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Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles, Without GBAs?
arxmage writes "A group of my students went to extremes to play the GameCube ARPG Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles in multiplayer mode with wireless controllers, and without using a Game Boy Advance [as a Gamers Europe review explains, the multiplayer mode 'requires each player to have a Game Boy Advance and a GameCube link cable'.] You basically get a GameCube with FF:CC in it, then get 4 more GCs with attached GameBoy Players. Link each of these 4 GCs (using GBA link cables) to the main GC, and plug each of these 4 GCs into its own small tv. The small TVs act as each player's 'GBA screen' and the main TV is where everyone plays. Finally, plug a WaveBird into each of these 4 GameCubes and you're good to go." The resulting cable mess is a joy to behold.
that they saved a lot of money by doing that.
Trust me, I'm a doctor.
I wonder if you could do the same thing with GBA emulators and some hacked cables.
Ok i am betting that there are at least a dozen people that are going to rush this board with something to the effect of "duh thats stupid kuz it is more work than just getting GBAs". Never mind that nerdy rush some of us get for stuff like this.
But this isn't a stupid idea or impracticle at all if you remember that you don't need to put all 4 people on cubes. Last weekend I was out at my brothers, and there were 4 of us that wanted to play CC, but there was only 3 GBA's between us. Had we known about this, we could have dragged the small TV out of the basement, gotten ahold of another link cable and used a Gameboy player to get that 4th person in. All it would have taken was a $5 purchase of a used link cable from the local gamestop and a little bit of lifting.
On Wall Street they say "buy low, sell high" On the pad we say, "buy high, sell high" Isn't that somehow better?
Oops, that word should have been impractical not the travesty that I put up instead. How did I miss that on spell check?
We came up with this idea about a week before the game came out, and tested it the weekend after it was released. It works fairly well, though it does tend to end up being overkill.
You can definately mix and match the systems though. 2 gamecubes, 1 gameboy players, and 3 gameboy advanced was what we went with.
Though, I should point out that there is a bug in the system that allows you to control it a 3rd and 4th player with normal gamecube controllers if you have 2 gameboy advanceds, or obviously, two extra gamecubes with gameboy players.
Basically, you use one gameboy advanced to hold the multiplayer window open, plug in the other gameboy advance, let it pass the check, and then swap it with a regular controller.
That method has some disadvantages, because you need to swap controllers at times to give screens to the players who don't have them. For example, in the town, when you're selling things, buying things, customizing items, or rearranging you inventory in preparation for tough battles.
Also, you can swap out a 2nd player's gameboy advanced unit with a normal gamecube controller when they have to leave in the middle of a level, as we learned when a whipped friend's girlfriend called him home.
"I further explained that I wasn't planning on giving in to Nintendo's marketing scheme by going out and buying a GBA."
Yea, Nintendo really needs to use the awesome GameCube to prop up the ailing GameBoy Advance platform! I mean, it's not like the GBA sells itself, or is even close to outselling any other platforms...
Oh-fucking-wait, it's outselling the PS2 on its own merits!
I really wish people would grow up and realize that Nintendo is inovating, not trying to sell you a 99$ USD controller. The GBA is not a high-margin device, that's the software's job. That's why companies are always cutting hardware prices. People just try to justify anything they don't like by making it a part of some EVIL CORPORATE PLOT (TM) to SELL MORE EVIL or some such.
Nintendo probably makes more on the GBA player, since there's no screen, battery, or anything else to include beyond a small DVD and the plastic case around reclaimed non-SP GBA guts.
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Internet Explorer (n): Another bug -- that is, a feature that can't be turned off -- in Windows.
There's a second reason why it's meant to be a GBA and not another TV - people can glance at the other TV's in the room, but if someone can only see their special map, etc, on their GBA, the other players must address that person directly and ask them what is on it. This fosters teamwork.
The workaround described on the webpage defeats that.
--Moo.
I've already seen something similar done though. Me and a friend got our GC's together and played Mario Kart Super Circuit Side by side on a WideScreen TV with the GB-Player.
Thats a special kind of awesome though. I didn't realize that you could trick Crystal Chronicles into thinking the GB Player was a GBA. I'm going to have to try it with my friends now.
X
Every now and again, the fortune at the bottom of the page gives me the creeps. Right now is one of those cases: " ..."
Slowly and surely the unix crept up on the Nintendo user
Modding him down? THE TRUTH HURTS, DOESN'T IT?!?!
(extra text for lameness filter)
Only problem is that everyone can see your secret objective... and they will no longer wonder why the guy with the cure ring is always whining to be cured.
1. You just happen to have a lotta spare TVs and Gamecubes lying around.
2. Quite simply, if you turn this into a permanent rig it will cut down on cable tangles on the floor (really REALLY important if you have an active dog.)
When we used to split the N64's signal between 2 TVs and then cover half the screen with a piece of cardboard so we could play 2 vs. 2 without cheating.
-my other sig is your mom
I've been doing this for over a year linking GB Players and Four Swords. though we'll have to resort to using at least 2 GBAs when we getting the cube version of Four Swords... unless friends start ponying up more hardware for game night, which is entirely likely.
What they said was "God damn it, we have all these GameBoys out there, we really have more consoles in use than any other current-gen manufacturer, but nobody takes the handhelds seriously. Everyone thinks we're dying. Is there anyone we can turn this into a way to sells Cubes, thus getting mindshare?"
Maybe you and your frineds all have GBAs (maybe? Pretty likely) and none of you have liked the Cube. So you say, hey, one cube is $99... if we split it four ways we can try this new kind of FF game. That gets one cube into your circle of friends, and with it around maybe you try out Metroid Prime, you like it, and you all get GameCubes.
Nintendo has a product that should sell itself... great exclusive games, dirt-cheap console... the gimmicks are just to break through the vulture press mindset.
If I could mod you all "Complete fools" I would.
The GBA adds a good deal to Crystal Chronicles, the game would not have worked as intended otherwise, however:
1) It really could have been done without GBA controllers, which is something people seem to completely deny.
2) all of you seem to entirely miss the point that MONEY DRIVES AN INDUSTRY!
To all of you saying this isn't a marketting ploy: How's that complete-fucking-denial working out for ya' suckers?
Looking at the picture, that looks awesome. But, then again, who has the money for what, 5 tvs, 5 gamecubes, 4 Wavebirds, ect ect ect....
I certainly dont have that much cash!!
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but the Gameboy Player Manual says that you shouldn't connect a gameboy player with another gameboy player.
Maybe Nintendo is afraid that the Gameboy Player will out sell the GBA? I don't think so...
from doing busywork, ever.
That would defeat the point of developing the games as one where people have different maps and objectives. You'd take the main point of the multiplayer away. Have you played it single player? It's not anywhere near as fun, and that's exactly how the multi-player would play out without the innovative gameplay.
This is why gameplay doesn't change much -- people have to be dragged kicking and screaming from their boring rehashes of old ideas!
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Internet Explorer (n): Another bug -- that is, a feature that can't be turned off -- in Windows.
..local guy's house burns down as he plugs 5 gamecubes and 5 TVs into the same extension cord.
I was wondering if that was doable... Pretty neat, but I don't know exactly how cost effective that is as the older styled GBAs I think are selling for less than the SP styles. If the GBAs are less than $50 then its more effective to go with the GBA, unless you want to take into account battery expenses.
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