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Inside The Nintendo GameCube 394

Posted by CmdrTaco from the probing-luigis-innards dept.
Mortin writes "Icrontic.com has ripped apart a Nintendo GameCube. They document the entire procedure with a myriad of pictures. It's neat to see how clearly the Xbox and GameCube differ in respect to physical hardware." Luigi's mansion looks cool. The Star Wars game wasn't very fun. But the cube is so tiny, it's cute!
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Inside The Nintendo GameCube More

Inside The Nintendo GameCube

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  • ... can the gamecube be overclocked?

    ... can the gamecube boot linux?

    ... can the gamecube design nuclear weaponry?

  • Gamecube outselling xbox 2:1 (Score:4, Troll)

    by arson1 ( 527855 ) on Thursday November 29, 2001 @01:45AM (#2629261) Homepage

    Check out this article [ign.com] over at ign.com. Nintendo is claiming 2:1 sales over the xbox and 25% more units sold than the PS2 in it's first week.

    I have a relative who works for Best Buy corporate and she says the Gamecube is outselling the Xbox across the US in their stores by a substantial margin as well.

    Xbox will be dead in a year. The game industry doesn't give a shit about third place (ask Sega).

    • Re:Gamecube outselling xbox 2:1 (Score:5, Interesting)

      by Shaheen ( 313 ) on Thursday November 29, 2001 @01:56AM (#2629292) Homepage
      Okay, I'll believe you that far. Now, I'm a college undergrad sitting in a dorm suite with about 5 20-something people in it.

      We have every game console known to man, including GameCube and Xbox. We've really been playing Xbox for the most part of the past week, even though we got both systems at about the same time. The 3 games we got (Luigi's Mansion, WR:BS, and Rogue Leader) just haven't been able to catch our attention as well as DOA3 and Halo.

      I'm an avid gamer and have been forever, so I know what good games feel like, and most of the games I've played (as well as my suitemates) in the past week just seem to say that at the moment, Xbox has the better games.

      When Super Smash Brothers comes out, that'll probably change :)
      • just haven't been able to catch our attention as well as DOA3

        It [gamespot.com] catches [gamespot.com] my [gamespot.com] attention [gamespot.com] too [gamespot.com].
      • If you've got 5 people there, it's too bad that 2 of your 3 GameCube games are single player. And, that WaveRacer game seems ok to me so far, but nothing to get overly excited about.

        If you want to have a better impression of the GameCube games out there, you should have picked up Tony Hawk Pro Skater 3 (up to 2 players) and (I kid you not) Super Monkey Ball (up to 4.) I've got five games for the GameCube and these two are the ones I've played the most by far.

        Super Monkey Ball is just nuts. Learn the patience to balance a monkey in a hamster ball on a tiny little platform. The party games are the biggest attraction. Ever since The Wizard of Oz, people have dreamed of flying monkeys, and with the "monkey target" party game, you can finally realize it like never before. I'm not kidding, me and my brother couldn't get enough of trying to glide our monkeys onto those targets.

        I do sympathize though, I loved DOA2, and I'm sure DOA3 is a hoot.

    • Re:Gamecube outselling xbox 2:1 (Score:4, Interesting)

      by borgboy ( 218060 ) on Thursday November 29, 2001 @01:57AM (#2629298)
      Interesting assertion, and I'll not challenge it. But I'd be curious to know what the relative inventory levels are. You have to have double the in stock to sell double the units, and I havent seen an Xbox (or a GameCube) in stock.

      Nintendo made more....costs less to make in that little form factor....costs less to ship in that little form factor...costs less in warehouse space to store that little form factor.

      Smart guys, Nintendo.


    • What do you expect? Look at the ads on TV, they are just a billion trillion times better than any I've seen. Then look at the price, its cheaper. Then look at the games like Luigis Mansion, Metriod Prime, Starwars. And even if these games all suck, we know two things.

      1. They are better than the average Xbox game.
      2. The ads make each game look like its the next coming of christ or something.

      Xbox has crappy ads which look as bad as Sega and their Dreamcast ads.

      Xbox needs better games and better marketing for the few good games they do have. Lastly to compete with gamecube Xbox would need a cheaper price tag.

    • Re:Gamecube outselling xbox 2:1 (Score:5, Interesting)

      by Jace of Fuse! ( 72042 ) on Thursday November 29, 2001 @02:41AM (#2629486) Homepage
      Xbox will be dead in a year. The game industry doesn't give a shit about third place (ask Sega).

      I doubt the XBox will be dead in a year, but I suspect the Gamecube will definately obtain a wider audience.

      As for the Playstation 2, those who are most critical about the XBox "Invading" yet another market in an attempt to "own" it are yelling a big farking double standard the moment they fail to recognize that Sony has done that very same thing. Sony, in my opinion, is much worse. Not only is the PS2 inferior to both the XBox and the Gamecube, but never has there been a game console with such a high volume of crap games compared to excellent games.

      Someone else stated that the Playstation is aimed at hardcore gamers, and I personally feel that comment is WAY off. Most hardcore gamers will buy ALL of the sytems, while just about anybody is prone to be drawn into the Playstation. If anything, the Playstation aims for just about everyone, including people who typically do not play games (to include demographics that were statistically the lowest percentage of game players before the original Playstation came out [anyone who has worked retail selling game consoles can sit back and look at their customers and figure this one out.])

      The XBox will appeal to the hardcore gamer, and they will probably do quite well there.

      The Sony will appeal to just about everybody, and they will probably do quite well there.

      The Gamecube will appeal to Nintendo fans, children, parents of children, casual gamers, AND the really hardcore who just have to have it all. I think they'll do very well with that mix.

      The XBox will probably be the least successful of all three but it will not be "dead" I do not think. Many months back I said there can not be a third place, and I still fully believe this (ask Sega). But sometimes you can win by playing a totally different game (ask NeoGeo owners...)
      • Not only is the PS2 inferior to both the XBox and the Gamecube

        Huh? A) It was out a year before, and B) it's never been about what your console CAN do (performance specs), but about what it DOES do (quality of games).

        never has there been a game console with such a high volume of crap games compared to excellent games.

        Can't you attribute that to many, many more developers/games for the ps2? There will be more crap games if you have hundreds more to gauge them against (and likewise for great games).
        • Huh? A) It was out a year before, and B) it's never been about what your console CAN do (performance specs), but about what it DOES do (quality of games).

          If only that were true I wouldn't be mourning the loss of the Dreamcast..

      • Not only is the PS2 inferior to both the XBox and the Gamecube, but never has there been a game console with such a high volume of crap games compared to excellent games.

        *Every* system is similar in that respect. The Atari 2600 had 10 crap games for every one. Ditto for the NES, SNES, and Genesis. If anything, I think the PS2 has had an abnormally high number of must-buy games released in the first year.
    • Although, it's not really important. Cubes did sell better at the Toys R Us in my town. A woman behind the couter told be that all the xboxes were gone in about 6 hours, yet the Cubes were going to be finished off in less then 2.......moreover, they had a larger shipment of Cubes.

    • Gee, you don't say. (Score:5, Informative)

      by nobodyman ( 90587 ) on Thursday November 29, 2001 @03:10AM (#2629572) Homepage
      Maybe it's because Nintendo released 750,000 gamecubes and Microsoft only released 350,000 Xbox units? So, when you consider that both consoles sold out, your factoid amounts to exactly jack shit.

      As long as they both sold out, it's pretty hard to guage which has greater demand at this point, so stop spreading your Microsoft-bashing FUD.

      • Re:Gee, you don't say. (Score:5, Funny)

        by dimator ( 71399 ) on Thursday November 29, 2001 @03:33AM (#2629608) Homepage Journal
        so stop spreading your Microsoft-bashing FUD

        Umm.. dude, this is slashdot...
      • What, exactly, is your point with this statement? Let's think, just for a little bit, about whether what you said changes anything-- [thinks, thinks some more, comes to a conclusion]. NOPE! It's still an entirely accurate statement.

        Just because Company A doesn't produce as much as Company B doesn't mean you ignore that Company B sold FAR more units at retail than Company A did (even if both sold out). While the numbers don't show all sides of the issue, it does show that Nintendo indeed sold twice as many units as Microsoft did. No FUD in there. I'm not afraid. I'm quite certain. And there's no doubt.
        • To clarify...

          I never challenged the 2:1 figure, but rather the inference you could take from it. The original poster claimed that the 2:1 ratio was due to the fact that the gamecube was more popular. When both systems sell out on the same day, you can't make such an assertion. If inventory levels had nothing to do with it, I'd agree and say that Gamecube was more popular.

          And yes, the systems did in fact sell out on the same day (as backed up by Nintendo/Microsoft press releases and most news reports). The fact that you may see some in store is due to the fact that both companies are still manufacturing them and attempt to replenish inventory levels.

          And lest I get labeled some kind of zealot... I'm not fond of Microsoft either. Hell... I'll buy an Xbox as soon as I can install linux on the thing!

      • Maybe it's because Nintendo released 750,000 gamecubes and Microsoft only released 350,000 Xbox units? So, when you consider that both consoles sold out, your factoid amounts to exactly jack shit.


        Meanwhile, I sold both of the computers I built this year, and Dell still has thousands unsold in their warehouses! Woo hoo! I'm more successful than Dell!

        Dumbass.
    • For another look at the ongoing console wars from someone who actually runs a gameshop for a living you should check out this commentary on the relative success of the Gamecube v. Xbox at the Acts of Gord [actsofgord.com].

    • I agree one system will die. I believe it will be Nintendo because of the lack of DVD support. DVD has really come into its own in just the last few months. The amount of promotion of DVD players and such is huge and I have seen players at sub $100 prices. If the kiddies want a gaming system and parents were thinking of getting a DVD player, I would sure as hell kill two birds with one stone. The lack of a DVD player will be Gamecube's undoing. That combined with PS2's backward's compatability (read: loyality, wide game selection) and X-box's marketing, speed, power and DVD capablity should put Gamecube in 3rd place, which will mean its' death IMHO.
      • That's sort of a ridiculous premise considering for the price of a XBox or PS2 you can get a GameCube and DVD player as separate units. Matsushita (Panasonic) is going to release a DVD player with GameCube guts eventually (like Sega was going to let people do for a while). The GameCube has from the start been aimed specifically at games rather than trying to be a home theater component like the PS2. The GC also has something Microsoft doesn't even come close to having and that is franchise support. Nintendo itself has the huge money makers like Donkey Kong, Zelda, Mario, and Metroid. Just about anyone in their 20s buying a GC will remember their first console which was probably a NES and playing those games. Oh yeah and the big one, Pokemon. The next Pokemon game that comes out for the GBA will have a sister game on the GC which means mommy and daddy will end up buying little Jonny and little Susie GameBoys and GameCubes so they can play Pokemon on both. I'm waiting for a cool game I can connect my GBA to so I can do something else with it besides play Pokemon Crystal. Microsoft is going to get its ass spanked when it learns the accessory lesson. The GameCube comes with only the stuff you need to play games right now. They don't include shit for networking or anything of that kind in the box. They'll wait a little while until they can get their modems and NICs for 3$ a pop and sell them for 25$ and make a crazy profit. Microsoft won't sell more than a handful of their DVD adapter kits because it is less of a hassle just to have a dedicated DVD component. I think Sony and Nintendo will easily capture the market in 2002 because between the two of them they have just about every game in demand.
      • Lack of DVD support? I disagree.

        Look at it this way. At Superstore here (I live in Canada, these are $CAD), I have two options:

        1) X-Box for $614
        2) Gamecube, any two games I choose (of the three), extra controller, adapters, etc. etc. etc. for $402

        With that $212, I can throw on an extra $40, go down to A&B sound, and get a demo-model DVD player (last time I was there, they had a Toshiba with DTS decoder built in, etc., $450 player for $249), and then I don't have to deal with the pain of buying a remote for my X-Box and setting it up.

        Besides, anyone willing to drop $600 on a gaming console in this economic crunch probably already -has- a DVD player. The only reason to get this one is so that they don't have to switch TV inputs as much.

        --Dan
    • As has been pointed out, Nintendo put twice as many boxes on the shelves as Microsoft did, so you have to expect it to sell twice as many units--which is exactly what it's doing since both are selling out. While that does make your statement correct, it also means that this is in no way an accurate measure of consumer demand. Demand could be greater for the Xbox, and it would still be outsold 2:1 by Gamecube until MS gets more boxen on the shelves of retail outlets.

      And none of that supports your assertion that Xbox will be dead in a year. What so many people fail to remember is that Microsoft can afford to bleed money for several years on their Xbox division, and still remain a very, very profitable company overall. The problem with Sega was that they couldn't financially afford to play with the big boys anymore--that, and the fact that most gamers held onto their PSXs and/or N64s while holding out for the PS2.

      Sega counted on the Dreamcast becoming a hit because it was going to be out so long before the PS2 that gamers would jump on it. And some did, and loved it. But the vast majority of people are not hardcore gamers willing to spend lots of money on getting every game console under the sun. The vast majority of console customers are average teenagers, twentysomethings, and parents who buy them for their kids. And most of them already had Playstation or N64 machines they were pretty happy with. And when they read about how this new Sega Dreamcast is coming out that has much better graphics and will have more realistic, cool games that the PSX or N64 can't do, they'd consider maybe shelling out the money for it--until at the end of the same article they see that Sony claims the PS2 will be out within a year of Dreamcast, and that it has this incredible Emotion Engine chip that will make things look completely realistic and have games that will be totally revolutionary.

      Now, I remember clearly at the time that that's what happened in every article or TV spot discussing the Dreamcast--it's great, it's so much better; and the Playstation 2 will completely kick its ass and bring us to a new dimension of gaming realism, and be out within a year of Dreamcast. Now, we all know that most of that stuff was just Sony hype, and the PS2 isn't revolutionary, and came out a lot later than Sony originally said. But hindsight is 20/20, and people went by what they read and saw and heard, and by Sony marketing hype like Emotion Engine. Since Sega couldn't afford to bleed money like Microsoft can, they had to withdraw with their tail between their legs when sales didn't meet projections.

      Now, Microsoft can and will happily bleed money if necessary. Why? So that they can get their box into every household they possibly can. And it will be a lot of households, especially once the price drops 6 months to a year from now. You see, the Xbox has one advantage that neither the PS2 nor the Gamecube has. It's just a PC with some proprietary connectors. As such, it's more versatile than the competition, and it has a much longer usable life.

      See, right now Microsoft is downplaying the PC aspects of the Xbox, so that it will appeal first to the gaming market. MS wants it to appeal to kids, their parents, and dumb college kids who'd buy a Playstation instead of PC, for the gaming and entertainment/DVD features. In that respect it and the PS2 are perfect--Little Johnny gets a game station and his parents get themselves a DVD player; Johnny Fratboy gets a game machine and DVD player in one. The fact that you can buy a separate DVD player for the price delta between the Gamecube and the Xbox or PS2 doesn't matter, because Johnny Average wants one easy box instead of two that might be more complicated. Flashing 12:00 syndrome, and all.

      Once it saturates the gamer market, and gets into a lot of homes already, Microsoft can suddenly unveil Phase 2. You see, if Microsoft had wanted to make their console more console-like and less PC-like they easily could have. In fact, they had to know that hardwar enthusiasts would start ripping them apart and turning them into PCs just like they did with Netpliances and all the other webterminals that were essentially PCs. And if people do that, it costs them money since they lose $ on the hardware, selling it at such a low price point. MS knows this, they are not stupid when it comes to business. They would have changed it to make it less PC-like and more unhackable, unless there were a reason to keep it PC-like. I mean, it even has what are essentially USB connectors with a different shape and slight changes, which certainly makes it easy for hackers to find a way to hook up keyboards and mice. They will, sooner or later.

      But you see, this is Microsoft's Phase 2 for the Xbox. When the gamer market is saturated, they roll-out their own inexpensive keyboard and mouse and start not only appealing to a new market of Net users and people who need a PC, but also they already have a huge installed base of gamers who might not have bought a complicated computer thingy in the first place to play their games on, but now who figure "I need to use the Internet or get a computer anyway, so why not just shell out $40 for the Xbox keyboard/mouse and see if that's good enough." It will be integral to their .Net strategy. They will make money through the $20/month subscription to MSN.

      By starting the marketing as a game box, and then turning it into a PC that only works with their service second, they maximize their use of both markets, and get an MSN terminal into a lot more households than would have ever, ever, ever bought a crappy Netpliance or WebTV. Then they rake in the $20/month subscription fees for MSN. Oh, and for just $5/month extra, you can use their slick new network-enabled word processing suite on your Xbox, too, so that you can not only use MSN and the Interney and send and get e-mails, you can also write all your serious stuff and have it sent over the Net straight to your work or school. Brilliant. A few Linux hackers will get their OS running on it and cost them a comparatively small amount, but Joe and Jane Average will happily use their Xbox game console/Internet terminal/Hailstorm-driven word processing networked dynamo.

      It's clear by how PC-like the Xbox remains, despite all the easy ways they could have modified it, that their intention is eventually to have it take over the function of a PC. And it fits in nicely with .Net.

  • Paging Dr. Freud... (Score:4, Funny)

    by ElJefe ( 41718 ) on Thursday November 29, 2001 @01:49AM (#2629277)
    But the cube is so tiny, it's cute!

    Taco, do you frequently rip open things that you find cute? Remind me never to let you near my dog.

    -Chris

  • A couple [2] of links... (Score:5, Informative)

    by hyyx ( 447405 ) <cky@nOSPam.snpp.com> on Thursday November 29, 2001 @01:52AM (#2629284) Homepage
    The link is already slashdotted. I couldn't find a cache on Google [google.com]. Here is an alternative link to another gutting [segatech.com] of the Gamecube. All this Gamecube gutting reminds me of Ben Heckendorn [mailto]'s next project at VCSp [classicgaming.com] to make the Gamecube into a portable... watch for it.

  • This is on topic. Honest! (Score:5, Troll)

    by rice_burners_suck ( 243660 ) on Thursday November 29, 2001 @01:53AM (#2629286)

    To go off on a tangent for a paragraph or so... I would pick the GameCube over the Xbox any day. Personally, I believe the Xbox is simply Microsoft's way of trying to monopolize yet another market with their inferior stuff. With the Sony PS2 and GameCube on the market, I believe there is no room for the Xbox. If you want a computer to run Linux or one of the BSDs on, get a real computer and don't support Microsoft. And if you don't want a whole computer, pick up a Circuit Cellar or some other magazine and get one of those 4x4 inch boards that contains a complete Pentium computer with everything, sometimes including even the sound hardware. Seriously, I really honestly believe that Microsoft is leveraging their monopoly in the area of operating systems and office productivity software to obtain monopolies in other areas as well. They've been talking about getting into the games market for about 5 or 6 years that I remember. (There were articles in the gaming magazines about 5 or 6 years ago with Bill Gates' pictures all over them.) I think Microsoft has done quite enough to put perfectly good companies out of business and take over markets with their inferior products (only because of the strength and vigor of their marketing).

    Now back on subject:Both the GameCube and Sony's PS2 are very nice machines. I like how, over the years, these things have slowly transformed from machines designed only for video games into machines that serve as a nice component in a home theater (or, as they were called in the 80's, home entertainment systems--this makes more sense to me than home theater, as a theater is a place where you watch plays, a cinema is a place where you watch movies (so it should be called a home cinema rather than a home theater) and an entertainment center can contain any kind of component that serves to entertain). Nice article, and pictures.

    Oh well.

    • To go off on a tangent for a paragraph or so... I would pick the GameCube over the Xbox any day. Personally, I believe the Xbox is simply Microsoft's way of trying to monopolize yet another market with their inferior stuff. With the Sony PS2 and GameCube on the market, I believe there is no room for the Xbox.

      Well, it's a pity that in comparison with the XBox, the PS2 is a pile of crap. (As all my friends who've played both of my consoles will attest to; the PS2 just doesn't compare).

      As for the GameCube.. the jury is still out on that until I can buy one of those too.

      Simon
      • in comparison with the XBox, the PS2 is a pile of crap.

        Say what? Pile of crap is really strong. If it was all about graphics capability, the N64 would have won over PS1, but as we all know that was not the case: it was about games, and the PS had more quality, though not as pretty, titles.

        Secondly, when I saw Halo for the first time, instead of "wow, cool graphics" I thought "wow, DirectX." Maybe I'm alone on this, but I don't like how directX games look... and yes, you CAN tell a difference. The graphics in say, MGS2, look WAY nicer, smoother, crisper than Halo, at least to me.
        • Secondly, when I saw Halo for the first time, instead of "wow, cool graphics" I thought "wow, DirectX." Maybe I'm alone on this, but I don't like how directX games look... and yes, you CAN tell a difference. The graphics in say, MGS2, look WAY nicer, smoother, crisper than Halo, at least to me.

          I'm not a great Halo fan personally; I much prefer Project Gotham Racing, Arctic Thunder and Dead or Alive 3; I agree with you about Halo -- it does look very DirectX. Very Half Life in fact.

          Which is a shame. The other games put it to shame. Whoever thought that it was a good idea to control a 1st person shooter with a joystick was nuts.

          Project Gotham takes first prize from what was my fave game -- Vanishing Point for the PS1, with 3rd place going to Gran Turismo A-Spec. (It just didn't satisfy). And DOA3... I've not seen anything that compares with it. Anywhere. Ever. Except maybe in some of the arcade games from the past year or so.

          I'm losing sleep on the XBox - which is a good sign. I'm even thinking of selling the PS2 -- which was a mistake in the first place. About the only benefit I've seen from owning it is that I can load my old PS1 games faster.

          But that's life ;-)

          Si
          • GTA3 didn't satisify me either, and I think that it's because of the true perfection that was GT2. GT3 was GT2 with less (but cooler) cars and better graphics. In the end it was proven that gameplay matters, not graphics. And the gameplay of the GT series is a ton of cars and a ton of tracks. They shouldn't to have gotten rid of the High Speed Ring either. It's hard for a newbie to start playing it when there are no easy but curvy tracks. The Super Speedway doesn't count. That being said, If they introduce new modes of play in GT4, and more cars then GT2, then it will be a good game.

            I would like to say that I think that no console has a real advantage in the graphics department anymore. And the reason is that it costs so much to make a game that has really good graphics these days that it looks like a lot of game makers are going to target the lowest common denominator and release the game for all three platforms. Only a few high profile games will get the royal treatment of optimization for a platform. Look at games like Simpsons road rage. It's out for PS2, X-Box and I think GC (if not then soon ). That game is the perfect example of the mass market game (which most are). It's got ok graphics, not a great, but playable game. With a lot of games coming out for multiple systems, it will be hard to make a decision as to which system to purchase. Glad I got a DC the other day for cheap.

            Also, why are all games coming in DVD boxes? Now all the games look the same. Even the screen shots on the boxes look the same.
          • > Which is a shame. The other games put it to shame. Whoever thought that it was a good idea to control a 1st person shooter with a joystick was nuts.

            Isn't Halo a third person squad level game?
    • I agree the video game market has always been a dyad. However, I think the XBOX is not in direct opposition to the GameCube and PS2, but rather directly against the PS2, with the GC aiming for a slightly different market.

      XBOX shoots for the PS2 demographic of people willing to drop large bills on a console, who want the latest, greatest performance and features. Hard core, serious gamers in essence. GC appears to be aiming for the more casual gamer and/or a younger audience. This of course could change in the future. The price point alone reflects this difference, as does XBOX's hardware spec. People buying an XBOX get a gaming PC replacement with titles optimized for that exact hardware config, instead of spending twice as much on a PC and hoping their hardware will work with the games they'll want to buy for the next two years.

      So if I had to prognosticate, I'd say we may be looking at a future with a triad of consoles on the market, each with it's own pros and cons. And as far as M$ failing in this market, does anyone really think that will happen? While Gates and company may be snakes in the grass, they aren't fools, and I don't think they'd get into the market if they weren't damn sure they could dominate it.

      • People buying an XBOX get a gaming PC replacement with titles optimized for that exact hardware config, instead of spending twice as much on a PC and hoping their hardware will work with the games they'll want to buy for the next two years.

        Not too long ago I finished Max Payne on my 4-year-old PII 350 with a 3-year-old video card (Voodoo 2). I didn't have every last lens flare effect in play, but I still enjoyed the game.

        As for console wars...I'll consider a GC if Silent Hill 2 is going to be released for it...that's the only reason I want a PS2.

        -Legion

    • I found it interesting when I walked into FuncoLand a couple of days ago and asked about GameCubes. I was told they had none, but that they did have a pile of XBox's, and would I please buy one because nobody else was. I found that amusing ;)

  • Proprietary screws (Score:3, Interesting)

    by quasipunk guy ( 88280 ) on Thursday November 29, 2001 @01:57AM (#2629301)
    Since most of you who're slashdotting it right now might have seen this part, you'll know why I'm asking this question.

    Why do console manufacturers use proprietary screws?

    Now, in recent years, console manufacturers have let off a bit, but after the NES, Nintendo has gone crazy with the security screws. My SNK NeoGeo Pocket Color has one triangular screw that has prevented me from taking it apart. The GameCube has those weird things. I think the GBA has a full set of those wacky triangular screws.

    Why do they not want me to see inside of it without marring the case? Is it warranty related? One of the first things I do with my things (after I've enjoyed it in its virginal form) is to take it apart. But I also hate ruining cases/screws, and I don't feel like investing the $35 it takes to get the proper bits for certain equipment.

    Is there any good reason? I cannot imagine anything mechanical that makes a phillips head any worse. Has Nintendo or anyone ever commented on this issue?

    • Re:Proprietary screws (Score:2, Informative)

      by SuzanneA ( 526699 )
      They're not exactly proprietary, you can buy the screwdrivers for the screws nintendo uses at just about any electronics supply place. They are usually referred to as 'security bolt' drivers, and only cost a couple of dollars.

      As to WHY they use them, no idea. I suppose it convinces a handful of would be 'fix it myself' people to bother opening the console, though the people that have enough of a clue to do repairs themselves won't be put off by it really. So maybe it reduces any potential liability a little further than just the 'no user servicable parts inside'.

      The triangular head screws on GB/GBC/GBA probably have some basis in nessecity, the screws are smaller and require less clearance room than regular philips screws of a similar size.

      I haven't seen the GameCube's screws yet, but I suspect they're the same screws as used on SNES and N64 consoles and carts, and (although much smaller) on GB/GBC/GBA carts.

      In the end, they only people they stop gaining access to the machine/cart is the casual tinkerer, and perhaps thats the real intention, as those are the people more likely to rip a console apart, then be surprised when it no longer works, and demand a replacement under warrenty.

    • As a self-confessed hardware disassembler how can you not have a magnetic screwdriver and full set of hex bits ?

      You start off with at least 8 sizes of flat-head, then 8 sizes of each of pozidrive and phillips, and that's your *basic* set...

      Then you add in 8 sizes each of every "security" type you can get your hands on, starting on the ultra-common "TX", moving on to things like the tri-wing, and on to the *really* obscure stuff.

      Now you can dismantle everything in sight: No games console, PVR, computer or bus shelter will be safe when you are around!

      graspee

    • Re:Proprietary screws (Score:2, Informative)

      by Anonymous Coward
      The types of fasteners are selected more based on the marterials they are being used with, and the tools expected to be used during assembly, than on any dark concept concieved to keep you out.

      An ill-fitting driver on the assembly line can ruin a product, and/or cause slow-downs during the production run. When seconds count, it is important to be able to grab, fasten and move on as quickly as possible.

      They use power-screw drivers, and one of the considerations is the torque that is fed back to the operator...once when the fastener bites and again when the head shouders down. The tool needs to grab only enough to drive properly. If it can't free itself from the head of the fastener easily, it's a problem...if it fits too loosely into/onto the fastener, it's too easy to jump out and damage the product.

      The reason these are not 'common' is that they are custom made by hundreds of different vendors, worldwide, and they are focusing on the assembly line environment. They don't design it so you can tear it apart on the kitchen table because you're not a factor. If this looks like they are building in anti-tampering, you need to stop thinking along those lines. They're not even thinking about you, except how fast they can get it to you in exchange for your wallet :)

      You people are too conspiritorial :)


  • I'm happy to say that upon reassemble of the unit, it still works.

    he spelled it wrong but at least he did it.

  • I believe (Score:3, Troll)

    by HanzoSan ( 251665 ) on Thursday November 29, 2001 @01:59AM (#2629313) Homepage Journal
    Nintendos done everything right.

    As far as hardware goes, PS2 went for all polygons and no textures and is barely better than Dreamcast.

    Dreamcast went with good textures, low polygons, and PS2 was able to hype up 60 million polygons per second and make Dreamcast sound cheap.

    What Nintendo did, was alittle of both, Polygon power thats 12 million polygons per second, which is twice the power of the Dreamcast.

    And 64 megs of ram, This is more ram than any other system and not just any ram but FAST ram.

    Nintendo realized the quality of rendering, and the special effects are more important than the pure polygon power.

    PS2 has better special effects and you see it in certain games, Theres a new water racing game for the PS2 which has the most realistic water i've ever seen, photorealistic and definately better than wave race. Problem is, while PS2 games have better physics, the color quality is horrible. Metal Gear Solid 2 the best game PS2 has to offer right now, clearly lacks color and textures, and this is why a game like Shenmue on the dreamcast actually looks more realistic. Color and Textures are very important, not just physics.

    Xbox has the most potential hardware wise, A pentium 3 which can be used for Physics and a high quality graphics chip, However Gamecube is easier to program for, so while Xbox has the potential to destroy the game cube, right now Gamecube games look better simply because its easier to right them, so with Xbox you have an almost Sega Saturn style system which gives programmers too much power
    and while Microsoft makes good development tools, we have yet to see what Xbox can do and most likely wont see what it can do for a couple of years.

    So why do i believe Gamecube did everything right?

    Cheap, Its cheaper than all the competition.
    Marketing, It has some of the best commercials I've ever seen.
    Power, while Xbox may be more powerful, Gamecube has better looking games.

    I expect Gamecube to outsell all systems this year and Next year and perhaps be the console to Dominate. If the Marketing remains at this level, and Xbox doesnt get some good games fast, I dont think Gamecube will have any serious competition. PS2 is still in the picture, but they better have an ace up their sleeve or they will go the way of the Dreamcast.
    • However Gamecube is easier to program for...

      How do you figure? The XBOX utilizes a slightly modified DirectX8.1. DirectX is very easy to develop for. Not to mention that you can design a game for the PC, and port it to the XBOX with minimal effort (and visa versa).

      For example, Redstorm has been making their Rainbox 6 series for both PC and PS1 (incredible games, IMHO). Now you'd think that with there latest, graphic intensive game, Ghost Recon, that they'd go to PS2 since they have PS1 experience. However, for Ghost Recon, they released a PC version, and have an XBOX version coming out "real soon".


      • What? You think nothing can be Easier than DirectX now? Now you think No company can compete with Microsft here?

        Nintendo has been making DirectX like software since before Microsoft even created Windows 1.0.

        Who do you think is better at making development software, Nintendo whos been doing it for 20 years, or Microsoft?

        Redstorm and all these PC companies love Microsoft, but their games arent as good as alot of Japanese game companies.

        Sure Microsoft will have the support of all American developers, but the Japanese developers prefer the game cube.

        Just like some people prefer Linux over Windows.

        The reason Gamecube is the easiest to program for, is if you look at the games, all of them look good, theres not a single ugly Gamecube game.

        Look at Xbox or PS2 and i can find some games which look like shit, worse than Dreamcast, these games show that the system is hard to program for.

        Dreamcast game was easy to program for too thats why the standard dreamcast game looked pretty good.
    • The GameCube only has 43 megs of RAM, not 64. The XBox is the one with 64 megs of RAM which is unified so the CPU and GPU share the same memory. The GameCube has 24 MB of low latency SRAM for the GPU plus 3 MB of embeded even lower latency memory on the chip itself. Main system memory tops off with 16 MB of higher latency RAM but it is used for actual game data. I think what Nintendo did right was stick with making a console system. Microsoft is shipping a miniature PC for 300$. Nintendo's got a box they can put together fairly cheap and it's something developers can have alot of flexibility with.
  • Once again, this article looks like an old rerun [slashdot.org]

    Too bad the link is slashdotted already.
    Though the inside of the gamecube can be found here [gamesx.com] (from the other slashdot article)

  • My personal GameCube notes (Score:5, Interesting)

    by Dark Paladin ( 116525 ) <jhummel.johnhummel@net> on Thursday November 29, 2001 @02:04AM (#2629331) Homepage
    Here's my whole deal on the GameCube. It's long. Sorry about that. But I wouldn't feel fair if I said all that stuff on the Xbox [slashdot.org] in a previous post, then left the GameCube swaying in the wind. So this whole thing is my honest opinion. Take it as it is.

    The size of the past

    About a month ago, I bought my first Nintendo Entertainment System.

    Growing up as a child, I never had a Nintendo of my own. My parents waited until I had left home to stop being poor, so I didn't know the joys of the little sister. That means no Kid Icarus, no Castlevania, and especially no Final Fantasy.

    Until a month ago, when a chance run into a Software Etc made me notice the Final Fantasy (not II, III, or otherwise) - an original Final Fantasy game. 20 minutes later I bought it, and went out to find myself a Nintendo to play it on.

    20 years is a long time to wait, and its interesting how Nintendo's systems have evolved over the years. Some things, like the output plugs for the systems, have remained the same since the Super Nintendo Systems. The cartridges have gotten a little bigger and could hold more memory, but they were still cartridges, made to deliver their information as quickly as possible so game players could focus on playing games rather than waiting for the information to load.

    That also meant there was a trade-off. Companies that went with the PlayStation system could use disks that held far more information, which means more cinematic gameplay, sometimes at their benefit, sometimes to their detriment.

    But now Nintendo has joined the rest of the disk based world with their little square wonder, the GameCube. And in true Nintendo fashion it's brutally efficient at doing one thing: providing gaming entertainment.

    Hip to be Square

    The first thing I noticed when I opened up the box was my little black GameCube is small and perfectly square. Actually, the first thing I noticed was the handle that let me pull it out and walk around the house going "Look at this little thing?"

    The GameCube weight between 3-4 pounds, and while it's small, it feels solid, and the little guy is quiet when you turn it on. To be honest, Nintendo did cheat - the power cord has a large brick on it that's used for AC/DC conversion, and that big brick is a slight problem when you're trying to find a place to plug it in. (The power brick alone is almost as heavy as the GameCube itself!)

    The GameCube is a simple system. On the top are 3 buttons - On, Reset, and Open so you can insert the mini-DVD's (more in that in a moment). The front as 6 slots - 4 controllers, 2 memory. The back has inserts for the power and Video Out (which uses the same plugs as your old Nintendo 64, which uses the same plugs as your Super Nintendo), as well as another plug for Digital Out - and since I don't have a system that supports that, RCA works just fine for me, thank you very much.

    The bottom is where you upgrade the system. Two serial ports and one high speed port are covered by smooth covers, set up so that when you do plug in future add-ons (like a broadband adapter or modem), they'll be perfectly flush with the system so you won't notice them in the way.

    The system is made to play games, so forget any ideas about putting in your music CD's or movie DVD's inside. The individual games come in small, 3 inch disks that are burned with DVD level technology (so they can store lots of information in a small space). Nothing else is going to fit inside, and while there are reports of a GameCube compatible DVD player in Japan being released sometime in the next few months, the unit you buy from Nintendo doesn't aspire to any of that.

    It just plays the games, kids. I can't stress that enough, because it does it so well.

    It's Flipper!

    The original code name for the GameCube was the Dolphin, and it makes sense that the ATI graphics card that powers the GameCube was named Flipper. (Unless you haven't been born in the last 30 years like myself, you might remember that Flipper was the dolphin star of a popular TV show. Like Lassie in the water.)

    ATI proves they know how to do graphics, because so far the first set of games for the GameCube look incredible. I've been playing with Super Monkey Ball, and the game looks incredibly smooth. The spheres look perfectly round, colors and textures are bright and colorful, and the other little tricks like lens flare and so on never slow down the system at all.

    Or another game sure to be popular this year, Rebel Assault II. The first mission alone, a recreation of the Battle of Yavin where you get to destroy the Death Star, looks like you're inside the movie. But the next mission after that which has you flying through a nebula, and I was impressed by the sheer beauty of space, the distant stars shining through interstellar gas in a sight any science fiction fan would sell their soul to be a part of.

    Quick Load

    One problem with most CD or DVD based games is the long load times, or the wait to load or save games to memory cards.

    The opposite is true with the GameCube. Somehow, maybe because the mini-DVD's are so small the seek time is less, games load up very quickly, and games saved to the small memory cards (which resemble the PlayStation 2 memory cards, only half the size (and at 4 MB, half the storage space)) quickly store their information so you can get right back into the game.

    Either way, the near lack of wait between the time you say "Start Game" and the time the game launches keeps you from getting bored.

    Fits like a perfect, tiny glove

    You know what they say about a man who can drive a stick? Yeah, me neither.

    As much as I've tried to avoid it, sooner or later I have to mention the recent review of another console's controller, the Xbox. Like the Xbox controller, the GameCube's contains several buttons and features:

    * Two analog sticks
    * One D-Pad
    * 3 finger triggers (two on the right, one of which is the Z button, one of the left)
    * 5 buttons - A, B, X, Y, and Start

    And while the controller is made for hands slightly smaller than my own, it was still very comfortable. I could reach every single button (except for the Start button, which really doesn't count) with my thumb, and the finger triggers were pretty accessible, except for the Z button which was a further stretch for my right index finger. I believe that there's a larger model made by another company, but as it is the default controller is comfortable enough to use for long stretches. (In fact, I recently bought a second during Thanksgiving so me and the kids could play the games together. Made me a big hit in the family, I can tell you.)

    The buttons give a good response so you know they've been pushed down. The main finger triggers also have a "click", which means that just pressing down the trigger means one thing, while "clicking" it all the way down can mean another. For example, in Rogue Squadron II, pressing down the right means to accelerate, while clicking it can activate the S-Foils or hit a Turbo Boost.

    The controller has rumble technology, which means it can vibrate depending on what's going on in the game. It isn't terribly strong, but it's effective enough.

    Inside the Cube

    When the GameCube is first turned on, even its boot-up sequence is cute as it "rolls" a purple cube on the screen to form the GameCube logo.

    The menu system is also made of a cube, and moving the controller in each of the four compass directions gives you the various options, like sound, video, time, memory, and launching the game itself. The cube menu is transparent, and each item is clearly depicted in little squares that make up the letters, continuing the cube tradition.

    There's nothing outside the ordinary, so let's move onto the big event.

    The Games

    Compared to the Xbox or the PlayStation 2, the GameCube doesn't have a lot of games available at its launch, and if history is a key, it probably won't have as many as its competitors. (Take a look at the games for the PSOne compared to the Nintendo 64.)

    But those games that are out, the two that I've been playing with are both incredibly fun. Listed here are "Gut Level" reviews of the games - these aren't final scores, but just my general impressions after spending around 24 hours with them and the system.

    Star Wars Rogue Squadron II: Rogue Leader:

    For fans of the Star Wars game, this is as close to flying the X-Wing and other crafts as you're going to get. The controls are simple enough - the left analog controls your direction, left and right trigger buttons decrease/increase speed, A to fire the primary weapons, and B to fire the secondary weapons.

    It was evident from the beginning that the Factor 5 crew was interested in fun. When it first starts, you see a group of StormTroopers dancing to the Cantina Theme before the camera pans back to reveal the LucasArts logo. It's cute, and just ads that grin to your face before the game even begins.

    The missions are fairly simple in and of themselves, usually spent blowing up the Imperial Forces in the various crafts. But expertise in being quick, accurate, or not getting dead are rewarded by giving out Gold, Silver, and Bronze awards that can be used to collect points for better ships in other missions.

    As far as the graphics, it is amazing. Flying down the Death Star Trench with the Tie Fighters roaring after me, it almost looked like the gray, dominating trenches of the Death Star trench.

    The other interesting graphical feature depends on the time of day. On planet based missions, the sun moves depending on what time the GameCube reports, so missions flown in late afternoon will have the sun setting, while missions played in the middle of the day has the sun high overhead. It was a surprising detail, and one that just adds to the cool factor of the game.

    Probably the most aggravating thing is the radar system. I'm used to the old Tie Fighter/X-Wing system, where the left circle is the back and the right is the front (or is it the other way around?), but for Rogue Squadron II there's the only the one on the upper right, and I often had problems knowing if something was above me or below me.

    Gut Level Score: 8 or 9

    Super Monkey Ball:

    Oh, yes, I'm sure that PETA will just love this game.

    Sega, I love you. This game is a blast. Imagine one of those marble mazes, where you'll tilt the maze about to move the marble through the hallways, avoiding the tiny holes.

    Except in this case, the mazes are huge, the size of a football field, and the marbles are encased with...monkeys. Cute little monkeys that try to run and keep up with the marbles as they race down the ramps at 70 mph, while you try and grab the bananas (I believe sponsored by Dole) while keeping them falling off the edges down into oblivion.

    First, the graphics are even better than Rogue Squadron II. It's bright, the balls are perfectly round, the the little monkeys have all sorts of expressions as they're rolled around, expressing shock or glee as they race about your tilting world.

    The game has that "Ah-ah-woah!" feeling as you just barely keep your Monkey from falling off the edges so you can get that one extra banana, or the sudden fear as parts of the mazes break off to float away, leaving you to make split second decisions of whether to play it safe, or go for broke.

    Then there's the party games and mini-games mode. I've only played one of the party games, Monkey Fight, where you control a monkey with a boxing glove and try to punch the other monkeys off the board. Boxes will drop down that will give your monkey's various abilities, but primarily it's a romp to move around the board, trying to keep a wall at your back so you aren't knocked off.

    Sega captured the very essence of gaming with Super Monkey Ball - it's just flat out fun.

    Gut Score: 9 or 10.

    Closing the Box

    I like the GameCube, and I'm not going to be ashamed of that. It's almost half the size of its competitor, but it's like looking at a puppy around some big dogs. It's cute, it wants to please you, and it's got the charm and energy to make playing with it funner than playing with the bigger, dogs that might know a lot of cool tricks, but they don't make you want to scratch the back of their lids. Er, ears. I like the system, I like the games, I like the controller, and I'd gladly buy it again, and gladly recommend its purchase to anyone who just wants to have fun.

    As always, I'm John "Dark Paladin" Hummel [mailto]. And that's my opinion.
    • There's one small, but important detail that you got wrong. The GameCube's graphics chip was designed by ArtX, which was later bought by ATI. Flipper was finished before ATI purchased ArtX- ATI just took the opportunity to add its logo to the GameCube.
    • One problem with most CD or DVD based games is the long load times, or the wait to load or save games to memory cards. The opposite is true with the GameCube. Somehow, maybe because the mini-DVD's are so small the seek time is less, games load up very [clipped]
      I don't believe short loading times are somehow inherent to GC, I think it's all about the developer. And I've heard Nintendo is pretty strict about the games developed for the GameCube, so it could just be that Nintendo doesn't give the publisher permission to publish the game if the loading times are too long.

      OTOH I could be full of shit...
      • I don't believe short loading times are somehow inherent to GC, I think it's all about the developer.

        Yes and no. Let's remember the Playstation, and the horrid load times on some games. Then let's remember scene changes in Final Fantasy IX. You'd change screens, and the game would load up a pre-rendered image five screens high by three screens wide, and you wouldn't notice any load times. Why? The FF Developers fade out/in, and the software starts loading the next image while the fade-out starts (I believe).

        But then let's look at Q3 for PS2. It's not worth playing. You get a couple of boring maps and a few neat ones, but you have to wait up to 4 minutes just for the title screen to come up, and a good three minutes every time you want to load a map. It's pathetic.

        I'd wager that 1) Nintendo has the benefit of faster DVD seek/read mechanisms because they had a year of technology behind them, and 2) That we will see games with high and low load times

        Still, it seems to me that most games on Nintendo systems emphasize quality over quantity. Let's see if Nintendo is as finicky about its licensees this time around.

        --Dan
      • I've heard people say the Xbox loading times are enormously long - I'd have to disagree. I own an Xbox, and I've also played on a Cube, and to me they seem pretty similar.

        I did notice that some Xbox games (e.g. DOA3, Project Gotham) have a really long intro before the menu pops up. Perhaps that made people think they had to sit through all of it? I personally hit the Start button imnmediately, and I get the game menu straight away, within seconds of putting in the game.

        With the Cube (looking at Wave Race and Rogue Leader), the intro was certainly shorter, but not interruptible. Total time taken before you could get to the menu was more or less equivalent.

        I doubt the mini-DVDs will seek any faster than a full-size DVD. Perhaps average seek time would be less for a full 1.3 GB mini-DVD than for a full 9.4 GB disk, but if you stored 1 GB of data on each type of disc, it'd actually seek quicker on a full-size disc (since on the Xbox all data is stored at the outside rim, where it spins faster and you can fit more data per track, thus resulting in higher transfer rates, fewer seeks required, and a smaller average seek distance).

        Are the Cube's mini-DVDs dual-layer, like the Xbox? A dual-layer disc would have twice as much data in the same area. Though I don't know what the refocussing delay is to switch layers, or whether an Xbox game always uses both layers or only when one layer is full.

  • Star Wars not fun? (Score:5, Interesting)

    by timothy ( 36799 ) on Thursday November 29, 2001 @02:53AM (#2629522) Journal
    Cmdrtaco might not think the Star Wars game is very fun, but Cliff and I do. Cliff is busy destroying towers right now, in fact -- this game is making me want to buy the GameCube and glue the lid shut ...

    timothy
    • Wait till you get to the asteroid field (4th level, 2nd after Hoth), it gets REALLY annoying.

      If you haven't made it past Hoth yet (I certainly had enough trouble), some advice: take out ALL the AT-STs (little guys) first. Only after they're all gone (theres several groups) should you take work on AT-ATs. Slow down all the way (left shoulder button till it clicks) turn infront of them and fire the harpoon. For easier flight around them use the cockpit camera with the C "button" pulled toward the walker you're entangling.

      Anyone got tips for the asteriod field?
      • In the asteroid field avoid the fighters if at all possible. Have your wingmen take care of them and go after the shield generator things. Strafe right over the energy field and try to hit three consecutive generators with the ion canon. Be careful when strafing over the energy field because about by the time you waste two of the generators a Lamda class shuttle hops on your ass and starts shooting up your pipe. I pulled some fancy footwork and slid behind him and blasted him with my lasers until he pulled way up then i got the third generator and went on with the mission.
    • I'd have to agree with you there. We got a GC w/ rogue leader at the office to review. Wow. I ran right out to the local Target and picked up a GC and SWRL 15 minutes after seeing it.

      SWRL has lived up to every expectation I had. Buy a copy if you can - but by all means, play it

      Luigi's Mansion is a fun game with neat game play, too. Although I don't think it will have much replay value.
  • Having an ATI GPU doesn't give me worm and fuzzies. Everybody has driver problems but ATI's problems are bad enough that people yawn at the new Radeon even though some say its as fast or faster than the Geforce 3.

    Maybe they spent so much time on the Flipper, the PC chipsets played second fiddle.

    • Re:ATI's driver history (Score:5, Informative)

      by WhyCause ( 179039 ) on Thursday November 29, 2001 @03:06AM (#2629552)
      ATI did NOT design the graphics chip in the GameCube.

      The chip was designed by a company called ArtX, which was purchased by ATI prior to the mass production of the GameCube. I believe that ATI kept most of the employee base from ArtX, and let them run with it through final production. I wouldn't be surprised if it came out that ATI bought ArtX just so they could say "see, we make console GPUs too," to nVidia. A lot of this is from an interview with one of the head engineers on the Flipper chip that I read on IGN, but I can't find now.

      Having an ATI GPU doesn't give me worm and fuzzies

      I, for one, am very glad that you don't have worms ;)

  • Fan? (Score:2)

    by Kris_J ( 10111 )
    I haven't seen a GC in the flesh so I didn't realise it had a fan. What's the noise level like?

    • Re:Fan? (Score:2)

      by inio ( 26835 )
      the dvd drive seeking makes more noise than the fan in most cases. The device does have a slight whirr to it, but nothing you would hear even over the quietest TV.

  • Please make a "consoles" category. (Score:5, Insightful)

    by corky6921 ( 240602 ) on Thursday November 29, 2001 @03:50AM (#2629633) Homepage
    Slightly OT, but please read before moderating.

    I would like to see a "consoles" category on Slashdot. That way, all of these articles about the Gamecube and Xbox could go in their own category, which users could then remove from the front page. Right now, they are in the generic "technology" category, which contains many other articles that might be interesting to those of us who couldn't care less about the latest console hack.

    Thanks--

  • super monkey ball.. by sega (Score:2, Interesting)

    by \\ ( 118555 )
    super monkey ball is quite simply one of the most fun and addicting games i have ever played.

    you have the main game, where you move your monkey (in a ball.. super.. monkey ball) around the screen to the end. you basically tilt the board and make the monkey move around.

    more than this, you've got monkey fight, which is incredibly simple and incredibly fun, bomberman-level fun, monkey target, where you launch your monkey and attempt to land on some targets in the ocean, monkey race, where you race other monkeys around a track, and then three unlockable games, monkey billiards, monkey bowling, and monkey golf, which is 18 holes of miniature golf.. this game has seven games built into it, and i can not stop playing it.

    i bought tony hawk 3 and rogue squadron 2 at launch, along with super monkey ball, and i have played them a combined total of an hour and a half. super monkey ball? probably 20 times that.

    i realize this comes off as rambling.. but dammit, this game rocks. ign review [ign.com] aqui.

    the most addicting, and best (imo) game for the gamecube yet.. made by sega. no surprise.

    hmm. i bet this is offtopic..
  • > The Star Wars game wasn't very fun.

    Did you turn the system ON??! Because the Star Wars game I have for my Gamecube is nothing short of spectacular, beautiful, AND fun.

    To each his own, but IMHO Star Wars: Rogue Leader is superb!
  • SW Rogue Leader is an amazing game. The PS2 and xbox have SW Starfighter which doesn't even rate compared to the experience of Rogue Leader. Rogue Leader is a great example of a beautifully designed and executed game. It proves the gamecube is fully capable of competing with the other two consoles (even though Nintendo isn't hyping the specs of their new machine). If you want to reexperience the attack on the deathstar, you can do it right out of the box with the gamecube and a copy of SW Rogue Leader.

    Then... make sure you play it with the component cables... so you get the progressive graphics. WHAT a difference: rock solid stars in the background, crisp graphics, smooth images as you swoop around the world. Amazing.

    = Joe =
  • It wasn't fun? *sigh* Note to self: CmdrTaco != Good Game Reviews! ;-)

    Xeph

  • slightly OT, but a legit question (Score:3, Interesting)

    by Atilla ( 64444 ) on Thursday November 29, 2001 @12:56PM (#2631403) Homepage
    since the xbox is x86/dx8 based, how long do you think it would take some developer to write a wrapper that would allow you to play xbox games on your PC?... i bet this will happen relatively soon.

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