Wii Expectations

The sun has almost set on the GameCube. In mere days, Nintendo's next generation system, the Wii, will hit the US. Before it does, I want to take a second to look back at the GameCube's 5 year stint as Nintendo's flagship console. Released shortly after Microsoft's Xbox and a year after Sony's PS2, the GameCube was destined to take a third place seat here in America (though it handily beat the Xbox in Japan for a distant second place in Japan). It released several months following the successful launch of the GameBoy Advance, and had a decent selection of games at release. I myself got into this console in a big way, going for a launch package deal that included the system, another controller, several games, and an LCD screen (that screen served me well the following summer during my summer training at the Academy, let me tell you!). Unfortunately, the system lost some momentum after launch when no major games released until the spring. From that point forward though, the system had a steady string of releases that only recently has started to peter out. The GameCube had its share of first party classics, to be sure, such as Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker and Super Smash Brothers Melee. However, some of the GameCube's biggest games were third party efforts, in a marked departure from the N64 before it. For example, Resident Evil 4 has been hailed as one of the greatest games of the previous generation, and it was originally a third party GameCube game (developed by Capcom). 

Now, with the Wii almost here, I find much of the same excitement I had at the GameCube's launch being rekindled. The buzz surrounding the Wii has been generally more positive than what I remember surrounding the GameCube. The Wii has an exciting host of new features, including a unique motion-sensing control scheme, internet connectivity, backwards compatibility with GameCube games, wireless connectivity with the DS, and the ability to download and play classic games via the Virtual Console (kind of like legal ROMs). Of all these features, the one I'm most interested in is the controller. I can't wait to feel how it is used in games such as the new Zelda title that is releasing with the system. The Virtual Console is also a very exciting prospect, as it will feature not only past Nintendo games but also games from Sega's Genesis and others. The release list looks pretty solid, with a ton of launch titles and a slate that looks like it will keep going strong for the next several months. Additionally, the backwards compatibility will allow me to keep playing those GameCube games that I'm still working on during lulls.

So, the final countdown has begun, and the future looks bright. I can hardly wait for Sunday!

By: Andy Rucker

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