Console Debate #4: Gamecube

[fox | 1,665]

Nintendo Gamecube aka Gamecube Nintendo (GCN) aka Purple Lunchbox

[DefaultGen | 5,400]

8/10 only because it’s like the dark ages for my favorite genre: platformers, especially for 2D platformers! It’s also got a wonky controller for the sake of wonk.

Otherwise it’s maybe the “most Nintendo” console there is. Final appearance of dormant franchises like 1080, F-Zero, Wave Race and lots of firsts like Metroid Prime, Animal Crossing, Pikmin, Luigi’s Mansion. It also has a ridiculous four new Zelda games if you count Master Quest. Remember when Wii U got one? Barely?

[ifightdragons | 234]

16 minutes ago, DefaultGen said:

8/10 only because it’s like the dark ages for my favorite genre: platformers, especially for 2D platformers! It’s also got a wonky controller for the sake of wonk.

Otherwise it’s maybe the “most Nintendo” console there is. Final appearance of dormant franchises like 1080, F-Zero, Wave Race and lots of firsts like Metroid Prime, Animal Crossing, Pikmin, Luigi’s Mansion. It also has a ridiculous four new Zelda games if you count Master Quest. Remember when Wii U got one? Barely?

Very good summation. Agreed on the wonky controller as well.

I'd like to add that although the third party support wasn't fantastic compared to PS2, there are a lot of really good third party offerings on the console.

The Switch is really the first Nintendo home console since the SNES to offer a fantastic lineup of third party games, much thanks to the resurgence of the indie scene.
Wii obviously had many, but there is so much shovelware that it's hard to to wade through that sea.

[Jeevan | 8,909]

9  I loved it!  Nice system, compact and easy to take to a friend's house.  Loved a lot of the multiplayer games.  Rogue squadrons were great as well.  The multiplayer was nice, but better on the n64 imo.  And who the heck can forget Pikmin.  

[DefaultGen | 5,400]

34 minutes ago, Jeevan said:

9  I loved it!  Nice system, compact and easy to take to a friend's house.  Loved a lot of the multiplayer games.  Rogue squadrons were great as well.  The multiplayer was nice, but better on the n64 imo.  And who the heck can forget Pikmin.  

I remember kids making fun of the Gamecube handle and now kids these days have to buy a PS5 and it just whole-ass looks like that.

[LeatherRebel5150 | 1,055]

3/10 probably my least favorite Nintendo console Ive ever experienced. It was the only generation we became a Playstation household over the Nintendo offering 

[Nintegageo | 582]

8/10. A great console/games. People talk RE4, though I thought the RE 1 remake and RE Zero were exceptional. Some o the great Dreamcast games were ported and it seemed like the last time, at least prior to the Switch, that Nintendo tried to be the cool kid.

[MegaMan52 | 2,441]

9/10

One of Nintendo's better consoles. Underrated. Far better than Wii and Wii U. Excellent first AND third-party games (some of which are better than both the PS2 and Xbox versions, such as Sonic Heroes and Fight Night Round 2). The Wavebird and Game Boy Player are probably the best peripherals ever made for a video game system. Even though the GameCube was perceived as a "kiddie" console, it actually isn't and has plenty of M rated games (two of which are from Nintendo).

Edited November 27, 2020 by MegaMan52

[Bearcat-Doug | 5,104]

It had some good games, but I liked the PS2 and Dreamcast better. 6/10.

[DoctorEncore | 3,690]

8/10. This one is really tough to rate. Reminiscing on it doesn't trigger the same love and nostalgia I feel when thinking about other consoles. But when I objectively consider the top tier stuff, it's more impressive than I remember. I would still call third party support weak, especially when compared to PS2, but there were a few bangers. First party titles were some of Nintendo's best of all time.

• Rogue Squadron
• Wind Waker
• Twilight Princess
• Metroid Prime 1&2
• RE Remake, RE Zero, & RE 4
• Pikmin 1&2
• Mario Sunshine
• Mario Kart Double Dash
• Smash Bros
• F-Zero
• Eternal Darkness
• MGS Remake
• Tales of Symphonia
• Skies of Arcadia Remake
• Ikaruga
• Donkey Konga
• Super Monkey Ball
• Paper Mario
• Luigi's Mansion
• Viewtiful Joe
• Animal Crossing
• Fire Emblem

A lot of those games ended up on other consoles, but holy shit that's a strong list. More than enough to keep an average human busy for a generation.

Edited November 27, 2020 by DoctorEncore

[glazball | 168]

I've always felt the GC is the last true game (only) console.  One of Nintendo's best and I still think the controller is one of the most comfortable controllers ever made.  Love the startup intro too.

[Strange | 1,700]

I gave it a pretty average/middling vote. This was the console generation when I was a kid, so I’ve got a lot of nostalgia for the console. I think it’s good, but I don’t think it ranks among the best consoles ever. And I know we shouldn’t do comparisons in these things, but it’s hard to justify picking it over the PS2 unless you’re a super fan of Nintendo’s first party stuff.

[cj_robot | 540]

I never loved the GameCube as much as I thought I would. Spent a lot of time with a handful of games (Metroid Prime, Smash Bros, Animal Crossing), but otherwise my PS2 had way too many awesome games for anything else to steal my attention away.

[Hammerfestus | 3,824]

This came out in the PS2 era right?  I was in college at the time and I more or less completely missed this generation and the next.

[Californication | 1,477]

I buy what I like to play. Wii and N64 are two of my smallest librarys and my Gamecube library is roughly half the size of either one.

And when I compare it to other consoles I would rather play NES, SNES, N64, Wii, PS1, PS2, PS3, PS4, Genesis, Saturn, Dreamcast, PC Engine than play the Gamecube. 

If you lined up the Gamecube next to each console and said you can only keep one and the other would dissapear, what would you pick the Gamecube over? The Wii U, Master System, maybe Xbox/360, or PS3?

[Reed Rothchild | 9,510]

13 minutes ago, Californication said:

maybe Xbox/360, or PS3?

Definitely not

[ZeldaFan042 | 1,181]

One of my favorite consoles ever. 10/10

[Estil | 1,261]

Oh yes, what I like to call the Harry Truman of game consoles.  It wasn't all that popular (except among existing Nintendo fans of course) and undershadowed (is that a word?) by the PS2 and upstart Xbox when it was an active console but over time after its 2007 retirement it's gotten more and more respect/popularity, just like the above former President.

And the GC/GBA came out right in the middle of my college years and the Battle Network series was especially iconic for my gaming career during the 2000s decade.  Wonder if they'll do anything special for the BN series 20th anniversary next year? 

Honestly I think the GC is worth more than the price of admission just for the Game Boy Player alone...in fact I have a GC hooked up only for that purpose, as my Wii is GC ready.

[rdrunner | 422]

6/10 - Top heavy game library, with not much past the top 20 or so.

Had some good times with the best stuff, notably Smash, Metroid Prime, Super Monkey Ball, and the Zeldas.

Negative points for making the Mario games more "kiddie" starting with this system (Sunshine, Mario Party 4-7).

Edited November 27, 2020 by rdrunner

[mbd39 | 2,017]

 

[Tabonga | 2,314]

Like one of my favorite consoles (Sega CD) when the games were good they were great.  Not as good a line up overall when compared to the Sega CD simply because the Gamecube library had more room for mediocre games simply because there were about 4 times as many games as the Sega CD - but really not the same ratio when it comes to great/very good games.

My vote of 7 is much more for the gameboy player which added three more libraries to the Gamecube's repertoire.

As mentioned previously the Wavebird is an awesome peripheral.

[Webhead123 | 675]

The GC still boasts one of the most comfortable, best-designed controllers of all time, even if it was ahead of it's time just enough that it didn't reach its full potential.

[Brickman | 3,983]

6/10. It has a solid first party library but some of them I don’t like over other games before it. E.g Mario party 1-3 vs 4-6. Also it has one of my least favourite Mario games, Mario Sunshine!

[Andy_Bogomil | 815]

It's one of the weaker Nintendo console imo. A console with a handful of games I played to death like Metroid Prime, double Dash, sunshine and golf but otherwise limited. PS2 definitely took up more of my time outside of these few games and was also purchased before we got a GC. 

Didn't really like wind Waker, wave race, Pikmin, Luigi's mansion and some of the other marquee titles. 

[AstralSoul | 502]

And easy 9 for me. First party games were too notch quality and it had numerous quality second and third party games. The controller is awesome. And (probably unpopular but) I love the design of the console. I know it looks like a lunchbox but its cute and compact. Only thing I didn't like was it's lack of 2D games. But on the other hand that's why I had a GBA as well. Some of my favorite games of all time are on this console or at least originated in it like RE4, Metroid Prime and Wind Waker.