Just picked up a GameCube...

[UseTheSledgehammerUh 0]

Hey everyone, I just picked up the GameCube w/ Zelda 4-games disc and LOTR: ROTK.

 

Please no "save your $, this system is better!" stuff. I've got a PS2 and X-Box. I'm kinda bored with the PS2 and I still love the X-Box.

 

So anyway. I'm unfamiliar with ALL the GameCube hardware, etc.

Heard great reviews about Super Mario Sunshine, and I've always loved the Zelda games so I wanna pick up Windwaker.

 

No hard drive, right? Can ANY games be saved to the GameCube? Are the memory cards absolutely necessary for say, LOTR: ROTK?

 

Any other hardware I should get ASAP? What games are essential? Please let me know ANYTHING that will enhance my gaming experience.

 

Thanks!

[The Ghost of bps21 0]

Memory Cards needed for any and all saves.

 

Games to get (and can be gotten cheap now too): Eternal Darkness, Metroid Prime, Super Monkey Ball 2, Animal Crossing, Resident Evil/ Resident Evil 0

[USC Wuz Robbed! 0]

Games has to be saved to the GC memory cards. I suggest Animal Crossing if only for the neat little feature where you can play NES games inside the game.

[BUTT 0]

Yes, you need the memory card to save all games for the Cube. I would recommend getting the Memory Card 251 (251 blocks). There are some third-party memory cards which have over 1000 blocks, but they are not always known to work correctly. The number of blocks which a game takes on the card varies greatly. For example, Metroid Prime takes up just 2 blocks, while NBA Live 2004 takes 209! For the record, LOTR:ROTK takes 6 blocks. If you want to know how much space on a memory card a game takes, go to nintendo.com and they'll have the information for most games.

 

As for games, the GameCube has a lot of great exclusives. Some of the best are:

 

Super Mario Sunshine

The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker

Metroid Prime

Eternal Darkness

Resident Evil

Resident Evil Zero

Super Smash Bros. Melee

Star Wars: Rogue Leader

Viewtiful Joe

F-Zero GX

 

Also, Mario Kart: Double Dash and Star Wars: Rebel Strike are out, but I have played them so I have no idea how good they are. I've seen both good and not-so-good reviews for them. I don't own any peripherals for them, but supposedly the Wavebird controller is really good. It's a wireless controller that supposedly has an incredible distance range from which you can play. I guess that would probably be a good buy, as long as you're willing to have a controller that doesn't rumble.

[chaosrage 0]

Mario Sunshine was ok, nothing special. There's better games out there to get.

 

ETERNAL DARKNESS

F-Zero GX

Metroid Prime

RE:0

Monkey Ball 1

Monkey Ball 2

RE:CVX and RE:Remake (if you haven't played them already on PS1 and Dreamcast)

[UseTheSledgehammerUh 0]

Cool, how much do the Nintendo and 3rd part memory cards usually go for?

 

There's a Final Fantasy game coming to GameCube, right? Is it supposed to be better than the previous versions? A cheap spinoff? Saw the commercial at the theatres for ROTK.

[The Amazing Rando 0]

as much as I mark out for the original Metroid and Super Metroid...

 

 

I can't stand Metroid Prime...and I enjoy FPS-type games...

[chaosrage 0]

I hate FPS games and I bitched about Metroid not being 3D more than anybody, and I like it. It feels more like Super Metroid than the 2D Metroid for GBA did. The atmosphere and music is great.

[Guest DVD Spree]

I would entirely recommend Animal Crossing and Viewtiful Joe, two amazing GameCube-exclusives. I would also heartily endorse Donkey Konga and Wario Ware when (if?) they get a US release. Check out my reviews:

 

Animal Crossing

http://thesmartmarks.com/artman/publish/ar...ticle_978.shtml

 

Viewtiful Joe

http://thesmartmarks.com/artman/publish/ar...icle_1212.shtml

 

The WaveBird is the BEST controller on the planet. Seriously, another revolution from Nintendo - first shoulder buttons, then analogue sticks, then rumble paks, now this. The device is completely wireless and portable - after a few days, you honestly find it awkward using a pad with wires. The batteries last AAAAAGES too - haven't changed mine in about six months (and I play A LOT).

 

Memory cards are essential, although I would suggest that you never use third party cards - for whatever reason, they are just totally hit and miss on Nintendo systems, and always have been. Some might work great for months, years, or forever - but out of the blue one day, you could lose everything, and I've never heard of ANYONE losing data from a Nintendo memory card. In any case, make sure to get the Memory Card 251, not 56, because you'll fit a lot more on it.

 

Don't bother with the broadband/modem, unless you really love Phantasy Star Online or you want to copy games, because there's precious little else for it (well, you can play LAN on Mario Kart and a couple others, but that's it).

[Guest DVD Spree]

There's a Final Fantasy game coming to GameCube, right? Is it supposed to be better than the previous versions? A cheap spinoff? Saw the commercial at the theatres for ROTK.

I'm not an FF fan by any stretch of the imagination, but the new game is ONLY playable with a GBA connection, which makes teh interface kinda clumsy and difficult to get used to. That said, you can have four-player teams battling together simultaneously (provided you have four buddies with four GBAs), which is fun but descends into anarchy as everyone starts staring at their GBAs desperately trying to arm shit and getting killed in the meantime. Not exatly a cheap spin-off, but certainly a departure of sorts.

[BUTT 0]

Actually, the new Final Fantasy game for GC (Crystal Chronicles) is playable without the GBA, but only in one-player mode. It is not a proper FF game, but rather an action-RPG spinoff developed by a new team called Game Designers Studio. It hasn't exactly been getting great reviews, but it hasn't been regarded as horrible either. For some reviews of the game you can go here.

[Golgo 13 0]

For Christmas, I'm hoping to land the Gamecube with Zelda disk, in addition to Animal Crossing or SSB: Melee.

 

On the memory cards, I believe the 59 goes for $15 while the 251 goes for $20. Third-party cards can often hold more data and are just as inexpensive. But as others have said, there are reliability issues, so I don't consider there to be another option beside the official cards.

[Guest DVD Spree]

Actually, the new Final Fantasy game for GC (Crystal Chronicles) is playable without the GBA, but only in one-player mode.

My bad, I've only played it in multiplayer.

[EdwardKnoxII 0]

Just checking to make sure since I'm going to get one tomorrow. What would be the best memory card for the Gamecube? I want to get a good one.

[The Ghost of bps21 0]

Nintendo makes a memory card with like 4 times the memory of their regular one...and I think it's only 5 bucks more.

[LaParkaYourCar 0]

Soul Caliber 2

LOTR: ROTK

Metroid

Zelda

Enter the Matrix

WrestleMania XIX

 

Those are the ones I've played that you should get.

[MarvinisaLunatic 0]

I'll second the mention of the Wavebird.

 

There are a ton of GOOD games to be had for less than $30. There are a few good new/newer games to be had as well but I was overall disapointed with the holiday lineup, although most people would be happy with Mario Kart and some of the other games that have been out a couple months.

 

And if you want to play Mario Kart online, theres something called the Warp Pipe Project which is some sort of unoficial internet play project that I guess emulates the lan play feature of mario kart over the net. You can get the broadband/modem adaptor at some Wal Marts on CLEARANCE for 20 bucks if that sounds like a good idea.

[EdwardKnoxII 0]

Nintendo makes a memory card with like 4 times the memory of their regular one...and I think it's only 5 bucks more.

Do you know what it's called?

[BUTT 0]

It's called the Memory Card 251.

[AndrewTS 0]

as much as I mark out for the original Metroid and Super Metroid...

 

 

I can't stand Metroid Prime...and I enjoy FPS-type games...

I hate almost all FPS games but love Metroid Prime. It's not the same as classic Metroid, but it's still very good.

 

Metroid Zero Mission is coming, though, and you can play that on the Cube with a Game Boy Player.

[EdwardKnoxII 0]

I'm getting Viewitful Joe for X-Mas and I plan on buying NFS: Underground and Mario Double Dash.

[USC Wuz Robbed! 0]

I'm getting Viewitful Joe for X-Mas and I plan on buying NFS: Underground and Mario Double Dash.

I see you've been opening your Xmas presents early and rewrapping them before anyone saw you....

[EdwardKnoxII 0]

Tomorrow I might buy either Doube Dash or NFS: Underground. I've owned and played the other Mario Carts and I've played alittle of NFS and I think it's good even if it looks like a riceboy's wet dream. So any thought on which one I should get?