"The Nintendo Gamecube...A 2006 review for un-biased adults."

I was 11 when the Super Nintendo was released. And by that time, I had played everything out there from the "reg'lar" Nintendo (as we called it in the South.), Turbo Grafx 16, my parents' Atari 2600, Sega's offerings, and even a friend of mine had an MSX. Fast forward to today, and well, video games are more of a casual hobby for me. I'm in my mid-20s and things like girls, jobs, and partying kept me away from video games while I was in high school. Now that I have had more free time, I've wandered back into the fray. For me, it's about entertainment value compared to everything else, TV, concerts, going to the movies, etc. I don't play favorites between different gaming publishers and hardware developers, gaming is gaming. In 1995 the 3DO FZ1 was just as cool as a SNES or Sega Genesis. But today, it seems like a lot of people are down on Nintendo, but why? Because they maintained their customer base of 8-15 year old kids? Who can blame them. I like Grand Theft Auto as much as the other guy. But violence, and sex, and language in games is just trivial content, it dosen't add depth or quality to a title. I'd rather play Street Fighter 2 over Mortal Kombat anyday. The "lack-of-violence makes it not cool" argument is old news, we had that back in 1993 so it's not even an issue when it comes quality and value for your entertainment dollar and time. There are no 'kiddie' games here, just great games for people of ALL ages.

So it's 2006, and I've casually played through every PS2 title I ever wanted to play. The PS2 was nice, but it's aging so badly and looking back at it, the graphics were always terrible. It's slow, the controls are generic for every game, and did I mention it's slow? So I decided I wanted some new stuff to play, without having to commit to the new generation of consoles by buying an Xbox 360. The old Xbox isn't worth it in my book, a lot of it's titles are readily available on PC, and it's a dead format, it's successor is already on the market. So with about $150 in cash, I made Nintendo's current console the centerpiece of my entertainment center. I didn't buy anything new, I took my cash to local flea markets, yard sales, and hillbilly gaming stores where kids in Kentucky get their gaming fix. My money got me a Jet Black Gamecube, A black Gameboy Advance, 2 controllers, GBA to GC cable, and a 64M (1019) memory card. all that cost me around $80. The games I got were Madden 2007, Call of Duty 2:Big Red One, Super Mario Sunshine and Final Fantasy:Crystal Chronicles. I also subscribe to a rental-by-mail service, which really boosts the value of owning any console. So, on with my impressions...

HARDWARE...9

Sure, it's looks funky, it has a handle, and the unique disc format means disc swapping does happen on some games, but other than those minor flaws, this box is industrial strength gaming. It's rugged, and I even dropped mine onto a hard floor and it still works to perfection. The disc loading try is secure and high quality, unlike that flimsy thing on the 7000-series PS2. The 'cube is a gaming box, and dosen't pretend to be anything else. It's to the point, and it's simplistic design will be overlooked by fan-boys and other elitist gamers that think flashing green lights and wind-tunnel sounding cooling systems are cool. But I like putting a disc in, hitting a button, and being sent straight to the action. Browsing through 'blades' and pointless menus is a waste of my time. But probably the best hardware feat the Gamecube has is load times. Industry leading load times. It's like doing video games mainline. It's blazing fast when it comes to loading. I don't know why everyone dosen't mention this fact when comparing consoles. The processing power dosen't slack off either. I loaded Madden 2007 on PS2 and GC, and simmed an entire Franchise season, the Gamcube version finished in LESS THAN HALF the time it took the PS2 version to finish. And I'm sure the Xbox and Xbox 360 couldn't come anywhere close to that.

CONTROLLER...10

The controller deserves it's own section. It's a miracle. A true revolution in gaming. It fits like a glove, and my fingers can glide across the surface with ease. The only glaring downside is the small digital pad. The face button layout is amazing. Super Mario Sunshine was a blast, the C-Stick, unlike the right analogs on everything else, is advertised properly, it's superb camera control. I can control it with the bottom of my thumb easily, without having to leave the face buttons of the controller. The face button layout is weird, and was bashed by everyone, but it's not generic control like the DualShock, it's focused clearly on 3D gaming. The A-Button sits right in the middle, and it's the center of attention. The X,Y,B buttons are located around the A-button, giving them the support roles of a lifetime. Call of Cuty 2 played so well with the Gamecube controller I didn't once wish for a mouse. The analog was precise, the triggers multi-function was easy to master and the face button layout made WWII less like hell and more like control heaven.

GRAPHICS...10

It's better than Xbox, hands down. Sure, the Xbox can cram lots of polys and vertices onto a screen but the textures and lighting on the Gamecube are so much better. ATI wasn't messing around. GTA:VC felt like a tropical blur fest on everything else, including PC. But Super Mario Sunshine was a vacation. The trees, the sand, the sun, it's all vibrant, colorful, and has less jaggies. Anti-aliasing is really a strong point. Madden 2007 on Gamecube really shows this strength. The Gamecube is not weak when it comes to 3D power, every title I have played made me wonder why I wasted so much time with the PS2.

LIBRARY...5

Okay, this is where things go downhill for the little box that could. Especially here in 2006. Lots of stuff that was coming to all 3 consoles got scrapped for the GCN, and lots of other publishers don't even bother. First of all, shame on you EA for not getting Fight Night Round 3 on GC. If you're a hardcore gamer that plays lots of titles, the Gamecube is a great companion to your PS2, Xbox, or PC, but you'll run out of quality games eventually. If you casually play games and don't care whether or not you can run over prostitutes or transfer a NCAA star to Madden, the library will serve you well. Call of Duty 2 and Madden 2007 didn't seem like lazy ports to me, the controls were spot on, and they pushed the limits of the hardware, as with most other 3rd party games I've seen. Of course, Nintendo is world famous for it's 1st party games. The first party games earn a 10 in my book. All of them. Mario Power Tennis looks pretty sweet to me, along with Super Smash Bros., Mario Kart DD. People constantly dog Nintendo for games like this but they are solid titles. Mario, Luigi, Bowser, Peach, Samus, Link...These guys are to Nintendo what Tom Cruise is to Paramount. They appear in all of the biggest hits, these are gamings A-list celebrities, whether they're saving the princess, beating the crap out of each other, or playing tennis. The Big 3 franchises really excel on this console. Mario Sunshine is innovative, looks great, and plays like a Volvo driving in the snow, lots of platforming action with precise, accurate control.

VALUE...8

This stuff is dirt cheap these days. There is an excess of Gamecube stock at your local gaming retailer and everywhere else. For the price of a used Xbox or Playstation 2, I was able to get a Gamecube AND Gameboy Advance. Now, this review isn't about the GBA, but it's part in my review is important. The connectivity was overlooked by a lot of developers, but what games do have it, make the most of it. FF:CC is a great example. Damn, is it fun. I can see all kinds of information on the small screen, and the gameplay area isn't cluttered with life meters and other information. And it's fun! As soon as I can find another one cheap, I'm getting second GBA for Four Swords Adventures and multiplayer Crystal Chronices. I also hear Pac Man VS. is really innovative too, you should check that out. But overall, the value of the Gamecube to a casual gamer is immense. A small investment will keep you entertained until the next generation comes. Games are cheap everywhere, and all the best stuff like Zelda, Metroid, and Mario are far from new releases and in Player's Choice versions for $19.99. If you're not some elitist fan-boy and actually enjoy great games, whether they're rated E or M, the Nintendo Gamecube is for you.

OVERALL SCORE...8

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 08/28/06