GameCubes Irrelevant?
July 22, 2008 9:59 PM Subscribe
Are GameCubes becoming obsolete? Everytime a new game comes out that I think my son would like, I find that it's not being made for the GC platform. Should I purchase a different system?
This may be too obvious, but if you bought the Wii, he'd be able to play all of his Gamecube games on the Wii, use his existing Gamecube controllers -- and also have access to a whole new console generation of games on the Wii itself.
posted by suedehead at 10:04 PM on July 22, 2008
posted by suedehead at 10:04 PM on July 22, 2008
The GameCube is obsolete, because its successor, the Wii, has been out for a good while now.
Get a Wii. It will play your GameCube games.
posted by neckro23 at 10:05 PM on July 22, 2008
Get a Wii. It will play your GameCube games.
posted by neckro23 at 10:05 PM on July 22, 2008
Plus the Wii is much more active, which I consider a BIG bonus!
posted by ISeemToBeAVerb at 10:08 PM on July 22, 2008
posted by ISeemToBeAVerb at 10:08 PM on July 22, 2008
And just a quick glance at your Flickr--your son looks to be in the same age range as my daughters, who have a blast with Wii games. Our whole family loves to play together.
posted by padraigin at 10:23 PM on July 22, 2008
posted by padraigin at 10:23 PM on July 22, 2008
I agree with everything everyone else said. The GameCube has been obsolete for a long while now, with the Wii stepping up to the wicket in its place. They're very reasonably-priced and an absolute barrel of fun, especially for childlings. And, yup, they'll play your GameCube games too.
posted by turgid dahlia at 10:42 PM on July 22, 2008
posted by turgid dahlia at 10:42 PM on July 22, 2008
They aren't "becoming", they are.
Buy the Wii. As people have mentioned, it's backward compatible with GC--all of your games and peripherals should work. Your local game store will probably even give you $20-30 bucks for the GameCube.
posted by Netzapper at 10:43 PM on July 22, 2008
Buy the Wii. As people have mentioned, it's backward compatible with GC--all of your games and peripherals should work. Your local game store will probably even give you $20-30 bucks for the GameCube.
posted by Netzapper at 10:43 PM on July 22, 2008
nth-ing the Wii. I'm not sure there are any new games coming out for the Gamecube (IGN doesn't list any).
The Nintendo DS (portable system) is also a good choice if his friends also have it, or you think the portability would be a plus.
posted by Gary at 10:56 PM on July 22, 2008
The Nintendo DS (portable system) is also a good choice if his friends also have it, or you think the portability would be a plus.
posted by Gary at 10:56 PM on July 22, 2008
The gamecube is Nintendo's fouth-generation console which has been replaced by the wii which is their fifth generation offering. I doubt anyone is developing games for it. All the recent releases are just game studios finishing up old projects. Everyone has moved to the Wii at this point.
posted by damn dirty ape at 11:06 PM on July 22, 2008
posted by damn dirty ape at 11:06 PM on July 22, 2008
Indeed the Wii. In addition to playing your GameCube games, you can download gobs of classic games to play in the Wii's "virtual console" mode. They cost about $5 - $10 each. These are games that were originally made for NES, SNES, N64, NEOGEO, Sega Genesis and TurboGrafx 16. A blast from the past!
posted by Fuzzy Skinner at 11:26 PM on July 22, 2008
posted by Fuzzy Skinner at 11:26 PM on July 22, 2008
To add to the Wii-recommendation: when it comes time to sell the old GameCube, keep the controller and memory card. You'll need them to play GC games on the Wii.
posted by svolix at 1:53 AM on July 23, 2008
posted by svolix at 1:53 AM on July 23, 2008
Don't think - just buy a Wii. Your family will love you more than they do now
posted by 0bvious at 3:21 AM on July 23, 2008
posted by 0bvious at 3:21 AM on July 23, 2008
Even though the Wii has been out for a while, they are still moderately tricky to find in stock (at least where I live). Check the WiiTracker to find one to buy.
posted by rglasmann at 4:44 AM on July 23, 2008
posted by rglasmann at 4:44 AM on July 23, 2008
There are only a couple of advantages to the Gamecube over the Wii that I can think of:
1) It supports the Gameboy-on-Gamecube accessory. If you want to use that, it won't work on the Wii.
2) It takes less effort (currently) to boot "homebrew" and "backups" of Gamecube games. Although, with the current efforts of the Wii community, even that is soon to be a difference of the past. And if you're just talking about "I want games for my kid to play", then you're probably not going to be going down this road anyway. But I thought I would point it out.
In conclusion, get a Wii.
posted by jozxyqk at 4:48 AM on July 23, 2008
1) It supports the Gameboy-on-Gamecube accessory. If you want to use that, it won't work on the Wii.
2) It takes less effort (currently) to boot "homebrew" and "backups" of Gamecube games. Although, with the current efforts of the Wii community, even that is soon to be a difference of the past. And if you're just talking about "I want games for my kid to play", then you're probably not going to be going down this road anyway. But I thought I would point it out.
In conclusion, get a Wii.
posted by jozxyqk at 4:48 AM on July 23, 2008
Here's something I don't understand from the comments, and that the OP might not, either: Can you put physical GameCube CDs into a Wii somehow and play them, or do you all just mean you can download the GameCube games onto the Wii from a server somewhere (paying for them again in the process)? I've been wondering about that for a while now.
posted by limeonaire at 5:41 AM on July 23, 2008
posted by limeonaire at 5:41 AM on July 23, 2008
Here's something I don't understand from the comments, and that the OP might not, either: Can you put physical GameCube CDs into a Wii somehow and play them, or do you all just mean you can download the GameCube games onto the Wii from a server somewhere (paying for them again in the process)? I've been wondering about that for a while now.
You can play the actual CDs. They don't offer Gamecube games for download and I don't think they could as the internal memory is pretty skimpy.
posted by mattholomew at 5:50 AM on July 23, 2008
Response by poster: Thanks for the input, I figured as much. Hopefully Nintendo will start offshore Wii drilling and we'll see some on the store shelves before long.
posted by Tim McDonough at 6:14 AM on July 23, 2008 [1 favorite]
posted by Tim McDonough at 6:14 AM on July 23, 2008 [1 favorite]
agree with rglasmann - good luck finding your wii. in the 2 yrs or so i have had mine i think i have seen 4 on shelves.
you may have luck buying a bundle from gamestop or circuit city (i signed up for emails from CC and they have been emailing about bundles for 3 weeks or so).
posted by doorsfan at 6:35 AM on July 23, 2008
you may have luck buying a bundle from gamestop or circuit city (i signed up for emails from CC and they have been emailing about bundles for 3 weeks or so).
posted by doorsfan at 6:35 AM on July 23, 2008
At least here in Vancouver area, Wii's are definitely becoming more visible -- I've seen piles at both a couple different Walmarts and at Costco in the last month. You just have to keep your eyes out -- if you're paying attention and are ready to grab one the second you see it, you should have one before long. I also heard a couple days ago that Amazon had them in stock -- they're probably gone now, but definitely keep an eye out on the online sources, as well.
But definitely get the Wii. It's an awesome system, even if i don't play it as much as I thought I would (time constraints, not lack of desire)
posted by cgg at 6:47 AM on July 23, 2008
But definitely get the Wii. It's an awesome system, even if i don't play it as much as I thought I would (time constraints, not lack of desire)
posted by cgg at 6:47 AM on July 23, 2008
Best part about the Wii? The Gamecube games, of course. They're on clearance now. I picked up several great games for practically nothing. The backwards compatibility also means that unlike previous purchases you are not starting from nothing - you already have a pile of games that you can play on the new system, plus a whole new list of games to play, and the added ability to download games from the original NES up to N64 games. Plus the Sega back catalog, the TurboGrafx 16 catalog, and on and on... old games are anywhere from $5 to $15 to download using "Wii credits".
As for ditching the Gamecube, why bother? If it works, you might consider keeping it around for the ease of transport it offers. I didn't sell mine (or my N64, or even my original NES). The Wii is in the living room, but the Gamecube can be plugged in to a TV in a bedroom, a motor home, a hotel room, a vacation cabin, a play room... sometimes retro gaming is fun using the original console (Wii emulation of the original NES games isn't always perfect, and at least one game - Mike Tyson's Punch Out - has been rebranded now that Tyson has gone off his rocker - so keeping the old console, even if it means you have to do the wiggle-wiggle-shake-blow in it-shake again-reset dance to make the NES work, means you still get the original version with the famous ear-biter instead of fighting "Mr. Dream" at the end.) My nephews don't care which game platform they are playing, so long as they have a game to play now and then (but they do think the original NES games are "boring"! Damn kids!)
posted by caution live frogs at 7:14 AM on July 23, 2008
As for ditching the Gamecube, why bother? If it works, you might consider keeping it around for the ease of transport it offers. I didn't sell mine (or my N64, or even my original NES). The Wii is in the living room, but the Gamecube can be plugged in to a TV in a bedroom, a motor home, a hotel room, a vacation cabin, a play room... sometimes retro gaming is fun using the original console (Wii emulation of the original NES games isn't always perfect, and at least one game - Mike Tyson's Punch Out - has been rebranded now that Tyson has gone off his rocker - so keeping the old console, even if it means you have to do the wiggle-wiggle-shake-blow in it-shake again-reset dance to make the NES work, means you still get the original version with the famous ear-biter instead of fighting "Mr. Dream" at the end.) My nephews don't care which game platform they are playing, so long as they have a game to play now and then (but they do think the original NES games are "boring"! Damn kids!)
posted by caution live frogs at 7:14 AM on July 23, 2008
at least one game - Mike Tyson's Punch Out - has been rebranded now that Tyson has gone off his rocker
Just for the record, the Mr. Dream version of Punch Out came out in 1990, and it (allegedly) wasn't directly related to Tyson's criminal/crazy activity:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Punch_out#Punch-Out.21.21_featuring_Mr._Dream
posted by jozxyqk at 7:24 AM on July 23, 2008
Just for the record, the Mr. Dream version of Punch Out came out in 1990, and it (allegedly) wasn't directly related to Tyson's criminal/crazy activity:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Punch_out#Punch-Out.21.21_featuring_Mr._Dream
posted by jozxyqk at 7:24 AM on July 23, 2008
Looks like the Gamecube may be in trouble, as Nintendo just lost a patent case on the controller. So they may decide to phase it out. It is probably a good time to switch to the Wii.
posted by Susurration at 8:47 AM on July 23, 2008
posted by Susurration at 8:47 AM on July 23, 2008
As for ditching the Gamecube, why bother?
I absolutely agree with this. You can't sell it for enough to make any difference, so keep it around.
I have SNES, N64, Dreamcast, Xbox and Xbox 360. The older ones will collect dust for months at a time, then my daughter and/or myself will have a sudden urge to play Chu-Chu Rocket or Banjo-Kazooie, and we're glad the old systems are around.
posted by Fuzzy Skinner at 8:58 AM on July 23, 2008
I absolutely agree with this. You can't sell it for enough to make any difference, so keep it around.
I have SNES, N64, Dreamcast, Xbox and Xbox 360. The older ones will collect dust for months at a time, then my daughter and/or myself will have a sudden urge to play Chu-Chu Rocket or Banjo-Kazooie, and we're glad the old systems are around.
posted by Fuzzy Skinner at 8:58 AM on July 23, 2008
Wii with component video, and GameCube titles that support 480p for the win. Mario Golf, Tony Hawk 4 and Lego Star Wars II can all be acquired very cheaply and they look great on my 42" TV.
I'd still keep the GameCube around. My GameCube still gets plenty of use with the Game Boy Player (and my 256MB GBA flash cart!) and non-480p titles like Midway Arcade Treasures and Sonic Mega Collection. I have an inexpensive S-Video adapter for GameCube which makes a big difference over the composite adapter included with the system.
posted by porn in the woods at 9:12 AM on July 23, 2008
I'd still keep the GameCube around. My GameCube still gets plenty of use with the Game Boy Player (and my 256MB GBA flash cart!) and non-480p titles like Midway Arcade Treasures and Sonic Mega Collection. I have an inexpensive S-Video adapter for GameCube which makes a big difference over the composite adapter included with the system.
posted by porn in the woods at 9:12 AM on July 23, 2008
Go to whatever store near you sells the Wii, and ask them when their shipments come in. They might say something like: "Our trucks arrive in the wee hours of Monday, Wednesday, and Friday mornings. If you call us when we open at 8 AM on those days, we can tell you how many, if any, Wiis we received."
posted by neuron at 9:14 AM on July 23, 2008
posted by neuron at 9:14 AM on July 23, 2008
...and after you get your Wii, do us third-party developers a favor and consider buying and playing some non-Nintendo-published titles.
posted by Robson at 9:59 AM on July 23, 2008
posted by Robson at 9:59 AM on July 23, 2008
good luck finding one.
check blockbuster. after two weeks of calling all the gamestops/targets/best buys within 10 miles of my prowling area, i went in to blockbuster to rent some games. there were 4 on the shelf and the kid at the counter said they always have some in stock because noone thinks to look there.
and my mother and father inlaw love theirs, so it really is "ageless"
posted by phritosan at 12:38 PM on July 23, 2008
check blockbuster. after two weeks of calling all the gamestops/targets/best buys within 10 miles of my prowling area, i went in to blockbuster to rent some games. there were 4 on the shelf and the kid at the counter said they always have some in stock because noone thinks to look there.
and my mother and father inlaw love theirs, so it really is "ageless"
posted by phritosan at 12:38 PM on July 23, 2008
As far as finding Wii's and Wii games, HMV is carrying a LOT more games on top of their regular music and DVD's. I was suprised when I walked into a local one (I'm in Canada, so maybe it's just like that here?) that they had the most of the hard to find games, including the elusive Wii Fit.
Video rental places like Rogers Video, Zellers, Wal Mart, and HMV are some of my favourite 'not sold out first' places to find some of these things. I actually saw eight Wii consoles in my local Zellers the other day.
posted by billy_the_punk at 3:07 PM on July 23, 2008
Video rental places like Rogers Video, Zellers, Wal Mart, and HMV are some of my favourite 'not sold out first' places to find some of these things. I actually saw eight Wii consoles in my local Zellers the other day.
posted by billy_the_punk at 3:07 PM on July 23, 2008
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posted by Memo at 10:03 PM on July 22, 2008