Nintendo GameCube Console
Newbie Review by Philip P Daniel
The Nintendo GameCube is the newest iteration of Nintendo’s monster
legacy in the realm of home video game systems. The successor to the NES,
the SNES and the N64, the GameCube is somewhat of a departure from previous
systems in certain ways, but also very much keeps the quality that you would
expect fully intact.
Differences from previous systems
The Nintendo Gamecube not only has superior graphics, sound and a unique new
look and controller, all things that you would expect from any next generation
system, but also is the first Nintendo system to step away from the traditional
cartridge. This is very much an asset in the sense that much more data can
be held on mini DVD, allowing for better graphics, larger games and (for the
first time on a Nintendo system) spoken dialogue and actual songs as the soundtrack.
This does mean, however, that like other systems that involve data read from
a disc, that the use of a memory card is needed for game saves, and that there
are load times in some games. These tend to be much less then those on the
Playstation 2, but greater then those on the Xbox.
Quality in names that you already know
One of Nintendo’s main strengths has always been that it has a line
up of games with household names. Mario, Zelda, and Metroid all got there
start on a Nintendo system, and will not be seen on the competitions’
systems any time in the near future. All of these three have had new games
appear on the GameCube featuring major graphical updates and unique new stories
and animation. The newest Legend of Zelda game, The Wind Waker, was hailed
by many industry experts as the best of the series and with the bold new cell
shaded look, also the video game of the year. With these games as well as
system exclusives such as the newest entries in the Resident Evil series,
the GameCube has many games that you can’t find on any other system.
Better then the competition?
The GameCube features stiff competition from not only Sony, but also newcomer
Microsoft. Many question whether there is room for three major systems, but
with each having their strengths and weaknesses, there will always be people
who have to try them all. Beyond the above mention of exclusive games, the
GameCube is also the cheapest of the three systems, and (as of this article)
also the only one to come bundled with a popular game, Metroid Prime. That
is not to say that GameCube is perfect, in fact many would argue that the
lack of third party games (not all developers find working on the Cube in
their best interest) makes the system not worth the purchase.
All in all the Nintendo Gamecube is a great way to experience all that the
world of video games has to offer. With top notch games and a price tag fifty
dollars below that of the competition, the GameCube is the easiest purchase
you’ll ever make.
