I got a Nintendo Gamecube for Christmas, and don't know much about them. I already have a PS2. I wanted the GC to play Resident Evil 0, as it's not available anywhere else. I have some questions:

How's the remake of RE 1? I heard the other RE's were pretty much straight ports of the game, but RE1 was a remake and worth playing if you'd already played the originals on PS. True?

What are some good games (all genres) for the GC that aren't available on the PS2? What are some to avoid? Any must haves?

What's the deal with accessories? I've got to buy a 2nd controller and a memory card, what brands should I look for and what should I avoid? I've got a Gameboy Advance w/ quite a few games, so I want an adapter to play them through the GC. Which is best and cheapest?

Help me out people, I've got a Best Buy gift card burning a hole in my pocket, and I've got a new toy to buy for!! All reccomendations/thoughts welcome.

RE1 is about 70% different from the original on PS1. It's well worth playing, and there are several in-jokes and special surprises for those familiar with the older game.

Only buy Nintendo accessories. Make sure you get a 251 memory card (black) and not a 59 card (grey). For your second controller, get a Wavebird. You won't regret it.

RE1 remake is worth it... get it. The others are just ports. I got my GC just for the RE series. RE4 will be out in 2004.

Good games exclusive to GC:
Metroid Prime
Eternal Darkness got great reviews here, I've only briefly played my copy so I can't give a real good opinion.

Zelda got rave reviews, but I do not have it.


The GBA player is generally $49.99 or $5 less with the best Buy coupon. I believe there is an aftermarket one being advertised for $29.99. I have a GBA player and it works well. Can't speak to the other one.

Accessories:

Wavebird cordless controller is 1st party and is a must have.
Memory Card, only go first party with a 251 (black) memory card from Nintendo. Again use the Best Buy $5 Gamers coupon.


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Update: Here's the info on the aftermarket GBA player.

I'd give a link, but I think Best Buy now uses session IDs in their URLs. It's $26.99 on their site (of course, again before $5 off coupon)
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" DATEL DESIGN/COMPUTER SOFTWARE Advance Game Port



Play Game Boy Advance games on your TV right through your GameCube. Plug the Advance Game Port into the GameCube's controller port, put in a Game Boy Advance cartridge, download it to your GameCube and you're ready to go. Now you can have Game By Advance games on your TV in an instant.

Advance Game Port works with hundreds of Game Boy Advance titles, including Pokémon Ruby, Pokémon Sapphire, Mario Advance, Zelda: The Four Swords and many more. Witness your favorite games on a big screen and dive into the action. "

What's the deal with the Wavebird? I've had lots of people tell me that I need to get one, and aside from being wireless, I don't see/realize anything special about them. I almost see another wireless device as just something to suck down more batteries! What am I missing here?

Thanks for the tips on RE1, I'll definitely be looking out for that one and skip the rest unless I find them extremely cheap.

Its a wireless controller that is well designed and actually works.

Not having a cord is soooo nice. It doesn't seem like much, but it really does make a difference. No tangled up mess. No one tripping over controller cords.

The batteries last a hell of a long time too. 100 hours according to the manual. I've had one since it came out in Summer 2002 and I think I've replaced the batteries twice.

As for games, in order by my preference and only listing exclusives:

Zelda: Windwaker
Metroid Prime
Eternal Darkeness
Mario Kart Double Dash
Mario Sunshine
Monkey Ball 1 and/or 2

If you already have a PS2 the Cube is a great compliment to it. Great exclusives to supplement the good stuff on the PS2.

I recommend:
Metroid Prime (2002 game of the year)
Zelda the Wind Waker
Resident Evil 1 and Zero (check used games stores or online to find)
Skies of Arcadia Legends
Mario Kart Double Dash
Viewtiful Joe

Good suggestions here. Another would be Animal Crossing.

It's the only game my wife has ever played when I wasn't even in the room. I'd come home from work and she'd be playing it. Plus, it has pretty cool connectivity to the GBA and some cool classic NES games. I can play NES Excitebike whenever I want.

And I just picked up a second Wavebird. If they are really smart, all next gen controllers will be wireless.

I second the battery thing regarding the Wavebird. They take forever to run out. And the controller is just as responsive as its corded counterparts. The only sacrifice is that you don't get rumble, but to be honest I haven't missed it (and I thought I would).

I haven't missed the rumble either, but I never liked it. I've never thought it more than a pointless gimmick that takes me out of games rather than immersing me since the rumble pak on the N64.

The vibration just reminds me of the plastic controller in my hands and takes me out of the game.

But most seem to love it, so I guess I'm in the minority here.

Wavebird is the best controller ever. I just got my 2nd one, and couldn't be happier. I have always hated rumble with a passion, so obviously that is no issue for me.

I have to agree with the above compliments of the Wavebird. Haven't missed the rumble, the batteries last months at a time, and it responds just like a corded controller. The same can not be said of some of the third party wireless controllers that I have tried that are very sluggish.

Yeah if you like Resident Evil you must not be without the Resident Evil remake on the Gamecube. The amount of changes are incredible. RE 2,3, and CV are straight ports. The two RE's that are built from the ground up on the GC with different areas and better graphics that you should play are Resident Evil and Resident Evil Zero (which is a new game). You should pick up:

Resident Evil
Resident Evil Zero
Metroid Prime -Best game of last year
Eternal Darkness
F-Zero GX
Pikmin
Viewtiful Joe -the most original and innovative game this gen
The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker
Ikaruga

Coming out in 2004:

Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles
Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes
Resident Evil 4
Killer 7
Tales of Symphonia
Geist
Baten Kaitos
Unity
The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Plus
Harvest Moon: A Wonderful Life
Pikmin 2

I just bought a Black Gamecube and got the Zelda pack. I also got another controller, memory card, Splinter Cell, NBA Street, and Mario Kart DD. I love it so far. The graphics have blown the PS2 away so far. And MKDD has been awsome on multiplayer.

If you are a RE fan, which seemingly you are, you can't afford to be without the RE1 remake. The addition of the Crimson Heads make it the "scariest" RE ever. It also adds depth and strategy to the game... The graphics are beautiful, just like RE Zero...

I went against all advice and got a 3rd party 2nd controller and a 3rd party memory card. Unfortunately that's all that was left at 2 stores I tried, so I had no choice. No fun to play the same section over and over again because there is no memory. Both seem to work good so far.

I'm wavering on the wavebird. I do like the rumble, although it doesn't seem as hard as the PS2's. Cords aren't much of a problem for me, so no worries there.

Has anyone tried any of the gameboy advance cartridge readers for it? I'd like to get one, but $49 seems a bit steep considering the GB was $70 and the GC $99.

The GBA player works really well. And you can get it for $44.99 after using the $5 Best Buy coupon.

Good luck with the aftermarket memory card, I've heard bad things.

There is an aftermarket one at BestBuy.com for about $27, not sure on how well it works. If you can find it in the store you can knock it down by $5 as well.

Third party memory cards seem like a great bargain, until the one day you come home and find all your save games gone. I've read too many horror stories.

I recommend that you buy a 251 when you find it, and use the third-party card as a backup.

I second that. I've had horror stories personally with third party cards on the N64 and PSX.

I've always used third party cards with PSX, PS2 and Gamecube. Never had a problem.

I think you are one of the lucky ones.

Definitely.

I don't know what the failure rate is, but given how much it sucks to lose game saves (especially if you play games that take a large time investment like RPGs or franchise modes in sports games) it's just not worth the risk to save a few $$$ IMO.

I agree completely with this. I'm pulled right out of the atmosphere when i realize i'm holding something in my hands that is shaking. I'll be picking up the wavebird simply to get rid of this vibrating nonsense.

Until then, and for the other consoles if you have them, most games have an option to turn off rumble in the options menu.