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The GameCube
 After the partial failure of the N64, Nintendo analyzed what had gone wrong and used that information to help develop it's next-generation console machine. Dubbed the GameCube, this machine shyed away from the "all-in-one" ideal that the PlayStation 2 and Microsoft Xbox persued, and was just meant to be an excellent gaming machine. At that they have succeeded. Suffering from none of the weaknesses of the N64 (save perhaps slightly weak third party support), the GameCube is an excellent console in just about every respect.
What does the future hold? With two popular platforms things are once again looking up for the "Big N". However, it still has quite a battle if it is to overcome the Sony PlayStation 2 and Microsoft Xbox. However, even if it does come in third place, Nintendo still has its monopoly on the portable market with the Game Boy Advance. That's one thing you can say about Nintendo -- they always have the bases covered.
Thankfully, Nintendo learned a lot of lessons from the N64, and this is best evidenced by the GameCube. GameCube has been designed from the ground-up to be the ultimate gaming machine -- at least according to Nintendo. They might not be far off, though, as the technical specifications were quite impressive for it's time. GameCube has a 485 Mhz Power PC CPU by IBM, codenamed "Gekko." Accompanying it is a 162 Mhz graphics chip designed by the graphics firm Art-X, who were later bought by ATI. With a combined 40 MegaBytes of system RAM to utilize, the GameCube is one powerful little box.
What's more, Nintendo deliberately went out of its way to make the new machine easy to program for, in stark contrast to the difficult-to-program Nintendo 64. It's also a marked change from Sony's PlayStation 2, which has developed a reputation of being very difficult to develop for. This allows game developers to get the most out of the system with a minimum of fuss, leading to quicker development times and more games overall.
When compared to the competition, the GameCube fares well. While it's obviously surpassed in raw performance numbers by the monstrous might of the Microsoft Xbox, it's more than a match for Sony's seven-year-old PlayStation 2. For further proof of the platform's viability, consider the announcement of the Triforce arcade platform. Jointly announced by Nintendo, Sega and Namco, the Triforce is arcade game hardware that's based around, you guessed it, a GameCube. If these companies were confident enough in the GameCube technology to use it for their future arcade games, I'd say it's a respectable machine with more than enough power to bring you some sizzling next-generation entertainment at home.
The GameCube is a solid piece of hardware that helps to prove that the Nintendo 64 was just a minor misstep, and Nintendo is back on the right track with a great system at a reasonable price. *Information courtesy of: Console Database
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The Legend of Zelda - Twilight Princess
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Battalion Wars
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Super Mario Strikers
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Geist
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Previous Page: The Nintendo 64 Next Page: The Nintendo DS
This site was last updated
01/25/06
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