GameCube Platinum Pack with Metroid Prime Game

Product Details

• ASIN: B0000789TW
• Media: Video Game
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #50,576 in Video Games (See Top 100 in Video Games)

Product Description

Amazon.com Review

This special Nintendo GameCube bundle includes the first-person action game Metroid Prime. In Metroid Prime, players battle space pirates and otherworldly monsters to control the future of the universe. The bundle also includes an additional platinum controller that you can use with the system's many multiplayer games.

Though it looks like a toy, don't be fooled: the Nintendo GameCube is a powerful video game console that rightly deserves its place among the other next-generation game systems. In fact, its playful, appealing design and small size (the unit is a not-quite-cubed 6 inches) aren't the only features that set it apart from the others.

For starters, Nintendo has quite clearly made this a game-only machine. It doesn't try to play your CD collection, run your movies, read your e-mail, or store your MP3 files. The company has concentrated its efforts on games. All the prelaunch titles we've seen play smoothly, with bright, fast graphics and great sound. Nintendo says its engineers have removed traditional bottlenecks that have, in the past, slowed down processing. New components designed by IBM and MoSys, as well as a large-capacity secondary memory cache, keep instructions moving through the system's microprocessor (MPU) at peak levels. In English: the GameCube is optimized to push speed up while pushing costs down; hence its position at the lower end of the price spectrum.

The GameCube is the first Nintendo video game system to use a disc-based medium rather than cartridges for its games. Moving the software to disc media generally means lower development costs for the publishers, which, in turn, trickles down to the consumer not only in price, but also in availability and quality, as it's then easier to try out untested game ideas (Pikmin, anyone?). While most other systems likewise have their games stored on discs, the GameCube's 3-inch format is smaller than everyone else's, and is so designed to fit in a shirt pocket as much as to deter would-be software pirates.

Of course, the main advantage of the GameCube is that it's the home field of one of the world's premier game designers: Nintendo. While powerhouses Electronic Arts and Sega make games for all systems (including this one), you can play Nintendo games only on a Nintendo system. And Nintendo, you might recall, has been hitting them out of the park since it started with Donkey Kong. In fact, here's a roll call of characters and series you won't find on the other consoles: Mario, Legend of Zelda, Perfect Dark, Metroid, Kirby, and, of course, Pokémon. A few names that the GameCube will share with the other guys: Madden, Tony Hawk, Sonic, Batman, and Star Wars.

The system also comes with four built-in controller ports, so you can easily plug in extra controllers and let friends join in for the multiplayer games--it's even got a built-in handle so you can easily move it to a friend's house. It comes with two memory card slots for saving your progress through games, and there's the capacity for future expansion into the world of online gaming.

In short, the GameCube isn't an all-in-one entertainment system, and neither is it the most powerful of the modern video game consoles. But for video game enthusiasts who want to stick with their favorite characters, its value cannot be beat. --Porter B. Hall

Unit Specifications

• MPU (Microprocessor Unit): 485 MHz custom IBM PowerPC Gekko
• Graphics Processor: 162 MHz custom ATI/Nintendo Flipper
• Texture-Read Bandwidth: 10.4 GB per second (peak)
• Main Memory Bandwidth: 2.6 GB per second (peak)
• Pixel Depth: 24-bit color, 24-bit Z buffer
• Sound Processor: 81 MHz custom Macronix 16-bit DSP
• Sound Performance: 64 simultaneous channels, ADPCM encoding
• Polygon Performance: 6 to 12 million polygons per second (peak)
• System Memory: 40 MB
• Main Memory: 24 MB MoSys 1T-SRAM
• Disc Drive: 128 ms CAV (Constant Angular Velocity) system
• Data Transfer Speed: 16 Mbps to 25 Mbps
• Media: 3-inch, 1.5 GB capacity disc
• Controller Ports: Four
• Memory Card Slots: Two
• Audio-Video Output: Analog and digital
• Dimensions: 4.3 by 5.9 by 6.3 inches (height by width by depth)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

42 of 44 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Gamecube goes platinum with Metroid Prime!, October 29, 2002

By 

Stephen J. Carlson (Overland Park, Kansas United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: GameCube Platinum Pack with Metroid Prime Game (Video Game)

This is an excellent deal. It comes with the standard Gamecube, only colored in a special edition platinum color. It comes with two standard controllers that are also colored platinum. As far as I know, the only way to get a platinum colored controller is to buy it with a platinum Gamecube.

This bundle comes with the muchly-anticipated Metroid Prime, which promises to be one of the best video games this holiday season.

One thing to point out about this bundle, however is that the Gamecube, plus the extra controller, and Metroid Prime game add up to the same price as buying the products individually. I would personally rather buy a platinum Gamecube (sold separately), Metroid Prime, and a Wavebird wireless Gamecube controller. but this is just an opinion.

If you buy this product, I am sure you will think it is well-worth your money, especially because of all the blockbuster games that are coming out soon exclusively for Gamecube.

P.S. Don't forget to buy a memory card!

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Great game on a great system, February 5, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: GameCube Platinum Pack with Metroid Prime Game (Video Game)

The gamecube is a great system, probably the best one out there. It is also the cheapest of the new consoles (Gamecube/ Playstation2, Xbox), which is a plus. Metroid Prime is also one of my favorite games for any system. The platinum color is also a very nice touch.
I find it strange how Nintendo is offering package deals such as this when you don't save any money over buying each piece seperately. The bundle comes with:
-The system (and TV and power cables) plus a controller
-A Platinum controller
-Metroid Prime game
One other thing to know - YOU MUST BUY A MEMORY CARD SEPERATELY Amazon.com sells the Memory Card 251, so make sure you get one, because Metroid, like almost ever other Gamecube game needs a memory card.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars the best game ever made!, December 29, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: GameCube Platinum Pack with Metroid Prime Game (Video Game)

The best graphics, best sound, best pirce and best titles!. Whith it 164Mhz graphic processor Nintendo has produced the best console ever!. You can get cool titles such as Mario Sunshine, Mario Party 4 and Metroid Prime that you cant get in other consoles. However the only thing that dissapointed me was that it doesnt includes DVD player. The 1º reason to buy Nintendo's Gamecube is it has the coollest titles (Although it doesnt includes GTA series games), 2º reason the controllers are comfortable and you get used to them very fast and 3º reason the best graphics!
Firstly I thought of buying the Xbox but I realised that it was a waste money, so I bought the Gamecube.
Buy it its a great console! Don't waste money on the Xbox or PS2!