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.
