First off, when you're buying a video game system, do you buy it to play games or CD's? You would most likely buy a game system for the price, the games, and the quality of the video game system. Buying a video game system for a DVD drive would be like buying a TV just because it can play poker and drink alcohol. If the CD or DVD drive can't improve your gameplaying experience (the XBOX's ability to choose put your own songs in a video game) then you probably shouldn't worry about it unless you want to just buy the system instead buying a DVD player then that would make some sense. Panasonic even had a version of the Gamecube, in Japan, called the Panasonic Q which had those features, but Panasonic stopped making it because it sold poorly in Japan. In short, if you don't own a CD or DVD player and the technology isn't used in games then a DVD/CD player probably doesn't need to be a factor in choosing the right video game system.

 

Every video game system that is being released today now features the ability to play people online......except the Gamecube. Now you may say "alexross422003, wouldn't this be a bad thing?",but to be honest, Nintendo is doing the right thing. Sega had the first video game system that gave their customers the ability to go online called the Dreamcast. The Dreamcast did well until Nintendo, Sony, Microsoft was ready to release their new video game systems. Sega stopped making Dreamcast systems, but I bet you are wondering what this has to do with my entire Online rant? Well, as I previously said, the Dreamcast was an online video game system right? Well, a little while after Sega stopped making the Dreamcast, they also removed the online features within a year or two. Sega probably did this because of the cost of hosting servers. Now you maybe wondering why Sega would close the servers, you would think they would have enough money to run them right? The point is that few people even played on these servers  and was a waste of Sega's money. Phantasy Star Online was the online game that was running on the servers, except that game closed down because of it's release on both the XBOX and Gamecube.

 

Again, Nintendo probably looked at this and decided to spend their funds on portable gaming and connectivity (more on that in a minute). As previously mentioned, Phantasy Star Online is online for the Gamecube (episodes 1 & 2, episode 3). You can play more than Phantasy Star Online, if you have the Warp Pipe software which allows people to play LAN based games for their Gamecube online. However, Nintendo doesn't support this and the creators of this have other jobs. To be honest, most of the games that are online for a video game system are made by third-party developers. Yet, third-party developers don't make online games for the Gamecube (more on this in a moment). To get to my point, since most people play brand new consoles than their old systems, online gaming for consoles may just be a short-term investment (with the exception of MMORPGs), since a mod-community for the consoles aren't there. Nintendo sees this and is on the money.

 

Now after reading my entire rant on online gaming, I bet you are wondering "alexross422003, what makes connectivity so great?". For those of you who don't know what connectivity is let me explain. If you own a Gamecube and a GBA, you take this cable (which is made by Nintendo) that allows you to share information between the Gamecube and the GBA. Again, you may be asking, "alexross422003, why should I care?". Personally, there are plenty of reasons you should care.

 

Connectivity gives game developers a new tool to enhance your gameplaying experience. This may range from maps on you GBA to a brand-new way to play video games with Pac-Man Vs. Pac-Man Vs. takes the original and enhances it with connectivity features. In the game, one person plays Pac-Man, who has to use their GBA to see the entire map. The rest of the players see only a part of the map shown to them on their TV.

 

Another example of this feature can be seen in the upcoming game, The Legend of Zelda: The Four Swords. When you are above ground, you and your friends are on the same screen. However, if you enter a house or go below the ground, you can only see your character on the GBA. Again, the connectivity is not put to waste.

 

So let's recap the past few paragraphs shall we? Connectivity actually has a purpose and is not a gimmick!  There are actual gameplay features that are used or added to enhance gameplay! Games like Pac-Man Vs. and The Legend of Zelda: The Four Swords continue to innovate and challenge game developers to make better games. In short, connectivity is a plus, not a minus folk's.

 

Well, well, well...congratulations folk's we have now reached the most talked about problem with the 'Cube. That's right folk's, we are talking about the accusation that the Gamecube has kiddie games! Again, you might be asking, "alexross422003, there is no WAY that you can convince me that the GAYcube is no way childish!". You wanna bet?

 

Now what would describe a childish game by the way? A game that has themes that are more suited for a younger audience which also has gameplay to match? Some games on the Gamecube look childish, but that doesn't make them shallow and easy.

 

The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker is a great example of my point. This game has received much criticism for it's cel-shaded appearance. From it's appearance alone, the Wind Waker has been deemed by some as "kiddy". But to be honest, it is kind of sad that those critics do not look at the gameplay instead of the graphics.

 

First off, Nintendo used the cel-shading effect because of one thing, animations. When you are near a sword on the ground, Link will actually look at the sword instead of giving a blank stare. This, my friends, justifies the look altogether.

 

Now if my explanation of the graphics wasn't good enough for you, then let me talk about the gameplay. This game is just like Ocarina of Time with a few exceptions. The Wind Waker features the same great dungeons, the same weird townspeople, the same great feeling you receive when you are exploring new places, and it even features the same first and third-person perspectives you look through when you are about to fire your bow and arrow to fighting enemies in hand-to-hand combat. However, there are few differences.

 

When you travel to differnet places in the Wind Waker, you will travel more on the sea than on land. The game takes place decades after Ocarina of Time and features new characters......oh yeah, cel-shading is used in this game.

 

To recap, if you have never enjoyed Ocarina of Time, then you probably not like this game. If you liked Ocarina of Time, then you might like this game. However, just because looks "kiddy" doesn't mean that it's easy. This game could not be finished in a weekend rental at your local Blockbuster. The Wind Waker actually requires you to actually use your head. I bet you didn't think about that by judging only on appearance.

 

Nintendo is doing some really interesting stuff.  Again, games like the just mentioned Wind Waker to the innovative Animal Crossing are often overlooked because they are deemed "kiddy" without even playing them. Now, I don't have a problem with someone criticizing the 'Cube ,but PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PUT SOME THOUGHT INTO WHAT YOU ARE GOING TO SAY!

 

It's kind of sad when you think about it, really. Nintnedo puts so much effort into their products and really try some different gameplay ideas, but yet they get overlooked by the "kiddy" image Nintendo has received.

 

So let's say this doesn't convince you that the Gamecube isn't a kiddy system then think about this. If you have not heard, Dreamworks is about to release Shrek 2. Now does this make Dreamworks a "kiddy" movie studio? NO. They make other movies that have a more mature feel to them. Does Sony receive any "kiddy" coments for releasing Sly Cooper or My Street? No. What about Microsoft? Do they receive any criticism for allowing Sneakers or Blinx the Time Sweeper to be released? No. Why?

 

In closing, Nintendo really doesn't deserve the bashing it's receiving for making "kiddy" games. It is true that Nintendo does try to cater to the first-time gamer, but should people really bash Nintendo for doing that? Nintendo is still making life better for gamers it is just that no one is paying attention.

 

AT LAST! THE LAST ARGUMENT I'M GOING TO MAKE TODAY! Recently, the Gamecube has been losing some third-party support. It seems that they do not have enough faith in the Gamecube. So where am I going with this?

 

First off, when you buy a video game system when it is just released you don't what games, beyond the first-party developer, are going to be released. Second, a game publisher, like Capcom, may test which games work on different systems to put out the games that the owners of that system may want to buy. But when gamers abandon a system and start bashing it really cuts into the third-party's plans to support that system. So they follow those gamers and leave the system.

 

Here's the point of all of this that it is okay if you don't like the system's controller or graphics, but referring back to my "kiddy" games rant, it is kind of pointless when you abandon a system because of the "kiddy" games you haven't even tried to see if they are really "kiddy". When gamers do this then the game developers will leave the system and follow the gamers. The same can be said of the online gaming argument. They probably would make online games if the video game companies would have a popular gaming community to cater to. In general, the gamers decide the third-party support, not a first-party developer like Nintendo.

 

To recap everything in this article: