BIG LIST - Gamecube Deals - 2000 posts and growing...

[CZroe]

It's the same reason they stay in the console market. They don't just make money off of their games, they make money off of every game sold for their console. THEN they own the accessory market and try to bridge their handheld monopoly. I LOVE IT

 

[annihilator]

Originally posted by: lebowsky
Has anyone imported Soul Calibur 2 yet? If so, is it worth the price to get it a few months early?

I read the IGN review of the import and it doesn't look like there is too much Japanese except for the Weapons Mode Quest (or whatever it's called.)

I have it. I'm a hardcore Namco fighting game fan, but I probably won't have a lot of time to play after the summer, so I decided to go the import route. Got it with Freeloader 1.06 for $70 shipped off of Ebay.

Basically, there are two reasons to import it. One: Because you just can't wait another two months. If this is the case, I would say go for it, because the Japanese text doesn't really hinder the game all that much. The only places where I find it irritating are in Weapon Master Mode, and in Practice Mode. In Weapon Master Mode it's annoying, because although most of the time you don't REALLY need to know what's going on to figure out how to beat the matches, there's a lot of text to read and for me it's a lot less boring if I have something to read between the (basically) pointless fights. But if you're the kind of person who skips over this stuff anyway then you won't miss it. In practice mode (or rather, in the character command lists), it's a little bit more difficult to pick up new characters, because a lot of specialized moves and stances require descriptions in Japanese, like "from Night Side Stance" or whatever. But if you use the move demonstration option it's pretty easy to figure out. Besides, if you ever really get stuck you can go look at faqs or browse the soulcalibur.com forums, and find out more than you ever wanted to know.

The other reason you would want to get the import is because the US arcade version of the game had English voices for all the characters. I haven't heard them myself, but I heard they suck...I mean, who really wants to hear Astaroth yell "Squirm, scream!" and Raphael say "En guarde" every time he sidesteps? The Japanese import could be worth it for the voices (in Japanese, obviously) alone.

 

[AlexPton]

just my 2 cents on the GC/GBA cross-marketing...
While much of it is just marketing (example: tingle tuner), there is value added in some applications of the link.

For example, using the GBA as a controller for a sports game is great because then your opponent sitting next to you can't see what plays you picked.
Or for the upcoming FF, can you imagine how much multiplayer would suck if everybody had to wait around if one person had to check his inventory?

Also, for anybody that calls zelda a "kiddie" game, I think you should give it a chance. I'm not a big fan of the cell shaded animation, but the game overall is extremely well-polished. It is essentially still a zelda game, with the great puzzles and dungeons. I have my share of quips with the game, but it is still definitely one of the best games out for ANY console.
I told one of my coworkers (who is 40 yrs old) to get zelda, and its one of the only games he liked to play (before he beat it).

 

[t0mmyb0y]

Originally posted by: AlexPton

Also, for anybody that calls zelda a "kiddie" game, I think you should give it a chance. I'm not a big fan of the cell shaded animation, but the game overall is extremely well-polished. It is essentially still a zelda game, with the great puzzles and dungeons. I have my share of quips with the game, but it is still definitely one of the best games out for ANY console.
I told one of my coworkers (who is 40 yrs old) to get zelda, and its one of the only games he liked to play (before he beat it).

Ditto.

 

[Gonad the Barbarian]

Originally posted by: Fritzo

Originally posted by: Gonad the Barbarian

Originally posted by: t0mmyb0y

Originally posted by: danger9777
If you want something to look forward to, how about the Gameboy Player that's coming out in a couple of weeks. That will be sweet as you'll have access to tons of great GBA games that you'll be able to play.

Just a quick rant, sorry for anyone looking for a deal.

Does anyone else find it slightly annoying that Nintendo makes games that require the GBA in order to complete all of the sidequests? I find the fact that I get an item called a "tingle tuner" (that looks a lot like a GBA) in Zelda:WW which requires me to hook up the GBA advance to the system in order for it to function.

OK, I'm done. /rant

Yes, that 'feature' is going to be even more integrated into FF: Crystal Chronicles. I really don't understand the big N's hardon for GBA/GC interconnectivity, but I won't say anymore about it here.

Simple marketing: Sell a product that can be enhanced with other products you make. If you have a GC, you're going to want to get a GBA so you get get the extra features. SONY is famous for this...their new TV's and some of their DVD players have Memory Stick slots for your SONY digital camera.

I understand the reasoning behind it, I just don't think it's valid. Nintendo is putting off a lot of people with this attitude. How many people with absolutely no interest in getting a GBA are going to shell out for one just for these 'enhancments' vs. the number of people that will just do without or end up passing on the game altogether? I'm afraid with FF:CC they are making the transition from GBA 'enhancement' to 'requirement,' and I will definitely pass on that.

 

[godwheel]

I think a semi-transparent menu with your inventory would do just fine for FF: CC.

 

[SpideyCU]

I don't see what the big deal is. I enjoyed Wind Waker just fine without using the Tingle Tuner. You don't NEED it to play these games, so...meh.

And, yes, Zelda is not a "kiddie" game. In fact, I found it a lot of fun to play through the game, as long as you do it on your own. It's nice to figure out the puzzles and such, which in reality are straightforward if you think them through. "Playing" it by simply reading step by step from a strategy guide is boring.

 

[CZroe]

Originally posted by: AlexPton
just my 2 cents on the GC/GBA cross-marketing...
While much of it is just marketing (example: tingle tuner), there is value added in some applications of the link.

For example, using the GBA as a controller for a sports game is great because then your opponent sitting next to you can't see what plays you picked.
Or for the upcoming FF, can you imagine how much multiplayer would suck if everybody had to wait around if one person had to check his inventory?

Also, for anybody that calls zelda a "kiddie" game, I think you should give it a chance. I'm not a big fan of the cell shaded animation, but the game overall is extremely well-polished. It is essentially still a zelda game, with the great puzzles and dungeons. I have my share of quips with the game, but it is still definitely one of the best games out for ANY console.
I told one of my coworkers (who is 40 yrs old) to get zelda, and its one of the only games he liked to play (before he beat it).

I agree but I wish the GBA was powered through the link port while connected or something. With four players at once, someone is bound to run out of juice and hold everyone up. I use it as a controller for my imported Nintendo Puzzle Collection because even though the official controllers and the Wavebird use the same D-Pad part, it is entirely inadequate (HORRIBLE accurracy and response time when not played with a GBA).

 

[annihilator]

I thought Zelda sucked, but not because it's a "kiddie" game...

Ok, that's an overstatement, I was just really disappointed with it. Mainly cause of the boat and the LOOOOOONG delay before you get to a real dungeon. They should have lost all the crappy new RPG features and just stuck to making dungeons. Then again, I haven't played a Zelda since Link to the Past. At any rate, the dungeons were good, but there was just WAY too much useless filler in that game, IMO. I can't understand how people get so excited about it.

 

[Fritzo]

Originally posted by: annihilator
I thought Zelda sucked, but not because it's a "kiddie" game...

Ok, that's an overstatement, I was just really disappointed with it. Mainly cause of the boat and the LOOOOOONG delay before you get to a real dungeon. They should have lost all the crappy new RPG features and just stuck to making dungeons. Then again, I haven't played a Zelda since Link to the Past. At any rate, the dungeons were good, but there was just WAY too much useless filler in that game, IMO. I can't understand how people get so excited about it.

OK, you didn't like it. Let's tally the score:

We have 1 in the "Didn't like" column

and let's see...

2,465,346 in the "Loved It" column.

 

[tk149]

Originally posted by: Fritzo

Originally posted by: annihilator
I thought Zelda sucked, but not because it's a "kiddie" game...

Ok, that's an overstatement, I was just really disappointed with it. Mainly cause of the boat and the LOOOOOONG delay before you get to a real dungeon. They should have lost all the crappy new RPG features and just stuck to making dungeons. Then again, I haven't played a Zelda since Link to the Past. At any rate, the dungeons were good, but there was just WAY too much useless filler in that game, IMO. I can't understand how people get so excited about it.

OK, you didn't like it. Let's tally the score:

We have 1 in the "Didn't like" column

and let's see...

2,465,346 in the "Loved It" column.

Make that 2,465,347! I've played probably hundreds of games, dating all the way back to Pong, and Zelda WW is quite possibly the BEST ever! In fact, every game I've played since I finished Zelda has been a letdown.

EDIT: BTW, just picked up Super Mario Sunshine at Blockbuster for $29.99. Thanks!

 

[Fritzo]

Originally posted by: tk149

Originally posted by: Fritzo

Originally posted by: annihilator
I thought Zelda sucked, but not because it's a "kiddie" game...

Ok, that's an overstatement, I was just really disappointed with it. Mainly cause of the boat and the LOOOOOONG delay before you get to a real dungeon. They should have lost all the crappy new RPG features and just stuck to making dungeons. Then again, I haven't played a Zelda since Link to the Past. At any rate, the dungeons were good, but there was just WAY too much useless filler in that game, IMO. I can't understand how people get so excited about it.

OK, you didn't like it. Let's tally the score:

We have 1 in the "Didn't like" column

and let's see...

2,465,346 in the "Loved It" column.

Make that 2,465,347! I've played probably hundreds of games, dating all the way back to Pong, and Zelda WW is quite possibly the BEST ever! In fact, every game I've played since I finished Zelda has been a letdown.

EDIT: BTW, just picked up Super Mario Sunshine at Blockbuster for $29.99. Thanks!

Another excellent game. I just started playing that a few days ago. The artwork and detail in Sunshine is incredible! Nintendo really knows their stuff.

 

[spwango]

Well, I've played consoles since my Master System around 1986 or so...I bought my first Nintendo last month. Having never played a Zelda game before, I was pretty unbiased in terms of expectations, and i sit about half thru the game today...I'm not even a huge fan of adventure games and I practically hate RPGs...however:

Zelda WW is probably the best gaming experience I've had in recent memory. The game is just damned near perfect. The cell shading flows with the nature of the story, which indeed has childish elements to it. I don't know about you guys, but I can still enjoy a somewhat childish game, even in my mid twenties. The combat system is elegant and simple. The game has virtually no control issues and almost no camera issues. What I've really enjoyed about the game, however, is the flow. This is problably the least difficult game I've played in quite a while, which I think Nintendo intended.

The flow is great because it never gets frustraiting...I just got done playing Splinter Cell on the XBOX, and I'll tell you, this game has been a great break from the hard core blood and guts frustraition fests that exist these days. As I'm playing Zelda, the puzzles I run across never seem easy--I haven't yet walked into a room with a puzzle and figured the puzzle out before realizing it was a puzzle. However, at the same token, there have been very few instances where I've gotten stuck and end up running around in circles (ala the horrid Jedi Knight 2) because the puzzles aren't evident. Nintendo spent so much time not only on the quality of this game, but on the flow of it...and quite honestly, even if the rest of the titles I've bought for my cube end up dissapointing (what I've played of the overly difficult and frustraiting SMS), I'm likely a nintendo convert for life.

 

[danger9777]

Welcome to the club man. Nintendo makes the best games in the world. Too bad so many people aren't there don't realize it.

 

[annihilator]

Ok, Zelda fans, explain this to me. How can you justify the fact that game makes you sit in your boat doing nothing for literally minutes at a time? Seriously, when I played it on my tv tuner, I would start my boat going in one direction, minimize the window and go check my email or Hot Deals. Even my brother who enjoyed the game would change the channel and watch tv while he was waiting to get someplace. One time he died because he probably ran into a shark while the channel was changed and didn't know it. I resent the fact that the game forced me to waste so much time doing nothing. I didn't find all the treasure hunting and Triforce charts fun either. I really think they should have just stuck to making dungeons.

 

[danger9777]

Boating from island to island isn't any different than riding to the different dungeons on your horse(Epona) in Ocarina of Time. When you first play Zelda Ocarina of Time, you have to run to the different places, but you eventually get your horse and it makes things go lots quicker. In Wind Waker you initially have to boat from island to island, but after you get the one song, you can transport to areas much quicker. It's just the stlye of the game as it's encouraging you to explore the entire area. I honestly didn't mind it so much as I found many a hidden treaure chests along the way that had some useful items.

 

[BigSmooth]

Originally posted by: annihilator
Ok, Zelda fans, explain this to me. How can you justify the fact that game makes you sit in your boat doing nothing for literally minutes at a time? Seriously, when I played it on my tv tuner, I would start my boat going in one direction, minimize the window and go check my email or Hot Deals. Even my brother who enjoyed the game would change the channel and watch tv while he was waiting to get someplace. One time he died because he probably ran into a shark while the channel was changed and didn't know it. I resent the fact that the game forced me to waste so much time doing nothing. I didn't find all the treasure hunting and Triforce charts fun either. I really think they should have just stuck to making dungeons.

It gets slightly frustrating at times but that is what happens when you have such a large, fully explorable world.
I just amuse myself by jumping or looking for sunken treasure.

Additionally, once you are a little ways into the game you can learn a WW song that lets you warp to 10 or so different locations.

 

[pook]

basically, if you view zelda as 'get from dungeon a to dungeon b' then yes, the boating is extremely annoying. as for myself, i saw the game as the adventure it was meant to be, and the large oceans for me were just calling out to be explored. i put off dungeons while i went and sailed everywhere, trying to explore every square on the map. along the way i'd look for (and find) the various ships where i earned power ups, some treasure stuff, islands with puzzles i could already solve (and others i made a mental note of for later), etc.. before long i'd learned the warp song, right about the time that boating was getting a little old. perfect flow for me. if i got tired of boating i'd 'advance the story' by doing the next thing in the chain of events, then after wrapping up a good dungeon i'd go back to exploring, perhaps some of the places i thought i could now access with my newly-gained items.

zelda ww can be played by the 'gotta finish it NOW' crowd, but those people likely complain the game was too short. it's really meant to be experienced, though, not rushed through. taking it as such, it was a very very enjoyable and even, at times, a >gasp!< relaxing game.

 

[Danny818]

Correct Topic of this thread: BIG LIST - Gamecube Deals

Incorrect Topic of this thread: Wind Waker Discussion Board

Scour the internet and bring back some deals.

 

[SOSTrooper]

lol naw we need debates to keep this thread alive. Did any of you jump on that MasterCard/Amazon $15 GC? I got mine that first night it was up, stacked it with my $10 GC that I already have from one of those other surveys, and got Monkey Ball 2 for $6.23 shipped. W00t.

 

[Dragnov]

Viewtiful Joe is $39.99 everywhere. EBGames.com has free 3 day shipping, but still a better deal to get it w/ the $5 off BB gamers gift card.

Demo was pretty good. Didn't love it as many seem to w/ previews, but for $35 seems to be worth it IMO.

And on a last note, Ikaruga - hardest game ever.

 

[UltimoTuna]

Best Buy now has TimeSplitters 2 and Spider-Man for $19.99 each. With the $5 Gamer's Gift Card coupon, they're only $14.99. I can't personally vouch for either of these games, but I've heard good things about them -- especially the TimeSplitters multi-player mode. Might be worth picking up for $15.

And speaking of Ikaruga -- anyone seen any good deals on this? This will probably be my next game, but the cheapest I can find it is $34.99 at BB ($39.99 - $5 coupon).

 

[MrCornellXP]

Originally posted by: annihilator

Originally posted by: lebowsky


The other reason you would want to get the import is because the US arcade version of the game had English voices for all the characters. I haven't heard them myself, but I heard they suck...I mean, who really wants to hear Astaroth yell "Squirm, scream!" and Raphael say "En guarde" every time he sidesteps? The Japanese import could be worth it for the voices (in Japanese, obviously) alone.

The demo of Soul Calibur 2 that comes on that demo disc has all the voices in the original Japanese and English text. Judging from how the home version of Soul Calibur 1 (for Dreamcast) had the same arrangement, it would seem to me that Namco is wising up and not using awful dubbed voices in the home releases. /me prays to God that this is the case

For even more laughably bad English dubbing, play Shenmue 1 for DC and Shenmue 2 for Xbox.

 

[Netgeek]

Rayman 3 for $19.99 + S&H from buyritegames.com.

 

[sxr7171]

Originally posted by: MrCornellXP

Originally posted by: annihilator

Originally posted by: lebowsky The other reason you would want to get the import is because the US arcade version of the game had English voices for all the characters. I haven't heard them myself, but I heard they suck...I mean, who really wants to hear Astaroth yell "Squirm, scream!" and Raphael say "En guarde" every time he sidesteps? The Japanese import could be worth it for the voices (in Japanese, obviously) alone.

The demo of Soul Calibur 2 that comes on that demo disc has all the voices in the original Japanese and English text. Judging from how the home version of Soul Calibur 1 (for Dreamcast) had the same arrangement, it would seem to me that Namco is wising up and not using awful dubbed voices in the home releases. /me prays to God that this is the case For even more laughably bad English dubbing, play Shenmue 1 for DC and Shenmue 2 for Xbox.

I have both Shenmue II for DC (import) and the Xbox version, and I have to say that despite all the criticism that the english dubbing gets - it isn't all that bad. Actually Xuiying sounds pretty damn hot in her english voice. That having been said Soul Calibur II should be kept in Japanese because it is just better that way.