"False advertising - It's not actually cube-shaped at all. WE SUE!"

Originally codenamed ''Project Dolphin'', Nintendo's GameCube (GCN) was finally released to the world on November 18, 2001. Finally free of the vile cartridges (but still not using the DVD format as is the norm), this is the first Nintendo console capable of CD-quality sound and CD-quality Full-Motion Video. The GCN is looking as if it will be Nintendo's biggest hit yet.

Console Aesthetics/Features - 9/10
One of the smallest consoles of all time (second only to Sony's redesigned PSOne), the console is a cute little cube, hence the system's name. Thank God it's not an eyesore! The small size, coupled with the built in handle on the back of the unit, makes it very easy to carry it from room to room.

The GCN has four controller ports - beating the crap out of the PS2's two. Death to multitaps!

Two memory card slots are built into the console. I personally would've liked four - one for each controller port. The memory cards store an incredible 4MB of memory, with several save blocks (similar to the PlayStation card). Most games only require a few memory blocks, meaning that you won't have to buy many memory cards.

The console plays 1.5'' mini-discs. Despite being so small, they can hold more than twice the amount of data of a normal CD-ROM. Unfortunately, DVDs (used by the PS2 and Xbox) can still hold more information. In addition, the GCN not using DVDs keeps it from doing DVD-quality Full-Motion Video. Compare the movies from the GCN and PS2/Xbox versions of Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 to see what I mean; the GCN videos are grainier and are not as smooth as that of its PS2 and Xbox counterparts. CDs cannot do DVD quality video; that's the reason why Feature Length films are put on DVDs instead of CDs. The limiting CD format also makes it harder to include special features in games. For example, the limiting CD format has affected the GCN port of SSX Tricky; it lacks the special DVD extras that are on the PS2 and Xbox versions of the game. It's also a shame that the GCN is the only Next-Gen console of the three that does not have Audio CD/Movie DVD playback capabilities.

The GCN can be purchased in two colors - Indigo and Jet Black. More colors are sure to be released in the near future.

Graphical Capabilities - 10/10
Excellent. None of the games I've played for the GCN suffer from jaggies, meaning that anti-aliasing is keeping the action crisp and clear. The GCN also showcases the latest lighting effects for added visual flairs. What amazed me the most is that even though the graphics for almost all of the games are Hi-Res, the framerates manage to remain high.

Audio Capabilities - 10/10
Obviously, Nintendo's new CD format = CD quality sound. CDs offer the clearest audio with no warbling whatsoever.

Many developers have warmed up to Dolby Digital Surround Sound and are including it in all of their games. Those with excellent sound systems hooked up to their TVs are in for a treat, as digital audio is clearly the...uh...clearest.

Controller - 9/10
Definitely in the Top 3 best controllers of all time. It's easy to hold and keep a good grip on, and all of the face buttons have different shapes, making them easily recognizable by a mere touch.

The controller has a D-Pad, two analog sticks, and a Start, X, Y, A, B, L, R, and Z buttons. The analog sticks have the perfect amount of resistance to them, and move cleanly without much struggle or discomfort.

My only complaints are that the D-Pad is extremely small, and that only the L and R buttons are pressure sensitive (all buttons on the PS2 controller but Select and Start are pressure sensitive). All in all, a very comfortable controller.

Game Quality - 7/10
This number will definitely improve as more quality games come out, but as of this writing, there are not very many pieces of GCN software that interest me. In fact, the only GCN titles that I consider to be worth a purchase are Pikmin, Super Smash Bros. Melee, Star Wars Rogue Leader: Rogue Squadron II, and Sonic Adventure 2 Battle. However, I'm optimistic that Star Fox Adventures and Metroid Prime will kick the proverbial ass.

I am also disappointed with the number of titles coming out per month. There is usually 1-4 GCN games coming out per month, compared to 5-12 for PS2 and Xbox. I know that Nintendo likes to go for quality over quantity, but the flow of GCN games is a mere trickle! I fear that on seveal occasions, there won't be any GCN games released on a given month.

Game Genres and the Quality GCN Games That Represent Them

Action/Adventure/Platform
1. Sonic Adventure 2 Battle - An update to the Dreamcast version, this game stars Sega's blue mascot running through levels at very high speeds. Anyone who has played a Sonic game before knows what I'm talking about. ^_^
2. Star Wars Rogue Leader: Rogue Squadron II - An update to the popular N64 game, this game has you flying several rebel ships in plenty of missions against evil.

Strategy
1. Pikmin - Befriend small creatures called Pikmin and lead them throughout your tiny world, and watch as they go about their daily lives.

RPG
Nothing extremely good yet...

Fighting
1. Super Smash Bros. Melee - An all-out brawl between almost every one of Nintendo's franchise characters. The fact that you can beat up Pikachu automatically makes this a must buy!

Racing
Nothing extremely good yet...

Sports
1. Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 - The greatest Tony Hawk game yet. Skate through over ten levels completing specific missions, which unlock new skaters (such as Star Wars' Darth Maul), better skateboards, and better skateboarder's abilities/stats.
2. NBA Courtside 2002 - The follow-up to the N64's NBA Courtside, this game is pure basketball with some of the most impressive basketball visuals ever.
3. SSX Tricky - The greatest snowboarding game ever. Pull off thousands of tricks after performing insane jumps, all the while looking for course shortcuts that are littered throughout each level.

Overall GCN Pros
- Great controller
- Superb graphics
- A cute system to look at!

Overall GCN Cons
- Poor game selection (at the moment, anyway)

Bottom Line
Look for this score to improve in the near future. The GCN has incredible potential, and I truly believe that this will be Nintendo's best console yet.

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 04/06/02, Updated 10/06/02