't seemingly all aimed at children they may have attracted sufficient market share for third party developers to invest more in the console. It was a neat little box but unless you adore nintnedo first party offerings it again was another Nintendo-Fans-Only offering by the company. It had a few good third party offerings like the Resident Evil 1 remake and Zero but I honestly can't think of any great exclusive games outside of the Zelda, Metroid, Mario team.

Gamecube's "failure" (aka third-place standing behind Halo, I mean, Xbox) was because the system was not "mature" or "H@RdC0reZ!!!" enough despite being the first time Nintendo released not one but two M-rated first-party titles (Eternal Darkness and Geist). Or the fact Resident Evil 4 debuted on the "kiddie console" and somebody plz tell me why a system with every good RE (including 0, 1 Remake, 2, 3, 4, and Veronica) is still considered "a kiddie console"?

Imho, Nintendo fawning over the "hardcore" was a waste of time and bucking to trends only twisted them into intellectual knots (i.e. Sunshine and Starfox Adventures). Nintendo's at their best when they buck the trends and do video games their way.

[hbkprm]

the cube really stood out for me cause of it wasnt like the rest

[Sonicwolf]

I hate all these 10'th Anniversary threads...they make me feel old.

Time is quite the pain in the ass, isn't it?

Feels like just yesterday. Christmas 2001, Super Smash Bros. Melee and Luigi's Mansion.......
Well, we had Luigi's Mansion beat before 2002 reared its head...

[jb143]

I was just playing Luigi's Mansion at Halloween and had a "Wait, what? How is this so old already?" moment when the copyright date popped up.

[Aussie2B]

My fiance and I picked up a black GameCube not that many months past launch, although it wasn't at my decision. Our first game was Super Monkey Ball. I guess I could kind of call it a disappointment to me in that I don't think it's as good as the N64 (which isn't as good as the SNES), but I still like the little lunchbox. It was kind of fun back then because it was the last time where we somewhat kept up with all the big releases. We got Smash Bros. Melee, Mario Sunshine, Wind Waker, Viewtiful Joe, F-Zero X, Double Dash, Tales of Symphonia, etc. all around when they first came out. I wasn't playing much of them myself back then, but it was fun to watch and feel like we were keeping up with the pulse of gaming. In terms of legitimate appreciation, that came later for me and is still growing. I eventually played through games like Pikmin, Mario Sunshine, and Baten Kaitos (actually, I played Baten Kaitos before it even came out in the US, so I was way ahead of the curve on that one) and discovered some really wonderful gaming experiences. I still have more games in my collection that I want to dig into, and I need to expand my collection more too, since it's still fairly small.

And contrary to what most gamers probably do, I still have my GameCube hooked up, even though I do have a Wii. Maybe it's kind of dumb, especially given that my GameCube is only hooked up with s-video, but, I don't know, I just like using the original hardware.

[CelticJobber]

In the last issue of EGM, they talk about the launches of Gamecube and the original XBos ten years ago. And how laughable it is that they said it was too close to call between which was better, considering Nintendo's "Little purple lunchbox" and the fact that HALO was on the horizon... Yep, I'm not a fan of the relaunched EGM.

[frogofdeath]

The GameCube is the only console I've ever bought at launch. Still remember picking mine up at 12:01 at a Meijer up in Michigan. Picked up Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3. Even having sold the console a while back, no regrets on the purchase. Plenty of solid games that still hold up to this day.

Also have to throw my love out for the controller, especially the WaveBird. This is something else I think the GameCube helped to make the standard. While not the first wireless controller, the WaveBird was definitely the first to do wireless so well and ever since, wireless is the norm.

[joshnickerson]

Can't really add much else here... it was a fantastic little system. Maybe I'm just easy to please, but I don't really have anything negative to say about it. I still have a large stack of sealed games for the thing that I want to tear into someday...

Happy birthday, ya square purple box! :)

[exit]

The Gamecube was a beast, it was super portable and pretty much damn near indestructible. I remember lugging that thing around to my friends house and never once worried about it breaking while it bounced around in my backpack, it through hell and back and never once complained. I still have the Black Gamecube I got in 2002 and the games I felt that were worth keeping, I really should hook it up and celebrate it's 10th birthday.

[swlovinist]

One of the last launch systems I ever purchased. I bought it for Rogue Leader and Played that game still. I still have my original game saves on my original memory card plugged now in the Wii. The system for me ended up being played more than the Wii. I preferred it over playing the Xbox and still have my original system and box from launch.

[fahlim003]

Last generation I was firmly in the PS2 camp the entire ride. I didn't care for Xbox pardon the Sega exclusives and even then the price was not appealing - I don't think I'll ever get that system.

GameCube was a little different, it was cheaper and for the first time Nintendo choose optical media over cartridges. There was in general a pretty neutral attitude towards the system pardon one individual I know locally so I didn't have much bias for or against it. I recall many evenings at my friends house with his 50"+ projection television watching Super Mario Sunshine and The Wind Waker and generally being interested. This is in great contrast to Nintendo 64 which I had no interest in and for various reasons had a dislike towards.

Later on I connected with another friend dumping plenty of hours in Super Smash Bros Melee and then some (since his save file was deleted, meaning redo of getting all the trophies, stages, characters, etc..). I also became interested in Metroid Prime but having no GCN of my own I was at a loss. However, in 2009 I picked up my first GameCube (black) at a Goodwill for $5 with 3rd party controller so I was able to borrow MP, a memory card, and power cable to finally get my feet wet. Metroid Prime is a fantastic game and surely one of the best on GameCube as I learned however I decided the time wasn't right so I sold my Cube off when it was then still profitable.

This past year after finding Twilight Princess at another thrift for under $5 I decided once again to find a system - this time for keeps. I managed to get an Indigo system with the Digital / RGB port on the rear and with a solid lens , also under $5. I've managed to slowly build up a nice library (TP, SSBM, MP, MP2:E, F-Z:GX, TWW) and just today I finally scored Super Mario Sunshine, a game I always quite enjoyed when it was new and somehow had it elude me in brief searching locally. A nice coincidence considering the anniversary. All the same, a good system and one I have not much beef with.

[BetaWolf47]

Eternal Darkness
F-Zero GX
Medal of Honor Frontline
Metroid Prime
Nintendo Puzzle Collection
Pool Paradise
REmake
Resident Evil 4
Tales of Symphonia
Zelda WindWaker

To continue the trend, here are my top 10, in no order:
Super Smash Bros. Melee
Tales of Symphonia
Donkey Kong Jungle Beat
Beyond Good and Evil (still waiting on that sequel that was announced like three years ago!)
Custom Robo
The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker
Metroid Prime
Chibi-Robo
Timesplitters 2
Sonic Adventure 2: Battle


Later on I connected with another friend dumping plenty of hours in Super Smash Bros Melee and then some (since his save file was deleted, meaning redo of getting all the trophies, stages, characters, etc..). I also became interested in Metroid Prime but having no GCN of my own I was at a loss. However, in 2009 I picked up my first GameCube (black) at a Goodwill for $5 with 3rd party controller so I was able to power MP, a memory card, and power cable to finally get my feet wet.
Yeah, several of the games I listed above are games I played at a friend's house first. GameCube has many gems that you only know about by word of mouth. Beyond Good and Evil is a prime example of that.

[retroman]

got mine on day one, and loved it..Picked up WaveRace and StarWars...Plus the Resident Evils for there time on it where the shit, and still are good

[j_factor]

Although Gamecube was the last of "the three" (PS2/GC/Xbox) that I purchased, it was my favorite for a good while, starting the moment I got it (early 2003). What killed it for me was that while it had a good stream of releases for most of its life, it really dried up towards the end. By the time the Wii came out, the Gamecube was dead as a doornail, Zelda notwithstanding. Still, it's a damn good system, and a big improvement over the N64 IMO.

Some games I liked:

Viewtiful Joe
Billy Hatcher
Alien Hominid
Go! Go! Hypergrind
Kururin Squash
Wario Ware
Killer 7
I-Ninja
Beach Spikers
Lost Kingdoms

[YoshiM]

Ah, the little box that could! I wasn't sure about this machine but my friends were jazzed over Rogue Leader, Monkey Ball and even Luigi's Mansion. So we split the cost (we hung out a lot back then) and picked up a box on launch day. Had a lot of fun times with Luigi followed by the Ball. Eventually my friends didn't play much of the Cube anymore except for maybe Eternal Darkness.

Then I purchased my first Cube when I had the cash-a used model. Sunk my time and teeth into Prince of Persia: Sands of Time (which I read was the best playing version out of the three) and was just mesmerized. My wife wondered if I was addicted as I was always playing it. Then one night she painfully discovered she had a bad kidney stone and had to stay home from work due to the pain to wait it out. She got hooked on Animal Crossing, which then sunk its claws into ME. Then came the battle of Metroid Prime-at first I hated the game. Hated it. Yet I marched forward and after a few upgrades, the world opened and I was in awe. When it came out, I purchased my first RE game, #4. Loved it.

Currently I'm reorganizing the Gaming Stand of Doom and putting some more modern systems in. I think I might have to hook up my brand new silver cube (my original black, which I still have, had its rumble burned out) to honor the time. I've been itching to play the TRUE version of Zelda: Twilight Princess for some time.

[duffmanth]

I picked up my GameCube in 2002 for Wrestlemania X8. I played the shit outta that game for the better part of the year, then my Cube sat and collected dust for the next 5 years til I sold the piece of shit.

[Kyle15]

I still remember getting the GC on Christmas morning of '01. My brother and I hyped it up all year and that moment was truly magical. We got Super Smash Brothers to go along with it. We must have played that thing all day! I still remember going out the next day to grab another controller. My dad had seen commercials for Rogue Squadron and actually bought a copy of it that day too. (Keep in mind, he has rarely ever gamed.) Since it was an "air combat" game and all, I wasn't too interested even though it was Star Wars related and all.

Between my brother and I playing Smash Brothers, my dad would break out Rogue Squadron. It turned out to be more than a simple "air fighter" and I eventually played it more than he did. My dad played it on and off for a month and was only about halfway through. I had it mastered, however! :)

After that, Rogue Squadron became an unexpected part of my gaming collection. I'd never played anything like it before. The experience was almost as eye-opening as playing Ocarina of Time at a friend's house three years prior.

For whatever reason, I rented more than I bought. My collection wasn't very big over the GC's lifespan, and I blamed it on my picky (but ever growing) taste in games. It still isn't that large, and overtime, I've come to learn that the library just wasn't that huge. Despite the modest library, I had an amazing experience with the system. Even after getting a PS1 and PS2 in 2005 and opening myself up to a huge flood of titles that I had missed, nothing matches the time I had with the GC.

[BlastProcessing402]

I picked up my GameCube in 2002 for Wrestlemania X8. I played the shit outta that game for the better part of the year, then my Cube sat and collected dust for the next 5 years til I sold the piece of shit.

That's unfortunate, you should've at least picked up Wrestlemania XIX, Day of Reckoning, and Day of Reckoning 2 and played the shit out of those for the better part of a year each. Then it wouldn't have had to collect dust for more than a couple years.

[heybtbm]

The Gamecube got me back into console gaming.

After skipping most of the console gaming scene from 1999 - 2002 (PC only during that stretch), I saw video footage of Zelda: Wind Waker in early 2003. I immediately went down to Best Buy and bought an Indigo Super Mario Sunshine Bundle + Rogue Squadron 2 + Resident Evil 0. I preordered Wind Waker (with the free OOT disc) a few weeks later. Been steadily gaming on consoles ever since. It was my only modern console for a good year and a half. Love that little purple box. Still have it hooked up too.

[Colorado Rockies]

I remember when Animal Crossing came out my friend would bring his gamecube over and we would have two tv's set up with two gamecube's and 2 copies of Animal Crossing. We would play for hours, and would visit each others towns and trade fruit etc.

So many great memories of the GC.

[duffmanth]

That's unfortunate, you should've at least picked up Wrestlemania XIX, Day of Reckoning, and Day of Reckoning 2 and played the shit out of those for the better part of a year each. Then it wouldn't have had to collect dust for more than a couple years.

Well after I played Smackdown 2003 for PS2, I believe it was with Brock Lesnar on the cover, Smackdown was my new choice for WWE games at the time. I really wanted the Gamecube to do well. I was such a big Nintendo fan with the NES and SNES, then the N64 came along and that was the beginning of the end for me with Nintendo, minus buying the Cube for Wrestlemania X8.

[BlastProcessing402]

Well after I played Smackdown 2003 for PS2, I believe it was with Brock Lesnar on the cover

That would probably be Smackdown Here Comes The Pain, they didn't start yearing them until the 2nd Smackdown vs Raw, (SDvsRaw 2006 which came out in 2005).

But yeah, the PS2 ones started getting a lot better than they had been with that year, so I can see why you jumped ship.

[dairugger]

I picked up my GameCube in 2002 for Wrestlemania X8. I played the shit outta that game for the better part of the year, then my Cube sat and collected dust for the next 5 years til I sold the piece of shit.

you bought the cube just to play that?

[Icarus Moonsight]

I've got a bit of a 'thing' for the GC. If the game is available on Xbox, GC, or PS2 I'll get it on the GC just because.

I do this too, it's an explicit law. My cross-platform release preference order hasn't changed in nearly ten years.

GC version, then
PS2 if no GC version, or
XBX version if markedly better than PS2 version. [Added clause late 2005]



Imho, Nintendo fawning over the "hardcore" was a waste of time and bucking to trends only twisted them into intellectual knots (i.e. Sunshine and Starfox Adventures). Nintendo's at their best when they buck the trends and do video games their way.

With a little structure and using existing evidence, you can elevate that opinion to a persuasive argument. The only time they did well pursuing that segment was with the SNES, really. They are angling the WiiU as a SNES type repeat, I think. Whether it works and if they can pull it off is where that starts to get interesting. Twice attempting, lightning in a bottle. Takes either guts or stupidity. Time will tell.

[dairugger]

[QUOTE=Icarus Moonsight;1871149]I do this too, it's an explicit law. My cross-platform release preference order hasn't changed in nearly ten years.

GC version, then
PS2 if no GC version, or
XBX version if markedly better than PS2 version. [Added clause late 2005]



I always did that too. my reasons were that the loading was fast, and the graphics looked better than ps2, and also because the cube was built tough, so i knew itd be around.

[Leo_A]

I always went for the Xbox version first. It typically performed the best, had the most features, I had a preference for the Controller S, it had online capabilities (Even minor things like leaderboards in the Midway Arcade Treasures line added a lot of fun), and it saved on buying memory cards.

If there wasn't a Xbox version, I'd then go for the GCN version (Which was a fairly rare occurance, I can't think of many 3rd party games that the GCN got but the Xbox didn't). And if there wasn't any other choice, I'd buy the PS2 release. The only game I can think of that I bought for the PS2 that was available elsewhere was Need For Speed Hot Pursuit 2 because it was widely considered the best version. I'm still doing it this generation with the Xbox 360 (Only exceptions are Mega Man 9/10 on the Wii and I bought IL-2 Stormovick on the PS3 since it saw some significant improvements from patches the 360 release didn't get)

Still, I love the GameCube and its software gets a lot of use to this day. Have 45 games or so for it and love the vast majority of them. And of course, there's the Game Boy Player which has to easily be my favorite accessory of all time.

[Rob2600]

GameCube games I played the most:

Beach Spikers
Burnout 2: Point of Impact
F-Zero GX
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker
Mario Golf: Toadstool Tour
Mario Kart: Double Dash!!
Metal Gear Solid: Twin Snakes
Metroid Prime
Resident Evil 4
Star Fox Adventures
Super Monkey Ball
Viewtiful Joe
Wave Race: Blue Storm

GameCube games I always wanted to play, but never got around to:

1080 Avalanche
Beyond Good and Evil
Eternal Darkness
Killer 7
Luigi's Mansion
Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door
Pikmin 2
Sega Soccer Slam
Star Fox: Assault
Star Wars Rogue Squadron II: Rogue Leader
Star Wars Rogue Squadron III: Rebel Strike
Super Mario Sunshine
Viewtiful Joe 2
XIII


Gamecube's "failure" (aka third-place standing behind Halo, I mean, Xbox) was because the system was not "mature" or "H@RdC0reZ!!!" enough despite being the first time Nintendo released not one but two M-rated first-party titles (Eternal Darkness and Geist). Or the fact Resident Evil 4 debuted on the "kiddie console" and somebody plz tell me why a system with every good RE (including 0, 1 Remake, 2, 3, 4, and Veronica) is still considered "a kiddie console"?

Imho, Nintendo fawning over the "hardcore" was a waste of time and bucking to trends only twisted them into intellectual knots (i.e. Sunshine and Starfox Adventures). Nintendo's at their best when they buck the trends and do video games their way.

I agree 100%.

[duffmanth]

you bought the cube just to play that?

Sadly yes, but I was working at a game store at the time, so I got the system and the game at a discount.

[Lerxstnj]

It's actually the only Nintendo console I ever got into. Got my first GC in 2005 because of RE4. Still one of the best games I've ever played. Then started collecting for it about 2 years ago. Now I have 6 different consoles and only need a few more games for a complete exclusive set!

[j_factor]

I always went for the Xbox version first.

I usually did too, but for anything 2D (which wasn't much, that gen) I chose Gamecube over Xbox for control reasons. And there were a few 3D games that were said to be better on Gamecube for one reason or another, like Sonic Heroes.