Table of Contents
GameCube Review
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In 2001, a new console from Nintendo, the GameCube, hit the shelves. It belonged to the sixth generation of consoles and was a direct competitor to the PlayStation 2. As with the rivalry between the Nintendo DS and PSP, the superior technical specifications of the console did not guarantee excellent sales. The GameCube, with much more powerful specifications, such as a 485 MHz processor (compared to the 295 MHz processor of the PS2), completely lost this battle. The PlayStation 2 sold 155 million units, while the GameCube sold only 22 million units.
Let's be honest, 22 million sales are not bad. But let's see if there's something special about the GameCube that makes it worth buying.
Let's start exploring.
Console Bundle
Initially, at the start of sales, the GameCube was sold in a very simple bundle.
The box contained: the console, a controller, a power adapter, instructions, and a cable to connect to the TV.
The most interesting thing about this bundle was that you couldn't fully play on it. Imagine buying a new console, buying a game disc, coming home, and finding out that the game doesn't save because you need to buy a memory card. This problem still exists today. When I bought my first GameCube, I didn't even think that I would have to buy something else.
Later, the GameCube was sold as a bundle with the Game Boy Player. Look at this beautiful box.
This bundle added: the Game Boy Player and its disc.
Console Ports
Nintendo has always made many different and interesting accessories for their consoles. The GameCube was no exception. The console was designed so that new modules could be connected to it.
Let's take a look at what the GameCube is like.
On the top of the console are: the mini DVD compartment, an indicator showing that the console is on, and three buttons (power on/off, reset, and open the disc compartment).
On the front of the console are 4 controller ports and 2 memory card slots (needed to save games).
On the left and right are ventilation holes.
On the back are: the power port, digital and analog outputs.
But the most interesting part is on the bottom of the console. Here you'll find the console label and three expansion ports: HI SPEED PORT, SERIAL PORT 1, SERIAL PORT 2.
Interesting Expansions for Ports
The most interesting expansion was made for the HI SPEED PORT, which is used for the Game Boy Player.
Nintendo realized that the GameCube, while not a sales failure, would not be particularly profitable. However, the Game Boy Advance was breaking all sales records. So Nintendo decided to create the Game Boy Player. This device connected to the GameCube and allowed you to play games from portable consoles (GB, GBC, GBA) on a big screen.
The Game Boy Player also supports the Nintendo E-reader. Separate cards were released for GameCube games.
In second place, I would put the GameCube – Game Boy Advance Link Cable.
This cable allows you to connect a Game Boy Advance (SP) console to the GameCube. This connection opens up many cool features. For example, if you're playing Game Boy Advance games using the Game Boy Player, you can connect the GBA using this cable and use it as a controller. This is just the tip of the iceberg of what this cable can do.
The capabilities of this cable depend on each specific game. For example, you can unlock additional content in Metroid Prime.
To do this, you need a Game Boy Advance with a Metroid Fusion cartridge. If you complete Fusion, you can unlock the NES Metroid game in Prime.
But the most interesting addition is unlocked in Rayman 3. A new co-op mode is opened. One player builds a track in a Tetris-like game, while the other player drives a car on the track. The construction is done on the Game Boy Advance, while the driving is done on the GameCube. A very engaging game.
For SERIAL PORT 2, there are two adapters to connect the GameCube to the internet. One adapter is for a regular network cable, and the other is for a dial-up modem.
Nintendo did not develop any services themselves but gave third-party companies the opportunity to do so. You could also use these adapters directly, meaning you could connect two consoles to each other using a network cable and, for example, play Mario Kart.
Among third-party games, I would highlight Phantasy Star Online. It was an online RPG with a paid subscription.
They even released a separate keyboard for it so you could communicate in the game.
Perhaps the most neglected port was SERIAL PORT 2. At the time, nothing interesting was released for it. But today it can be used to run SWISS. Enthusiasts have created the SD2SP2 adapter – a board that plugs into the port and allows you to connect a memory card to the GameCube.
DOL-001 and DOL-101
The GameCube console was released in two models: DOL-001 and DOL-101. Interestingly, the 101 is a downgraded version. The digital port, which is used to output video to a TV, was removed.
The main problem is that the Chinese have long since come up with a special adapter that allows the GameCube to connect to HDMI.
In addition, the console lost SERIAL PORT 2.
Overall, you can live without this port because it is only used for SD2SP2. Its functions can be taken over by a memory card slot adapter.
Note that these ports started disappearing towards the end of the DOL-001 model's production. So, if you buy a DOL-101, they are definitely not there, but if you buy a DOL-001, there's a chance they might not be there either.
Before buying a GameCube, read the article on the website: «How to buy a GameCube and what to look for when buying? (GameCube versions)».
How to Play on the Console?
Despite the fact that the console has a DVD drive, it can only be used for original discs.
But the problem is that GameCube discs are no longer sold. This means you can only buy them on second-hand platforms. But the prices for such discs are sky-high, and if the game is a top title, it can cost 3-4 times more than the console itself.
What to do to avoid going broke on games? There are many ways to load games and homebrew applications. But the simplest is to install a Xeno chip and burn a disc with the SWISS program.
Read the article on how to install the chip in the console: «How to install a Xeno chip in a GameCube and change its language (region)?».
The Xeno chip allows you to run games and homebrew applications burned onto discs.
But instead of burning discs for each specific game, it's better to use the SWISS application, which allows you to run everything from a memory card.
For this, you will need to buy a memory card adapter or SD2SP2.
Epilogue
If it were just about regular games, I probably wouldn't have bought this console. After all, all the hits of this console can be easily played on emulators. But the additional accessories (Game Boy Player and GameCube – GBA Link Cable) completely changed my mind.
All these additional features can keep you occupied for many hours. And the additional features of Rayman 3 open up such engaging gameplay that it will be impossible to tear yourself away.
