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The Nintendo GameCube (Japanese: ゲームキューブ; originally code-named Dolphin during development; officially abbreviated as GCN by Nintendo of America) is Nintendo's fourth home video game console, belonging to the sixth generation era—the same generation as Sega's Dreamcast, Sony's PlayStation 2, and Microsoft's Xbox. The GameCube itself is the most compact and least expensive of the sixth generation era consoles. The GameCube was released on September 14, 2001 in Japan; November 18, 2001 in North America at USD $199.95; May 3, 2002 in Europe; and May 17, 2002 in Australia.

Launch titles

The GameCube launched in North America with the following twelve games:

Title Developer Publisher(s)
All-Star Baseball 2002 Acclaim Acclaim
Batman Vengeance Ubisoft Ubisoft
Crazy Taxi Hitmaker Sega
Acclaim
Dave Mirra Freestyle BMX 2 Z-Axis Acclaim
Disney's Tarzan Untamed Ubisoft Ubisoft
Luigi's Mansion Nintendo Nintendo
Madden NFL 2002 Tiburon EA Sports
NHL Hitz 20-02 EA Black Box Midway
Rogue Squadron II: Rogue Leader Factor 5 LucasArts
Super Monkey Ball Amusement Vision Sega
Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 Neversoft Activision
Blue Storm NST Nintendo

Overview

The GameCube was unveiled during SpaceWorld 2000. Physically shaped similar to a geometric cube, the outside casing of the Nintendo GameCube comes in a variety of colors, such as indigo, platinum, and black (also a limited edition Resident Evil 4 platinum and black game console). In Japan, the system is also available in orange (known there as Spice, like the orange controllers), or in limited edition colors like Crystal White, Mint Green, Copper, and White with black pinstripes.

The Nintendo GameCube uses a unique storage medium, the GameCube Optical Disc, a proprietary format based on Matsushita's optical-disc technology; the discs are approximately 8 centimeters (3 1/8 inches) in diameter (considerably smaller than the 12 cm CDs or DVDs used in competitors' consoles), and the discs have a capacity of approximately 1.5 gigabytes. Contrary to popular belief, GameCube discs are not physically read any differently from a standard DVD disc, but are encrypted and contain a 'bar code' unreadable by most DVD drives. This move was mainly intended to prevent piracy of GCN titles, but like most anti-piracy technology, it was eventually cracked. By exploiting a flaw in Phantasy Star Online Episode I & II, users were able to connect their GameCubes to their PCs and run homebrew programming on the console.

The Nintendo GameCube does not have any DVD-movie support. Common reasons cited by Nintendo for using this format are to lower piracy, provide faster loading times, to make the system cheaper (to avoid DVD-licensing fees) and because the discs are more compact. The lack of DVD movie support was also a double-edged sword; it did not appeal to the mass audience that turned to the PlayStation 2 and Xbox due to their built-in DVD support. Also, a number of later games that had excessive amounts of audio or video would be scaled down when ported to the GameCube. An example of this is Fight for NY, where the GameCube version did not feature as many audio tracks as its PS2 or Xbox counterparts, and players were not given a choice to customize their character's voice on the GameCube version as they were on the Xbox and PS2. Despite the protection of a non-standard disc format (essentially a miniature DVD-ROM with non-standard sectors and filesystem formatting), a number of modchips such as the Qoob and ViperGC have been released that, when used in conjunction with a modified BIOS, allow the use of a standard or 8 cm DVD-R to load backed-up, homebrew, boot-leg or pirate software. There was also a DVD-capable variant released by Panasonic in Japan, under license from Nintendo. Called the Q, it was a modified GameCube that could also hold standard-sized DVD discs and play back both formats. However, it was never released outside Japan and production ceased in December 2003. The Q's different footprint also left it incompatible with the standard Game Boy Player (a different, Q-compatible version had to be used, which was rather rare).

The GameCube system also has the unique capability to connect to Nintendo's portable system Game Boy Advance and SP. The system does link to the Micro, but requires a separate cable as the standard one for GBA (SP) is too large. Such a connection between the two systems allows the transfer of game data. Examples of this functionality include the use of the Game Boy Advance as a controller for the game played. Subsequent information related to game play may be displayed on the Game Boy Advance's color screen for added convenience or to avoid the cluttering of the display on the television screen. This functionality has also been used to unlock "secrets" such as new levels or characters when two games, a Game Boy Advance game and its GameCube equivalent, are connected together. Up to four Game Boy Advance systems can be connected to the GameCube through the GameCube's four controller ports for multiplayer play. A special Nintendo GameCube to Game Boy Advance connection cable is required for each Game Boy Advance system that is to be connected to the GameCube. A fair variety of GameCube games implement this innovative functionality, while Nintendo encourages its continued use.

The GameCube was designed for portability, with its small size complemented by a carrying handle. However, this feature over other consoles was minimal since its inexpensive production and selling price were its main advantages. Interestingly, with the addition of the Game Boy Player accessory, the GameCube becomes a nearly perfect geometric cube. Despite being more compact than the PlayStation 2 (it was released over a year later and kept the power supply separate from the console), the GameCube has superior graphics processing power and better ProLogic sound, but no optical output. The GameCube also has a menu system with memory card data, sound setting and a calendar. The menu system can be accessed by starting the GameCube with no game loaded or holding down the "A" button while the GameCube boots.

The controller has the traditional directional pad, two thumbsticks, and eight buttons: A, B, X, Y, Z, L, R, and start/pause. Like the Nintendo 64 controller, it features no select button, but the C buttons have been replaced by an analog C stick, instead. The thumbsticks do not have added "clickable" button functionality—unlike other such consoles of the era—but both L and R shoulder buttons are analog, being able to detect pressure applied to them before "clicking," essentially doubling their functionality.

The GameCube had a network adapter released during the Christmas season of 2002, but Nintendo did not promote or support online gaming anywhere as heavily as Sony or Microsoft. The only high profile title that required the adapter was Sega's Phantasy Star Online Episode I & II. Instead, Nintendo focused more on Game Boy connectivity. Two separate adaptors were made, one for dial-up phone lines and one for broadband connections.

The GameCube has some hidden tricks included in its startup sequence: holding the "Z" Button while the system boots will replace the normal xylophone musical sequence with squeaks, followed at the end by a child laughing. If you have four controllers plugged in and hold the "Z" button on all of them, you will hear sounds of a Japanese-style drum sequence ending with a traditional Japanese gong.

Software library

The GameCube currently has over 600 games available in its library. In addition, over 30 titles are currently in development.

Key first-party titles

The Nintendo GameCube software library contains such traditional Nintendo series as Super Mario, The Legend of Zelda, and Metroid.

Some of the more popular first-party titles include:

One of the defining aspects of the Nintendo GameCube is the rejuvenated relationship between Nintendo and its licenses. Unlike previous generations in which Nintendo was seen by some as bullying its third-party game developers, Nintendo openly sought game-development aid on the Nintendo GameCube. Sometimes, Nintendo would merely request that a third-party developer produce a game based on the third-party's own game franchises; other times, Nintendo would request that the third-party developer produce a game based on Nintendo's own game franchises. Nintendo often took an active role in cooperating with a developer. This policy from Nintendo resulted in many exclusive third-party games for the Nintendo GameCube, and the arrival of multiformat titles on the platform. Because of these efforts, GameCube owners tend to support first-party games more heavily than third party games, whereas the reverse is true for PlayStation 2 and Xbox owners.

Market share

Despite Nintendo's efforts, the GameCube was unsuccessful in recapturing the market share held by earlier consoles. One possible reason for this is that Nintendo's family-friendly franchises skewed the GameCube toward a younger market. Many third-party games popular with teenagers or adults such as first-person shooters and the controversial Grand Theft Auto series skipped a GameCube port in favor of the PlayStation 2 and Xbox.

Also, due to Nintendo's lack of support for the online capabilities of the GameCube, as opposed to Microsoft and later Sony who actively promoted online gaming by releasing first-party online titles and soliciting developers, many multiplatform games with online functionality were released offline-only on the GameCube. Although online support was added in late 2002 and both Sony and Nintendo followed a similar decentralized online model (in contrast to the centralized Xbox Live), lower sales of the GameCube versions of games during its launch year precluded developers from including online support. Sega did release three games for the Gamecube in Japan, the US, and the UK that had internet capabilities: Phantasy Star Online Episode I and II (a Dreamcast remake plus extras), Phantasy Star Online Episode III C.A.R.D. Revolution, and Phantasy Star Online Episode I & II Plus (just like the first game but with an added features, especially one that stopped the piracy exploit). Chunsoft also released another internet capable game exclusive to Japan called Homeland, but despite these four game releases the sales were still poor.

The 1.5 gigabyte proprietary disc format may have also been a limiting factor since Nintendo's rivals used the 8.5 gigabyte DVD. However, the Nintendo disc still had sufficient room for most games, although it had fewer extras than other versions (for example, the Spider-Man Xbox release featured extra levels not in the GameCube port).

The strong preference of GameCube owners for first-party titles has also put the system at odds with independent third party developers. Cross-platform games—such as sports franchises released by Electronic Arts—sold far below their PlayStation 2 and Xbox counterparts, prompting developers to scale back or completely cease support for the GameCube. After several years of losing money from developing for Nintendo's system, Eidos Interactive announced that it would end support for the GameCube, cancelling several titles that had been in development. Since then, however, Eidos has resumed development of GameCube titles. Around that time, due to sagging sales, Nintendo had to cut GameCube production in order to sell off surpluses and issue a profit warning. Since then, sales have rebounded slightly due to a price drop to $99 USD and the release of the Collector's Edition bundle, which spurred sales. Since this period, GameCube sales have continued to be steady, particularly in Japan, but is still in third place in worldwide sales.

Despite the fact that the GameCube did not match the sales and market share of earlier Nintendo consoles, this has been offset by the growing size of the video game console market which has allowed Nintendo to carve out a loyal following even as its market share decreased. The GameCube had a strong hold on the "age-10 and under" niche market and its low price compared to the PS2 and Xbox kept it competitive. Nintendo has stated that they would "only exit the software business at the same time they would exit the hardware business"; Nintendo signalled that they would not discontinue their console business to focus on developing games like Sega had done after the discontinuation of the Dreamcast. Unlike Sega, Nintendo had strong cash reserves so it could afford to match price wars whenever Sony or Microsoft lowered the price of their console. Also before the price wars, it was estimated that Nintendo lost the least amount of money on each sale of a GameCube compared to its rivals, if at all.

Currently, as of the end of March 2006, Nintendo has sold 20.85 million GameCube consoles compared to Sony's 100 million PlayStation 2 consoles shipped and Microsoft's 22 million Xbox units shipped.

Major second and third-party titles

Hardware specifications

The following are hardware specifications provided by Nintendo of America. Some benchmarks provided by third-party testing facilities do indicate, however, that some of these specifications, especially those relating to performance, may be conservative. One of Nintendo's primary objectives in designing the GameCube hardware was to overcome the perceived limitations and difficulties of programming for the N64 architecture, creating an affordable, developer-friendly console that still performs competitively against its rivals.

Central processing unit

  • Name: "Gekko"
  • Producer: IBM
  • Core Base: PowerPC 750CXe, 43-mm² die (modified PowerPC G3 750 RISC with about 50 new instructions)
  • Manufacturing Process: 0.18 micrometre IBM copper-wire technology
  • Clock Frequency: 485 MHz
  • CPU Capacity: 1125 Dmips (Dhrystone 2.1)
  • Internal Data Precision:
    • 32-bit Integer
    • 64-bit Floating-point, usable as 2x32-bit SIMD
  • External Bus:
    • 1.3 gigabyte/second peak bandwidth
    • 32-bit address space
    • 64-bit data bus; 162 MHz clock
  • Internal Cache:
    • L1: instruction 64KB, data 32KB (8 way)
    • L2: 256KB (2 way)

Graphics processing unit

  • Name: "Flipper"
  • Producer: ArtX/Nintendo (ArtX was acquired by ATi Technologies in 2000 and is now a part of ATi)
  • Manufacturing Process: 0.18 micrometre NEC embedded DRAM process
  • Clock Frequency: 162 MHz
  • Embedded Frame Buffer:
    • Approximately 2 megabytes in capacity
    • Sustainable latency of 6.2 nanoseconds
    • RAM type is 1T-SRAM
  • Embedded Texture Cache:
    • Approximately 1 megabyte in capacity, allowing 6 megabytes worth of uncompressed textures to be stored using S3TC.
    • Sustainable latency of 6.2 nanoseconds
    • RAM type is 1T-SRAM
  • Texture Read Bandwidth: 10.4 gigabytes/second (at peak)
  • Main Memory Bandwidth: 2.6 gigabytes/second (at peak)
  • Fill Rate: 648 megapixels/second
  • Pixel Depth:
  • Image Processing Functions:

Audio specifications

  • Processor: Custom Macronix DSP
  • DSP Clock Frequency: 81 MHz
  • Instruction Memory:
    • 8 kilobytes of RAM
    • 8 kilobytes of ROM
  • Data Memory:
    • 8 kilobytes of RAM
    • 4 kilobytes of ROM
  • Simultaneous Channels: 64 channels
  • Encoding: ADPCM
  • Digital Signal : 16 Bit
  • Sampling Frequency: 48 kHz
  • "Dolby Pro Logic II" in analog audio out
  • AC3 signal through "digital out" with D-Terminal cable

Other system specifications

  • System Floating-point Arithmetic Capability: 10.5 GFLOPS (at peak) (MPU, Geometry Engine, HW Lighting Total)
  • Real-world Polygon Performance: 6 million to 12 million polygons/second (at peak) (assuming actual game conditions with complex models, fully textured, fully lit, etc.)*, although it is known that some games have pushed well beyond 12 million polygons such as Rogue Squadron II and Resident Evil 4
  • Main RAM:
    • Approximately 24 megabytes in capacity
    • Sustainable latency of 10 nanoseconds
    • RAM type is 1T-SRAM
    (The GameCube's 324 mHz main 1T-SRAM, at 2.6 GB/sec, has lower peak bandwidth than Xbox's 200 mHz DDR-SDRAM, with 6.4 GB/sec, however it does have greater bandwidth efficiency, up to 90% versus about 75% for Xbox, and the lower access latency helps compensate for the lower bandwidth since it increases effective bandwidth achieved.)
    • Auxiliary RAM:
  • Approximately 16 megabytes in capacity
  • 81 MHz in speed, 8-bit bus width
  • RAM type is DRAM
  • Disc Drive:
    • Drive type is Constant Angular Velocity (CAV)
    • Average access time is 128 milliseconds
    • Data transfer speed is between 2 megabytes per second and 3.125 megabytes per second
  • Disc Media:
    • Based on DVD technology
    • Diameter is 3 inches in length
    • Producer is Matsushita (also known as Panasonic)
    • Approximately 1.5 gigabytes in capacity
  • Controller Ports: 4
  • Memory Card Slots: 2
  • Analog Audio/Video Outputs: 1
  • "Digital" Video Outputs: 1 *
  • High-speed Serial Ports: 2
  • High-speed Parallel Ports: 1
  • Power Supply: AC Adapter DC12 volts x 3.25 amperes
  • Physical Measurements of Entire System: 110 mm (H) x 150 mm (W) x 161 mm (D). x 5.9"(W) x 6.3"(D)

    • * Unusually, the Digital output can be used to output analog component video using Nintendo's component cable, which contains a custom DAC to perform this conversion. The port was removed in a hardware revision in May 2004. Models without the port are DOL-101. The original system with the port is model DOL-001.

    Media

    The GameCube Optical Disc is the media format used by the Nintendo GameCube. The disc is a proprietary version of the eight centimeter DVD (MiniDVD) format. The capacity of the disc is 1.5 GB. Some games which contain large amounts of voice acting or pre-rendered video (for example, Tales of Symphonia) have been released on two discs; however, fewer than two dozen titles have been released on two discs (Complete List), and no games have required a third disc. Manufactured by Matsushita, parent company of Panasonic.

    Drive

    The GameCube drive is also designed and manufactured by Matsushita Electric for use with the GameCube. The drive is unique in that it spins disk backwards (counter-clockwise) and reads from the outside of the disk towards the middle. Some earlier and later revisions of the GameCube consoles did develop disc read problems with the optical pickup becoming thermal sensitive over time, causing read errors when the console reached normal operating temperature. Failures of this sort require replacement of the optical pickup. Affected consoles had sometimes been serviced free of charge by Nintendo even after the expiration of the warranty period.

    Controller

    The standard GameCube controller totals eight buttons, two analog sticks and a D-pad. The primary analog stick is on the left, with the D-pad below it. On the right are four buttons; a large green "A" button in the centre, a smaller red "B" button to the left, an "X" button to the right and a "Y" button to the top. Below those, there is a yellow "C" stick, which has a similar function to the right stick on a PlayStation. The start/pause button is in the middle of the controller. On the top of the controller there are two analog shoulder buttons marked "L" and "R" which are moulded to fit index fingers. Slightly above the "R" button is the "Z" button. In a late design change, the "Z" button was oddly positioned above the "R" trigger. Originally, Nintendo was not going to include it, but game developers asked for it to be put in. Some unofficial controllers also have "turbo" or "macro" buttons, but these only modify the actions performed by other buttons.

    The controller is a standard wing grip design, and was designed to fit well in human hands. The L and R analog shoulder buttons, the main innovation, have an additional 'click' when fully depressed. This serves as two additional buttons on the controller without the need to actually add physical buttons.

    Like most analog controllers, the GameCube controller self-calibrates when the console is switched on, setting the current analog stick and L and R buttons' positions as "neutral," which may cause problems if the controls are not actually in their neutral position during calibration. Holding down X, Y and start/pause for three seconds at any time will recalibrate the controller. Unplugging and reconnecting the controller, and in the case of the wireless Wavebird controller, turning the controller off and back on, will also force a recalibration.

    Accessories/peripherals

    • Controller (Standard colours include Indigo, Black, Spice (Orange), Platinum and Indigo-clear). There are also many limited edition controllers available such as a split Platinum and Red, with the Mario "M" logo replacing the regular GameCube logo seen on standard controllers. There are also specially shaped controllers, such as a blood-spattered chainsaw (released to coincide with Resident Evil 4)
    • Wavebird (RF wireless controller)
    • Memory Card (59, 251 or 1019 blocks), with a maximum of 127 files can be stored on a single card
    • Nintendo GameCube-Game Boy Advance cable (for games that support connectivity between the GameCube and the Game Boy Advance)
    • Modem or Broadband adapter (for internet or LAN play)
    • Game Boy Player (to play Game Boy games on the television, using either a GameCube controller or a connected Game Boy Advance)
    • Component video cable (for progressive scan (480p) support) which requires a GameCube with Digital Video Output. Less than one percent of GameCube owners used 480p, therefore the digital output was eventually removed from the design to reduce the system's manufacturing costs. See System Specifications above and Official Information.)
    • VGA Adapter. Allows GameCube play on a standard computer monitor. Several are available from Lik-Sang, however, a game supporting 480p combined with the Component Video cable above, and the VD-Z3 (which has a monitor pass-through) or this can give progressive scan display quality on a computer monitor.
    • In PAL regions, an RF cable for connection to older televisions, and an RGB SCART cable for high-quality connections
    • DK Bongos for use with the music games Donkey Konga, Donkey Konga 2 and Donkey Konga 3, the Donkey Kong platform title Donkey Kong Jungle Beat, and the soon-to-be released racing game DK Bongo Blast.
      • Microphone, which plugs into memory card slot, for use with Mario Party 6, Mario Party 7, and Karaoke Revolution Party. Odama also includes a microphone clip to clip on to the controller. Commands are issued when you hold the X button on the controller.
      • SD Card Adapter, for games exhibiting the SD Card logo like Animal Forest e+. This official Nintendo accessory is currently sold in Japan only.
      • A dance pad, included with Mario Mix. It has 4 arrows.
      • A Beat Pad made by Mad Catz and licensed by Nintendo, included with the game MC Groovz Dance Craze. Also sold separately. It has 8 arrows.
      • An ASCII keyboard controller, resembling a standard GameCube controller pad stretched to accommodate an alphanumeric keyboard in the center. The keyboard requires the use of two controller ports, and contains both Roman and Japanese hiragana characters. It is considered particularly useful for Phantasy Star Online Episode I & II and is difficult, though not impossible, to acquire outside of Japan. A cheaper and easier keyboard to import is made by Datel, although most people opt to purchase just an adapter so they can use their own.
      • "Wii", the successor to GameCube, will be backward compatible with GameCube games and have some similar features to the GameCube, such as 4 GameCube controller ports and 2 memory card slots.

      Third party accessories/peripherals

      • FreeLoader - Made by Datel, this disc disables the regional lockout in your Game Cube so games from Europe and Japan can be played in an American system, and vice versa.

      • Advance Game Port - This was Datel's version of the Game Boy Player. This dongle would connect to memory card slot B and would be booted up with the included boot disc. Some of these even had code generators for built in cheat devices. The advantage was that no removal of plates on the bottom or tools were needed to install it. It has some problems with the audio and video framerate.

      • Pelican Bongos - These bongos made by Pelican Accessories are a much darker color and have a 10% larger surface than the Nintendo bongos.

      • Action Replay - A cheat device made by Datel, allows gamers to enter codes to cheat at games. A FreeLoader is also included with the software. It contains a boot disc with the codes and startup, and a dongle that connects into memory card slot B. The dongle could only be used for saving codes.

      • Action Replay MAX - An Action Replay with a bigger dongle. The dongle not only saved codes, but also could be used as a 64 Mb card (1019 blocks.)

      • MAX Drive - This device consists of a dongle, USB cable, and a PC software disc, which allows the user to upload game saves from a memory card to a PC to be stored there or sent over the Internet. However, there have been reports of this device corrupting save files, not always connecting to a PC, and sometimes refusing to receive information from the PC.

      • Powerboard - By Datel, this USB keyboard with a Game Cube matching unit could be used with the online Phantasy Star games. It could also be used to edit/add codes to the Action Replay.

      • MAX Memory - This 128 Mb dongle by Datel has over 2000 blocks of data and is the largest memory card to date.

      • Innovation INNOV3102 Controller Adaptor - This matching unit allows PlayStation and PS2 controllers to be used on the GameCube.

      Marketing

      North America

      Nintendo has used several advertising strategies and techniques for the GameCube. The earliest commercials displayed a rotating cube video, which would quickly morph into the GameCube logo. A voice whispered "GameCube". This was usually after the normal commercial for a GameCube game. Later on, Nintendo incorporated a video clip before the normal clip for the GameCube game would begin, similar to the brief PlayStation 2 logo before a commercial featuring the game. It basically rotated around what appeared to be the top of a GameCube console, with the lettering being slightly 3D. The lettering would begin as a wave, only to settle on the top of the pictured console.

      Subsequent ad campaigns had Nintendo advertising with a "Who Are You" tangent, essentially marketing the wide range of games Nintendo offers. The idea behind the "Who Are You?" campaign is that "you are what you play"; the kind of game a gamer enjoys playing suggests a dominant trait in that gamer's personality. The "Who Are You" logo is similar to graffiti lettering. Most of the "Who Are You?" commercials advertised games developed or published by Nintendo, but some developers paid Nintendo to promote their games, using Nintendo's marketing and advertising resources. One example is the advertisement campaign for Square Enix's GameCube-exclusive Final Fantasy game, Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles.

      Sales

      Nintendo reported that as of March 31, 2006 they have sold a total of 20.85 million Nintendo GameCube units worldwide. Nintendo has sold 4 million in Japan, 12.17 million units in the Americas, and 4.68 million units elsewhere.

      The GameCube currently retails for USD $99.

      See also

      References

      External links

      Nintendo consoles | Sixth-generation video game consoles | 2001 introductions

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    This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the "Nintendo GameCube".

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