GameCube Jet Black Starter Pack

Product Details

• ASIN: B00005V8G9
• Media: Video Game
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (127 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #26,226 in Video Games (See Bestsellers in Video Games)

Product Description

Amazon.com Product Description

This GameCube starter kit comes with one jet black GameCube, two jet black controllers, and one memory card 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. The prelaunch titles we've seen play uniformly smooth, 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 media 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. While most other systems likewise store their games 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 it is 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 only play Nintendo games 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 even has 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.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

102 of 117 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Real advantages and disadvantages of GC., May 28, 2002

By	Dimitri Smirnov "Mean Booger!" (Orlando, FL) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Don't you get sick of reviews that only show one side of the story? Or simply lie to you to make a product look better?
Here are some real important facts about gamecube:

1. It's not faster than Xbox and it's not slower than PS2. It's something in between.

2. It's compact size is definatelly a plus if you don't have space in your house or decide to travel with GC alot. I don't see how a bigger size makes a system so much worse. I put my system in one place, and move it once a month at most.

3. Games are more "childish" for a GC, however, it doesn't mean -bad games. Nintendo has always been known for cutting down violence in the games (Mortal Kombat etc.) Most GC games are rated from "Everyone(6+)" to "Teen (13+)" with a few exceptions.

4. You can't help but to notice how well Nintendo games are made though. Quality games is what Nintendo is about. It's very rare that there are "bugs" in games, especially first party games.

5. Even though many games really do leave an impression that they are made for young audience, they still can be incredibly fun to play even for grown-ups.

6. Attention has been brought to Nintendo's small dvd disks. Are those better or worse? Well, if taking consumer side, they are worse. Even though some like GC's original disc size, it still is a downside. Since GC games use pretty much the same DVD cases as Xbox and PS2, the advatnage of the game taking less space is lost right away. Just like with N64, Nintendo again tries to stop "game piracy". The ending result? almost 2 times smaller DVD that is probably well protected (atleast for now), that contains 3 times less information. If PS2 And Xbox DVDs are appx. 4.5 gigabytes, Gamecube contains appx 1.5 gigabytes of space. Will Nintendo have a problem with lack of DVD space? Probably. The game "SSX Tricky" that was ported from PS2 to Xbox and GC doesn't contain additional DVD content on Gamecube due to the lack of space.

7. Gamecube doesn't have HDD disc and its modem only will support 56K Dialup (Atleast that's the info we know today). Xbox and PS2 will support DSL and 56K dialup once online networks are operational.

8. Unlike PS2 and Xbox, Gamecube doesn't support DVD movies or CDs playback. Even though some say that they already have DVD player and stereo system and they are just looking for a "gaming machine". But how many kids actually have their own DVD player in the room?

9. Well, it all comes down to price. Currently, Gamecube is appx. 25% cheaper than PS2 or Xbox. And on average GC accessories cost less than PS2's or Xbox's.

10. And games... PS2 still probably has the best games on the market, not to mention alot more of them. Yet the system is getting old, and it often starts to lose the battle of "Best graphics" to GC or Xbox.
It's hard to predict where Xbox is going though, some think it will be "an entertainment center" soon, others send it straight to "Dumpsville". Even though Xbox has great hardware, it does very little to save the system so far. Microsoft losing money on each system, and overall system sells relatively poorly.
Gamecube, also having lots of bad games, just like any other gaming system. But also has many very high quality games that can be considered "instant classics" such as (Sup.Smash Bros., Pikmin, Monkey Ball, Resident Evil etc...).

16 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Why i choose the GameCube..., February 4, 2002

By	Xam "mixed media man" (nyc) - See all my reviews

Becuase I always liked Nintendo systems and games. They have a very good reputation when it comes to quality. The GameCube system is cheaper, smaller, and cooler looking than the other systems, yet it's still as powerful when it comes to hardware and graphics. The controller is the best ever created as far as i know (a million times better than the Xbox controller). The exclusive Nintendo games are numerous and they all look awesome (trust me i've surfed the web for many hours). There are great ones out now like: Super Smash Brothers Melee, Pikmin, Star Wars: Rogue Leader, Super Monkey Ball, NBA Courtside, etc. A few to look out for in the future: Mario Sunshine, Metroid Prime, Star Fox: Dinosaur Planet, Legend of Zelda, Eternal Darkness: Sanitys Requiem, Animal Forest+, Soccer Slam, Bomberman Generations, Banjo-Kazooie 3, Kameo: Elements of Power , Perfect Dark 2, Mario Kart, all the past Resident Evil games (completely re-done with unbelievable new graphics) and the future Resident Evil games. And those were all exclusive to Nintendo's GameCube, they won't be coming out for ANY other system. These were the main reason i choose the GameCube over the other system, not to mention the fact that it's at least 100 bucks cheaper.

44 of 54 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Quality over quantity, April 24, 2002

By	Ben Rowland (Toronto, Ontario Canada) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Why is it that the Gamecube is like that little shy guy who always got picked on at school? There are so much hostility towards this system, and almost all of it is from people who complain about the "lack of games" or the fact that it is a "kid's system". These are people who probably never played a Gamecube in their life.

This is an excellent system, and I will list the reasons why:

1. Price. I have a DVD player, and most video game console DVD players are mediocre at best (the PS2 one is really bad). This system is very affordable, at under [money], and great value.

2. Games. Though there are not too many now, just wait. Every Nintendo system had a slow start, most went on to greatness (even the N64, which I like). While the Xbox and PS2 systems have over 200, only a few of them are actually good. Quality over Quantity.

3. The controller. A lot of people don't like the gamecube controller, but I think it is the best one available. It is easy to move, easy to understand, and easy to grasp the first time playing. The Xbox controller is the size of a Whopper and just as difficult to play with. The PS2 is basically the PS1 controller, but it feels cheaper.

4. Popular Nintendo titles. You can never get enough Mario, Zelda, Starfox, and Donkey Kong. All of the popular Nintendo characters will get the 128-bit treatment. And with Metroid, Mario Kart, others on their way, you cannot say that there will be no good games.

5. Squaresoft. It ha recently been revealed that the bad blood between Squaresoft, makes of the Final Fantasy series and other fantastic RPGs, and Nintendo is over. There will be Squaresoft games in the future of Gamecube, as well as Gameboy Advance. Perhaps the lack of RPGs is partly responsible for the failure of the N64.

5. The fact that the games on Xbox and Gamecube look exactly the same. I have played games for both systems, and have noticed no difference in terms of graphics and sound. In terms of gameplay, Gamecube is much better. Games I have tried on both are Tony Hawk, 007 Agent Under Fire and some snowboarding game I forgot the title.

6. Size. While the Xbox is bigger than my VCR, and the PS2's construction leaves something to be desired, the Gamecube is attractive, small, compact, solidly constructed, and easy to install. The game discs themselves are very small, but can hold just as much data as full size CDs.

7. Not just a Kid's system. I am 22 years old, and I find that the Gamecube games are just as good for adults as they ae for kids. Simple reason: They are fun. If all you look for in a game is blood, gore, breakneck action, or the ability to shoot everything in sight, than perhaps the gamecube is not for you. But if you like fun games that keep you involved, the Gamecube is the best. I don't have time these days for long RPGs or super-long shooters. At the end of the day, I got for Mario and Donkey Kong.

But having said all of this, there are a few flaws. These small game discs are easily scratched, meaning that a little damage can go a long way. As well, I am a bit annoyed with the fact that they have pushed back Starfox and Zelda, AGAIN. But good things come to those that wait, so I can wait. Overall, the positives outweigh the negatives on the Gamecube. If you wish to be snotty and keep slagging off the Gamecube, fine, it just leaves more fun for the rest of us.