GameCube - Doubles U.S Share, UK Status, Zelda Bundle

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GameCube - Doubles U.S Share, UK Status, Zelda Bundle

Posted by simoniker on Tuesday November 4, 2003 @07:53AM from the valiant-contretemps dept.

nakedxray writes "Yahoo posted a Nintendo press release earlier this morning claiming that the GameCube has almost doubled its marketshare in the U.S, rising from 19 percent to 37 percent. The $99 price point seems to be paying off. Now, how about those online games?" Nintendo are again lagging in UK sales, however, as "the Xbox is now outselling Nintendo's machine by over two to one", according to GI.biz, although a UK variant, including Mario Kart:Double Dash, of the allegedly forthcoming U.S. Zelda bundle may help revitalize Nintendo's hardware in that market. Update: 11/04 20:59 GMT by S : The U.S. GameCube Zelda bundle is no longer 'alleged', since it's due on Nov.17th for $99, and the Zelda disc is available separately "by [consumers] registering their Nintendo GameCube system and two... hot holiday titles... [or] by subscribing to or renewing their subscription to Nintendo Power magazine."

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Omens? by robbway · 2003-11-04 07:56 · Score: 1

I like UK choices--the Commodore 64 to be specific. I can't say it fared too well for the Lynx or the Jaguar video game systems. I hope the sales of XBox aren't forshadowing something.
w00t, more support for my favorite system by pecosdave · 2003-11-04 07:57 · Score: -1, Troll

now if Sega will make a sequal to Skies of Arcadia legends for it I'll be all set. Sorry PS2 guys, Mario will forever beat your iconless system.

--
The preceding post was not a Slashvertisement.
1. Re:w00t, more support for my favorite system by Anonymous+Cow+herd · 2003-11-04 09:05 · Score: 1
  
  Sorry PS2 guys, Mario will forever beat your iconless system.
  
  Yeah, gee, that was my main consideration when I picked my console... does it have a mascot?
  
  --
  Ita erat quando hic adveni.
2. Re:w00t, more support for my favorite system by pecosdave · 2003-11-04 09:13 · Score: 2, Insightful
  
  Don't think of it as a mascot, think of it as a legacy mark. Face it, the Mario legacy has stood the test of time. The only one from another company that even compares is Sonic, they had to make good popular games to obtain that status as well. So far Sega has proven itself as a good 3rd party provider. They had some good consoles, but with the exception of GameGear they were never undoubtably the best on the market. (and that unfortunately failed anyways) They were the best on the market several times, but there were other systems close enough that they just cut each others throats. I'm thinking Jaguare vs. 3DO vs. Saturn. Then it was DreamCast vs. PlayStation and the "lets wait for the PS2".
  
  I'll admit, they got the short end of the stick on that, but as a 3rd party developer they strengthen the other systems.
  
  --
  The preceding post was not a Slashvertisement.
3. Re:w00t, more support for my favorite system by Anonymous Coward · 2003-11-04 09:18 · Score: -1, Troll
  
  i bought a PS2 because playing games is gay. its all about the disc read errors! w00t!
4. Re:w00t, more support for my favorite system by metamatic · 2003-11-05 09:58 · Score: 1
  
  Actually, the endless stream of cheesy Mario-related crap is what kept me away from Nintendo for ages.
  
  --
  GCHQ Quantum Insert installed. If only our tongues were made of glass, how much more careful we would be when we speak
Alledgedly forthcoming zelda bundle. by Captain+Rotundo · 2003-11-04 08:00 · Score: 3, Informative

I e-mailed Nintendo's public relations office about this release and was told:

Currently we are considering several premium offers for Nintendo GameCube for the holiday season, and a Zelda bundle is among them. But no decisions have been made yet.

I think you can take this to mean that they probably will do the promotion, but can't say so since retailers would obviously be upset if you told potential customers to wait before purchasing. of course maybe not, either way I am waiting to see what happens before running out for a gamecube.
1. Re:Alledgedly forthcoming zelda bundle. by damiangerous · 2003-11-04 08:35 · Score: 3, Informative
  
  And of course, seven minutes after this story hit the Zelda bundle became official.
Market share by Anonymous Coward · 2003-11-04 08:01 · Score: 0

so if everyone who has a console has all 3 consoles, is total marketshare 300% ? (nintendo has 100% of the market, PS2 has 100% of the market, and Xbox has 100% of the market)
1. Re:Market share by Anonymous Coward · 2003-11-04 08:15 · Score: 0
  
  Just divide everything by 3. You'll get 100% for all (33.3~% for each)
2. Re:Market share by PainKilleR-CE · 2003-11-04 08:26 · Score: 5, Informative
  
  Market share is the percentage of all items sold during a given time period, and has nothing to do with how many have sold overall (ie since the system was released), which would be user base.
  
  In other words, if the stores sell 100 Cubes, 50 XBoxes, and 60 PS2s, it doesn't matter that last month they sold 25 Cubes, 60 XBoxes, and 75 PS2s, or that there are already 50 million PS2s out there. The market share of the Cube would be nearly 50% if everyone sold the same ratios above. If everyone went out today and bought a PS2, XBox, and GameCube, each would have 33.3% of the market for today.
  
  --
  -PainKilleR-[CE]
3. Re:Market share by Lemental · 2003-11-05 06:44 · Score: 0
  
  Yeah
  
  There may be 50 million PS2's out there, because Sony counts the ones SHIPPED. They dont subtract the half dozen I see every week at the game store I work at that broke and are sent back to sony, then shipped back to the customer, which Sony counts again as "shipped".
  
  50 million is an inflated number, and always will be.
my 2 cents by schapman · 2003-11-04 08:04 · Score: 4, Insightful

I have come to realize that consoles boil down to: PS2: the ultimate for RPGs and some sports/action. good for sitting at home alone and gaming XBox: Great for sports and action (and another other typical "North American" styled game. good for a night of drinking and gaming w/ friends Nintendo: Fun. Though I only buy nintendo products looking at 1st party games... and nintendo makes amazing games. Ive had more success w/ 3rd party for sony than any other company, and xbox has so far seemed one of the best for sports games.

--
Wouldnt you like to be a pepper too?
1. Re:my 2 cents by Anonymous Coward · 2003-11-04 09:25 · Score: 0
  
  Yeah, that's what I'm preaching for years.
  
  Typical games:
  Nintendo->Mario Kart, Smash Brothers
  Sony->Final Fantasy
  XBOX->erm.. um..
2. Re:my 2 cents by pecosdave · 2003-11-04 10:27 · Score: 1
  
  let me fill in that last one for you
  
  XBOX-> Games that were supposed to come out on the N64 but were delayed, delayed, delayed
  
  --
  The preceding post was not a Slashvertisement.
Super Mario? by diesel_jackass · 2003-11-04 08:05 · Score: 1

wtf, Zelda's a good start, but I'd much rather see a new version of Mario All-stars, with Super Mario World, Mario 64, and SMB 1-3.

--
THERE IS NO DATA. THERE IS O
1. Re:Super Mario? by vitaflo · 2003-11-04 08:20 · Score: 1
  
  wtf, Zelda's a good start, but I'd much rather see a new version of Mario All-stars, with Super Mario World, Mario 64, and SMB 1-3.
  
  Most of those you can buy for the Gameboy, thus why Nintendo won't give them away for free on GC. This is the same reason Zelda:LTTP isn't one of the bonus games in the Zelda bundle.
2. Re:Super Mario? by PainKilleR-CE · 2003-11-04 08:20 · Score: 1
  
  I think when it comes to Mario, they're relying on the GB Player and the Super Mario Advance line.
  
  --
  -PainKilleR-[CE]
3. Re:Super Mario? by Anonymous Coward · 2003-11-04 15:30 · Score: 0
  
  Which means that Nintendo should seriously consider bundling a game like Mario 64, the only 3d game mentioned above, with Mario 128 (or whatever their next Mario game will be).
xbox silliness by Anonymous Coward · 2003-11-04 08:15 · Score: 0

Its nice to see GC getting some more respect. Its easy to throw in lots of expensive hardware and make it work, but to have about 4 mb of ram in a system and produce the GC's graphics, well that is a system. Leave it to MS to make something bloated and inefficient.
1. Re:xbox silliness by hawkbug · 2003-11-04 08:34 · Score: 2, Informative
  
  4mb of ram for the system??? It actually has 48 - I have no idea where you got 4. The PS2 has 32. So the GC has more than the PS2.
2. Re:xbox silliness by Mrstupid7 · 2003-11-04 09:01 · Score: 0
  
  It has 40 megs of system memory, 24 megs of main memory, and 16 megs of A-memory, not really sure what those are though. http://www.nintendo.com/systems/gcn/specifications .jsp
3. Re:xbox silliness by NanoGator · 2003-11-04 09:51 · Score: 1
  
  " but to have about 4 mb of ram in a system and produce the GC's graphics,"
  
  You're confused with the Playstation 2. It has 4mb of video RAM. (More RAM elsewhere) That's the same RAM they use for textures. It's a horrible bottleneck that's causes the graphics to be blurry on that system. What they're doing is halving the vertical resolution of the video and interpolating it back to full size to save that RAM for other stuff.
  
  As for the "leave it to MS to make something bloated and inefficient", I hate to break it to you, but it's how the game developers use the RAM that determine bloat or inefficiency, not Microsoft. You should be happy Microsoft provided more RAM. If they had been arrogant like Sony, you'd have some needlessly bad graphics.
  
  --
  "Derp de derp."
4. Re:xbox silliness by prewashedironman · 2003-11-04 10:03 · Score: 1
  
  the N64 had 4mb of ram. This could be doublked to 8mb with the expansion pack, making the graphgics better for some games (Donkey kong 64 needed it, i think majoras mask did too, and it was compatible with ocarina of time, turok 2)
5. Re:xbox silliness by 77Punker · 2003-11-04 11:02 · Score: 0
  
  and Perfect Dark, Turok 3, Turok Rage Wars, Rogue Squadron, not Ocarina of Time, however. I'm sure there's more that it works with...
6. Re:xbox silliness by hawkbug · 2003-11-04 11:41 · Score: 1
  
  Interesting. I had always thought it had 48 since that's what the early specs were saying. I believe the Xbox has 128 of system memory. It always does amaze me how efficiently video game consoles use memory since I think the PS1 only had 3 or 4 megs, and it was a 33 mhz processor running it all if I remember right.
7. Re:xbox silliness by Anonymous Coward · 2003-11-05 07:00 · Score: 0
  
  4MB? Try 512k, bucky. And you wonder why they can have 200 things moving at the same time in State of Emergency but every game looks muddy, blurry, downright Quake-1-ish...
  
  Then again, maybe that blur is a part of the Playstation aesthetic. I remember retching when I saw the PS1's muddy clumps of triangles and thinking how much better Street Fighter Alpha looked on my SNES compared to those first baby steps into 3D, but maybe it was just a style. You know, like they meant it that way? What's the word...a BRAND IDENTIFIER?
8. Re:xbox silliness by NanoGator · 2003-11-05 07:16 · Score: 1
  
  Well crappy graphics are definitely a way to distinguish your brand. ;)
  
  --
  "Derp de derp."
Guess what? You can get the game in other ways! by Gothic_Walrus · 2003-11-04 08:19 · Score: 3, Informative

First off: the bundle is more or less a certainty at this point - there's been enough proof to support it (box art, advertisements, etc.) That said...
Supposedly, there are going to be two other ways to get the bonus disc besides getting the bundle. You can either subscribe to Nintendo Power (total cost: $20) or buy two of four games (Mario Party 5, Mario & Luigi, Mario Kart DD, and 1080 Avalanche) and register them online (total cost: $80 minimum, since M&L is a GBA title).
Maybe we won't need to shell out $100 for another Cube after all...

--
Goo goo g'joob.
I'll buy a GameCube when... by herrvinny · 2003-11-04 08:46 · Score: 1

...Pokemon Colosseum comes out. I'll pick up a few FPS and flight sim games too. Rebel Strike looks like a winning game.
PPC for $99 by SmashPot · 2003-11-04 08:52 · Score: 3, Funny

What a steal, a PowerPC for only $99. Hmmm, what could I do with 5 of these? a $300 Apache web cluster, and a $200 MySQL cluster......... seems pretty appealing to me.

--
Me gonna go write me open source software and grow long beard and smokum some weedus and ummmm hide from people
From a UK shop floor by GreatDrok · 2003-11-04 09:04 · Score: 4, Informative

I recently started working part-time in a UK shop and have been steadily selling consoles for the last few weeks in the build up to Christmas. What I noticed is that when the price of the GCN dropped to 79 there was a flurry of sales but that appears to have dried up somewhat now. PS2 sales have been steady and strong, DVD playback is surprisingly still important to people, as is the wide choice of games including PS1 games (great for younger kids). Xbox is barely shifting despite currently being bundled with four games. I've sold 1 Xbox, 3 GCN and a lot of PS2s in five days of work.

I currently own a PS2 and GCN. Might get an Xbox but I doubt it as the two consoles and PC give me plenty of choice.

--
"I have the attention span of a strobe lit goldfish, please get to the point quickly!"
Re:PPC for $9 tsarkon reports another greased yoda by Anonymous Coward · 2003-11-04 09:20 · Score: -1, Flamebait

small time hardware for a small time kind of guy. mysql. hahahahaha. you're good. no, you're great.

at least say postgres. sheesh.

you also seem to like to whip out that word cluster there, i dont think you know what it means.
Re:Guess what? You can get the game in other ways! by Captain+Rotundo · 2003-11-04 09:21 · Score: 1

well sorry, but I don't follow game news that much, and got the email from nintendo back the day of the original story when it was still iffy if the "box art" seen was real at all. but now that its official I guess my initial perception of the email was correct. :)
Zelda? Sold by gmhowell · 2003-11-04 09:44 · Score: 1

I don't have a current console, much preferring PC games (back to C&C:Zero Hour after this note), but the $99 price tag from Nintendo was tempting. Not tempting enough, though. But now I can get four Zelda games for free? Sweet. Sign me up. Sure, I'm only one customer, but Nintendo will make a few bucks. Game Cube, an extra controller, memory card (I assume these are still needed?), and a copy of that Metroid game. Just for starters.

--
Jesus was all right but his disciples were thick and ordinary. -John Lennon
1. Re:Zelda? Sold by calebtucker · 2003-11-04 13:49 · Score: 1
  
  I just bought a cube last week or so after reading all of the pro-nintendo propaganda on ./ :D
  
  I haven't owned a console since the NES.. I'm more of a PC gamer. The $99 price tag did it for me, and I *really* wanted to play metroid prime, but I never could bring myself to drop the money on a console.
  
  I'm very please with the GC so far. It's nice to be able to just sit back in the recliner and play. It seems a bit more relaxing than playing a PC game with the mouse and keyboard (although, those games have their time and place.. bf1942).
  
  --
  My sig can beat up your sig.
2. Re:Zelda? Sold by Malor · 2003-11-04 16:24 · Score: 2, Informative
  
  Be sure to check out the game "Viewtiful Joe". You may want to rent it first if you're a serious PC gamer, as it's a (brilliant) semi-3d take on 2-d platformers, and you may not like that style if you're not used to it. It's incredibly good, but very difficult. I think it's the best game on the Cube, except possibly Wind Waker.
  
  Metroid Prime is very good; if you played the original you'll particularly enjoy it.
  
  I really like my Cube. I own all three consoles, so I don't care which one does best. Right now I have two favorite games: Voodoo Vince on the XBox, and Viewtiful Joe on the Cube. On the PC, I just ordered Silent Storm from gogamer.com; it's not out in the US yet, and I didn't want to wait. The demo was awesome! They may finally have bested Jagged Alliance 2.
  
  The rest of the year has kinda sucked, but the holiday releases so far are GREAT!
3. Re:Zelda? Sold by Slarty · 2003-11-04 19:07 · Score: 1
  
  Ah, Viewtiful Joe, the game that alternately delights me and pisses me off, time after time. I finally managed to beat Fire Leo, Inferno Lord, and now I'm getting whumped on the last level.
  
  Anyway, yes, give this game a try. I'm kind of sad that nobody I talk to seems to have heard of it, which is a real shame, since VJ is one of the best games I've played in a long time, and a refreshing change from the usual fare. And a great reason to get a gamecube... the reason I did, anyway.
  
  --
  Hi... I'm Larry... the shivering chipmunk... brrrrr!... I'm cold... I need a sweater...
4. Re:Zelda? Sold by Frizzle+Fry · 2003-11-05 09:42 · Score: 1
  
  Metroid Prime is very good; if you played the original you'll particularly enjoy it.
  
  Fwiw, I didn't particularly enjoy the original and I still thought metroid prime was absolutely brillant.
  
  --
  I'd rather be lucky than good.
5. Re:Zelda? Sold by Malor · 2003-11-05 14:09 · Score: 1
  
  Didn't particularly enjoy the original?? Blasphemy! Soneone ban this man from the gaming boards! :-)
  
  Actually, I never played the truly original Metroid. I was referring to Super Metroid, which I thought was one of the best games on the SNES.
6. Re:Zelda? Sold by Acidic_Diarrhea · 2003-11-06 05:19 · Score: 1
  
  I believe Viewtiful Joe has been selling very well. (You can find some sales figures through Google.) So don't be too sad - just get some friends with better taste in games. I suppose they're too busy playing the Matrix game to take note of Viewtiful Joe's release.
  
  --
  I hate liberals. If you are a liberal, do not reply.
7. Re:Zelda? Sold by Frizzle+Fry · 2003-11-13 12:47 · Score: 1
  
  At least in Super Metroid (which I didn't play enough to have an opinion on), you had a map. In the original, it was mostly endless wandering through identical caverns without any indication of what you needed to do. Admittedly, Prime may have went slightly too far in the other direction by "holding your hand" a lot, but it's better than endless, endless wandering with no guidance, hoping to find the one wall you could walk through.
  
  --
  I'd rather be lucky than good.
So I guess it costs 19.99 by Zed2K · 2003-11-04 10:30 · Score: 1

Cause thats what a nintendo power renewal or sub costs.
The Horror... by wickedj · 2003-11-04 10:42 · Score: 2, Informative

How could they possibly skip the best game in the series?!?!?!?!?!? A Link to the Past was the finest Zelda game ever. They skipped right over the SNES. Anyone know why or have any ideas? I guess they could probably rerelease it on its own to make more money but why jump from Zelda II to Ocarina? (What about the awful Philips CDi versions too? Not that I want those attrocities to be rereleased.)
1. Re:The Horror... by Shadarr · 2003-11-04 10:49 · Score: 2, Interesting
  
  They want you to buy Link To The Past for GBA, and play it on your Gameboy Player. Total cost about $80 instead of free.
  
  --
  Bite the hand.
2. Re:The Horror... by gamgee5273 · 2003-11-04 12:33 · Score: 1
  
  Sorry - the game sells well on the GBA. Why give it away?
  As for the CDi games...bite your tongue, or else they may release them. :p
an opportunity to indulge by h0mer · 2003-11-04 11:04 · Score: 1

I may just have to get the shiny Platinum 'Cube along with Zelda since it's only $99. I've had a black one from launch day, but it would be nice to have a 2nd GC for LAN titles. Who am I kidding... fucking Mario Kart!

Maybe Nintendo should do a reality show with 4 people living in a house with 4 rooms, 4 GameCubes and 4 GBA SPs.

--

I'm on top of my game like I'm standin' on Xbox.
1. Re:an opportunity to indulge by Anonymous Coward · 2003-11-04 12:47 · Score: 0
  
  Maybe Nintendo should do a reality show with 4 people living in a house with 4 rooms, 4 GameCubes and 4 GBA SPs.
  They could then create the spin-off video game.
Well, I guess... by gamgee5273 · 2003-11-04 12:35 · Score: 1

...I'm getting me a new magazine subscription. I never really wanted Nintendo Power before, but if they're giving something away that I would typically pay $20 for, then it's worth it...
Amazing... by AvantLegion · 2003-11-04 12:41 · Score: 1

Nintendo has found a way to get me to subscribe to Nintendo Propaganda magazine again, after all these years.
Anyone else remember the old Dragon Warrior subscription deal, way back when?
1. Re:Amazing... by reiggin · 2003-11-04 12:48 · Score: 1
  
  I snagged the Dragon Warrior deal. And played the HELL out of that game. Made the subscription well worth it. That was a good RPG. I was an Enix fan long before I became a Square fan.
2. Re:Amazing... by AvantLegion · 2003-11-04 13:00 · Score: 1
  
  Dragon Warrior was great. I actually had the game before the Nintendo Power deal, but many of my friends jumped on the deal, and that deal is exactly what this one reminded me of.
  Of course, back then, I was already a faithful Nintendo Power subscriber. I was also 9, and my propaganda-o-meter was woefully underdeveloped. Though not to be too hard on Nintendo Power - most "official" magazines of console manufacturers have hard doses of self-promotion (very high on 1st party titles, very critical of competing systems). But they're not totally worthless, and the game alone will make the cost worth it (hell, I'm just now finishing the Ocarina of Time disc on GameCube, and will LOVE being able to play through Majora's Mask without having to subject myself to the Nintendo 64).
I'm in! by martone66 · 2003-11-04 13:01 · Score: 1

Ok, this is too great of an opportunity for me to pass by. Despite the fact that I've got a PC, a PS2, and a library of unfinished games, I've got to pick one of these up.

Question: other than the new Zelda and Metroid, what are the best titles out there for the Gamecube that I can't get on my PS2?
1. Re:I'm in! by August_zero · 2003-11-04 13:41 · Score: 1
  
  Here are some titles i have had a great time with, YMMV
  
  F-Zero GX
  Phantasystar Online (even split screen its cool)
  Mario Kart (out soon)
  Pikman
  Skies of Arcadia (assuming you didn't have it on DC)
  Smash Brothers Melee (one of the best party games ever)
  
  There are others, but those are a few of my favorites.
  
  --
  On Wall Street they say "buy low, sell high" On the pad we say, "buy high, sell high" Isn't that somehow better?
2. Re:I'm in! by GaimeGuy · 2003-11-04 14:23 · Score: 2, Informative
  
  Ok, here's a list of all my Cube games (I love them all)
  Animal Crossing - exclusive (Nintendo)
  Beach Spikers - Exclusive (Sega)
  Billy Hatcher and the Giant Egg - Exclusive (Sega: platformer by Yuji Naka)
  Burnout 2: Point of Impact
  Capcom Vs. SNK 2 EO
  Cubivore (known as Animal Leader in Japan)- Exclusive (Nintendo)
  Def Jam Vendetta
  Eternal Darkness: Sanity's Requiem - Exclusive (Silicon Knights)
  F-Zero GX - Exclusive (Sega, yes, you read that right.)
  Ikaruga - Exclusive, but it was also released for DC and arcades, but in japan only. GC version is available in all regions of the world
  Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time & Master Quest - port of the N64 classic, along with the addon, "Master Quest", which contains revamped dungeons.
  Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker - Exclusive (Nintendo)
  Luigi's Mansion - Exclusive (launch title) (Nintendo) Short but fun.
  Mario Party 4 - Exclusive (Nintendo)
  Medal of Honor: Frontline
  Metroid Prime - Exclusive (Nintendo)
  Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance
  NBA Street Vol. 2
  Phantasy Star Online Episode I & II
  Pikmin - Exclusive (Nintendo)
  Rayman 3: Hoodlum Havoc
  Resident Evil (aka REmake) - remake of the original Resident Evil. This remake, with completely redone graphics, new enemies, among other things, was only released for GC. (capcom)
  Resident Evil 0 - exclusive (capcom)
  Resident Evil 2 - port of RE2
  Resident Evil 3: Nemesis - port of RE3
  Rogue Leader: Rogue Squadron 2 - Exclusive (launch title) (Factor 5)
  Skies of Arcadia Legends - enhanced port of Sega's massive RPG for the Dreamcast
  Sonic Adventure 2: Battle - port of SA2 (Sega)
  Sonic Adventure DX: Director's Cut - Port of SA, also contains all the Sonic Game Gear games as unlockables (Sega)
  Sonic Mega Collection - collection of all the Sonic titles from the Sega Genesis (Sega)
  Soul Calibur 2 - multiplatform, but Link is a character exclusive to the GC version. (Namco)
  Super Mario Sunshine - Exclusive (Nintendo)
  Super Monkey Ball - Exclusive (Sega)
  Super Monkey Ball 2 - Exclusive (Sega)
  Super Smash Brothers Melee - Exclusive (Nintendo)
  Timesplitters 2
  Viewtiful Joe - Exclusive (Capcom)
  Hope that helps. Check out reviews for all of those games to see which ones you'd like. Personally, I'd recommend buying a cube after November 17th, and picking up Skies of Arcadia Legends, Metroid Prime, Eternal Darkness, and Viewtiful Joe. For $99, you get the Cube and the Zelda collection disk, containing The Legend of Zelda, The Legend of Zelda: Adventures of Link, The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, a playable demo of Wind Waker, gameplay footage from Wind Waker, and a "The making of..." documentary on the Zelda series. Skies of Arcadia is being sold for ten dollars brand new at Best Buy, Eternal Darkness is being sold between 10 and 20 dollars brand new, Metroid Prime is a Players' Choice title, and therefore, costs only 30 dollars, and Viewtiful Joe retails for only $40. So, you get a new console, a documentary, a playable demo, a video demo, and eight AAA titles, for only $200. Enjoy!
3. Re:I'm in! by martone66 · 2003-11-04 14:40 · Score: 1
  
  Wow.. quite a collection. :)
  
  I'll probably just pick up the new Zelda, Metroid, Mario, and possibly Viewtiful Joe... then hope I have enough time to play them on vacation. :)
4. Re:I'm in! by shione · 2003-11-04 23:54 · Score: 1
  
  I'll just like to add to that list, Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles. Its out in Japan already and currently getting ported into english (2004ish release). I already have a cube and thats the biggest title I'm waiting for atm along with Mario Kart Double Dash.
5. Re:I'm in! by Acidic_Diarrhea · 2003-11-05 09:10 · Score: 1
  
  I don't like any of the Final Fantasy games. In fact, I don't like turn-based combat. I think it is silly.
  
  --
  I hate liberals. If you are a liberal, do not reply.
6. Re:I'm in! by Frizzle+Fry · 2003-11-05 09:47 · Score: 1
  
  Question: other than the new Zelda and Metroid, what are the best titles out there for the Gamecube that I can't get on my PS2?
  
  In my opinion and that of others I know who have played it as much as I have, Smash Bros. Melee may be the best game of all time. Seriously. However, this requries you to know other people who are also willing to put a lot of time into it and get to a high skill level. The game is so deep that you can play many, many hours and still be learning new things. Like Soul Calibur (haven't play SC II much, though, so can't comment on that).
  
  Also, Eternal Darkness is amazing. Really amazing.
  
  --
  I'd rather be lucky than good.
7. Re:I'm in! by shione · 2003-11-05 20:29 · Score: 1
  
  Crystal Chronicles is different than the other Final Fantasies. it's hack and slash, kind of like Diablo if you've played that.
8. Re:I'm in! by Acidic_Diarrhea · 2003-11-06 05:21 · Score: 1
  
  Hmm, well maybe I'll check it out then. Although, the Final Fantasy storylines (from what I know of them) have always seemed a little silly to me. They seem very geared towards the Japanese audience, which isn't exactly what I look for in a game.
  
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  I hate liberals. If you are a liberal, do not reply.
Wait a minute! by Anonymous Coward · 2003-11-04 21:12 · Score: 0

When I saw the word 'Nintendo' I immediately clicked inside but the article caused me great confusion. Wasn't the article supposed to forecast the death of Nintendo? What the hell? I demand the truth!
Mario Party 5 vs. Nintendo Power by Clomer · 2003-11-05 10:36 · Score: 1

I know I want to get the Zelda disc, but the question is which of the 3 methods should I go for? Buying a 2nd Gamecube has never been an option for me, so that's out. That leaves the other 2.

I already have Mario Kart: Double Dash on preorder, so to get it using the register 2 games method is a possibility. I'll only need 1 more game. However, of the other 3 listed, I'm only remotely interested in Mario Party 5. Would this game be worth it?

The other option is what I'm leaning towards, if for no other reason than it's the cheapest. I've never had a subscription to Nintendo Power (always seemed like a waste of money to me), but since it's cheaper than what I would be willing to pay on the Zelda disc anyway, it might be the way to go.

So what do other Slashdotters think? Keep in mind that I don't know a whole lot of people that would play MP5 with me (I understand MP5's strength is in its multi-player). Is Nintendo Power or Mario Party 5 a better deal?

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Intelligent responses welcome, flames will be met with marshmallows.
1. Re:Mario Party 5 vs. Nintendo Power by Acidic_Diarrhea · 2003-11-05 12:27 · Score: 1
  
  How interested in video games are you? Nintendo Power is a beautiful piece of propaganda but it does announce upcoming games and give you news about Nintendo's product line. Do you care about getting this news at all? I would imagine that as someone who reads Slashdot, you probably get most of the information already. Although, I got a subscription to GMR and it's excellent bathroom material. If you've got no interest in getting the latest news, go with Mario Party - and then force it upon your friends. Otherwise, go with Nintendo Power.
  I might subscribe to NP just for the nostalgia factor. I still remember that first cover announcing the glory of Mario Bros. 2.
  
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  I hate liberals. If you are a liberal, do not reply.
2. Re:Mario Party 5 vs. Nintendo Power by Anonymous Coward · 2003-11-05 15:24 · Score: 0
  
  I got my GameCube back in March when they threw in your choice of Starfox Adventures, Metriod Prime, Eternal Darkness, or Mario Party 4 for free. I hadn't played any Mario Party games prior, but opted to try it out. I imagine my impressions of it will not differ much with Mario Party 5.
  
  The main game is a 4 player game(players can either be human or computer controlled). There's also a single player story mode, but I must admit I've never played it. Also, I only have one friend that I regularly play video games with, so ...I thought... that when I played it, it would mostly be with him and 2 computer controlled characters. However, that was only the case the first time I played it. My sister saw this game, and let me tell you, since then she's turned almost all of her friends (we're talking chicks their young twenties here ;) into Mario Party addicts. It's been months now, and they come over almost every week.
  
  So to sum it up, for what it's worth to ya, chicks dig Mario Party.