A First Class Bargain! (Nintendo GameCube)

Member Name: rodmc

Product:	Nintendo GameCube
Date:	24/03/04 (567 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Low price, Great specification, Small

Disadvantages: Lacks some of the great games, No CD or DVD playback

I've not been a console games player since I was at high school - I work with computers so was trying to avoid looking at a screen during my leisure time! However I was finally persuaded last week to consider buying one, so what did I chose, yes a Gamecube? Am I mad, well most likely but here are my reasons why...

A Bargain
The Gamecube is now a bargain if you are starting out, for £79 (sometimes less) you get the basic console and in many shops you also get a bundle for the same price. For example Game (game.uk.com) are selling it in their stores with one game, extra controller and a memory card for £79. This is a bargain, as you get everything you need for the price of just the console, which means you don't need to fork out more money on extras just to be able to play against a friend or save your games. Sure its not an extra Nintendo controller that you get but its more than adequate.

Graphics
The graphics are fast, crisp and very smooth, and are as good as or surpass other more popular consoles such as the XBox or PS2. To date I've not noticed any slow down, even in complex scenes or blocky graphics (which I would consider unacceptable).

Sound
Like the graphics the sound is excellent!

Console
The console is small (so doesn't dominate the space like an Xbox), and as the name suggests is just a cube! It uses discs which are smaller than your average CD or DVD. Please note that as a result you can't play CD's or DVD's but thats not a problem as most people will have these already. As others have said, Nintendo have put the effort into games playing and not extras, so if you like this is a no-frills console, but with a first class graphics and sound system!

It has several expansion slots, and you can attach up to 4 control pads.

Games
The Gamecube lacks some of the big titles found on other platforms, but does have a huge catalogue of games which are suitable f
or all ages. What's more you can often pick up older games for as little as £7, however for the newer ones be prepared to pay £25-£40, although you can often pick them up for less than the retail price. Also look out in your local second hand games shop for bargains!

If you are worried by the types of games then do your homework and check out what sort of games you want then buy the most suitable console. However for a family buyer Nintendo is probably unsurpassed when it comes to quality games for those under 12. That said there are plenty of more violent games available if thats what you are looking for.

Overall
At £79 the Gamecube is the bargain of the year. The main advantage being you can for the same price as the other consoles put together a bundle with the games that you want! Not the ones (as with the Xbox etc) that you are forced to buy as the retailer can't shift em normally!

I bought the Gamecube so I didn't have to upgrade my aging PC (which is only really used for word processing and email anyway). By doing that I saved myself hundreds on buying a new computer and have a system dedicated to game playing!

For more info on the Gamecube have a look at www.nintendo.com or www.planetgamecube.com

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