GameCube

, The also known one under the name of Dolphin at the time of its phase of development, is a video game console, exit in 2001 (2002 in Europe), of the Japanese manufacturer Nintendo developed in partnership with IBM, Nec and ATI. It was the last of the consoles of sixth generation to be left, in competition with the Playstation 2 and the Xbox.

Description

The console

Similar physically to a cube equipped with a handle to evoke the transportability, Nintendo GameCube uses a single memory support thus, a format owner based on the technology of optical disk Matsushita (Panasonic); the discs, of Mini DVD, make 8 centimetres in diameter (considerably smaller than a standard Cédérom or DVD), and the discs have a capacity of roughly 1,35 Go. Nintendo preferred the " minis-DVD" with the " DVD traditionnels" in order to limit to possible times of loadings, famous frustrating on the concurrent console of the time, the PlayStation 2.

GameCube is the smallest console of its generation with some 15 cm in width, 11 cm in height and 16 depth cm dimensions. It was drawn by Kenishiro Ashida which wanted, by giving him this design, to create an object compact and innovating.

Basic, GameCube is of indigo color, even if thereafter Nintendo left new colors to put an end to criticisms its detractors who regarded the purple one as a childish color.

The machine also left in black and in silver plated (platinium). In Japan, it is also available in Spice (an orange color) or in colors in limited editions like the white crystal (for Final Fantasy: Hook Chronicles ), Mint Green (for Bruise Symphonia off), copper (for Char Aznable from Gundam ) gray metallized and black (for Resident Evil 4 ) and white with black stripes (for the Hanshin Tigers ) even of other colors following the plays sold in bundle like Mario Smash Football , etc There are also on sale stickers of the size on the side of the NGC, to give a new style to our console. Two type of GameCube are used to test the software during their development: a version turquoise green, which read only the Mini DVD resulting from the studios of development (and not plays left in the trade), and a red version Bordeaux wine, which reads only one format cartouche rewriteable owner, with the image of the preceding consoles Nintendo (the loading of the cartridges of the size of a book of pocket is done instead of the loading of the Mini DVD)

Panasonic Q

There exists a special version of the console which makes it possible to read the CD and DVD. This machine, called Q, was developed by Panasonic but is not produced currently any more. It was delivered with a remote control and its dimensions were a little more important than GameCube from Nintendo, it was of silver plated color, it also had a small screen LCD posting various information on the DVD or CD. Its price was also higher (approximately double of that of traditional GameCube). It exported forever out of Japan.

The lever

The lever of Nintendo GameCube was without any doubt most ergonomic of its generation. It had been drawn by Shigeru Miyamoto in the spirit to make it gravitational by the greatest number. Its principal innovation was the fact that each button presented a different form so that the player can recognize them just in concerning, without looking at them.

The GameCube lever has 2 analogical sticks (gray and C), 1 principal button of action (A) and 3 secondaries (B, X and Y), 2 analogical triggers (L and R), a subsidiary button placed at the top of the trigger R (Z) and the traditional directional cross, invented by Nintendo, as well as the button start.

These levers are available 3 colors (the USA and Canada), that is to say Platine, indigo, black and, curiously, orange " Spice".

In 2002, a version without wire of the named lever Wavebird made its appearance. it had as a characteristic to use waves radios to communicate with the console instead of the usual connections infra-red and had an endurance of approximately 50 hours for a consumption of two piles AA, permitted by the absence of module of vibrations. Other levers without wire were created not MadCatz.

Technical specifications

Principal processor

  • Name: Producing “Gekko”
  • : IBM
  • Base of core: Power 750CXe 0,18 µm technology coppers
  • Base frequency: 485 MHz
  • Computing power: 1.125 Dmips (Dhrystone 2.1)
  • Precision of the internal data:
    • Integers on 32 bits
    • floating Number on 64 bits
    • 128-bit Drunk SIMD
  • external:
    • maximum Bandwidth of the external bus 1,3 Go Data bus /seconde
    • 64-bit, addressed on 32 bits.
    • Given rhythm to 162 MHz
  • Internal Mask:
    • 32 Kio of mask of instruction and 32 Kio of mask of data of level 1
    • 256 Kio of mask of level 2

Graphic system

  • Name: “Flipper”;
  • Producing: ArtX/Nintendo (ArtX was acquired by ATI in 2000), of or the logo " Graphics by ATi" on the console and the chip equipping the latter
  • Manufacturing process: 0,18 µm with DRAM integrated, manufactured by NEC
  • Base frequency: 162 MHz
  • built-in Framebuffer:
    • Size from approximately 2 Me with a latency of 6,2 nanoseconds. The type of RAM is 1T-SRAM
  • built-in Tampon of texture:
    • Roughly 1 Me with a latency of 6,2 nanoseconds. The type of RAM is 1T-SRAM
  • Bandwidth of the mask textures: 10,4 Go/s (rate of peak)
  • Bandwidth of the main memory: 2,6 Go/s (rate of peak)
  • Depth of the pixels:
    • the 24-ILO RVB/RGBA, Z-buffer on 24 bit

Sound functionalities

  • Manufacturer: Macronix
  • Base frequency: 81 MHz
  • Memory of the instructions:
    • 8 Kio of RAM, 8 Kio of ROMANIAN
  • Memory of the data:
    • 8 Kio of RAM, 4 Kio of ROMANIAN
  • simultaneous Channels: 64 channels in ADPCM with 48 Khz

Other characteristics of the system

  • floating arithmetic Possibilities of: 10,5 Gflops (in peak) (MPU, engine of the geometry, total material illumination)
  • real Posting of polygon: of 6 million to 12 second/polygon million (in peak) (real conditions of play with models complex, entirely textured, entirely enlightened, etc)
    • Principal
  • RAM:
    • roughly 24 Me of a latency of 10 nanoseconds the type of RAM is 1T-SRAM
  • RAM Auxiliary:
    • roughly 16 Me, given rhythm to 81 MHz, the type of RAM is DRAM
  • Disk drive:
    • the type of reader is a CAV (constant angular velocity)
    • average access time 128 milliseconds for a flow located between 2 Mo/s and 3,125 Mo/s
  • Médias:
  • 4 wearing of levers, 2 ports memory card, 1 audio/video exit analogical, 1 audio/video exit digital, 2 ports series high-speed, 1 parallel port high-speed
  • Consumption:
    • approximately 40 W

Graphic effects

Here a description of the various realizable graphic effects by the graphics processor: Flipper.

  • Fog: in the consoles old generations (PS1, Saturn) it made it possible to mask a failing posting, with GameCube it makes it possible to give a real impression of depth of the field of view.

  • Bump mapping : give an effect of relief to textures
  • S3 Texture Compression: this process allows a compression of textures in 6:1. GameCube was the only console of its generation to control this process.
  • Pixel shading: treatment of the shades in real-time.
  • Alpha blending: manage the effects of transparency and water.
  • Reflection mapping: manage the reflections on textures in real-time.
  • Motion blur: get a fluidity of image from 20 or 30 images a second by generating a small effect of blur on the precalculated objects 3D.
  • Anti-Aliasing: gum the effect of staircase on the edges of the polygons.
  • Multi texturing : allows to superimpose to 8 layers different of textures.

Additional details

History

It is current 1998 which one intends to speak for the first time about GameCube. At the time, a new developer of video games, Retro Studios based with Austin with the Texas, announces the signing of a franchise agreement with Nintendo in order to not produce plays (the futures Metroid Prime ) on the Nintendo 64 but on the console having to succeed to him.

At the time of the E3 of 1999, Howard Lincoln, president of Nintendo off America, announced that Nintendo was developing a console 128 Bit S, in collaboration with ATI and IBM, with a given rhythm processor has more 400mhz, therefore more powerful than the PlayStation 2. He speaks then about the project under the name of: Project Dolphin and speaks about a world exit at the end of 2000. The year 2000 is made only carryforwards and of contradictory advertisements on behalf of Nintendo (for example on the question of the reading of DVD vidéos or connection to Internet). At the time of the E3 2000, one learns that the machine will be presented in August at the time of traditional the Nintendo Space World. It is thus on August 28th 2000 which the machine is officially presented with its new name: Nintendo GameCube as various demonstrations vidéos of which some will become later myths (like Super Mario 128 or the version " photoréaliste" of The Legend off Zelda ).

The presentation of GameCube raised many hopes at all the fans of the firm, taking into account in particular the advertisement of the return of famous franknesses (Mario, Zelda, Metroid…) and of the abandonment of the support cartouche, which hitherto equipped all the consoles with living room of Nintendo.

The first plays are presented in playable versions for the first time at the time of the E3 2001.

GameCube at the time was announced for a world exit in the neighborhoods of June 2001. Finally the console left only on September 14th 2001 to the Japan, on November 21st, 2001 with the the United States and on May 3rd 2002 in Europe.

For its European exit Nintendo had announced a price of 250 euros but it was brought back to 199 euros a few days before its launching in order to compete with recent price drops of PlayStation 2.

At the time of the E3 2002, Nintendo presented to the public the “Range Giants” ( Super Mario Sunshine , The Legend off Zelda: The Wind Waker , Star Fox Adventure and Metroid Precedes ), namely 4 plays at strong potential having to support the console lasting its first year of life. Unfortunately the Giants Ranges arrived at the account drips and some appeared disappointing for the fans of the firm. In Christmas the 2002 console was found with for only play strong StarFox Adventure which proves to be the last play of Rareware for a console of living room Nintendo. As from this period the general public realized that the syndrome of Nintendo 64 (plays leaving to the account drips) was likely to reappear and started to forsake the console.

Launching of Phantasy Star Online beginning 2003, first playable play on line of the console.

At the time of the E3 2003, Nintendo put all its policy connectivity between GameCube and the Game Boy Advance and announces partnerships with Namco, Konami and Sega for the development of new handsets.

For Christmas 2003, the price of the console is brought back to 99 euros in Europe and 99 dollars in the USA with an aim of making climb the sales, increasingly weak (up to 100 GameCube sold in 1 month in the USA).

At the time of E3 2004, Nintendo off presented a new range of strong plays for its console with in particular The Legend Zelda: Twilight Princess . This play awaited as a Messiah after the disappointment gotten by Wind Waker was at the origin to leave for Christmas 2005, unfortunately a few months before its exit, Nintendo decided to defer it to a vagueness 2006 and to develop in parallel a version on its new console: the Wii. The year 2006 marked the end-of-life of the console, very few plays left on this support and Nintendo gave up all its projects to defer them on the Wii.

In spite of its excellent plays, GameCube did not meet the success which it deserved and this partly because of the disinterest of the third editors for the machine. One of the last major plays developed for this console was The Legend off Zelda: Twilight Princess , left to France on December 15th 2006, and available also on the successor of GameCube, the Wii.

At the end of February 2007, Nintendo off America announced the final adoption of the production of the console.

Online game

At the time of GameCube, Nintendo was clearly opposed to the online game. According to the firm, this last was too complex of use and presented only little user-friendliness. This is why the firm had announced as of the launching of the console its will not to leave any playable title on line. On the other hand so of the third editors wished to leave a title online, Nintendo did not prevent them.

It is interesting to note the policy change of Nintendo towards the online game and the Internet network, today the firm place it among its priorities as testifies it the services Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection for Nintendo DS and WiiConnect24 for the Wii.

Nintendo put on the market, at the beginning of 2003,2 modems for its console (a low flow and an high banc) and only 3 plays allowing to play on line left on this console:

NB: playable plays in LAN, like Mario Kart: Double Dash!! , can be also played on line on Internet thanks to a software amateur named Warpipe, downloadable since its computer.

In December 2006, Sega announced the closing of its GameCube waiters for March 2007.

Connection to the Game Boy Advance

It is possible, grace a special cable, to connect its portable console Game Boy Advance to the GameCube console to exchange various information. In this case, the GBA can then be used of additional screen or lever. It then becomes possible to work out a strategy without your adversary not being able to see it, or to create a character directly on his GBA then to send it on its GameCube, to visualize the plan of a level… It is also possible, if the 2 versions of a play are had, to begin its part on GameCube then to transfer it on its GBA and to play later (or the reverse) or to download a mini play there since GameCube on the GBA.

See also: List of the applicable plays GameCube-GameBoy Advance

Accessories

  • Memory cards: there are several models, each one having a different storage capacity (59 blocks, 251 blocks, 1019 blocks, etc).

  • Adapter charts SD: Ever left apart from Japan, this adapter makes it possible to use the memory cards SD with the console.
  • Wavebird : a lever without wire which uses waves radios to communicate with the console.
  • Cable GBA-NGC: allows to connect GBA to GameCube to transfer from the data, to use it like lever,…
  • Game Boy Player: an accessory to be connected under the console which makes it possible to play all plays GB, GBC and GBA.
  • Modem S: there are two kinds: 56K and high banc.
  • Micro: usable with Mario Parties 6, 7 and Odama.
  • Bongo DK: left Tam-tam to use with the plays Donkey Konga , Donkey Konga 2 , Donkey Konga 3 (in importation) and Donkey Kong Jungle Happy .
  • Carpet of dance: Carpet with the arrows of the lever and some buttons above, for Dance hall Training course Mario Mix and several other plays of dance.
  • Cable RVB: allows to have a better quality of image and to benefit from the 60hz mode.
  • Componen' Cable: allows to obtain an image Progressive Scan (480p) if the television set is equipped with a YUV/YPbPr entry and when the option is available in the play. Use the port digital video present only on GameCube of first generation (this port was withdrawn thereafter from the console for reasons of manufacturing costs).
  • ASCII Keyboard To control: this accessory, only left to the Japan, is fusion between a GameCube lever and a keyboard of computer. This “lever-keyboard” connects in one of the ports levers of the console and makes it possible to dialog with other players in the playable titles on line.
  • Hori classic to control: lever especially designed (by the construcetor Hori but under official license Nintendo) for Game Boy Player resembling with that of the Super Nintendo. The principal difference with the official GameCube lever is the removal of the two analogical sticks.
  • Speed Forces Racing Wheel: wheel on official return of force of the console. It is manufactured by the company Logitech under Nintendo license.

Linux

GameCube resting on an architecture PowerPC, it is possible to install Linux (it is not very probable that one can install Mac OS there because architectures of the processors differ much (see FAQ of the official site of Linux on GameCube)).

Small polemic on the name

According to its manufacturer, the term of GameCube should be with the masculine (to say the system of play). However, the everyday usage puts the name of the consoles at female (to say the console). Wikipédia privileging the everyday usage, the female one will be preserved in this article and at the time of evocations of this console.

In addition the abbreviation most usually used is GC for GameCube or NGC for Nintendo GameCube but according to Nintendo, the official abbreviation would be GCN but it is used very little.

Plays

At the end of 2006, GameCube has a game library of approximately 700 titles (Europe, Japan, the United States).

Plays of launching

Here the list of the plays available during the American launching of the console on November 18th, 2001:

Selection of the best Nintendo plays

Selection better third plays

Cancelled plays

See too

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