By TOMLEECEE
on 21st Feb 2005
TOMLEECEE's Ratings| Date of Purchase (MM/YY) | 09/02 |
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| Graphics | 7/10  |
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| Range Of Games | 4/10 |
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| Value for money | 7/10 |
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| Overall value | 6/10 |
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 TOMLEECEE's recommendation |
Good Points
Nice joypad
Quiet operation
Generally good in-house software
Very cheap
Wireless (Wavebird) control pads
Compact
The black model
Bad Points
'For kids' design and image
Lack of 3rd party support
Strange choice of media format
Can't play DVDs or CDs
The purple model
General Comments
Nintendo - you have messed up AGAIN! this time with the Gamecube (GC)! Rather than use DVDs like the other consoles, the GC uses tiny CDs the size of a digestive biscuit. This means you can't play music CDs or DVDs in the drive. Why Nintendo? WHY?! Just like the N64's cartridges in an age of CD technology, the know-it-alls at Nintendo Towers have opted to use a pointless alternative in an attempt to combat piracy and be a bit different for the sake of it. It has worked to some extent, but still - if DVDs, CD and movie playback are good enough for Sony and Microsoft why can't Nintendo follow suit? As it is, the GC can't play CDs or DVDs. Nice one.
In other areas, the GC also offends the intellect. Look at the design. It looks like a lunchbox for Pete's sake, and the conveniently placed handle (just in case you were going to carry it around town with your butties in it) only emphasises this. The console does fare slightly better in other departments. The joypad is really comfortable and whilst the buttons may look like random blobs of paint initially, it is very comfortable to hold and generally a quality piece of kit (and also comes in a handy wireless model for the more frugal gamer).
The built in software is a bit skimpy - there's just a basic intro of a 'G' being made (hold down 'Z' for an alternative sound effect) and then you are confronted with options to manage your memory card (sold separately) or set the internal clock - and that's your lot. The PS2 and Xbox offer such lavish 'dashboards' that any GC owner will rightly feel a bit neglected by Nintendo, but going back to the Salvador Dali-esque media format (i.e. digestives), there's not a lot you could probably do anyway (no music/films see). The Gamecube also comes in a choice of two delightful hues - black (cool) and purple (camper than a row of tents). Finally on the Hardware front, the GC strangely doesn't support S-VHS output, which is even more bizarre when you consider that the N64 (and even the SNES) do! Again Nintendo - WHY DO YOU TEASE US?!
The Gamecube's games line up is a bit of a hit and miss affair too. Most of Nintendo's own software is pretty spectacular (F Zero, Zelda: Windwaker, Metroid Prime etc), but there are too few third party releases. The major players like Electronic Arts have no problem pumping out the same old (rubbish) franchises that they spew onto the other machines (Fifa, NHL, etc), but some of the smaller publishers and developers simply do not release their games on the 'cube because of the small Nintendo zealot user base (read: small profit). As such, the Gamecube misses out on some of the best games on the Xbox and PS2 (Pro Evolution Soccer, Colin McRae, Toca, Grand Theft Auto). There are some apparently decent Gamecube exclusive games like Resident Evil 4, but these are pretty thinly spread and since Microsoft devoured Rare, all hopes of a Gamecube exclusive version of Perfect Dark are lost.
Most of the Gamecube's titles trump the PS2 in terms of visuals as it has more texture memory than Sony's old warhorse (they're generally smoother and clearer), and the sound quality is also pretty high, but the Xbox beats them both hands down.
I've been pretty negative about the Gamecube, but you have to take into consideration that most retailers are now selling the system for under £50 and second hand games can be as little as £5. For this reason alone the Gamecube is a great choice if you are on a tight budget and not really fussed about looking like a ten-year-old when buying games ("it's...erm...for the kids...").
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Nintendo GameCube White Console
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