Small, cheap, portable, discs are cute, powerful little blighter !
Disadvantages:
Needs memory card, some games come in multiple discs instead of just one disc so I have to swap discs . . . I'm lazy !
Recommend to potential buyers:
yes
Full review
Nintendo had it good, the best console, the most recognised mascot around the world and most of the games developers were at their disposal. However one really bad executive decision nearly destroyed them completely, and that was to pull the plug on a CD device add-on for their 16bit Super Nintendo console, and sticking with memory cartridges to play it's games. Well, Sony who were developing the CD device decided that they weren't losing money because of a rather selfish Nintendo so released the CD add-on as a standalone 32bit console, the legendary Sony Playstation.
Nintendo's bid on staying with cartridges never paid off, from the failed Super Nintendo Optical Cartridge Drive to the 64bit Nintendo 64 console, the "Don't be CD slow, but be cartridge quick" slogan never really sunk in with buyers as all the software developers were flocking to the Sony Playstation for it's higher capacity 650MB CDs. Cartridges were much faster than CDs make no mistake, but each cartridge could only store 128MB maximum so didn't include many movie clips nor speech, and at the time gamers were itching for loads of them in their games. Thus the CD with its higher capacity was blessed with more of these and won over gamer's hearts.
Nintendo only managed to stay afloat thanks to it's Gameboy and Pokemon franchise, and after a few years of console defeat Nintendo finally learned from it's mistakes and based it's games on CD/DVD-ish based media. They created a dinky little console called the Gamecube, which is literally a small cube with the power of a next generation console drafted inside. But Nintendo had to be a little extra, they developed an entirely new disc format based on current DVD technology and put it onto an 8cm disc. This not only increase read speed and reduce physical disc size, but also prevented software pirates from copying their games. So far so good, there hasn't been any cases of Gamecube games being copied and sold to the public.
At first view the console is a small cube with a handle at the back so you can carry it. It's 1/3 the size of an XBOX (and that's small believe you me!) and it is very light. There are 4 controller ports at the front with 2 memory card slots mounted just below the ports. The buttons for the console is located on the top and there is a flip lid that hides access to the disc drive. All in all this console is the cutest of all the next generation consoles, it's aesthetically the best looking in my opinion and portability is excellent.
Setting it up was easier than closing my eyes and counting to twenty while trying to find the loo with my nose (trust me it's very easy at my home.) No need for manual just find the ports to plug the cables into (hard to miss since the ports are made to allow only the right cable to connect correctly into it) and the other end either goes into the TV or the mains. The rest is even easier, just put the game into the Gamecube and switch it on.
So behind this midget proportioned machine will there exist amazing gaming power or is it as feeble as a tortoise having an epileptic fit? Let's have a gander of it's innards...
Processor: 485MHz The Gamecube uses the Custom IBM Power PC "Gekko" Processor. This is because this processor can run very fast while keeping heat generation low, and for such a small console like the Gamecube with very limited space inside this is essential. At 485MHz the speed of this processor is the 2nd fastest (or 2nd slowest depending which end of the spectrum you look at it) in the next gen console race. Technology wise this is the most advanced, and if it was running at 600Mhz it would be faster than the XBOX (oo-er!)
RAM: 40MB RAM is where the games get loaded to before you can play it. Nintendo, not happy with sticking with current technology slowing them down, decided to incorporate 1T-SRAM for it's RAM. This ladies and gentlemen is very fast RAM so it reduces the chance games becoming slow due to loading.
Graphics: Custom ATI/Nintendo Graphics Also codenamed "Flipper", Nintendo worked with ATI to create the graphics chip that runs the games on the Gamecube. There are two reasons for this. Number 1 is because ATI are a very good graphics chip company creating graphics cards that rival (if not better) Nvidia's range of high speed cards. Number 2 is because Nvidia was working with Microsoft at the time so Nintendo had to settle with ATI.
Disc Drive: Custom Optical Disc Drive Nintendo worked with Matsushita to create a brand new type of optical disc technology similar to DVD but more efficient. The result is a very small 8cm disc not so different to CDs or DVDs, but can only be read by Gamecube consoles. No other device can read this media. It was made 8cm in size because of the size of the Gamecube itself, but the discs can still store 1.5GB each so it's not bad.
Audio: Custom Macronix 16-bit DSP Again another customised audio sound chip by Nintendo for their beloved console. It is capable of 64 simultaneous channels and supports Dolby Surround Sound. It also supports Dolby Digital 5.1 but only through software intervention. The audio for the Gamecube is of extremely high quality despite supporting less channels than the XBOX.
So far it seems the Gamecube is very well equiped, every aspect of the Gamecube was customised by Nintendo to keep the console unique. But how does it fair in in gaming? I shall now run the game Resident Evil Zero because it has some of the best graphics ever seen on the Gamecube, supports Dolby Surround and well most games are similar to it on the Gamecube anyway!
Upon placing the game into the console, it loads up very quickly and I am straight into the game. The graphics are very lush and smooth. The main characters move very realistically and look very convincing, with every turning, every attack received from enemies, every shot fired from the gun giving us a full 3D rendition of their actions in superb quality. Even the enemies look fantastic, the zombies and their rotting flesh dropping all over the floor although disgusting is truly an amazing graphical feat. The lighting effects are simply superb, with the lights reflecting off the character's face being accurately reproduced. The gaming environment is rendered with high quality but there is a slight loss in sharpness and a few of the colours are slightly saturated. But the overall visual impact is amazing, in places it is even better than the XBOX.
The audio is connected to my Surround 5.1 system in my room. I can hear the zombies moaning from behind me dragging their legs along the floor getting closer. The sound of train tracks screeching slightly as it rocks on the rails is realistically played to my right. I spin around and open fire with my gun and I can hear the bullets fly from in front of me to the zombie behind and I hear the zombie fall. The sound capabilities of the Gamecube is very good, with no static or hiss, it made me think that there was a zombie behind me that I had to look over my shoulder a few times. Hehehe!
So visuals are go, audio is go. But what about the problems with this machine? Well there are only a few things I find are keeping this console from achieving greatness. Firstly the control pad takes some time to get used to, there are 2 joysticks but they are placed in rather awkward positions on the controller. The buttons have been positioned in awkward positions as well, I have to think about what button to press and by the time I figure it out (for the 13th time) I am already chewed up by the bad guy. Secondly since the media can only store 1.5GB per disc, some games require you to change disc. I am a lazy sod so I would have rather the game have stayed inside the console without need for me to walk up to it to change discs. Plus since it's smaller in size than DVD, there isn't much speech nor video clips for Gamecube orientated games. Thirdly you cannot access the internet or connect to a network straight out of the box, you have to buy a network adaptor for the Gamecube to be able to do that, grrr! Lastly you have to buy a memory card to save your games. After playing with the XBOX and having it save game sessions onto it's built-in hard drive I find this a little annoying. But ah well, can't have everything!
Currently the Gamecube costs £79.99 for console only with 1 control pad, or £89.99 to £109.99 for console game packs (price depends on the pack to buy.) Cost of games varies from place to place, but it will never be more than £40 for newer games and no less than £10 for older games. The Gamecube has the least software developers backing it up, but that doesn't mean it has very few games. It actually has a rather large games library with many developers supporting it (even Square Enix, they had to beg Nintendo to let them make a game for the Gamecube after they went to Sony. Nintendo doesn't like traitors, but in the end allowed Square Enix to develop for the Gamecube.) For the price this is exceptional value for money, although not the fastest and lacks some features the other next generation consoels possess, it is a small and powerful console with excellent portability and a bunch of ace games for it. The latest Mario and Resident Evil games can only be found here, so if you're a fan you have no excuse now! Buy this console!
Bonus: Did you know you can connect the Gamecube to a Gameboy Advance via a special cable and in some games you can use it as a control pad and unlock some secrets by doing that? If it gave me £5 a time then I would it no questions asked, but for now I'm just too lazy to bother.
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