N-Philes

The Ultimate Question - Part I

Posted March 12th 2004 by Kenny.

With the last generation of home consoles all but a memory, and the current line in full swing, it is sometimes nice to think back on those older days and let that feeling of nostalgia sweep over you. As fond as those times were though, it's easy to forgive and forget past mistakes Nintendo has made in this market, and the painful consequences on the loyal Nintendo fan. Those who stayed the path with the N64 undoubtedly moved on to the GameCube, but was this journey ultimately justified? Our staff ponders this in a column we deem the Ultimate Question.

Staff Opinion: James Freeman

Although nothing could ever surpass the childhood satisfaction my Super Nintendo gave me, given the choice between the Nintendo 64 and the GameCube I have to say that my GameCube, though by no means a colossal margin, has satisfied me more (and not in that way, you pervert) than my Nintendo 64. From the first moment the initial power-up melody of xylophone notes rang through my ears, I knew my Cube had something my 64 did not. It had authentic instrument sounds, for starters, but that sleek and clever geometric logo spoke to me in a futuristic tone and I knew this would be a step-up in gaming. But enough romanticizing; the games themselves and the unique experiences brought on by new peripherals lean in favor of leaving my Cube plugged into my television rather than my N64, given the choice.

Although many of the franchises and types of games on the GameCube I came to know and love on the Nintendo 64, the GameCube has heightened this level of satisfaction as well as introduced new types of games to me. Sure, the Nintendo 64 had Mario 64, Super Smash Bros, Ocarina of Time, and Goldeneye 007 among other excellent titles, but for the most part games of their genres equal or surpass them in quality on the GameCube, with such responding titles as Super Mario Sunshine, Super Smash Bros. Melee, Wind Waker, and Timesplitters. What really tips the scales in favor of my GameCube though, is the stack of games I am staring at right now which had no counterpart on the N64 and have provided me with hours of new enjoyment. Metroid Prime, Eternal Darkness, Super Monkey Ball, Animal Crossing, Viewtiful Joe, each and every one is undoubtedly in a genre of their own. Nothing even close to these excellent titles I have come to love exists on the Nintendo 64, while my GameCube offers a taste of the past and a main course of completely unique offerings.

The worst part about my Nintendo 64 was having to mangle my hands into rather awkward positions to achieve optimal control over the buttons and the analog stick, all while tethered 6 feet from my television. The feel of a GameCube controller is undeniably superior to the Nintendo 64, and that most certainly has lent itself to a more enjoyable experience on my Cube. As for the whole business about cords being in the way, I swear the Wavebird is God's gift in videogame controllers. Hooking my Game Boy up to my GameCube in order to download Wario Ware demo games, NES titles, or my "Ye Olde Island" from Animal Crossing has been another exciting peripheral experience I have only enjoyed on the Cube. Also, though sparingly used, my network adaptor for playing Warp Pipe against fellow #n-philes chatroom members or setting up a 3-television, 6-player Mario Kart: Double Dash! race has proven itself to be another new way to play games on the GameCube that were impossible on the Nintendo 64.

I'm not trying to sound longwinded, it has just come out a bit like that. When you love a videogame system as much as I love my GameCube, there is plenty to write about; I have saved you all the full wrath of my ramblings by focusing on the two strongest reasons behind my opinion (new games and new ways to play those games). Sure, I will dust off the ol' 64 from time to time and enjoy a proximity mine match in the facility level of Goldeneye 007 with a few buddies, but the broad expanse of games and innovative new peripherals are two of the best examples of why the GameCube has satisfied me more (in a totally non-sexual way).

Staff Opinion: Vincent Anderson

Yes, I am much more pleased with my GameCube than I ever was with my Nintendo 64. With the Nintendo 64, you were limited to pretty much only first-party games. Not only were they the only ones worth owning, but they were basically the only games period. Third-party titles for the N64 might as well have been non-existent. Yeah, there were some decent showings from some of the bigger external companies, but most of the smaller ones tended to shy away from Nintendo and its policies.

With the GameCube, there are so many different choices. There are actually more than a few decent Role Playing Games (Phantasy Star Online I, II, & III, Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles, Skies of Arcadia: Legends, Tales of Symphonia, Baten Kaitos, Paper Mario) for those who died because of the lackluster genre for the Nintendo 64. There are also a greater variety of third-party releases. Electronic Arts, Namco, Capcom, Activision, and Sega have all been major players for the GameCube, while those same companies were painfully absent during the N64 era.

I believe what really helped the GameCube was the fact that it has genuinely tried to get out of that child demographic that it seems to have been stuck in for a long time. Titles like those in the Resident Evil series and Eternal Darkness, along with others, have helped people see that Nintendo can provide games for everyone, not just the kids. Couple that with some key strategic business moves, and Nintendo has made sure that I was going to have more fun with my GameCube than I did with my Nintendo 64.

Posted in: Features

Comments (0) | Permalink | Digg | Reddit