"One of the best Nintendo consoles out there, and the best console of the generation."

I admire this console as well as Nintendo as a company. They didn't try to attract people by adding tons of extra features or making their games as violent as possible. They attracted people by making their games fun; and that's exactly what the gamecube delivers, a lot of fun. Now onto the review

The hardware 9.8/10

Now the first thing People want to know about a console is the graphics capability. The Gamecube is capable of gorgeous graphics and has produced some of the best graphics we've seen this generation. I don't know the actual specs but I can tell you that it is more powerful than a PS2 and not as powerful as an xbox. Now Nintendo has said time and again that a game console should be about one thing, playing games. That's all the Gamecube does. It doesn't have DVD, CD, or any other capability like that. This is fine with me, less things to break and I already have a DVD player. Nintendo made up for this by selling the Gamecube for $100 less than the PS2 or Xbox. So you pay for what you get.

The gamecube uses Mini-disks contrary to the normal CD. I'm not exactly sure why they did this, but they did. It's no big deal, the disks have less space but there are very few games out there that are multidisk. The other thing you might notice about the gamecube is that it's quite small, easily half the size of PS2 (except the new thin PS2 is smaller) or Xbox. This makes sense due to the lack of other features and the use of mini-disks. This convenient for space saving and makes it easier to travel with. It even has a handle to carry it with.

One big question about a console is reliability. Let me tell you that the Gamecube is one of the most reliable consoles made to date. I've had my Gamecube since launch day on November 18th 2001. That was nearly 4 years ago and I've had no problems since. It's only frozen on me 4 times in a nearly 4 year period. There also a video on the internet of a Gamecube that was dragged behind a truck for at least a couple miles and then plugged back in only to work perfectly. That's a testament to how well these things are built.

Another key feature of a good console is the controller, if it's not comfortable it's impossible to really enjoy playing a game. That's not an issue with the Gamecube, the controller is fantastic. It's not too small, not too big, and the buttons are placed perfectly. The only complaint that some may have about it is that the the d-pad is quite small. But it's not used for very much very often so it's almost never an issue.

One complaint that some might have is that the Gamecube cannot support true 5.1 surround sound. But this really isn't an issue since most don't have the equipment for that kind of sound anyway. But it's still capable of very strong quality sound.

The Software 9.5/10

This is where the Gamecube rises above all else. It can be described in one phrase "First party Genius" The Gamecube has first party support like no other and plenty of great games to show for it. Classic characters like Mario, Link, Kirby, Donkey Kong, and a few newcomers are all here in some excellent games. Lately though, there has been a lack of third party support. There are still plenty of third party companies supporting it but just not as many as PS2 or Xbox. Don't worry, chances are that if there's a hyped third party game coming out, it'll be available for Gamecube.

You may have also heard that the Gamecube is a "kiddy" system. This is not true. I'll admit that making the release and default color of the Gamecube, Indigo, didn't help. But this reputation mainly comes from the fact that there aren't as many intensely violent games on the Gamecube as PS2 or Xbox and how most (but not all) of Nintendo's first party games are suitable for ALL ages. But Nintendo's games have always been like that, enjoyable for everyone. There are a few exceptions to this though. Games like Eternal Darkness and the exclusive but not first party resident evil series. Resident Evil 4 is also a temporarily exclusive “mature” game, and one of the best games of the generation.. There are also a handful of multiplatform games that are quite violent too. But the Gamecube is not a system to buy if you have some kind of unnatural bloodlust and want unspeakable violence in every game you buy.

Nintendo also makes many of its games with great multiplayer, like mario kart double dash, Super Smash Brothers Melee, and Zelda four swords adventure to name a few. The Gamecube also has a sparsely used gameboy advance link up capability, but this is used in very few games and often does very little. In fact there are only 2 games that really need this to get the full enjoyment out of them. Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles and Zelda Four swords adventures. Both of these games have good single player but to get the most out of them you need the gameboy advance.

I'll just come out and say it. The Gamecube has a serious lack of online gameplay. There are only two games that are online on the gamecube. Phantasy star online 1&2 and Phantasy star online 3. That's it. There's no online plan like xbox live. You buy the modem adapter and register online. This doesn't really bother me since I've got a PC to play online. But if you're looking for the online experience, Gamecube really isn't the place to find it.

Another thing that I admire Nintendo for is making their games different. There's tons of innovation and new ideas in their games that really make them fun. Games like pikmin, animal crossing, mario sunshine, zelda the wind waker, are really one of a kind, enjoyable games. With great first party, innovative games, and great multiplayer, the Gamecube software library is outstanding.

Overall 9.7/10
Since you can't have a fraction, it's rounded up to 10

The gamecube is a system all about being different. It's hardware and many of it's games are one of a kind in gameplay and in quality. Simply put this is the best console I've ever owned. I've put well over 5000 hours into this console and have enjoyed every minute of it. Now for only $99.99 it's the best hundred dollars you could ever spend.

Reviewer's Score: 10/10, Originally Posted: 04/11/05