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Post by Nester the Lark on Nov 25, 2006 15:24:06 GMT -5
While acknowledging the impending release of The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess, the Gamecube is bowing out to make room for a new generation. To commemorate the console formerly known as "Dolphin," I'd like to hear all your stories about how and when you got your 'Cube, and what your favorite games were for the system. This is your time to reminisce.
I got my Gamecube in October, 2002, almost a year after its release. I had been coasting on the fumes of my Dreamcast (which I love!), but it was time to move on and buy a new system. Having fallen out of Nintendo's favor after the N64, I was in a pretty neutral mood. For a while, I seriously considered a PS2; but then I realized that I would never forgive myself if I missed the new Metroid and Zelda games, so my decision was made. And I have to admit, I'm probably the only person who deliberately picked the purple indigo model, simply because every other console I ever owned was either black or gray.
The first games I played on my 'Cube were a couple of rentals: Wave Race: Blue Storm and Super Smash Bros. Melee (both of which I eventually bought). The first game I actually bought for it was Star Fox Adventures. I still have a soft spot for that one.
My Gamecube was responsible for introducing me to series such as Rogue Squadron, Resident Evil, SSX, and Soul Calibur (strange that I never played the original Dreamcast version until after that). I guess my favorite games on the console are (in no particular order) SSX 3, Resident Evil 4, Super Smash Bros. Melee, and The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker, with honorable mentions going to Rogue Squadron III: Rebel Strike, Star Fox Adventures, Eternal Darkness: Sanity's Requiem, Resident Evil (Rebirth), Soul Calibur II and Metroid Prime.
Farewell, Gamecube. Your spirit shall live on within the Wii.
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Post by Boo Destroyer on Nov 25, 2006 17:45:00 GMT -5
Knock knock, it's not "dead" yet.
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Post by nocturnal YL on Nov 25, 2006 20:44:00 GMT -5
Didn't have much thought about my GC, as it wasn't I who bought it. One of my relatives got it and just gave it to me.
And my GC is not dead yet. Even my SFC is still not dead, talking about the life of my own console. And in terms of console lifespan, GC is close to its death - but not yet died.
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rhytwo
Pikpik Carrot
Posts: 36
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Post by rhytwo on Nov 25, 2006 20:56:15 GMT -5
I loved my gamecube i got it the x-mas of 2003 first games I got where legend of zelda collecters edition & luigis mansion. My gamecube will never die its like my brother its what keeps me indoors all day. HAIL GAMECUBE! WII WILL NEVER FORGET YOU
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Post by Nester the Lark on Nov 25, 2006 21:21:28 GMT -5
Well, it's not like the Gamecube has its life ahead of it. And Fry does now list it under "Classic Nintendo." Actually, the purpose of this thread wasn't meant to be a declaration of death, but reminiscence. I wanted to hear your fond memories of the Gamecube. If none of you actually have any, then it might as well be "dead."
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Post by Volray on Nov 25, 2006 22:18:32 GMT -5
I got the GameCube at Christmas 2001 along with Luigi’s Mansion, Wave Race: Blue Storm, Pikmin, and Super Smash Bros Melee. SSBM simply ruled my life for months. My cousin and I played each other nearly every day from then into summer.
2002 came and up until August the only worthwhile release was Sonic Adventure 2: Battle (yeah, there was Eternal Darkness, but I was 13 at the time so it's not like I could get it). But then the hits came one after another. Super Mario Sunshine was awesome, Animal Crossing was pretty cool (for about a month), Star Fox Adventures was great, Metroid Prime was...OK, I guess, I couldn’t really get into it, but there was some fun to be found.
Then it was 2003, The Wind Waker was coming and as one of the few people I knew who didn’t completely hate the idea of cel shading, I was anticipating the game more than any other game at that point of my life. When I heard about the pre order bonus, I immediately went out and pre ordered it, making it the first time I ever pre ordered a game. My plan was to finish Master Quest before Wind Waker came out, that didn’t happen. A month later I finally got my hands on TWW and loved it. I couldn’t put that game down until I saw it through to the end.
After Wind Waker I was introduced to the F-Zero world with F-Zero GX. Wow, after a year and a half of breezing through easy GCN games (seriously, up until this the only time I was challenged by a Cube game were some of the trophies in SSBM), this sure hit me hard. It took me over a year just to beat the hard mode chapters, and I still haven’t even come close to beating any of the very hard mode chapters. 2003 was also the year 3rd parties finally started releasing games I was actually interested in. Sonic Adventure DX, Soul Caliber II, Viewtiful Joe, Prince of Persia, they were all great games.
2004 was the year of the sequels. It started off pretty quickly, Sonic Heroes came just 5 days after the new year, and I was one of the few people on the planet who didn’t completely hate the game. After that was a straight string of disappoints. Crystal Chronicals was boring, Pokémon Colosseum was a disappointment, and Wario Ware was only good for multiplayer. Custom Robo came about in May and I really liked it, I could never understand why everybody ragged on it so much. Tales of Symphonia came in July, and was released to a lot of mixed reviews. Personally, I really liked it. It was my first “Tales of” game, and it really got me interested in the series. The second half of the year came and I picked up a few more games: Pikmin 2, Second Sight, Paper Mario, and others. Then came the Holiday season, along with Baten Kaitos. I absolutely loved that game. I also got Metroid Prime 2 and Viewtiful Joe 2, and I'm pretty sure I'm the only one who liked VJ2 better than the first game.
2005, in my opinion, was a pretty weak year for the GameCube. There were only 3 games released that year that I really felt were “must haves”: Star Fox: Assault, Donkey Kong Jungle Beat and Fire Emblem. Yeah, I’m the only person on the planet who didn’t like Resident Evil 4. There were some more good games, Battalion Wars, Super Mario Strikers, Prince of Persia, but nothing I couldn’t live without. That said, Path of Radiance was awesome and addicting. It could have easily been the best FE game (that was released outside of Japan, anyway) if they just had a support room to view all the supports you got, like in the GBA games.
Now for the present: 2006. First things first: Chibi-Robo was awesome. Or at least awesome the first time through, it’s too bad the game has zero replay value. Odama was horrible. Baten Kaitos Origins was absolutely amazing. It was better than the first game in just about every way possible. I hated the new battle system when I first started playing, but after I had gotten used to it, I realized it allowed for more strategic fights than the first, and best of all it fixed one of my biggest complaints about the first game’s battle system: no negative damage. The voice acting, while still not exactly the best around, is at least bearable to listen to, unlike the first game. 3rd party wise, there really isn’t much for me to say, unless you want to hear me rant some more. Seriously, I bought a lot of 3rd party stuff this year, and LEGO Star Wars II was the only one I didn’t find to be a completely horrible waste of money.
And that pretty much brings me to today. I still have two more GCN games I want to pick up, Tomb Raider and Twilight Princess, as well as some older titles I missed out on, Twin Snakes, Beyond Good & Evil, etc. But considering how lazy I am when it comes to picking up used games, I’m probably never going to end up getting them.
Well GCN, it was fun while it lasted, thanks for the memories.
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Post by Old Man Rupee on Nov 26, 2006 4:05:21 GMT -5
I don't tend to remember specifics, but I like to recall all those happy moments I've had in its lifespan:
Turning on my Gamecube for the first time, and hearing that tinkly music.
Luigi finally getting his own game. I remember seeing the "hand turning a doorknob" cutscene for the first time and thinking it was the best graphics ever.
Using the Rocket Nozzle in Mario Sunshine to get to the highest point in Delphino Plaza, and jumping off it into the water. That was definitely my first laugh-out-loud Mario moment.
Controlling an army of flowers in Pikmin 2, and exploring the vast, beautiful world of Shigsy's garden. That little tune they hum made me smile every time.
The sheer unadulterated fun of Super Smash Bros Melee, and being surprised at how much there is packed into this one game. Discovering the hidden depth of dodging and grabbing after months of playing it. I still haven't finished all the events yet!
The thrill of sailing as a tiny insignificant boat all alone on a huge wide unfriendly sea in Wind Waker. After a while this got tedious, but that first time was magic. It really was "you against the world".
It brings shivers to my spine and a smile on my face just thinking about those happy moments. I might think up some more later.
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Swedol
Bubbles
How Could I Win Here, Where Fools Can Be Kings
Posts: 592
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Post by Swedol on Nov 26, 2006 5:56:32 GMT -5
27 December 2004: I bought my Gamecube platinum edition mario kart pak. an extra controller Indingo/clear and a mad catz memory card(which still isn't nearly full.
Maybee January 2005:Super Mario Sunshine Between January and March 2005 after Sunshine:Super Smash Bros. Melee. 30 March 2005: Mario Party 6 18 April 2005: Luigi's Mansion Possibly May:ISS 2 and Wave Race at the same time. Later I bought the Simpsons Hit & Run 18 June 2005: Metroid Prime(I got it as a late birthday present). July 2005: Star Fox Adventures November2005: Zelda: Wind waker Limited Edition 24 December 2005: Spiderman 2(as a x-mas present). Possibly february 2006: F-zero GX Maybe March 2006: CoD 2 Big Red One June 2006: Wario Ware December 2006:GUN March 2007: Paper Mario Wow it's been a long time since I bought a Gamecube game.
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Post by kirbychu on Nov 26, 2006 7:58:05 GMT -5
I have around 50 Gamecube games... There's no way I could possibly remember when I got any of them. Though I do remember that I got Sonic Adventure 2: Battle first, then got both Luigi's Mansion and SSBM on the same day later that week.
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Post by Hiker of Games on Nov 26, 2006 9:47:55 GMT -5
I managed to get my Gamecube on launch day. I was with my folks in the middle of day looking around town. I lucked out and found the last one at Toys R Us. It was actually a return, since some crazy parent took it back in favor of a PS2. As I always do with new systems, I never go for the sort of game I'd like. With the GBA I picked up F-Zero, with the Gamecube I picked up Rogue Squadron. It wasn't a bad game in it's own right, but I think I got stuck on Level 4 and... yeah, that was the breaks for me.
Pikmin and Super Smash Bros. soon followed and then I was in for tons of fun. SSB provided the lovely multiplayer that I kept coming back to. Pikmin, meanwhile, was a nice involving adventure game that I had never played anything like it before. After that I followed most of the big Nintendo titles. Zelda, Mario, and Metroid. Recently I went back and added Star Fox and F-Zero in there. Early on I also picked up Sonic Adventure 2, since there wasn't a solid Mario title out.
I also got to enjoy the very few RPGs the Gamecube had. Skies of Arcadia, Tales of Symphonia, and Paper Mario. Despite being few, they were all extremely awesome games. Infinitely better than any of the RPGs I picked up for PS2.
I think the Gamecube was infinitely better than the N64 and came close to rivaling the SNES. The N64 didn't have nothing on it. Super Mario 64 was a great romp through 3D, but is among my least favorite of the main Mario series. Sunshine beats it, hands down. Ocarina of Time and Majora's Mask were both great games, but I think Wind Waker and Twilight Princess could tag team and take them down handily. And then there was the Rare games... yeah.
Here's how I'd rate the top games though.
1. Metroid Prime - An amazing game. In some ways I liked Metroid Prime 2 more, but Metroid Prime was completely new, so it deserves #1. 2. The Wind Waker - A great game, even though it has the nasty Triforce quest. I will miss the Cel-Shaded Zelda style sorely. 3. Super Smash Bros. Melee - There was already SSB, sure, but this is improved on the game in so many ways it's not funny. But it is fun. Tons. 4. Pikmin 2 - While it was just a sequel to Pikmin, like the Metroid Prime scenario, Pikmin 2 was a drastic improvement on the original Pikmin. The first one was great, but the second one was wonderfully complex. 5. Super Mario Sunshine - Kinda figures I'd round out my list with all Nintendo stuff, eh? This game, in my opinion, was much better than Super Mario 64. I'm in the minority here, but I really enjoyed this game.
Honorable Mentions -
Tales of Symphonia - Definitely the best RPG on the system. Not saying a lot, since there were only like, four. But I could easily say this was the best of the entire generation. Yes, even including my precious Suikoden.
The Hobbit - Not absolutely stellar, but one of the most underrated games I've ever seen. Sierra crafted a brilliant, beautiful game here. It's too bad nobody noticed this little gem.
Donkey Kong: Jungle Beat - Too short to warrant being a top fiver, but this game still gave me some fun times as I beat on those drums to perform some rather purdy moves. The game has it's critics *coughDKVinecough* but I still love it.
Paper Mario 2 - The original Paper Mario was, to be honest, dull. It was fun, but most of the characters lacked any engagement and towards the end it fell flat. Paper Mario 2 was funnier and a much more improved game over the former.
Four Swords Adventures - This is my last one to mention (though I could probably go on). I got to play this 3 and 4 player, so it stands out as a pretty awesome four player game. I more or less played this after my friends and I beat Crystal Chronicles. While the graphics were infinitely simpler, as was the gameplay... the game itself worked so much better and was a great deal funner to play.
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rhytwo
Pikpik Carrot
Posts: 36
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Post by rhytwo on Nov 26, 2006 11:58:46 GMT -5
i remember thinking my gamecube was breaking just because it was making a click noise when I turn it on. that was 2 years ago though so im over it
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Post by Wildcat on Nov 26, 2006 14:00:33 GMT -5
Ah, me poor Cube. Ye have lasted a long while, and provided many a treasured moment.
You know, I have tons of Cube games. And I'm having a hard time wiggling out the ones I want to sell because many of them were fantastic. I'd have to rank the Cube as one of Nintendo's better consoles in most regards.
History: 2001: Bought Super Smash Bros. Melee at launch. Before I even had the bloody system. I've done this since the DC (I really wanted Marvel Vs. Capcom!). Got the GC for Christmas, and picked up Pikmin and Wave Race Blue Storm not too far afterwards. Pikmin was great, but I sold it after getting Pikmin 2. Wave Race didn't gel with me like the N64 original, so I sold that off too. 2002: Metroid Prime is one of the greatest games I've played. I loved it. It really made me feel like I was on a living, breathing world. Cool stuff. Other highlights include Eternal Darkness (the sanity effects are the awesome!), Capcom Vs. SNK 2 EO (yes, I love me Capcom fighters) and Wario World (this simple yet charming platformer/beat em up was a great ride). 2003: Ah, the year of Skies of Arcadia Legends. My favorite game of all time. ^_^ I also liked Wind Waker (of course! I didn't like the Triforce shard part, but I can't knock the excellent gameplay!), Mario Golf: Toadstool Tour (I may be crazy, but I love the graphics in this game...and the solid gameplay, too) and Viewtiful Joe (Henshin a Go Go!).
To be continued...
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Post by parrothead on Nov 26, 2006 19:51:51 GMT -5
Before I got my GCN (with Luigi's Mansion and Wave Race: Blue Storm) on the day it was released, I watched a meteor shower. The best meteor I saw lasted almost a second, while it left a trail of smoke in the air. The first game I played for the GCN was Wave Race: Blue Storm, because it had realistic water, and I thought it would have better music than Wave Race 64 and Wave Race GB.
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Post by Boo Destroyer on Nov 26, 2006 23:24:58 GMT -5
You can play GC games on the Wii.
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Post by Fryguy64 on Nov 27, 2006 5:36:15 GMT -5
Knock knock, it's not "dead" yet. Twilight Princess aside, I'd say it's pretty damn dead. And even that is coming out on the Wii first. Nintendo hasn't supported it for months, and it is quickly disappearing from shop shelves. It's the same as the N64, which received little to no support for months before the Gamecube was released, and was classified as "dead" by the gaming market long before its successor. The Gamecube was released here in May 2002, and mine was ordered from Amazon.co.uk. I was in my first year of university, and I believe it was bought for me as a late birthday present (my birthday is in March - I can be patient when a new videogame system is on the cards). Initially I got it with Luigi's Mansion and Wave Race: Blue Storm. I was head-first into NinDB, the site being less than a year old at the time, which meant my first-party collection grew as necessary. But games were quite slow in coming at first. Super Smash Bros. Melee came out, which I had been eagerly waiting for (and had played an imported Japanese copy), and I played that pretty much solid. I only had about five or six games when my first Gamecube was stolen almost a year later. And I had gotten fairly bored with it - having bought a PS2 to play Ico and Kingdom Hearts (also stolen). Why didn't the Gamecube have any meaty adventure games during its formative year? Big mistake. Anyway, my parents helped me pay for a new one (smallprint is a bugger, our student insurance said no videogames or systems were covered), and the shop I bought it from was great and gave me a "burglary discount". Anyway, eventually I replaced all of those old games (except Resident Evil, which I did not like), and the good new games started coming out. Metroid Prime, Wind Waker and Super Mario Sunshine. I was in adventure heaven. Sunshine, especially, impressed me. It wasn't that it was all new - the exact opposite in fact. I am SO good at controlling Mario in Super Mario 64 that I really wanted another opportunity to play around with him. And here it was. I loved the game because of its vertical scope, its scary warp levels, and that it was familiar, but new. Wind Waker was as great as any Zelda game I'd played before. I played a lot of Metroid but never really got into it in the same way I did with the 2D versions. But it's been growing on me ever since. Since then it's just been a steady stream of releases, some I have loved more than others. Later games that "hooked" me include: Mario Kart: Double-Dash I played it pretty much solidly from the moment it was released until I had unlocked everything. I still love it. 1080 Avalanche I don't know why, exactly, but I didn't expect much from this game, as I didn't love the original much. But I was hooked immediately. One of those peculiarities. Pokemon Colosseum I never thought I'd get that hooked into this, but the number of hours I've played it betray that thought. I'm so annoyed that the Shadow Meditite fainted BOTH times!! Pikmin 2 I liked the original Pikmin. I loved Pikmin 2. The idea of the caves was genius, and really added something to the game. It's incredibly challenging, incredibly silly, and fantastic through-and-through. I still need to rescue Louie though Donkey Kong: Jungle Beat Donkey Konga was fairly boring. This game was a mad action arcade-style game. I finally loved my plastic bongos. StarFox Assault I did not expect much from this after the travesty that was StarFox Adventure - but I was wrong. This turned out to be a fantastic (if somewhat short) action shooty game. Also arcade-flavoured, which is something I approve of. Chibi-Robo And the final EU Nintendo release on Gamecube (at least so far) is Chibi-Robo. And what a swansong. It's easily one of the finest games on the Gamecube - the graphics are fairly poor, but the game itself thrashes most contenders for the action-adventure throne.
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