Nintendo GameCube

Nintendo reported that as of January 2006 they have sold a total of 20.61 million Nintendo Gamecube units worldwide. The Civic has been on Car and Driver magazine's annual Ten Best list six times, in 1985, 1988 through 1991, and 1996. One example is the advertisement campaign for Square Enix's GameCube-exclusive Final Fantasy game, Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles. The Civic was Motor Trend's Import Car of the Year for 1980, as well as its 2006 Car of the Year award. Most of the "Who Are You?" commercials advertised games developed or published by Nintendo, but some developers pay Nintendo to promote their games, using Nintendo's marketing and advertising resources. However, the use of this McPherson strut layout in the European model is inappropriate for a sporty use, while the 1.8 L engine, while more powerful than most 1.6 L version from previous generations, lacks the peaky behavior of the high-revving VTEC engines from the VTi/Type-R versions. The "Who Are You" logo is similar to graffiti lettering. Finally, a reengineered MacPherson strut front, and multi-link rear suspension allows the 2006 Civic Si to achieve 0.90 G avg of lateral acceleration on the skidpad.

The idea behind the "Who Are You?" campaign is that "you are what you play"; the kind of game a gamer enjoys playing suggests a dominant trait in that gamer's personality. Moreover, this new engine is matted to a 6-speed transmission with a helical-type limited slip differential. Subsequent ad campaigns had Nintendo advertising with a "Who Are You" tangent, essentially marketing the wide range of games Nintendo offers. This newest generation of the Civic Si offers a 197 hp (147 kW) K20Z3 powered engine, utilizing drive by wire throttle, electric power steering, and a balance shaft. The lettering would begin as a wave, only to settle on the top of the pictured console. Paradoxically, the North American 2006 Civic Si concept strongly indicated that the Civic line would see a return to sportiness and performance, while the European Civic has become a more family oriented automobile. It basically rotated around what appeared to be the top of a GameCube console, with the lettering being slightly 3D. These changes made the car safer on the whole though, and helped the Civic sell better to the average consumer.

Later on, Nintendo incorporated a video clip before the normal clip for the GameCube game would begin, similar to the brief PlayStation 2 logo before a commercial featuring the game. The most recent models, while still competitive as tuner projects, have succumbed to added weight, reduced suspension technology and higher centres of gravity which has significantly reduced their appeal amongst passionate drivers. This was usually after the normal commercial for a GameCube game. Also, many fourth, fifth, and sixth-generation Civics can be similarly upgraded by replacing their original economy-oriented engines with a DOHC VTEC engine — commonly one of the B-series engines such as a B16A, which was also original equipment in some performance models of the Civic. A voice whispered "GameCube". The City Turbo engine is a good fit to the Civic engine bay in many models, and provides a significant increase in the power-to-weight ratio compared to the non-performance engines, thus boosting performance. The earliest commercials displayed a rotating cube video, which would quickly morph into the GameCube logo. Also, because of parts interchangeability, many Civics which were originally equipped with lower-power engines can later be equipped with a newer Honda engine, or many other upgrades.

Nintendo has used several advertising strategies and techniques for the GameCube. As well, advanced four-wheel independent suspension inspired by Honda's racing research allowed class-leading handling in the 1988-1991 series which continued on until the 2000 model update.
. Civics prior to the fifth and sixth generation had a high power-to-weight ratio and a higher hp-to-liter output compared to many of their direct competitors which allowed for naturally better acceleration, braking and handling given similar parts. Unplugging and reconnecting the controller, and in the case of the wireless Wavebird controller, turning the controller off and back on, will also force a recalibration. In many areas, the Civic is popular as a platform for modification and customization by an enthusiast community. Holding down X, Y and start/pause for three seconds will recalibrate the controller at any time. Some current generation Civics use VTEC (Variable Valve Timing and Lift Electronic Control), and are approaching the size and weight of the early Honda Accord models, which were initially introduced as a larger, upmarket alternative to the Civic in the mid 1970s.

Like most analogue controllers, the GameCube pad self-calibrates when the console is switched on, setting the current analog stick and L and R buttons' positions as "neutral", which may cause problems if these controls are not actually in their neutral position at the time of calibration. This engine was a rare example of commercial development of a stratified charge engine. Various games use this structure to varying levels of success. This design could meet clean air emission standards without the power robbing emission control devices fitted to many cars of that time. This serves as two additional buttons on the controller without the need to actually add physical buttons. An interesting engine development used in some 1975 to 1983 models as well as all carbureted models through 1987 was the CVCC system, where a small auxilary inlet valve allowed a rich fuel/air mixture into the cylinder near the spark plug, while the main charge was lean. The L and R analog shoulder buttons, the main innovation, have when fully depressed an additional 'click' if the buttons are depressed further. The 2006 model year standard Civics for North America are manufactured in Alliston, Ontario, Canada and East Liberty, Ohio, while the Hybrid version is manufactured in Japan.

The controller is a standard wing grip design, and was designed to fit well in human hands. In North America, the Civic hatchback was dropped for 2006, mainly due to the upcoming arrival of the Honda Fit. Some unofficial controllers also have "turbo" or "macro" buttons, but these only modify the actions performed by other buttons. Accordingly, all instances of the current model (left or right hand drive, anywhere in the world) are British-made cars designed with Japanese engineering, except for the US-built two-door coupe. Originally, Nintendo was not going to include it, but game developers asked for it to be put in. Starting in 2002, the Civic three-door hatchback has been built exclusively at Honda's manufacturing plant in Swindon, England - previously the five-door "Civic"/Domani and the Civic Aerodeck (based on the Japanese Orthia) were built in this plant for sale in Europe along with the Japanese EK series Civics. In a late design change, the "Z" button was oddly positioned above the "R" trigger. The three-door hatchback body style has been somewhat unpopular in the United States, but has achieved wide acceptance in Canada, as well as popularity in Japan and European markets, helping cement Honda's reputation as a maker of sporty compact models.

Slightly above the "R" button is the "Z" button. In Canada, the sixth and seventh generation Civics where mildly redesigned to create the Acura EL until the advent of the eight generation Civic, which was used to create the Acura CSX. On the top of the controller there are two analog shoulder buttons marked "L" and "R" which are moulded to fit index fingers. The seventh-generation minivan model is called the Honda Stream or the Honda Civic Stream. The start/pause button is in the middle of the controller. The sixth-generation station wagon was sold as the Honda Orthia (Honda Partner) as the downmarket commercial variant. Below those, there is a yellow "C" stick, which has a similar function to the right stick on a PlayStation. In Thailand, the Civic was available as the four-door Isuzu Vertex (1995-2000).

On the right are four buttons; a large green "A" button in the centre, a smaller red "B" button to the left, an "X" button to the right and a "Y" button to the top. The Honda Domani, an upscale model based on the Civic, was sold as the Isuzu Gemini in Japan (1992-2000), and confusingly the 5-door Domani was sold as the Honda Civic (along with the "real" EK Civics) in Europe from 1995 to 2000. The primary analog stick is on the left, with the D-pad below it. Also, at various times, the Civic or Civic-derived models have been sold by marques other than Honda — for example, Rover sold the 200, 400 and 45, each of which were Civic-based at some point (first 200s were the second generation Ballade; from 1990 the 200 and 400 were based on the Concerto; the 400 was the 1995 Domani), as was their predecessor, the Triumph Acclaim, based on the first Honda Ballade. The standard GameCube Controller totals eight buttons, two analog sticks and a D-pad. Other models have been built off the Civic platform, including the Ballade, the CR-X, Quint, Concerto, Domani, CR-X Del Sol, and the Integra. Games with large amounts of voice acting or pre-rendered video often need to be put on two discs. A five-door station wagon model called the Civic Shuttle (also Civic Pro in Japan) was available from the early to late 1980s until the early 1990s (this brand name would later be revived for the mid-1990s Honda Shuttle people carrier, known in some markets as the Honda Odyssey).

The capacity of the disc is 1.5 GB. In Europe and the United States, "Civic" generically refers to any of the coupe, sedan or hatchback models, though in Europe the coupe is branded the "Civic Coupe". The disc is a proprietary version of the eight cm DVD (MiniDVD) format. In Japan, the hatchback Civic is just called "Civic" while the sedan model is called "Civic Ferio" - however with the current release of the new Civic in Japan only in sedan form, this naming convention has stopped. The GameCube Optical Disc is the media format used by the Nintendo GameCube. While the Civic is sold in largely the same form worldwide, differences in the name of the models exist between markets. (Even though DDR-SDRAM is significantly faster, since the PowerPC 750CXe can not address DDR-SDRAM, it is not used.). A 350 Watt, seven speaker sound system is also included.

Some benchmarks provided by third-party testing facilities do indicate, however, that some of these specifications, especially those relating to performance, may be conservative. It produces 197 hp (200 PS/147 kW), 57 more than the Civic sedan. The following are hardware specifications provided by Nintendo of America. The engine is a 2.0-liter, DOHC four-cylinder design with Honda's i-VTEC variable valve timing system.
. It offers a more powerful engine, 6-speed manual transmission, sport seats, and different styling. Also before the price wars, it was estimated that Nintendo lost the least amount of money or even made a small profit on each sale of a GameCube, compared to its rivals who sold their consoles at a loss[8]. The American market Civic Si is a special trim level designed to offer a sportier experience than the standard Civic.

Unlike Sega, Nintendo has strong cash reserves so it could afford to match price wars whenever Sony or Microsoft lowered the price of their console. The Sport Hatchback is also available with a 2.2 L I-CTDI Diesel engine from the Accord, F-RV and CRV, rated at 140 PS (138 hp/103 kW) and is capable of 205 km/h (127 mph) and accelerating from 0-60 mph in 8.4 seconds. Nintendo also reassured nervous investors by stating that they would "only exit the software business at the same time they would exit the hardware business"; in other words, that they would not discontinue their console business to focus on developing games like Sega had done after the failure of the Dreamcast. This model featured from launch a 1.3 L I-DSI and a 1.8 L i-VTEC rated at 83 PS (81 hp/61 kW) and 140 PS (138 hp/103 kW) respectively, with 177 and 207 km/h (110 and 129 mph) top speeds and 14.2 and 8.6 sec 0-100 km/h sprint. The GameCube had a strong hold on the children's market and its low price compared to the PS2 and Xbox kept it competitive. The new Sport Hatchback model with futuristic styling was unveiled in August 2005 for the European market only. However, this has been offset by the growing size of the video game console market which has allowed Nintendo to carve out a loyal following even though its market share decreased. The electric motors are powered by a battery array which is charged by regenerative braking during deceleration, which reduces exhaust emissions and extends fuel mileage.

The GameCube has not performed to expectations due to being unable to match the sales and market share of its Nintendo 64 predecessor. The hybrid version became available in 2003, which uses both a small (1.3 L) main gasoline engine and auxiliary electric motors. GameCube sales have continued to be steady, particularly in Japan, but the Gamecube is still in third place in worldwide sales [7]. The interior of the Type-R includes Recaro seats and a Momo steering wheel, and the model also includes Type-R-specific badging, a helical limited-slip differential, and has been reported to accelerate from zero to 60 mph in about 6.8 seconds (6.6 in facelifted model). Since then, sales have rebounded due to a price drop to $99 USD and the release of the The Legend of Zelda: Collector's Edition bundle, which spurred sales. The EP Civic Type-R has a specific output of 200 PS (197 hp/147 kW) at 8000 rpm, a six-speed manual transmission, a reworked exterior with a bullet-like hatchback design, aeroform bumpers, spoiler, and 17 in wheels. During the second half of 2003, due to sagging sales, Nintendo had to cut GameCube production in order to sell off surpluses and issue a profit warning [6]. Unlike the EK9 version, which was produced solely in Japan, the EP Civic Type-R is produced in the United Kingdom and exported to Japan.

Also 2K Sports, who have not supported the Gamecube, will release Major League Baseball 2K6 in spring 2006 [5]. In 2001, Honda announced the release of the Civic Type-R for the EP chassis, a more sporty variant of the most recent model of Civic and successor to the EK9 Civic Type-R. Since then, however, Eidos has resumed development [4] of GameCube titles. The EK9-generation Civic Type-R had a maximum output in the range of 180 PS JIS (177 hp/132 kW), increased over the more common 160 PS (158 hp/118 kW) B16A engine in the SiR/VTi models, and included various alterations to the chassis to improve handling and reduce weight (such as better welding of the frame, and removal of the radio and noise-suppressing materials). After several years of losing money from developing for Nintendo's system, Eidos Interactive announced that it would end support for the GameCube, cancelling several titles that had been in development including Hitman 2 [3]. Beginning in 1997 [1], Honda produced the first iteration of Civic to receive the "Type-R" appellation (applied first to the Integra Type-R), with the EK9 chassis Civic Type-R. Cross-platform games—such as sports franchises released by Electronic Arts—sold far below their PlayStation 2 and Xbox counterparts, prompting developers to scale back or completely cease support for the GameCube. The Civic evolved from having a 1335 cc engine (1980) to having engines with larger capacities and more creature comforts (air conditioning, power windows, etc.) through the 1990s and into the 2000s.

The strong preference of GameCube owners for first-party titles has also put the system at odds with major third party developers. Like the Mini, the transaxle was integrated with the engine unit, but driveshaft technology in the Civic was well ahead of the universal joints of the Mini. However, the Nintendo disc still had sufficient room for most games, although it had less extras than other versions (for example, the Spider-Man Xbox release featured extra levels not in the Gamecube port). Later models went to a five-speed manual and a full four-speed automatic transmission. The 1.5 gigabyte proprietary disc format may have also been a limiting factor since Nintendo's rivals used the 4.7 gigabyte DVD. Initially the Civic was sold with either a four-speed manual or a two speed "HondaMatic" model. Although online support was added in late 2002 and both Sony and Nintendo followed a similar decentralized online model (in contrast to the centralized Xbox Live), lower sales of the GameCube versions of games during its launch year precluded developers from including online support. .

Also, due to Nintendo's lack of support for the online capabilities of the GameCube, as opposed to Microsoft and later Sony who actively promoted online gaming by releasing first-party online titles and soliciting developers, many multiplatform games with online functionality were released offline-only on the GameCube. Still, many regard the Civic as representing a good value for the money, combining good performance, reliability and economy, as well as a very low rate of depreciation, resulting in a low total cost per mile or per year. Many third-party games popular with teenagers or adults such as first-person shooters and the controversial Grand Theft Auto series skipped a GameCube port in favour of the PlayStation 2 and Xbox. The current Civic has become somewhat more luxurious. Nintendo's family-friendly franchises such as Pokémon gave the GameCube the reputation of being a "kiddie" console that failed to appeal to the teenage and adult market[2]. Early models of the Civic were typically outfitted with a basic AM radio, rudimentary heater, foam cushioned plastic trim, two-speed wipers, and painted steel rims with a chromed wheel nut cap. Despite Nintendo's efforts, the GameCube was unsuccessful in recapturing the preceding Nintendo 64's market share, and the sixth generation was taken over by the PlayStation 2. With the transverse engine placement of its 1169 cc engine and front wheel drive, like the British Mini, the car provided good interior space despite overall small dimensions.

Because of these efforts, GameCube owners tend to support first-party games more heavily than third party games, whereas the reverse is true for PlayStation 2 and Xbox owners. It was introduced in July 1972 as a two-door sedan, followed by a 3-door hatchback version that September. This policy from Nintendo resulted in many exclusive third-party games for the Nintendo GameCube, and the arrival of multiformat titles on the platform. The Honda Civic is an automobile manufactured by Honda. Nintendo often took an active role in cooperating with a developer. The 1995 Civic was the most stolen car in the US for 2004[2]. Sometimes, Nintendo would merely request that a third-party developer produce a game based on the third-party's own game franchises; other times, Nintendo would request that the third-party developer produce a game based on Nintendo's own game franchises.

Unlike previous generations in which Nintendo was seen by some as bullying its third-party game developers, Nintendo openly sought game-development aid on the Nintendo GameCube. One of the defining aspects of the Nintendo GameCube is the rejuvenated relationship between Nintendo and its licensees. Some of the more popular first-party titles include:. The Nintendo GameCube software library contains such traditional Nintendo series as Super Mario, The Legend of Zelda, and Metroid.

Source: ESRB. The GameCube features games with the following ratings:. In addition, over 25 titles are currently in development. The GameCube currently has over 550 games available in its library.

Also, holding the "Z" Button while the system boots will replace the normal xylophone musical sequence with squeaks, followed at the end by a child laughing. Tap the "A" Button repeatedly to spin the Gamecube logo. A unique feature of the Gamecube are a few Easter Eggs included in its startup sequence. Two separate adaptors were made, one for dial-up phone lines and one for broadband connections.

Instead, Nintendo focused more on Game Boy connectivity. The only high profile title that required the adapter was Sega's Phantasy Star Online Episode I & II. The GameCube also had a network adapter released during the holiday season of 2002, but Nintendo did not promote or support online gaming anywhere as heavily as Sony or Microsoft. The thumbsticks do not have added "clickable" button functionality—unlike other such consoles of the era—but both L and R shoulder buttons are analog, being able to detect pressure applied to them before "clicking," essentially doubling their functionality.

Keeping up with the Nintendo 64, it features no select button, but the C buttons have been replaced by an analog C stick, instead. The controller has the traditional directional pad, two thumbsticks, and eight buttons: A, B, X, Y, Z, L, R, and start/pause. Despite being more compact than the PlayStation 2 (being that it was released over a year after and kept the power supply separate from the console), the GameCube has superior graphics processing power and better ProLogic sound, but no optical output. Interestingly, with the addition of the Game Boy Player accessory, the GameCube becomes a nearly perfect geometric cube.

However, this feature over other consoles was minimal since its inexpensive production and selling price were its main advantages. The GameCube was designed for ease of portability, with its small size complemented by a carrying handle. A fair variety of GameCube games implement this innovative functionality, while Nintendo encourages its continued use. A special Nintendo GameCube to Game Boy Advance connection cable is required for each Game Boy Advance system that is to be connected to the GameCube.

Up to four Game Boy Advance systems can be connected to the GameCube through the GameCube's four controller ports for multiplayer play. This functionality has also been used to unlock "secrets" such as new levels or characters when two games, a Game Boy Advance game and its GameCube equivalent, are connected together. Subsequent information related to game play may be displayed on the Game Boy Advance's color screen for added convenience or to avoid the cluttering of the display on the television screen. Examples of this functionality include the use of the Game Boy Advance as a controller for the game played.

Such a connection between the two systems allows the transfer of game data. The system does not link to the Micro due to the fact that its slot is too small. The GameCube system also has the unique capability to connect to Nintendo's portable system Game Boy Advance and SP. The Q's different footprint also left it incompatible with the Game Boy Player.

However, it was never released outside Japan and production ceased in December 2003. Called the Q, it was a modified GameCube that could also hold standard-sized DVD discs and play back both formats. There was also a DVD-capable variant released by Panasonic in Japan, under license from Nintendo. Despite the protection of a non-standard disc format (essentially a miniature DVD-ROM with non-standard sectors and filesystem formatting), a number of modchips such as the Qoob and ViperGC have been released that, when used in conjunction with a modified bios, allow the use of a standard or 8 cm DVD-ROM to load backed-up, homebrew, boot-leg or pirate software.

The lack of DVD movie support was also a double-edged sword; it did not appeal to the mass audience that turned to the PlayStation 2 and Xbox due to their built-in DVD support. Common reasons cited by Nintendo for using this format are to lower piracy, provide faster loading times, and to make the system cheaper (to avoid DVD-licensing fees) and more compact. The Nintendo GameCube does not have any DVD-movie support. Later, a special debug mode in the GameCube drive was discovered which allowed the console to read and play from standard mini dvdrs.

[1]. By exploiting a flaw in Phantasy Star Online Episode I & II, users were able to connect their GameCubes to their PC's and run homebrew programming on the console. This move was mainly intended to prevent piracy of GCN titles, but like most anti-piracy technology, it was eventually cracked. Contrary to popular belief, GameCube discs are not physically read any differently from a standard DVD disc, but are encrypted and contain a 'barcode' unreadable by most DVD-ROM drives.

The Nintendo GameCube uses a unique storage medium, the GameCube Optical Disc, a proprietary format based on Matsushita's optical-disc technology; the discs are approximately 8 centimeters (3 1/8 inches) in diameter (considerably smaller than the 12cm CDs or DVDs used in competitors' consoles), and the discs have a capacity of approximately 1.5 gigabytes. In Japan, the system is also available in orange, or in limited edition colors like Crystal White, Mint Green, Copper, and White with black pinstripes. Physically shaped similar to a geometric cube, the outside casing of the Nintendo GameCube comes in a variety of colors, such as indigo, platinum, and black (also a limited edition Resident Evil 4 platinum and black game console). Unveiled during Spaceworld 2000, the Nintendo GameCube was widely anticipated by many who were shocked by Nintendo's decision to design the Nintendo 64 as a cartridge-based system.

The GameCube launched in North America with the following twelve games:. . Luigi's Mansion was the first cover game (volume #150). The GameCube was first introduced in volume #145 of Nintendo Power magazine.

The GameCube was released on:. The GameCube itself is the most compact and inexpensive of the sixth generation era consoles. The Nintendo GameCube (Japanese: ゲームキューブ; originally code-named "Dolphin" during development; abbreviated as GCN) is Nintendo's fourth home video game console, belonging to the Sixth generation era; the same generation as Sega's Dreamcast, Sony's PlayStation 2, and Microsoft's Xbox. It is considered particularly useful for Phantasy Star Online Episode I & II and is difficult, though not impossible, to acquire outside of Japan.

The keyboard requires the use of two controller ports, and contains both Roman and Japanese hiragana characters. An ASCII keyboard controller, resembling a standard GameCube controller pad stretched to accommodate an alphanumeric keyboard in the center. A dance pad, included with Dance Dance Revolution: Mario Mix. This official Nintendo accessory is currently sold in Japan only.

SD Card Adapter, for games exhibiting the SD Card logo like Animal Forest e+. Commands are issued when you hold the X button on the controller. Odama also includes a microphone clip to clip on to the controller. Microphone, which plugs into memory card slot, for use with Mario Party 6, Mario Party 7, and Karaoke Revolution Party.

DK Bongos for use with the music games Donkey Konga, Donkey Konga 2 and Donkey Konga 3, and the Donkey Kong platform title Donkey Kong Jungle Beat. In PAL regions, an RF cable for connection to older televisions, and an RGB SCART cable for high-quality connections. Several are available from Lik-Sang, however, a game supporting 480p combined with the Component Video cable above, and the VD-Z3 (which has a monitor pass-through) or this can give Progressive Scan display quality on a computer monitor. Allows GameCube play on a standard computer monitor.

VGA Adapter. See System Specifications above and Official Information.). Less than one percent of GameCube owners used 480p, therefore the digital output was eventually removed from the design to reduce the system's manufacturing costs. Component video cable (for progressive scan (480p) support) which requires a GameCube with Digital Video Output.

Game Boy Player (to play Game Boy games on the television, using either a GameCube controller or a connected Game Boy Advance). Modem or Broadband adapter (for internet or LAN play). Nintendo GameCube Game Boy Advance cable (for games that support connectivity between the GameCube and the Game Boy Advance). A maximum of 127 files can be stored on a memory card).

Memory Card (59, 251 or 1019 blocks. Wavebird (RF wireless controller). There are also specially shaped controllers, such as a blood-spattered chainsaw released to coincide with Resident Evil 4.). There are also many limited edition controllers available such as a split Platinum and Red, with the Mario "M" logo replacing the regular GameCube logo seen on standard controllers.

Controller (Standard colours include Indigo, Black, Spice (Orange), Platinum and Indigo-clear. [4.3"(H) x 5.9"(W) x 6.3"(D)]. Physical Measurements of Entire System: 110 mm (H) x 150 mm (W) x 161 mm (D). Power Supply: AC Adapter DC12 volts x 3.25 amperes.

High-speed Parallel Ports: 1. High-speed Serial Ports: 2. Digital Video Outputs: 1 *. Analog Audio/Video Outputs: 1.

Memory Card Slots: 2. Controller Ports: 4. Approximately 1.5 gigabytes in capacity. Producer is Matsushita (Also known as Panasonic).

Diameter is 3 inches in length. Based on DVD technology. Disc Media: