N-Philes

The Ultimate Question - Part II

Posted August 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: Jared Thomas

When you come right down to it, the Nintendo 64 holds a special place in my heart and the GameCube doesn't. I don't really know how else to explain it other than that. The GameCube is the sequel, and like with most sequels, it didn't hit that narrow window of innovating without alienating.

It might be because I'm a first-party kind of guy. Hell, I actually had an unwritten rule against buying games for my Nintendo 64 that were available on other consoles, a rule I kept unbroken for the first few years of the N64's lifespan. That's just where my heart is. Maybe they're more familiar, maybe they're more accessible, or maybe they're just much less of a toss-up in the quality department than third-party titles. I mean, when I'm playing Mario or Zelda, I don't have to worry about the control; I know it's going to be dead-on. Yet, even though I love the game, I can't help but notice an uneasiness in the running and jumping in Castlevania 64. That's pretty much the best example I have of why I rarely stray from first and second-party titles.

So that's pretty much what I own on my Nintendo 64, and more-or-less what I own on my GameCube. The difference is that on the Nintendo 64, that quality wasn't questioned. On the GameCube, I found my rock-solid foundation just wasn't there. On the N64, I leap-frogged from one adventure to another, buying a game a month with the full certainty that the game would keep me entertained for the duration until my next purchase. From Mario Kart 64 to Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire to Star Fox 64 to Goldeneye to Super Mario 64 to Banjo-Kazooie to Ocarina of Time and onward, I can't recall hitting even one dud until Donkey Kong 64. I was so satisfied with my game library that it didn't even occur to me that I could be unsatisfied with it. I recall it being a very strange scenario when I found myself discontented with the ending to Majora's Mask. I really didn't know what to think. I couldn't believe it was possible that the ending didn't blow me away.

I got used to that feeling on the GameCube. To this day, I believe Super Smash Bros. Melee is the only title I've owned on the GameCube that I never had to reconcile to myself as a good purchase. Everything else left me hungry, and not hungry for more, but hungry for a return to the predecessor. Whereas Mario 64 gave me an uncontrollable urge to play around and explore while simultaneously feeling a constant desire to reach the ending, I had to force myself to twiddle around in Mario Sunshine just to avoid getting to the ending too quickly. That's too common a tale on my GameCube. Eternal Darkness, Mario Kart: DD, and even Wind Waker, a Zelda game, had me finding myself without much to detract me from the core mission. I mean, even Majora's Mask with its four temples held me in a position in which I was always striving for the ending, never left putting off the final battle just to feel I hadn't wasted my money.

It all feels like faking an orgasm to myself, so I can rationalize that the sex was good after all. So, continuing the bizarre analogy, my Nintendo 64 was just a better lover than my GameCube. Maybe GameCube was just lazy or off its game, but when it was good like with Pikmin, it was cut way too short, and when it went longer like with Wind Waker, it felt lacking. I mean, collecting Triforce Maps? I can't get off to that. It only brings me bittersweet memories of those hot nights in Hyrule with N64

Staff Opinion: Ben Wood

I think that, over time, I have come to appreciate games more. While the N64 certainly had a lot to offer, I can't say that I appreciated it as much as I do the GameCube. So comparatively speaking, I'm much more satisfied with the GC.

Personally, I own tons more games for my GC than I ever did for the N64. I've spent much more time playing it, both in single player and multiplayer hours. So I feel that I've gotten a lot more from what it has to offer in that sense. Whenever a group of friends and I get together, more often than not, we'll play whatever multiplayer games are around. And those have been the most fun times with a game system. The N64 had a significant library of multiplayer titles, but they weren't as accessible and engaging as they are with my Cube, with the possible exception of Goldeneye. The only problem with that is that I don't like and cannot play FPS games to begin with. While the debate over whether the key titles for either system are better than the other could go on forever, to me it's all beside the point. The GC's 'must have' offerings have proven satisfying. Admittedly I missed out on a few gems, as I never played Zelda before The Wind Waker, but nevertheless it was one of the best experiences I've ever had with a videogame system.

The Bottom line is hardware is nothing without software, and the GC is worlds ahead of the N64 in that field. In terms of sheer volume, there's just no contest. The N64 may have had more revolutionary titles considering it was the system that transitioned virtually all of Nintendo's big franchises to the third dimension, however the GC's games are still a ton of fun to play and solid besides. It's not so much quantity over quality as it is a ton more gameplay at the cost of a little bit of value.

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