Nintendo Game Cube
The family favorite console among parents and kids
Nintendo is one of the oldest and most successful console game developers. From a stream of hit consoles fed by successful first- party game titles, the name Nintendo conjures up images of some of the most classic games.
Released to North America in November 2001 as the next installment after the N64, GameCube is Nintendo's addition to the 128- bit generation of console game systems. Competing with heavy hitters like PS2 and Xbox, Nintendo has been relegated to niche market games console and is easily the least popular of the current crop.
It's gained the reputation for being the "kiddie" game console due to its popularity with the 10- and- under demographic. This is partly due to a wealth of first- party offerings appealing to a younger audience. Games from the Donkey Kong, Pokemon , Mario, Metroid and Zelda franchises ensure plenty of games suitable for youngsters. Reservations of adult games developers, like those of first- person shooters and Grand Theft Auto, to port to GameCube only solidifies it as the console of choice for discerning parents of young children.
With a lower price tag than the other consoles of its generation, the system can be found below $100 but requires an upgrade kit for online play. Even though it has been relegated to number three, GameCube still has some respectable hardware specs allowing it to compete with the big boys in the industry.
- Hardware Highlights
- CPU Custom built IBM PowerPC 485MHz
- 24M 10ns Ram
- Custom built ATI Graphics Processor "Flipper"
Gamecube has no DVD support available. The discs played in the Gamecube are a Matsushita optical storage medium created for the GameCube. Because of Nintendo's successful handheld systems, one key feature that may be of interest to players with a Gameboy and a Gamecube is the console's ability to accept connections from multiple Game Boy Advance systems. This allows for the transfer of game data and for the Game Boy Advance to act as the controller for the GameCube game being played. Games being played on the TV can have certain portions of the display show up on the Game Boy's color handheld screen, so they both act in conjunction for the same game. This feature has also been used to unlock some features embedded in certain games.
Nintendo has its work cut out to stay relevant in the console market. Sony and Microsoft are in a heated war for number one position and it seems the best Nintendo can do now is survive offering features the others might have missed. Despite the grim outlook on Nintendo's console systems they have vowed to stay in the race and their handhelds are still number one. This affords Nintendo the opportunity to make some particularly innovative moves to combine features as they have with the GameCube.