Gamecube Reviews

Luigis Mansion : Wave Race Blue Storm : Super Monkey Ball : Pikmin
Super Mario Sunshine : Resident Evil : Eternal Darkness : Super Monkey Ball 2
Beach Spikers : Mario Golf : Legend of Zelda - Windwaker : Donkey Konga
Mario Kart Double Dash : 1080 Avalanche : Billy Hatcher : Wario Ware Inc
Viewtiful Joe

Luigi’s Mansion - Gamecube

As it is the game which has claimed the most recognition, it only seemed right to play this one first. The first thing to stun you is the loading time. The introduction to the game starts instananeously, with the gaps between options and game selection best being described as loading pauses rather than loading times. Nintendo’s reluctance to move to a disk based format is surely evident, no other company has managed to reduce loading times so significantly. On with the game, the introductory sequence sees Luigi getting lost in the woods and stumbling accross this old mansion. He goes in, and the rest of the game revolves around his search for missing brother Mario.

When control of Luigi finally rests in your own hands, you can get to see the graphical differences between N64 and GC. The graphics are far sharper, and there is a sheen over the proceedings which certainly reminds you of Dreamcast imagery. Luigi’s breath is indeed visable, with colder rooms providing greater effect. Those of you who have not seen anything of the game, may be surprised to hear that familiar Nintendo adventure characteristics have been replaced in favour of a ghost sucking hoover. Rooms need to be cleared of the graphically excellent ghosts, and puzzles need to be solved before moving on. Control of the hoover requires deft analogue action, and you may well struggle to get through the intense Japanese language training lessons. Once into the game proper, things quite quickly get tricky, trying to figure out how to destroy the ghosts trapped in each room is tricky without an interpretor.

Eventually I managed to finish the game, and found it highly enjoyable, though it’s longevity is certainly limited. The way materials are handled, like curtains and bed spreads, is truly amazing, but as a benchmark test for showing what the Gamecube can do, it actually pretty much fails to impress. Sure, the graphics are crisp, and the transparency effects are great. These effects were great in the ghosts of Mario 64 too, there was just a hell of a lot more game with them. Anyone expecting a groundbreaking game like the N64’s launch title will be sorely dissapointed. Jace Rates 7/10

Waverace Blue Storm - Gamecube

The first Waverace game was never a launch title for N64, it actually came out a few months later. None the less, it was one of the greatest racing games ever created, and humiliated the many similarly styled Jetski game in the arcades. Where as normal racing games rely on the vehicles to provide their thrills, Waverace utilises the amazing real life water you race upon. The incredible water and close racing action in the N64 game stunned the gaming fraternity, and its sequel certainly had a lot to live up to. On the day the Gamecube arrived, this was the second game I played. After the subdued dissapointment of Luigi, my initial impressions were not favourable. (I now have no idea why!) Loading is again super fast, and the option and intermittant screens include stunning water ripple effects. Characteristically, the game has changed in quite a few ways. Firstly, there are a total of eight racers in each event, which makes things a whole lot tougher. Your rivals also don’t seem to fall off their jetski’s quite as often as they did in the old game.

There are new buttons to get used to, a crouch button which limits your steering but adds a bit of speed. A turbo button provides much needed amunition, and is built up each time you correctly pass a buoy or do a stunt. Every five units makes one turbo. Everything is pretty familiar apart from that. Weather effects have got far more dramatic, and in another clever development, you can actually choose from the events in the championship according to what weather you prefer. For example, if there is a really big storm, you may choose your favourite, and easiest course. If it is really sunny and calm, you may want to try the new one, or one you don’t do well at. You may be thinking that with all these new choices and controls, things have got less challenging. You would be wrong, this game is far tougher than the first game. Sure, you may complete the beginner championship in a couple of tries, but the next one will take hours to master.

The levels after that are going to take months to master. WaveRace Bluestorm has improved in so many ways it’s hard to know where to begin. The water is far more fluid, with rain and weather effects making a huge difference to it’s contours. If you splash off of a ramp, or on the break of a wave, the water actually splashes the screen, adding greatly to the 3D effect. Rivals riders make big wakes, and levels are filled with events to change the waters around you. For example, in the snow level, huge chunks of the cliff fall into the water, creating a huge wave which you can battle to ride upon. You can see through the water this time, and the lakes and seas are full of fish, wreckage, and interesting objects. The players have far more character than in the previous game too, all have their own voice and style. While all the options are in Japanese, all in game text and audio speech are in English. Add to this a good multi-player mode, with none of the slow down you might expect, a great training mode where you can learn all the stunts, and a whole raft of bonus levels, including familiar hoop targets and stunt modes.

I could rant on about the improvements for a very long time, the reality is that when I first played it, I thought, yes it’s improved, but so what, it is a seven or eight out of ten game. Having now played it for twenty hours plus, I can’t believe I was so intitially unimpressed. Having now finished the game, I was dissapointed by the lack of reverse tracks, the game is far smaller than the original version. None the less, this is an amazing game, packed with amazing graphics, yet retaining a subtle game play mechanic which is instantly playable yet requires a huge effort to master. Forget this is a sequel, this is a truly amazing game. Jace Rates 9/10

Super Monkey Ball - Gamecube

It is only when you sit and think about it logically that you realise how amazing all this is. Sega, arch enemy of Nintendo, release a game for the launch of Nintendo’s new machine. That is like Nintendo releasing a Dreamcast Mario game for their launch. Unfortunately times at Sega have changed, and they are desperately trying to make a new home on rival machines. Super Monkey Ball is certainly a fine start. The coin-op was quite a big hit in Japan, providing an interesting take on the marble madness game. You control one of four monkeys, trapped inside a transparent ball. Well, I say control, you actually control the floor, and must roll them into the many bananas available for collection, and then the exit. Levels are incredibly brief, once you’ve figured out what to do you can complete them in seconds, literally. This rapid progression actually complements the gameplay. A multiplayer turn based mode proves a great addition, as your human rival tries to progress to later levels before you get there. Then there are the split screen multi-player modes, all providing great fun. Next there are the party game modes, including racing, a strange boxing game, and a brilliant pilot wings inspired target game which sees you trying to plop your monkey on giant island shaped targets. Get bored with these, and there are three completely new games to be opened up, Monkey Ball Bowling, Golf, and Billiards. Each offers full multi-player capability, and stand up as games in their own right. Graphics are polished and sharp, while backgrounds are a little sparse, but then peripheral to the action, so who cares. This is polished game which relies on classic retro gameplay to provide highly rewarding results. It does look a bit like a Dreamcast game, but is that really a bad thing?
Jace Rates 8/10

Beach Spikers - Sega - Gamecube

Do you remember the first time you saw Virtua Tennis on the Dreamcast. You had to look twice to check it wasn’t real. That’s the feeling you get when you see Beach Spikers, the graphics are amazing. Unfortunately, the game of Volleyball seems to be less fun than Tennis. You control two characters, and must manipulate them to spike the players on the other side of the net. This is done mainly with single button pressing, and vague directional control. You never feel that you have complete control over what you are doing, and you’ll struggle against computer opposition initially. In two player mode, things are certainly more fun, but whether that is because you are both running around like headless chickens, is hard to determine. Now, did I tell you this game looks amazing. Ah yes, I did. That’s basically it, a great looking obscure sports game not particularly suited to videogame interpretation. Jace Rates 6/10

Super Monkey Ball 2 - Sega - Gamecube

So, do you think it is possible that Sega release the rubbish games on Xbox, and the good ones on Gamecube? Possibly. Super Monkey Ball 2 continues where the last game finished. A whole raft of new main game levels, and a whole 12 party games. These include tennis, football and baseball, as well as all the original games revamped. Favourite is the new Monkey Target, which allows multi player simultaneous play, and new items to help you. The problem though is that for some strange reason there is no score table for the multi player version of target. Why Sega?? The biggest problem with Monkey ball 2 is that you have to complete the main game to earn enough points to unlock the mini games. The main game has a difficulty level with more ups and downs than a camel’s back. Some of the levels are so hard, you’ll be stuck on them for hours. A little frustration in videogaming is one thing, but hours!! At the same time, you know that the result, ie new mini games, will be worth the effort. It’s like videogame torture. Overall though, you wouldn’t want to be without it. Jace Rates 8/10

Eternal Darkness - Nintendo - Gamecube

Resident evil has a lot to answer for. Every format it seems must have a Survival Horror game. Nintendo’s answer is a dark time travel based game, where your sanity is the first thing to get damaged. The idea is good, battle through ancient myth, the worse you do, the more mad you become. Go completely mental, and you end up running the wrong way, or dropping your weapon at critical moments. Like many of these games, set pieces intertwine the action, and are often disspointing. Poor lip synch, jerky animation, and awful voice acting do little to add atmosphere. Those of you who love Resident evil style adventures will no doubt find something of value in this game, but for those of you looking for something groundbreaking, look elsewhere. Jace Rates 5/10

Resident Evil - Capcom - Gamecube

When Capcom announced that they were to remake their Biohazard/Resident Evil series on the Gamecube, I was a little bemused. Would anyone really want to play the same games again. On loading the game, the differences are instant. The introduction is incredibly exciting, and has a true cinematic feel. Into the game proper, and that terrible sequence with them talking in the hallway has been improved considerably with new voice work. But from here the problems set in. You’ve been here before, you’ve lived through all this before. Sure, the graphics are amazing, and the cut scenes are far better than they used to be, but they are all in the same places, and the thrills are all where they were originally. I’m sure if you played the game right through, you’d find a few new bits, but I found myself incapable of gathering the enthusiasm to play this game all over again. If you haven’t played the original (though I doubt there are many hardcore gamers who haven’t), then this is an essential title, and those Die hard fans who think they can face playing it again, will no doubt be very impressed by the gorgeous graphics. Jace Rates 7/10

Mario Sunshine - Nintendo - Gamecube

Some games are like coming home. Like finding that special thing you lost down the back of the wardrobe a few years ago. Mario Sunshine was like that. For those who don’t already know, Mario is equipped with a water cannon in this game, and the story revolves around him being captured as a street cleaner in a town where they think he is a phantom graffiti artist. Don’t worry, this game is nothing like Jet Set Radio. The central hub of the game is the island town, and each level is found by jumping into psychedelic graffiti found around its streets. Like Mario 64, each time you enter a level, you are given a task to find a shine (like stars). Complete each task, and the next time you enter the level the task is different. There are eight shines to collect in each level. If there was one criticism to be leveled at the game, it is that these tasks tend to repeat between the various levels. For instance, one will involve a race, and another will have you chasing your alter ego Mario and squirting him with water. It is the water which makes this game quite incredible. It is easy to learn how to use your back pack, but to truly become deft is an art. You can use the pump as a jet pack, giving you thrust and extending your jump area. Once fully experienced you will be able to change nozzle modes mid jump, and an expert user will be able to accomplish puzzles in ways i’m sure Nintendo never intended. The world which you are submerged seems to have more in common with Zelda than previous Mario games. You can talk to all the people in the town, and some of the music is so familiar like you’ll think you are back in Hyrule. This is without doubt the greatest game on the Gamecube. Some of the puzzles will have you pulling your hair out, but the feeling of satisfaction at completing them is something you can only compare with other Nintendo games. Let’s hope we don’t have to wait another five years for the next installment. Jace Rates 9/10

PIKMIN - Nintendo - Gamecube

Of all the initial batch of Gamecube titles, Pikmin is the one that has been most closely associated with Shigeru Miyamoto, the godfather of gaming. It is with this in mind, that I came to the title with much trepidation. Just to put you out of your misery, I needn’t have worried. The game loads in seconds, and presents you with a simple entry screen. The graphic introduction is simple, rather poorly designed, and obviously rushed. There is also a raft of Japanese text to wade through, bound to deter the less ardent Western gamer. Thankfully, the game itself is pretty straight forward once you get in proper. The graphics are excellent, depicting the strange planet you have accidentally crash landed on with much originality. To help you understand and manipulate the terrain and creatures which surround you, you will need the help of some little friends. Pikmins. These are found inside three coloured space chips, each providing Pikmin of the associated colour. Blue Pikmin are good in the water, and will fight your water based battles. Yellow Pikmin can handle bombs, important for destroying stone walls and doorways. The red ones are your normal army, the work horse of your force, ideal for killing monsters, and carrying items. Killing the many Pikmin eating monsters is hard work, and you are bound to lose members of your team along the way. Thankfully, the dead bodies of your enemies are vital fuel for the Pikmin space ships. Assign carriers to take the bodies to their ships, and they will spawn new Pikmin, allowing you to build up your army. There’s more to it than that, bonus shells offer more people fuel, and corresponding colours, if taken to the correctly coloured ship, will chuck out more new Pikmin. The idea of the game is to find the 30 missing pieces of your rocket, spread over four worlds. These items have to be found and carried by the required number of Pikmin back to your rocket. Once your rocket is strong enough, you can venture through all four lands, returning to the earlier pieces when you are better prepared. The biggest problem is the time. You have only thirty days to complete the rocket, so that’s one piece a day. Each day takes place on only one of the lands, and lasts about ten minutes. This requires great organisation skills. My first time through, I managed 15 pieces out of the thirty, so now I have to restart the whole game, with the objective now clear. Control is fluid, with great view controls. The world is packed full of extraordinary monsters and plants, each with new things to teach you. It is this level of ingenuity which keeps you playing. Actually, this is the most addictive game I have played for a long time, after I got it, I set my alarm an hour earlier so that I could play some more before I went to work. I haven’t done that for ages. There are elements of several other games within Pikmin, Lemmings, Command & Conquer, even Jetpac, but the way Shigeru has pulled them all together creates a game startlingly original. It is quite a small game, I think it could be finished in a couple more tries, but overall, another Miyamoto classic. Jace Rates 9/10

Mario Golf - Gamecube

Yes yes yes, here we go again, Jace hyping up the Nintendo games and putting down everything else. No, this is honest opinion, i’m not swayed by Nintendo, if a game like Mario Kart Double Dash deserves 5/10, that’s what i’ll give it. Of course, I loved Mario Golf on the N64, so it was a pretty safe bet i’d enjoy it on the GC. One thing which never get noticed in magazine reviews is the amazing load time of Nintendo’s Gamecube games, and Mario Golf is no exception, i’m sure it boots faster than the N64 Cartridge version. The game is everything you’d expect, cutesy graphics, simple game mechanics, and all time top scores to be beaten. Strangely though, the gameplay seems over simplified this time round, with an automatic “end of the guage stopper” in place unless you manually turn it off. The camera is also annoying sometimes, particularly when the game forgets to track the ball after you putted it. Also, unlike the earlier game, experience doesn’t open up the other courses, instead you simply complete one to open the next. One of the key addictive qualities of the N64 versions was the way the excitement built as you got nearer the number of experience points required to open the next course. Anyway, this is still one of the most fun four player experiences you’ll have on the Gamecube. Jace Rates - 6/10

LEGEND OF ZELDA - The Windwalker - NINTENDO

I know, I should have reviewed this ages ago, but if there’s a good reason I can give you for not being quicker, it is that i’ve been too busy playing it. The latest Zelda game (as if you didn’t know) sees you not as Link, but as a new hero, who’s island home hints at the history of the Zelda legend. Before you know it, you have stepped into Link’s shoes, and are again the chosen one.

The whole play area of the game is made up of a great ocean, spanning miles, and peppered with islands and mysteries. As you progress through the early stages, the game opens up, bigger and bigger and before you know it, you are free to sail in your own boat to anywhere you choose. Similar to how the world of Hyrule opened up as you completed the Deku tree in Ocarina of time, except much much bigger. The world is so huge, it takes you a lot of time to just figure out where you’re going to head. Voyages can take a long time, and with the aid of sea charts you can plot your destinations and discover new islands on the way.

It is the realtime travelling between islands which really adds the atmosphere (though later a teleport system opens up, which kind of spoils things), keen not to waste time, but with so much mystery to unlock that it’s so hard not to get destracted. Windfall island will be one of your favourite ports of call, full of shops, people, and gaming establishments. After a long time at sea, it feels like you are coming home as you sail back into the port of windfall. Believe me, it’s an emotional experience.

Emotion is a vital part of the game, and while the graphics are the best you will currently see on any videogame, it is the soundtrack which evokes so much feeling. Some of it is borrowed from the earlier games, but much is new, and is possibly the greatest soundtrack of any Nintendo game past or present.

You will have probably seen the graphics for yourself, but the fluidity of animation is amazing, and takes your breath away until you get used to it. Flames, water, objects on tables, all react as they should, with real physical presence. The sailing in particular is graphically stunning, with waves lapping up over the front of the ship.

As you would expect, there are more hidden surprises in this game than you can imagine. Miyamoto-san must have been working twenty four hours a day just seeing where he could fit more in. This in the end, is still a role playing game, despite it’s arcade feel, the quest to upgrade your weapons, wealth and special objects is just as enticing as the missions themselves. With each dungeon complete, your confidence grows, the new weapon you were rewarded with will see you through another scrape or two, but things are often closer than you think they will be. End of level bosses in particular are often harder than first acknowledged. As ever, difficulty has been perfectly tuned. There’s enough to draw in the complete novice, and tough enough challenges for the seasoned Zelda fan.

Now, if you don’t own this game, and if I haven’t made it very clear so far, then you need to buy it. If you don’t own a Gamecube, or the game, then you need to buy both, right now. £130 for the console and game is a very small price to pay for not just one of the greatest games of all time, but pretty much it. What would the mass market gamer buy with his £130? Fifa 2003, Primal, and Starsky & Hutch. Crazy. I’ve played a lot of games over the past twenty five years, but this really takes the biscuit. I’m 30 hours in, and if I think about it too hard, I start panicing that i’m going to finish it soon. I don’t want this experience to end, but at the same time, can’t leave it alone long enough to string it out. This review can’t do it justice, you can’t talk about the nuts and bolts, it’s the title as a whole, the emotion, the incredible feeling of attachment. Zelda - Windwalker is the greatest game i’ve ever played. Full Stop! JACE RATES 10/10

Wario Inc - Nintendo - Gamecube

I may not have discussed it in my rant section, but i’m a huge fan of the Gameboy original, indeed, it’s in my top three of all GBA games along with Advance wars and Mario kart. For those unfamiliar with it, the game involves playing a string of 3 second mini-games to reach an end boss level. It’s bizarre, very funny, and ideal fodder for an old retrogamer like me. With that in mind I was very excited about the Gamecube release, however I can’t really give it a proper review. The initial levels are all the same as the GBA version, and you have to complete all these to move on. Not a problem, I gave it a good stab, until I reached a boss level nigh on impossible to complete with Japanese language. The standard two player mode is turn based, and a little irritating, but I know there are individual two player games yet to be unlocked once I get through the gameboy section. The answer, wait for a US or Western release. Jace rates: Wait for the English version.

Viewtiful Joe - Capcom - Gamecube

Us gamers are suckers for good press, and I am no exception. This has earned great reviews and awards, and I am a sucker for 2D games anyway. It was then with some irritation that I clicked through the laborious introduction to find the rather feeble platform fighter underneath. The animation is excellent, and film like effects and washes do give it a style all of its own, but the game relies on simple button whacking. Progress through the side scrolling scenery dispatching enemies until you get a big one. How many times have we been here. In today’s FPS drenched climate, it’s certainly different, but to a seasoned gamer looking for inventive gameplay, forget it. Jace Rates 4/10

Billy Hatcher - Sega - Gamecube

There is no denying the quality of Billy Hatcher, from the bright fast moving graphics to the brilliant party style music, Billy Hatcher exudes fun. The game is certainly original too, roll giant eggs over enemies to release fruit, roll over fruit to hatch eggs, use the monster you have hatched to destroy enemies. There are 100 or so monsters to collect, adding a pokemon flavour to proceedings. The levels are also highly re-playable, thanks to each being timed, and additional bonus items are held within. There are some great multi-player party games included too. But there’s something not there for me. It just doesn’t grab me - I found no fun it playing it - at all! Whether it’s just familiarity, a pinch of pokemon, a slice of Mario Sunshine and a dash of Monkey Ball, I don’t know. There is an X factor which some games have that just keep you playing, and it’s been lacking in several high profile, and strangely high quality games lately. I have to put this in the pile with FZero GX and Starfox Adventures, nice looking game but I have no interest in playing it. Jace Rates 5/10

1080 Avalanche - Nintendo - Gamecube

Back on the N64, the original 1080 felt like part of a series. Along with Wave Race and Excite Bike, all three games offered exhilarating racing on different kinds of vehicle. We already have Wave Race on Gamebcube (though perhaps i’m one of the few who loved it) but you would think 1080 was running on a different machine, let alone by the same producer. Now, I can’t say I didn’t have some fun on the game, the levels are well balanced, and getting to the finish line in time always seems to be very close. But the graphics are nothing more than ordinary, and the feeling of speed is disappointing, particularly when you consider the rush of FZero on Gamecube. While this is likely to sit on the shelves of many games rooms “for the collection’s sake”, it is certainly one of the weakest Nintendo games of recent times. Jace Rates 5/10

Mario Kart Double Dash - Nintendo - Gamecube

Name one of the greatest games series ever created, and Mario Kart would be high on most gamer’s list, along with maybe Final fantasy, Zelda and Gran Turismo, the franchise has become part of the very fabric of video gaming. It all started with the Super Nintendo, and probably the greatest game ever created for it. A dazzling two player racing game where skill and luck were just as important. There was such anticipation of the N64 version, that disappointment was inevitable, and disappointing it was. While the multi-player party games were better than ever, fundamental changes had been made to the gameplay, and Mario Kart itself just didn’t feel the same.

Enter the Gameboy Advance version, the perfect execution of the franchise, loads of improvements, but all the playability and long lasting challenge of the SNES version. The GBA’s killer Ap if ever there was one. Anticipation could well up once again for the Gamecube version, gamers safe in the knowledge that Nintendo had learned the N64 lessons, and the definitive version was on its way. Enter Double Dash, a complete retread of the N64 game. Graphically the game is a colourful treat, and the use of two characters on a cart is certainly original. Unfortunately the tracks are not designed to be raced on, but to be experienced. Giant sand storms shoot your car into the air, or whirl pools suck your car under the ground. I don’t play Mario Kart for realism, but these are not features, they are graphical exercises to amuse kids and destroy the racing aspect of the game. However, the fundamental problem with the game, is that as with the N64 version, Nintendo have once again irradicated all coins from the circuits. The fundamental key to Mario Kart’s playability has been removed. Remember all those times you had to play each track on the GBA version, trying to collect enough coins to get the A Star rating, Nintendo thought that wasn’t part of the game we cared about. Ridiculous.

Forgetting about all previous versions of the game, then, even as a fun kids style racing game, it is flawed. It is very frustrating that the lives system has been dropped, meaning you have to restart a cup if you have a single bad race. It feels like a cynical way to add longevity. There is a plus, the multi player games are still fun, and there are new game types like “hold the shine”, and a mad bombing game, however the arenas don’t seem particularly well designed. Can you sense I was disappointed with this game? It’s like Dirty Den coming back to Eastenders only to find he’s now a woman and changed his name to Doris. Jace Rates 5/10

Donkey Konga - Namco - Gamecube

Goodbye Rare, hello Namco. It does seem strange that if Nintendo are to commission a music game using their famous Donkey Kong IP that they choose Namco, rather than the far more experienced Konami or Sega. In any case, on starting the game, you’d have thought it was written by Sonic team anyway. Namco may have borrowed the style of Samba De Amigo, but unfortunately not the content. The Bongo shaped controller is very groovy, and easy to sit between your legs. The game uses a familiar scrolling bar, where different signs tell you how to use the controller, all in time with the music of course. Left bongo, right bongo, both together and clap your hands, that’s pretty much the limit of variation. The music ranges from fun Japanese songs, to more suitable latin samba style, right through to inappropriate electronic J-Pop hits. If you can afford the controllers, you can have up to four played joining in the same song. I’ve always championed Bemani games, and while I do think Donkey Konga is a great addition to the collection, i’m not sure i’ll be getting out for parties this time next year. Jace Rates 6/10