gamecube
Latest
The Joystiq Weekend: June 14 - 15, 2008
We agree with Design Milk: we wish these Nintendo wall decals were around when we were younger. Then again, that won't stop us. (Thanks, Vlad.) Check out the highlights for this weekend:JoystiqueryThe Best Of Big Download: June 8-14, 2008Counting Rupees: The MMO-TV hybridSeen @ NYC: Women bar fight over WiiThis Week in Review is sneaking ... and stuffNewsHalo Wars release strategy: 'when it's done'Capcom registers 'multiplatform' Mega Man 9 with OFLCThe Agency to be microtransaction free after allBattlefield Heroes Beta applicants exposed in security breachFinal Fantasy Tactics A2 trailer full of whimsy, tacticsTHQ investor presentation reveals release windows for Super Hero Squad, Master MindResistance 2 details, gameplay revealed on last night's GameTrailers TVMLG event reveals new Halo 3 multiplayer map: Cold StorageMother's campaign to bring video game seizure concerns to British Parliament a successCastle Crashers jumps through another hoop, gets rated 'Teen'Source: 'Avatars' to be Microsoft's answer to Miis and HomeRumors & SpeculationRumor Roundup: Intellisponse survey leakRumor: Three dozen Team Ninja devs leaving with Itagaki, suing TecmoCulture & CommunitySurf through Azeroth on a Wii Balance Board
GameCubes and controllers cheap at Amazon today
There might still be a reason you'd want a GameCube. The Game Boy Player, maybe? Quick access to Cubivore without the hassle of the Wii Menu? Holding down papers in a drafty room? If you find yourself in need of Nintendo's newest old system, Amazon is selling them today for $60. It's not the best deal ever, but $60 isn't terrible for something that will run Ikaruga.You're more likely to be interested in Amazon's other Deal of the Day offering: a Platinum GameCube controller for $17. If you need more controllers for Super Smash Bros. Brawl, this is a good time to stock up. These will no doubt sell out soon to enthusiastic Brawlers!
The (Big) Bosses of Metal Gear Solid
var digg_url = 'http://digg.com/playstation/The_Big_Bosses_of_Metal_Gear_Solid'; A hero's true worth lies in his ability to overcome the greatest of villains. Metal Gear Solid's slithery protagonist, Snake, has conquered not only the greatest of villains, but the weirdest mustache-twirlers gaming has ever seen. Be sure to click on the above gallery and join us as we examine our favorite fearsome foes, kooky killers and big bosses. Snake? Snaaaake? SNAAAAAAKE! Check out our Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots page for all things Metal Gear.
Apparently, Capcom is bored of making money
That's right: we've finally turned to lolgoats. We hope you appreciate this new direction.Anyway, any meager hopes we might have harbored for a western localization of Resident Evil Zero have just had the last gasps of air stamped emphatically from their shriveled lungs by Capcom's Christian Svensson. Writing on the company's message boards, Svensson stated that Capcom's U.S. arm had been "asked twice if we've wanted to bring it Westward and twice we've declined." Ouch, Christian. He did concede that "nothing is ever final," but surely Zero would have to tear up the Japanese sales charts to stand a chance of being localized.Although we're not exactly devastated by the news -- the GameCube edition is cheaply and widely available on eBay, and is pretty much the same game, sans Wiimote controls -- we are surprised. Didn't the Wii port of Resident Evil 4 rake in an obscene fortune for Capcom? Why, yes it did.[Via Go Nintendo]
Forget the GameCube, just nab the controller
When we told you about the $25 GameCubes at Target, many of you fine readers wanted to buy the system and then chuck it, keeping only the controller. Now, it seems like you won't have to go through all that trouble.Amazon is selling GameCube controllers for $5 less than the MSRP, meaning that you can nab one for $20. Clearly getting an entire system for $25 is a better deal, but if your local Target isn't hosting such a delectable clearance, it's hard to pass up a $20 controller. We only wish they were Wavebirds, but we guess that beggars can't be choosers.[Via CAG]
You might find a $25 GameCube at Target
Before you read this, keep in mind that Target sales are often labeled as "your mileage may vary," meaning that they're not universal to all Target stores. Now that that's out of the way, Aeropause is reporting that the retailer has marked down new GameCubes to a mere $25 in order to liquidate their stock. Since that's less than the cost of a standard DS game, it's definitely a great deal.Of course, as we're assuming that most of you have Wiis, there is the tiny problem of not really needing a GameCube. If you get creative, though, you could always use it to make a fun case-mod, and we'll even make a joke about duct taping two together to make a Wii, just so that you don't.
Where to find Beyond Good & Evil
We realize that with yesterday's announcement of "Beyond Good & Evil 2," some folks may have tragically missed out on the first entry in the series. We've put together a quick list of places where those not familiar to the series can get the game and meet up with Jade, Pey'j and -- our favorite personal assistant -- Segundo. Steam (PC) -- $10 GameTap (PC) -- $1 for the first month, $10 after that. GameFly (Xbox, PS2 and Gamecube) -- Various rental plan prices, but currently copies are subject to availability. GameStop -- Currently, we can only find the somewhat dodgy PS2 version available online for $8. Check your local shop and you may get very lucky. Those who find a GameCube version can rely on the Wii's backwards compatibility to play the game, and PS3 owners can pop in the PS2 game if their systems support BC. The Xbox 360 currently does not offer backwards compatibility for the Xbox version of BG&E. We're sure there are more corners of the internet to find Jade & Co., but it appears that $10 is what you're likely to pay.
A pictorial history of Nintendo's peripherals
var digg_url = 'http://digg.com/nintendo/Peripherals_that_paved_the_way_for_the_Wii_Fit_Balance_Board'; Nintendo has had its fare share of first-party peripherals. Does anyone remember – or still own, perchance – the Game Boy printer? The Nintendo 64 Pikachu microphone? Our friends and archivists at Nintendo Wii Fanboy have composed a pictorial history of Nintendo's tendency to avoid the standard controller. From the Power Pad to the Balance Board, click here to see it all.
Retrospective: Nintendo's past peripherals
var digg_url = 'http://digg.com/nintendo/Peripherals_that_paved_the_way_for_the_Wii_Fit_Balance_Board'; With Wii Fit (and, thus, the Balance Board) hitting stores recently, we figured a nostalgic stroll down memory lane would be nice. So, what we've done is compiled a list of all the peripherals that helped pave the way for the Balance Board, Nintendo's latest peripheral. So, let's not waste any time and get down to business. To start your journey, just click on the red text in the bottom right-hand corner there.
Sonic Unleashed has Cube controller support
Hidden deep within Matt Casamassina's eyes-on preview of Sonic Unleashed on the PS3 and 360 is the news that the Sonic Team Dimps-developed Wii version would not only support a Wiimote/nunchuk combination, but also the GameCube controller, and possibly the Classic controller.Being the outrageous cynics that we are, we initially suspected this meant we'd be getting a downgraded port of the PlayStation 3/Xbox 360 game, but Casamassina also points out that the stages in the Wii iteration are "very different." So now we don't know what to think -- heck, maybe Dimps just believes the game feels nicer with the Cube controller.%Gallery-19031%
Nintendo ordered to pay $21 million for patent infringement
Nintendo has been ordered to pay $21 million to Anascape Ltd. for infringing on a patent with its Gamecube and Wii Classic controllers. The AP reports Anascape Ltd., a "small East Texas gaming company," also sued Microsoft, but that was settled out of court. Nintendo says it will appeal the decision.A representative for Nintendo stated that no infringement was found in any of the Wii's motion-sensing technology and it expects that on appeal the award to Anascape will be reduced "significantly." Remember kids, if you want to stick it to some big corporation in the future and cash in, just make patents for everything imaginable.
Nintendo ordered to pay $21 million to patent troll
Remember Anascape Ltd, the little "gaming company" that sued Microsoft and Nintendo back in 2006 for controller patent infringement? Well, it's payday to the tune of $21 million after a jury found Nintendo's Wii Classic, WaveBird, and Gamecube controller designs all guilty of violating Anascape's patents. Nintendo will appeal naturally while Microsoft settled the case before the matter ever went to trial. Now go ahead and Google Anascape with the challenge of finding a single service or product offering. Oh, did we mention that they are based in the patent-lawsuit friendly state of Tejas? Patent Trolls? Oh, you betcha.Anascape... there is none.
'Strong chance' Eternal Darkness will return, but will it be for Wii?
One of our most favorite GameCube games is Eternal Darkness. Even though the combat isn't that great, the game just did a wonderful job of screwing with our mind. When a game screws with you to the point that you believe it when it tells you that the memory card inserted into your console has no data on it, causing you to reboot the system and access the memory card directly, its experiences stick with you. At least, it stuck with us.Now, Silicon Knights' Dennis Dyack has commented that there is a pretty good chance his company will be returning to the IP for another title. "There is a chance; we love all the games we work on," he commented. "We don't want to be pigeon-holed [into a genre], we want to be known for strong content...There's a strong chance we'll return to it, but there's no announcements yet." So, good news for fans of the first title, however this is likely going to be a sore spot for some of you. Even though they remain open to developing a game for the Wii, with their work on the Too Human trilogy, the likelihood of that happening is probably pretty slim right now.Who else would do despicable, disgusting things to play an Eternal Darkness sequel on the Wii?[Via Go Nintendo]
Mario spotted in new Banjo-Kazooie trailer
In case you missed it, check out the Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts trailer one more time. Watch closely, especially at the 1:45 mark. Yep, that's an 8-bit Mario in all his planar glory, as both a testament to the user-generated nature of the game as well as we suspect a not-so-subtle nod to their former publishing partner. [Thanks, Michael]
Friday Video: The GameCube clock
While this might come off as a bit more Show & Tell material than Friday Video, we just couldn't help ourselves. So, we bended the rules a bit. Sue us!You know who we'd like to sue? Nick Magdoza, for his most excellent GameCube clock you see in the video above. We want it. Nick, who is a big fan of the site, was also kind enough to hook us up with photos documenting the creation of this beauty. If there's anything we want to do with our spare GameCube now, it's this. You did a great job, Nick!%Gallery-22506%
More Paper Mario for less paper: The Four-Years-Later Sale
If, for some reason or another, you missed out on Super Paper Mario's GameCube predecessor, Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door, here's your chance to pick up the title that won the "Console Role Playing Game of the Year" award at the 2005 Interactive Achievement Awards, without having to feel guilty about spending too much money on an RPG released all the way back in 2005.Amazon has slashed a sizable chunk from The Thousand-Year Door's usual $19.99 pricing, and for the duration of the day (or while stocks last) you can buy the game for only $11.99. You can stash the money you'll save in a fund for eventually buying a copy of Super Mario RPG![Via CAG]
The Mario Kart Wii controller showdown
var digg_url = 'http://digg.com/nintendo/The_definitive_Mario_Kart_Wii_controller_showdown'; There are five ways to handle your racer in Mario Kart Wii: Wii Remote solo, Wii Remote embedded in Wii Wheel, Wii Remote with Nunchuk, Classic Controller, and GameCube controller. But, removing all other variables, which control method is the best? Are there really limitations to not using the Wii Wheel? We decided to pull out the ever-trusty "scientific method" and determine, once and for all, the best kart controller.
Counting Rupees: The WiiCube
Each week Jeff Engel and Geoff Brooks contribute Counting Rupees, a column on the business behind gaming: In my last column I suggested that, if Microsoft is to make a Wii-like controller, it should still continue to focus on the "traditional" types of games that have so far made the 360 a success, because Nintendo had already basically wrapped up the "casual" crowd. I also mentioned that the only Wii games that are apparently selling are Nintendo games and some casual games. And with that in mind, the New York Times published an article on Monday detailing that, while the Wii hardware is selling well, even seemingly popular Wii software still has some trouble continuing to sell to the Wii audience.
Shacknews: Key staff leave Metroid Prime dev Retro Studios
Shacknews reports that several "key" employees of Austin, Texas-based developer, Retro Studios, have left the company. The studio is best known for its work on the critically acclaimed Metroid Prime trilogy, which concluded in August last year on Nintendo's Wii.Staff members said to have been escorted off the premises last Friday include design director Mark Pacini, art director Todd Keller and principal technology engineer Jack Matthews. There's no word yet on what their futures entail, but Shacknews notes that Retro Studios is in no danger of closing. Which is just as well, really, since we're in no danger of not wanting more games from them. We'll let you know when we hear more on this subject.Update: There's some unconfirmed gossip from mysterious dealer in rumors, Surfer Girl, who mentioned that "something definitely went down at Retro" in a post dated Sunday, April 20th. An unnamed individual is quoted in the post as saying, "Pretty much no one at retro would agree to relocate at nintendo's behest, as asinine shenanigans are typically met with little fanfare."
Wii Warm Up: Moving backwards
Of course, you're all aware of the reissued GameCube controller (now in white!), but did you know that the controller is now available for purchase? It's fetching a price of $24.90. But, do you really need it?We were wondering about those of you who lack a GameCube controller for backwards compatibility fun and, of course, Smash Bros. Brawl. Any of you interested in picking this up? Or, like us, are you already covered with a WaveBird?[Thanks, celestialxplsion!]
