GameCube tried and failed as first Wii console
Wednesday, November 7th, 2007 at 2:13pm by Blake
Next-Gen has published an interesting feature that examines Nintendo’s failed attempt to simplify and expand gaming even before the Wii. “How’s that?” you ask. With the unique button hierarchy of the GameCube controller (a controller I still believe is the best ever). An excerpt:
All and all, with its “ergonomic” controls, the GameCube was a step in the right direction. Many of the design ideals now embodied by the Wii began here. The only problem was, though the direction was right, the step wasn’t anywhere nearly large enough. The lesson: if you’re going to shake things up, better to make your own new space than to try to reform what’s already there.
November 7th, 2007 at 2:40 pm
I thought it was going to be an article about the virtual boy.
But yeah, the GCN controller was the greatest ever. And I guess Nintendo DID try to expand the market to casual gamers, unfortunately, the hardcore gamers were the ones who bought it.
November 7th, 2007 at 2:42 pm
that’s a badass photo of the black gamecube. I would not want to meet that in a dark alley some night.
November 7th, 2007 at 3:14 pm
The gamecube was a great system. I loved the controller too. I miss it today while swinging my Wiimotes.
November 7th, 2007 at 3:29 pm
Just looking at the GameCube controllers made you think “FUN TIMES!”
November 7th, 2007 at 4:30 pm
the a,b,x and y buttons were so perfectly shaped around your thumb, unlike the PlayStation with its square positioning
November 7th, 2007 at 4:59 pm
I don’t care what people say. I loved my GameCube.
November 7th, 2007 at 7:31 pm
@frisby
Break out some of those classic cube games and play them on the Wii. Using a wavebird gets rid of those cumbersome wires. I love my Gamecube, but I love the backwards compatability of the Wii even more!
November 7th, 2007 at 7:37 pm
Anybody who owns a Cube knows it’s an awesome system. The only people who will tell you otherwise are fanboys.
November 7th, 2007 at 8:39 pm
I was just playing Chibi-Robo, Mario DDR, and Beyond Good and Evil last weekend on my Wii using the Wavebird (well, and the dance pad.) Much like the Dreamcast, it had a lot of awesome, underrated games released for it.
But I’m just as glad the Wii came along because (at least in the case of first-party games and a few other ones like Elebits) it just feels better.
November 7th, 2007 at 9:42 pm
I forgot to meniton, I do have a gripe about the gamecube controller: Fighting games SUCKED because of it.
November 7th, 2007 at 10:49 pm
It was a sad day when I sold mine. It was the coolest looking little console.
November 8th, 2007 at 12:56 am
Where’s Malstrom when you need him? I think he called this too. Called the GameCube the first Wii. Or something…