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Thread: Happy 10th Anniversary, GameCube

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    Reticulating Splines BetaWolf47's Avatar
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    Default Happy 10th Anniversary, GameCube

    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.
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    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!
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    Stuck in 1998 Cloud121's Avatar
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    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.
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    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.

    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.

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    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.
    "Game programmers are generally lazy individuals. That's right. It's true. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise. Since the dawn of computer games, game programmers have looked for shortcuts to coolness." Kurt Arnlund - Game programmer for Activision, Accolade...

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    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.

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    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.
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    Quote Originally Posted by jb143 View Post
    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.
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    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.

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    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.

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    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.
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    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.

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    Quote Originally Posted by substantial_snake View Post
    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.
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    the cube really stood out for me cause of it wasnt like the rest
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    Quote Originally Posted by jb143 View Post
    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...
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    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.
    "Game programmers are generally lazy individuals. That's right. It's true. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise. Since the dawn of computer games, game programmers have looked for shortcuts to coolness." Kurt Arnlund - Game programmer for Activision, Accolade...

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    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.

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    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.

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    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.
    Last edited by frogofdeath; 11-18-2011 at 08:57 PM.

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    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!

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