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GameCube Hits the Street
boozie writes: "Reports began surfacing yesterday afternoon concerning GameCube goods beginning to trickle into the hands of Japanese consumers...Today we received the first pictures of the finished unit and its associated packaging as sold to a store employee in Tokyo."
The story says that the the launch date was "broken" and these items were released early. Anyone know when the actual Japanese release date is?
Nintendo Site: http://www.nintendo.com/systems/gcn/gcn_overview.j sp
= Disassembled+Gamecube&inc=gcopen.inc
Disassembled GameCube: http://www.lik-sang.com/catalog/master.php?navbar
Info on GameCube Console from GameCube Central: http://tomoeslab.virtualave.net/consoleinfo.html
It was recently shown on Spaceworld, Miyamoto demonstreted a Kirby game, where the GBA is used as a TV extension. Kirby would jump out of the TV screen and appear on you GBA screen! No screenshots unfortunately, but it seems like it features many hidden mini-games only accessable using the GBA.
Please Note: You do not need a GBA game! Just hook up the link between GBA and GameCube!!
Wow, I cant wait for this!
Does it go on forever?
Ass.
I sure hope the gamecube turns out more like my american-made laptop and automobile that are both falling apart.
For those that think the GameCube is too directed at kids, you should know that from know on it will be only system that gets the Resident Evil/Biohazard series of games.
h tml
Movies: http://www.capcom.co.jp/bio/publish/images/index.
Info: http://cube.ign.com/news/38266.html
That is an absoulte ripoff of the Dreamcast VMU.
... but the mini game idea was Sega's (unless they ripped it off someone else that is :)
Ok its BETTER than Sega's idea, but obly becasue the GBA is in color and more usable
--------
"Think different? I'd be happy if most people would just think... "
I have a PC i use exlusively for games, its a games machine, so that wont run Linux ? Windows runs perfectly in it .... strange.
... can i still use it for games ? or did it turn into an office workstation ?
I have Dreamcast that runs Linux
--- BLAH
Why can they release it in Japan before they can release it here (by several months apparently)... I'm assuming the hardware is the same (?) so why did they have to push back their NA release date?
If God gave us curiosity
Here's some release dates for GC
Luigi's Mansion and Wave Race: Blue Storm: Sept. 14 along with the release of the system.
Pikmin is going to be released on Oct. 26
SSBM is going ot be released in November 2001...
Does it go on forever?
There will be new *BRUTTAL* RE1 for GC. igncube has the story
I like the fact the called the graphics chip flipper - reference back to the Dolphin code name.
It takes me back to Sid and Fat Angus, and of course the rock lobster motherboard of Commodore days...
"Get a Life? Where do I FTP one from?"
Errr if uptime is really important, reboot should be rare. Thus, boot time might be long (see big UNIces), it doesn't mater if it takes 10 min. to boot if ypou reboot once a year.
Here, uptime is NOT important.
boot time is.
Panasonic will also be releasing a DVD player that plays Gamecube games for around $300 in Japan. Not sure if it is supposed to come to the US or not.
http://formen.ign.com/news/35095.html
It will be $199.95 upon release in the US. That includes the main unit and one controller. I may have read that it also comes with a memory card, but I'm not sure about that.
http://cube.ign.com/news/35091.html
i hate to live in europe, i can't wait till spring '02 to get my hands on one of the GCs...sigh
The one lowest in your picture is for the broadband | dial-up modem. I don't think they've announced what the other ones are for yet.
It maybe is a matter of personnal taste, but I find it plain ugly.
Well... it's a (game)cube. No originality. No personality. They must have ran out of good designers et Nintendo.
Once again, just a matter of personal taste.
Guvf vf abg n EBG zrffntr
I still have no idea if I should get the Xbox or the Gamecube. This is going to be one of the thoughest decisions I'll make in my life :)
Get a grip. If uptime were important, you wouldn't be running your application on a games console.
"don't fall into the fallacy of believing that Perl can solve social problems. Maybe Perl 6 can, but that's a ways off"
Slashdot is a geeknews sight and it should righfully stick to topic now that the word of the attack has been more the spred. Now more then ever people need outlets...outlets to normality.
... do you seriously know what it is even like to go through this now as a US citizen? We're talking about going to war with something that can not been seen ot touched.
As lame as it may sound.. it is comforting to read tech news stories like this. Even if they are about stupid video games. I honestly don't know if I can watch the regular news right now. I'm sick and moreover, scared.
Screw you for calling me a "Fucking wanker"
shesss...damn Anonymous Coward
"Things are more moderner than before- bigger, and yet smaller- it's computers-- San Dimas High School football RULES!"
Be interesting to see what OS's people end up cramming into one of these boxes.
"Things are more moderner than before- bigger, and yet smaller- it's computers-- San Dimas High School football RULES!"
Nintendo didn't invent cel-shaded rendering. Its been used in various games already including Jet Grind Radio.
However, the new Zelda game does look very cool.
There's some video of it (and the new Mario game) here.
Seriously, I always thought the N64 controller was *the* masterpiece of ergonomic controller design. Not only did it fit most hands perfectly, but it was versatile, offering three distinct gripping areas, the middle one feeling nicely like a gun for those shooter games.
Now they go and throw it away for a DualShock PSX rip-off? Bah.
I also have to say that a box isn't sexy. It isn't even cute. The design just strikes me as being a boxy and plain Model T type styling. No, looks aren't terribly important in a gaming console--but the PS2 is both simple and sexy. I wish Nintendo had kept their controller along N64 lines and made the console design more sleek. A purple box is just going to look out of place sitting atop my DVD player or VCR, whereas the PS2 looks right at home.
Not that I'm going to buy one. I gave up on consoles. Playstation, N64, Saturn, Dreamcast, PS2, GameCube, X-Box--that's 7 machines in recent times. That's just too many. I want games that I can still play 5 years from now without having to have 7 weird boxes daisy-chained across my entertainment center. That's why I've pledged to go PC-only. I may not get the newest Zelda or Mario or FF games, but I get a lot of cool others--and all the rest will eventually be emulated well enough in time. Let's see, ~3000 arcade games both classic and contemporary, hundreds of old "abandonware" PC games, dozens of my NES and SNES and Genesis favorites, a dozen of my favorite old Mac shareware games courtesy of the open-source Basilisk II emulator, all pulled off the Net for free, plus Bleem! and VGS to play some used PS discs bought for a song, plus whatever cool new PC games I ant to buy like the Quakes and all those mods and customizations which can never all make it to the console ports, the Unreals, lots of Star Trek some of which is actually good like Elite Force and Dominion Wars, Alice, Tomb Raider 37: More of Lara's Tits, etc. etc. etc.
I know the lure of the console and all its exclusives is great. But it would be better for the gaming community in the long run to support only more open platforms, like the PC and Mac, not consoles. It's hard to resist, but when I realize that I don't want dozens of proprietary boxes most of which are outdated cluttering my space just to play games--and even more I don't want to throw away or give away my old games whenever new consoles come out--I don't feel right supporting the console industry. Fuck 'em. My PC is better any day, and will be able to emulate 'em all eventually.
Chasing Amy
(We all chase Amy...)
"The more corrupt the state, the more numerous the laws"-Tacitus
# xmess ngcube zelda.ngc
WTF?! It doesn't work??!
My other account has a 3-digit UID.
True, we all need outlets to deal with this... but consider...
Someone mentioned the resident evil/biohazard game series. I know I'm personally re-examining my and my kids involvement with even these types of harmless shooters. I've got this nagging conscience telling me we shouldn't be perpetuating aggression or killing of anything as a game. I know, I know.. it's an old stupid argument... and I'll get flamed... but..
Maybe, just maybe, we could teach peace.
"Double Dumb-Ass on YOU!"
The game of life is not so much in holding a good hand as playing a poor hand well. - H. T. Leslie
Is anybody annoyed by the right-click-forbidden feature of these pages?
Does it make any sense? I think I can get the bloody picture without right clicking on this page. My problem being that I don't have my toolbar (I like to have a minimum of GUI, and a maximum of content on my screen), so I'm used to right-click and go back. Now I can't!! I use the shortcut though, but that's a pain...
Perhaps if a few more people were able to vent their aggressive feelings in a videogame, they wouldn't feel the need to go out and do it in real life quite so much?
This is not a statement, just a proposition. Nobody can say what causes people to commit tragic acts like those witnessed on Tuesday.
However, if you consider a plcae such as Afganistan, where ALL forms of entertainment are outlawed (including singing!), we can see that people have a tremendous capacity for hatred and violence without being fuelled by videogames.
-Sy/\/apZ-
Well as you're going off topic, I'd just like to take this opportunity to thank the American public for giving so much support and funding to the IRA over the years (Noraid)
Oh, I realise I can say goodbye to my Karma, but the reason I'm not posting as AC is that this is not a troll, it is a serious point. Before you mod me down, at least read what I've said.
Oh, btw, my genuine condolances to the families of the victims. My previous post was not meant to condone the attack in any way.
I've played around with the Game Cube dev kit a bit, and if the controllers I used were any indication people over ten years of age will have trouble holding these things. They're SO small and lacking in substance. I imagine this will be like the Game Boy Advance in that you MUST buy a peripheral (new controller) to really enjoy the thing. (With the GBA you basically have to buy some light dongle like Nyko's worm light.) If you want a mental picture of what they look like, imagine a rectangular purple bar about 3 inches thick molded like a play station controller gone horribly wrong. The analog stick just protrudes off at the oddest place on the left hand grip area. Of course, the xbox controller is worse since it deceptively looks useful and comfortable, but is exactly the opposite.
Check out ioquake3.org for a great, free, First-Person Shooter engine!
How many days before it's running a web server?
"Everything is adjustable, provided you have the right tools"
Good point, especially in light of Tuesday. There's only one real problem... non-violent (Or at least games with little violence) don't sell. Really is a shame though, I have to admit. Even programming tutorial systems use violence to promote themselves and catch the attention of likely users.
(And please, no "What the hell about Myst!? It sold, didn't it!?" sort of lists. I was speaking generally)
'Life is like a spoonful of Drain-O, it feels good on the way down but leaves you feeling hollow inside'
has anyone heard any release dates, or time frames, for the next mariokart? damn i love mariokart, i feel like a crack addict waiting for his next hit. does anyone know that its even going to be published? its gotta right?!
slashdot: where everyone yells sarcastic metaphors to themselves to understand the issue
The expansion device will become a hallmark of the true diehard videogame afficionado of the given era.
e.g.:
"Hey, do you remember the (Atari 2600 / Colecovision / Sega Master System / Gamecube)! That was so much fun!"
"Don't waste my time, Dude. I had the (Starpath Supercharger / ADAM / 32X / <Gamecube Expansion>)!"
"Woah. Hardcore."
I've actually heard some reports that the PS2 has a problem when used as a DVD player on a long-term basis. Apparently, the motor used to spin the discs was not meant for sustained use, as a game only requires occasional spinning, unlike a DVD. Not all units are breaking, although enough are to raise some suspicions.
~ellF~
We who were living are now dying
With a little patience
According to Cube.IGN all three of the Japanese GameCube launch titles have received gaming publication Famitsu's "gold" rating. The games are Luigi's Mansion, Wave Race: Blue Storm and Super Monkey Ball.
Seriously, no different. This is just merchandising slapped on top of a game concept that has already been done. The graphics for the blocks are even the same. Go get a SNES.
I saw a TV ad for the gamecube just this morning here in VA. It was on one of the cable channels; can't remember which one.
--
If I actually could spell I'd have spelled it right in the first place.
I love the smell of unpacking new video game consoles in the morning. Smells like... victory.
~jeff
Hey thanks, I was a bit pissed by that too.
Not that it really matters (the moderation), but it's the thought that counts.
I also posted something about nostradamus (or however you spell his name) shortly after one of the stories was posted. It went all the way up to +5, Interesting and then once prooved to be false, modded all the way down to -1, Flamebait.
It's not like I invented the rumour. I could understand "Offtopic" or "Overrated", but "Troll" and "Flamebait"? Seriously...
Due to the insane number of posts (more than 8000 on the crisis alone) I would assume that the amount of moderator points distributed is proportional to the number of posts (even I had mod prividges yesterday) and thus a lot of 37337 h4x0r5 l4m3r5 got mod points and went crazy.
If God gave us curiosity
This is just merchandising slapped on top of a game concept that has already been done.
I won't argue that merchandising is involved, but nintendo re-released TETRIS® Attack on N64 and GBC because people were still demanding it after the Super NES had been dead for a while (Frogger was the last Super NES game). Because nintendo no longer had the TETRIS® license, the company just released a Pokemon themed "official clone."
The graphics for the blocks are even the same.
Yes, the tile graphics are the same on GBC and Super NES, but they're somewhat different on N64. The N64 also adds a cylindrical board in addition to the rectangular board.
Copying games you own is illegal because semiconductors don't have the fair use or backup exception for their first 10 years. However, Matthew Leverton made a TA clone for the PC called Who Let The Blocks Out. Unfortunately, every path given to the file is a 404.
Will I retire or break 10K?
Is anybody annoyed by the right-click-forbidden feature of these pages?
Yes. Read more about why right-click traps are a Bad Thing.
Anybody know how to make a "Toggle ECMAScript" button on the Mozilla 0.9.x toolbar?
Will I retire or break 10K?
has anyone heard any release dates, or time frames, for the next mariokart?
Mario Kart 3 is already out for GBA, and Mario Kart 4 is planned for GCN. However, Nintendo has a poor track record with respect to the general bugginess of the details of the Mario Kart play design in 1 and 2.
Will I retire or break 10K?
Although I saw the (IBM) press release, this is the first package I've seen showing the "IBM Technology" logo...
People who quote Nostradamus need more than modding down. They need a good kicking to restore their grip on reality.
"Information wants to be paid"
Talk about unlucky timing for a product launch.
Someone mentioned the resident evil/biohazard game series. I know I'm personally re-examining my and my kids involvement with even these types of harmless shooters. I've got this nagging conscience telling me we shouldn't be perpetuating aggression or killing of anything as a game.
Yes, I think evil zombies deserve the right to live too, and we shouldn't be making a game out
of slaughtering innocent undead.
Better not let your kids play FLight Simulator now, either.
C-X C-S
Okay, a lot of good points have been made. Specifically, production restraints on the consoles, but they also want to see which games flop and which do well (though i know that what does well in Japan doesn't always do well here).
Anyway, I know with most consoles in the past, the games and hardware are region-specific. that is, a Japanese game will not play in an American unit, and vice versa. Now, i'm pretty sure this is just an artificial limitation to stop export of the consoles, but it does mean that you can't just pick up 100,000 consoles from Japan and sell them here unless you know a 100,000 people that want Japanese-language games.
Then again, i wouldn't put that past some people...
ben.c
i love that logo...
I second that. It has to be the best logo design I have ever seen hands down.
This Wiki Feeds You TV and Anime - vidwiki.org
It will come out in the US, I think it will be there at launch.
This Wiki Feeds You TV and Anime - vidwiki.org
Spoken like someone who has never HELD the GameCube controller for themselves. It's not a Playstation rip-off. The controller is outstanding, much easier to hold than the Dual Shock, and incredibly comfortable.
... and the digital click when fully depressed opens a whole new world of gameplay possibilities.
... remember, the box isn't being aimed at YOU. If the box looks out of place with all your home entertainment equipment, then you aren't Nintendo's market.
The only downside is the ill-conceived "Z-Button" that really needs a counter part of the opposite side, or should just be eliminated. However, they did make it easier to find, adding a little nub so you know when your finger is on the button.
The best part is the shoulder buttons. They move very smoothly, with great response
As for the rest of your comments about the GCN
By the way, there's a Black one as well. And will look just fine sitting next to my PS2, on top of my receiver.
There's more great information at Planet GameCube as well, including information on one of thier die-hard staff in Japan as we speak for the launch.
I remember Nintendo saying that they were making a video game system and would focus on making it a video game system - no frills, just cold hard sleek video game machinery. If they are actually making a dvd attachment as the previous poster said, I doubt it will make it to America. Lots and lots of cool peripherals that Nintendo makes never get out of Japan.
Your
i bought a pocketstation for my grrl. there was a chocobo game on the US Final Fantasy 8 that worked like a charm on the imported Pocket Station. If you're interested, it was pretty much like the Sonic VMU game.
However, Nintendo has a poor track record [everything2.com] with respect to the general bugginess of the details of the Mario Kart play design in 1 and 2
These issues listed at that URL are rather minor that really don't seem affect the overall experience.
I mean, according to the author of that article, some of the alleged "bugs" in the first Mario Kart are "Starman lasts too long," "Ghost powerup lasts way too long," and my personal favorite, "No in-car camera view." I'd be curious as to how this would be implemented in an accurate way on a Super Nintendo with only mode 7 at your disposal.
These aren't bugs, these are things the author personally doesn't like. In other words, stop player hatin'.
- Scott
Scott Stevenson
Tree House Ideas
These issues listed at that URL are rather minor that really don't seem affect the overall experience.
These make the game feel not fair: "GP computer has unlimited feather (jump) and mushroom (nitro) powerups to avoid your attacks and catch up. Unlike human players, the GP computer can fire off more than one attack per set of ? blocks. GP computer has items human players never get, such as egg, shrinking mushroom, etc." I've seen the computer fire off two feathers in a row to jump over two items I placed.
"No key binding editor." This is an ergonomic issue. The original Mario Party also had ergonomic problems because its buttons could not be reconfigured.
"Asymmetry: Toad has no way to attack Wario directly in battle mode." Some characters have absolute advantages over other characters. Lack of balance == lack of fun.
"Starman lasts too long," "Ghost powerup lasts way too long,"
Those affect balance in a big way, especially on MK64 where a Battle Mode player can remain invincible nearly forever by sitting on a ? block and continuously pushing Z fast enough that the user is always under the influence of Star or Ghost.
"No in-car camera view." I'd be curious as to how this would be implemented in an accurate way on a Super Nintendo with only mode 7 at your disposal.
I've seen cockpit views done on NES and Sega Genesis, without arbitrary scanline rotation and scaling (i.e. Mode 7).
These aren't bugs, these are things the author personally doesn't like.
I'll admit that some of my "bugs" are personal preference, but some could say the same about the instability of Microsoft Windows 95 and Windows 98.
Will I retire or break 10K?
i love that logo...
Kinda reminds me of the oldsk00l SGI logo...
Which, IMO, is the 31337est corporate logo ever.
C-X C-S
Staggered releases and segregated regions are a harmful tradition. Culture, software and hardware would be much better if they could travel freely across borders.
That's why piracy is so important. The established businesses won't sell their customers what they want, so we have to take what we want.
What you talking 'bout fool? Any game that streams it's music from the disc has the motor running all the time.
Sure, some games move the head more than others, but DVDs are fine. The unit is a standard DVD unit, designed to play DVDs.
Short story: Anything with moving parts wears out eventually. Some will go faster than others, that's why they have warranties, and repair shops.
I wonder if the X-box will be region locked?
Bring back the old version of slashdot.
uhh.. this was offtopic?
"Question with boldness even the existence of a god." - Thomas Jefferson
Their best selling point, no doubt, considering that the multifunctionality of the PS2 and XBox drive up their costs to $300 and $400-500, respectively. Nintendo is still making great games, but they're clearly targetting families with tighter budgets instead of hard-core gamers who spend all their disposable income on hardware.
Good for them. MS and Sony seem to be ignoring the "family" audience in favor of high-income gamers, and Nintendo stands to make a lot of money by continuing to focus on them.
You know, there are plenty of cheaper DVD players out there, most of them able to also play video, audio, and mp3 cd's. You should redirect your finances, if you just want a DVD player. If you're looking for a powerful, low cost workstation(booting linux), that's a different case, entirely.
I'm determined to reclaim my karma. Now, if I can only find a groundbreaking article and something witty to say....