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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.

74 comments

  1. GNAA announces hostile takeover of Electronic Arts by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Troll
    GNAA announces hostile takeover of Electronic Arts
    Zeikfried - Reuters, Nigeria.
    In a hushed press conference held at the GNAA compound in blackest Nigeria, the cream of the journalistic crop from IGN, Gamespot, Gamespy and various other overpriced ad-infested shitholes gathered from across 4 continents to witness what has been described as the most shocking announcement of the post-E3 market. The purchase of a controlling stock in industry leading publisher Electronic Arts by the increasingly aggressive venture capitalists of the GNAA.
    After keeping the illiterate troglodytes waiting for several hours, leading GNAA members Timecop, Penisbird and goat-see, along with Electronic Arts president and CEO John Riccitiello, pulled up in the specially commissioned GNAA Limo, now fully armoured to protect from the ever present threat of terrorism from zionist #politics oppers. All four were, as usual, stark naked due to the searing Nigerian heat, and were instantly greeted by a cacophony of flashbulbs and excited chatter from the wretched sodomites and college dropouts that populate the world of gaming, including a shower from the furiously masturbating IGN editor Matt Cassamassina.
    "This is a new day for Electronic Arts" exploded the now fully erect Riccitiello, "and a new day for the Gay Nigger Association of America. Now no longer will the significant Gay Nigger minority be ignored by the racist cartels and Japanese Xenophobes that hold a tight noose on the gaming industry."
    Shortly afterwards, following a brutal anal violation by nordic Gay Nigger DiKKy, the now broken and bleeding John Riccitiello was replaced by the newly appointed head of the GNAAs gaming division, Zeikfried Tuvai.
    "This change is no mere financial step, or a changing of the guard, this will be an absolute fucking revolution. Work on our titles has already begun, I shit you not."
    Tragically the conference was then cut short by a failed assassination attempt on the GNAA leadership by efnet #politcs opper and known fascist paedophile "Pickle", who was quickly disarmed by GNAA security and silenced by a large black phallus. However a press release has been issued to Reuters and the Associated Press, and is as follows:

    Shitflood Gaia (GC/PS2/Xbox) Q4 2004 - A management sim, where the otaku scum of internet have gathered into a single drinking hole for quick extermination. The player must control his assets wisely to gain the maximum number of bites from the unsuspecting and unintelligent regulars in order to max out his LastMeasure meter and gain access to his most potent weapon, floodphpbb.

    Americas Army - Operation #politics (PC (Windows Only)) Q4 2004 - GNAA/EA and the armed forces of the United States of America unite to bring the reality of the T.W.A.T to your Windows box this Christmas. This third-person shooter throws you in charge of the GNAA efnet black ops, as you struggle against corrupt IRC operators, Mossad agents, Nick Berg's head and eventually FreeTrade himself in an explosive struggle in the name of freedom and democracy.

    Penisbird's Cock Perch Panic (GBA) Q1 2005 - A coup by OSDN shock troops threatens to overthrow the President, defeat the unwashed scum by guiding Penisbird onto their prone member, disarming them once and for all. As you move through the levels you must dodge traps laid by the increasingly desperate CmdrTaco, including CowboyNeal himself. Can you avoid his sentient rolls of lard to perch on CowboyNeal's notoriously miniscule penis? Find out for yourself in 2005!

    About EA:
    Electronic Arts (EA) is the world's leading independent developer and publisher of interactive entertainment software for personal computers and advanced entertainment systems such as the PlayStation®2 Computer Entertainment System, the PlayStation®, Xbox(TM) video game console from Microsoft, the Nintendo GameCube(TM) and the Game Boy® Advance. Since its inception, EA has garnered more than 700 awards

  2. I bet by Doctor+Ian · · Score: 5, Funny

    that they saved a lot of money by doing that.

    --
    Trust me, I'm a doctor.
    1. Re:I bet by djsmiley · · Score: 0

      And you have got to love the way they have used the TVs to perfectly hold the satulite speakers at the right hight for crystal clear 16bit sound!

      A joy to-be hold,

      and are these guys loaded? 5 tvs, a pool table and 5 gcs!?

      --
      - http://www.milkme.co.uk
  3. Re:GNAA announces hostile takeover of Electronic A by djsmiley · · Score: -1

    feel go to have "first shittest spammed overtalkitive most offtopic peice of crap post" award?

    --
    - http://www.milkme.co.uk
  4. YHBT YHL HAND by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1

    Feel good to have utterly ruined your already shitty karma with a poorly spelt retort that inspired no other emotion than humour within me?

    1. Re:YHBT YHL HAND by djsmiley · · Score: -1, Offtopic

      karma matters nothing to me?

      It was already negitive anyway. and my spelling, no worse than the last?

      --
      - http://www.milkme.co.uk
    2. Re:YHBT YHL HAND by (GNAA)Zeikfried · · Score: -1

      Personal info of djsmiley

      Real Name: Tim Bowers
      e-mail: djsmiley2k@hotmail.com
      MSN Messenger: djsmiley2k@hotmail.com
      Yahoo: djsmiley2k@yahoo.com
      Telephone Number: 07761 484859
      IP Address: 81.108.115.138 (a mere 600k NTL Cable connection)
      Location: Coventry, UK

      And feel free to submit an abuse report to his ISP, if his blatant trolling disturbs you in anyway.

  5. Probably not by RotJ · · Score: 2, Insightful

    I wonder if you could do the same thing with GBA emulators and some hacked cables.

    1. Re:Probably not by users.pl · · Score: -1

      I imagine the emulator community will find a way to do the multiplayer without owning any Nintendo hardware at all. If emulated Super Smash Brothers tournaments can exist, I bet this FF stuff is childs play.

    2. Re:Probably not by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Except that the only GBA emulator with any sort of cable support is currently only on my computer afaik (you should know, that cable supoorts a 2Mbit link so it is a pain to do it via parport or similair)

  6. Actually Helpful to know by August_zero · · Score: 4, Insightful

    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?
    1. Re:Actually Helpful to know by Sancho · · Score: 1

      I don't think this is particularly innovative--in fact, it's the first thing my friends and I thought of when we started playing FF:CC. The main issue is the TVs, though finding the extra Gamecubes/Gameboy Players is problematic, too. If you've got them, cool. I still think that Gameboys are easier, though.

    2. Re:Actually Helpful to know by fireduck · · Score: 1

      wouldn't this still have required 2 gamecubes though? 1 to emulate the gba and the other to "host" the actual GC game? it still would have been cheaper to just go out and buy another GBA, unless you had 2 GCs lying around...

      but i agree it is a cool thing to know. even if it is overkill. (i just wish the gba player was cheaper, i'd pick one up)

    3. Re:Actually Helpful to know by Methuseus · · Score: 1

      GCs are a dime a dozen if you and your friends like the system. Out of about 10 friends, over half have GCs, and about half of them have GBA players. But I don't think that's really the norm.

      --
      Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity, though I'm not yet sure about the universe. - A Einstein
    4. Re:Actually Helpful to know by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Actually i understand it correctly it would require 5 GCs and Five TVs. On GC/TV combo to run the game and then 4 extra to use as GBA's. I noticed this as a possibilty a while back, since the gameboy player did have port for the link cable.

    5. Re:Actually Helpful to know by aliens · · Score: 2, Funny

      nerdy rush some of us get

      While this isn't the most complex or intuitive hack, I got quite the rush from seeing it.

      In fact, I might need new pants.

      (I joke about the pants, not the rush)

      --
      -- taking over the world, we are.
    6. Re:Actually Helpful to know by August_zero · · Score: 2, Interesting

      Well in my case (that is last weekend) total we had access to 3 gamecubes, 2 moveable televisions, 1 very immoveable HDTV, 2 GBASPs, 1 GBA, 3 link cables, 1 gameboy player (a friend of my brother's owns one, I don't. If I had known that they had link cable connections on them I might have figured this idea myself) and about 60 total bottles/cans of beer.

      We almost had enough stuff to allow 2 people to use TVs and the other 2 use GBASP (using a GBA vanilla can be tough without good background lighting) knowing this about the GBA player I am going to be keeping my eyes open for a used unit.

      --
      On Wall Street they say "buy low, sell high" On the pad we say, "buy high, sell high" Isn't that somehow better?
    7. Re:Actually Helpful to know by Babbster · · Score: 1
      ...using a GBA vanilla can be tough without good background lighting...

      You just need to set everything up for play in and near the bathroom. Everyone knows that's the best place to play the original GBA.

    8. Re:Actually Helpful to know by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Hmmm... four nerds crouching in the bathroom, staring at gameboys... you paint a pretty picture.

  7. Edit by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Oops, that word should have been impractical not the travesty that I put up instead. How did I miss that on spell check?

  8. Old News by Gen.+Rasputin+X · · Score: 3, Interesting

    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.

    1. Re:Old News by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      We did it, too, because we actually had only three GBAs, but we had a spare GC, TV and GBA Player. We used the extra TV setup for about a week until we managed to secure a fourth GBA.

      --
      M

    2. Re:Old News by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Flamebait

      Good for you! Now mail it to yesterday when it would have mattered. You got beat to the punch, buddy! ...as we learned when a whipped friend's girlfriend called him home.

      This occured shortly before your mother called you home.

      OOSH!

    3. Re:old news by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Informative

      It boggles my mind that this is news to someone. Not because it isn't cool, but because I've been doing this kind of stuff all along. I'm used to coming to this page and finding out that someone copied a Gamecube game, or put Unix on the little bugger. This right here is some shit everyone should have taken for granted already.

      "Hey, Slashdot! This just in! The Game Boy Player does the exact same things a GBA does, just like it's supposed to!"

      Did everyone know that a Game Boy Advance can be used as the controller for a Game Boy Player? I once used a Wavebird to control a Game Boy Player-enabled Gamecube, which was controlling another Game Boy Player-enabled Gamecube, which was controlling another Game Boy Player-enabled Gamecube, which was playing Mariokart Super Circuit, and the control was flawless. Daisy-chain thirty systems in this manner, and tell us what sort of control lag occurs. That'll be news.

      Or here's some trivia: A PS2 A/V cable will work with a Gamecube, but it produces a black & white picture. Shove that down your technical feat hole.

    4. Re:old news by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Or here's some trivia: A PS2 A/V cable will work with a Gamecube, but it produces a black & white picture. Shove that down your technical feat hole.

      Well if you could get the cable in (not feeling like trying to muck up my plugs/cables) the pinouts (from gamesx.com) show that the S-Video Y (Luma) pin on the SNES/N64/Gamecube is just about in line with the composite video pin on the Playstation cable, which would be why it is just a black and white signal.

      If for some reason you get a PS cable which shorts the grounds together, it is posible that you might also short out the A/V circuits on your Nintendo system....

    5. Re:Old News by Weirdofreak · · Score: 2, Informative

      Somebody on the GameFAQs boards had the very same idea. Since then, he's been telling everybody who asks about whether or not you can play with 'Cube controllers about this. There are quite a few of those people, unfortunately.

      The Two GBAs/Two controllers glitch was also posted there, and almost immediately discredited when nobody except the poster could get it to work.

  9. Author a touch near-sighted. by Inoshiro · · Score: 4, Insightful

    "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.

    --
    --
    Internet Explorer (n): Another bug -- that is, a feature that can't be turned off -- in Windows.
    1. Re:Author a touch near-sighted. by XellDx · · Score: 1

      "I don't own a GBA and didn't plan on buying one for this purpose or for any other."

      I think that he saw this game as a marketing ploy to sell the GBA's ability to link. Now I know thats not how SquEnix designed the game, but that is how Nintendo pursued it when it went through marketing.

      Don't hate the game, hate the rules.

      --
      X
    2. Re:Author a touch near-sighted. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      "...Nintendo is inovating, not trying to sell you a 99$ USD controller"

      Yes, they are trying to sell you a new $99 controller. It just so happens that it is an innovative way of doing it.

      It really could go both ways here, but we'll see what people say when Crystal Chronicles 2 comes out and it requires a mandatory GBA DS. Will it still be so innovative?

    3. Re:Author a touch near-sighted. by falcon5768 · · Score: 2, Insightful

      am I the only one who didnt go running out to buy a SP??? My GBA works fine for me and only cost me 60 bucks... no 99 dollars here....

      --

      "Slashdot, where telling the truth is overrated but lying is insightful."

    4. Re:Author a touch near-sighted. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Insightful

      "Yes, they are trying to sell you a new $99 controller. It just so happens that it is an innovative way of doing it."

      Because clearly all the GBA is good for is controlling Crystal Chronicles. There is by no means an existing thousand-game-library for use with it.

      Nope. It's just an overpriced controller. Yep.

      --
      M

    5. Re:Author a touch near-sighted. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      What's worse? Mac zealots or Nintendo zealots?

      I kid! I kid because I love! :)

      But it is funny... because both Mac and Nintendo people tend to have to fight off their respective nay-sayers who claim that alternatives are more powerful and/or cheaper in the long run...

    6. Re:Author a touch near-sighted. by chrismcdirty · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Yep. Definitely not even close to the over-priced-ness of Steel Battallion. Two games released for a $200 controller.

      --
      It's like sex, except I'm having it!
    7. Re:Author a touch near-sighted. by jayhawk88 · · Score: 1

      Even so, it would have been nice to at least have the option of playing the game in multiplayer mode sans GBA controller option.

    8. Re:Author a touch near-sighted. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      What the....?

      Squeenix designed the game to take advantage of the link themselves. Fund Q only made sure that the game was made at all. (And incidentally, FF:CC 2 is being released for GameCube without any influence from Fund Q.)

  10. Defeating The Purpose by silentbobdp · · Score: 4, Insightful

    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.
    1. Re:Defeating The Purpose by SySOvErRiDe · · Score: 1

      Then why can't I just 'show' the other player the screen on my GBA?

    2. Re:Defeating The Purpose by TechnoPops · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Obviously you've never used a pre-SP GBA before.

      --
      "Each time you smile, it'll only last awhile. Life may be scary, but it's only temporary."
    3. Re:Defeating The Purpose by MBCook · · Score: 2, Informative
      An interesting idea, but I don't think it works that way in FF:CC. I think all that it shows in FF:CC is the player's map (at least that's what the screenshots seem to indicate). If you know much about the game, you know all the players must be in the same place because there is poisin gas around that eats at your health unless you are near a special bucket that someone in the party has to carry around. Because of all this, the maps are all the same, for all intents and purposes.

      Now you could do some cool things in sports games like let you choose your plays in a football game without everyone else seeing. The GBA GC connection is the Dreamcast's VMU in many ways. Only the screen on the GBA is VASTLY better than the VMU, but what do you expect since they were designed for different purposes origionally.

      I'm not sure how you would use it to encourage co-operation above what would be needed in the first place to play a four player game.

      PS: Doesn't that first paragraph sound almost like a troll trying to make up some rediculous explanation of the game that's obviously wrong? But it's close to that. Odd. :)

      --
      Comment forecast: Bits of genius surrounded by a sea of mediocrity.
    4. Re:Defeating The Purpose by silentbobdp · · Score: 4, Informative

      No. Each map shows different things. One shows treasure, one shows enemies, and I forget what the other two are (it has been a good month since the last time I got with anyone to play this game).

      And yes, I am aware of the gas. The maps aren't used to keep the players together. They're used to foster different goals.

      --
      --Moo.
    5. Re:Defeating The Purpose by gyrojoe · · Score: 1

      One shows treasure, one shows enemies
      The other map simply shows the terrain and the fourth one shows the stats of the enemy that player last attacked.

    6. Re:Defeating The Purpose by MBCook · · Score: 1
      Really? I thought of that idea when writing my post but throught it wouldn't work well. I guess I was wrong. Thanks for the info.

      As you can probably guess, while I have read a review or two of the game, I have not played it.

      --
      Comment forecast: Bits of genius surrounded by a sea of mediocrity.
    7. Re:Defeating The Purpose by KDR_11k · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Because that way both of you get distracted? Because that will reveal your secret goal to the enemy?

      (in FFCC every player gets a secret goal assigned to him in each level. At the end of the level stat enhancements are given out to the people who fulfilled their goals best first)

      --
      Justice is the sheep getting arrested while an impartial judge declares the vote void.
    8. Re:Defeating The Purpose by SySOvErRiDe · · Score: 1

      Ah that makes sense. I haven't played FFCC before, I concede *bows*

    9. Re:Defeating The Purpose by Metal_Demon · · Score: 1

      Actually, as somebody else mentioned you all have the same map. You do have a point though, you actually don't want others to see your screen because you have a secret objective that they may be able to interfere with. At the beginning of the mission you might get told to go through the whole level without getting healed. Each person gets something different and whoever sticks to their task the best gets first pick at upgrades at the end of the level. Obviously if they know that you aren't supposed to be getting healed they will heal you as much as possible to increase their own chances of winning.

      --
      Trust Your Technolust
    10. Re:Defeating The Purpose by Weirdofreak · · Score: 1

      No, you get different maps. They're maps of the same area, but they show different things. On 2p one person has terrain and one person has enemies. On 3p I think there's also a treasure map, and a 'scouter' on 4p which gives you details about the enemies. I've never played more than 2p, though, so I could have got the treasure map/scouter mixed up. I also might have got the treasure/enemies mixed up.

      Also, quick nitpick: the actual task is 'Don't heal yourself'. If your friends heal you, I don't think you'll lose points. With about half the conditions (don't do something) they'll help you automatically, but need to consciously think about hindering, with the others (do something) they'll hinder automatically and need to consciously think about helping.

  11. Thats awesome by XellDx · · Score: 3, Interesting

    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
    1. Re:Thats awesome by FortissimoWily · · Score: 3, Informative

      I didn't realize that you could trick Crystal Chronicles into thinking the GB Player was a GBA.
      There's no trickery involved - the GB Player *IS* a GBA. It's just in a casing that attatches to a GC. ;P

    2. Re:Thats awesome by blueZhift · · Score: 1

      Awesome is almost an understatement. I love stuff like this! :-) I wonder if the Nintendo engineers ever anticipated this, or perhaps tried it themselves. Finally, after seeing the picture, it must be said...

      Cubes + Wires + TVs = Borg

      Resistance is futile...You will be assimilated...

    3. Re:Thats awesome by Zangief · · Score: 1

      Redundant. We have Mario Kart DD! for that...

    4. Re:Thats awesome by XellDx · · Score: 1

      Yes. Yes it is.

      However, the gameboy version was out a good year.5 prior to that. Also, I can't play Double Dash verticly split either.

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      X
    5. Re:Thats awesome by Zangief · · Score: 1

      Well, if you can get together four GC, TVs, etc, you can also get four broadband adaptors and four MK:DD!, so you don't have to play with a split screen.

      AND you can get up to 16 players, if you accept split screen.

      Not a bad deal. Not the best one, but not a bad one either.

    6. Re:Thats awesome by XellDx · · Score: 1

      Ding. Found picture. Ignore filename.

      --
      X
    7. Re:Thats awesome by XellDx · · Score: 1

      Yeah, this should work. I am dumb. I'm telling ya, its awesome.

      --
      X
  12. On the other hand by TheOnlyCoolTim · · Score: -1, Troll

    Playing this game is one of the more embarassing things a grown man or woman can be seen doing.

    Tim

    --
    Omnia vestra castrorum habetur nobis.
    1. Re:On the other hand by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Modding him down? THE TRUTH HURTS, DOESN'T IT?!?!

      (extra text for lameness filter)

  13. Fortune by commonchaos · · Score: 1

    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 ..."

  14. 1 Problem by G-Spot · · Score: 1

    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.

  15. Other reasons to do this by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    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.)

  16. Wow! It's just like Goldeneye! by cabra771 · · Score: 2, Interesting

    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
  17. old news by Fake+Trout · · Score: 1

    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.

  18. Backwards by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0
    They didn't say "you know what, all these GameCubes are in homes, but we just can't move the GameBoy... let's designa way to sell four GameBoys to every GameCube owner."

    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.

  19. Jumpin' Jesus by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    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?

  20. Then again... by Pika_girl15 · · Score: 1

    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!!
    ---

    1. Re:Then again... by Weirdofreak · · Score: 1

      In a situation like this, friends are your friends.

    2. Re:Then again... by PainKilleR-CE · · Score: 1

      hmm I have 2 gamecubes, a GB Player, 2 GBA SPs, a GBA, 4 Wavebirds, and 3 TVs in my apartment. Unfortunately, none of the TVs is very portable (and one of them has a colour shift that needs to be fixed).

      That being said, I know people with 5 TVs in their homes, and I know people with Gamecubes. I just don't think I know anyone that cares enough about FF:CC to put all of it together to get the 5 TVs, 5 GCs, 4 GB Players, and 4 Wavebirds all in the same room when we could just use 2 TVs, 2 GCs, 1 GBP, 2 GBA SPs, 1 GBA, and a Wavebird.

      In reality, the most expensive things are the Cubes and the largest TV. Most of the stuff is assumed to be things you and your friends already have (ie the Cubes, TVs, and controllers).

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  21. I haven't the opportunity to test it... by Zangief · · Score: 2, Interesting

    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...

    1. Re:I haven't the opportunity to test it... by bucky0 · · Score: 1

      He's not connecting a gameboy player to another gameboy player, he's connecting a gameboy player to a gamecube controller port.

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    2. Re:I haven't the opportunity to test it... by Zangief · · Score: 1

      woa. Mod Parent Up.

  22. I don't get a nerdy rush by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    from doing busywork, ever.

  23. No it wouldn't. by Inoshiro · · Score: 2, Interesting

    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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    1. Re:No it wouldn't. by jayhawk88 · · Score: 2, Insightful

      I've played both ways, and while admitedly the gba-multiplayer is more fun than the single player, I question the wisdom of a game like this dragging it's fans "kicking and screaming" as you put it.

      If the gba-multiplayer gameplay is superior people will play it. Cutting off multiplayer to people who don't have a GameBoy (or don't know anyone else who owns GameBoys) was not a good idea, especially on a top-tier title like Final Fantasy.

  24. In other news.. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    ..local guy's house burns down as he plugs 5 gamecubes and 5 TVs into the same extension cord.

  25. Hmmm... interesting by shoptroll · · Score: 1

    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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