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GameCube (Games) Portables (Games) Entertainment Games

Nintendo Bundles GBA Adaptor With Gamecube 48

Posted by simoniker from the no-price-cut-but-extra-swag dept.
Thanks to a multitude of sites for pointing to a new Nintendo press release announcing they're bundling the Gameboy Player with the Nintendo Gamecube system, starting June 23rd. The Gamecube will keep its US price of $149 for this added-value deal. For those unsure about what the Gameboy Player is, the press release explains it's "..a platform less than an inch thick, which acts as a base for the Nintendo GameCube. By simply inserting Game Boy cartridges [GB/GBC/GBA] into a slot in the Game Boy Player, consumers can use their Nintendo GameCube controller to direct action on the TV screen."
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Nintendo Bundles GBA Adaptor With Gamecube More

Nintendo Bundles GBA Adaptor With Gamecube

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  • Hmm... (Score:4, Funny)

    by Lazyhound ( 542184 ) on Friday May 16, 2003 @03:31AM (#5970726)
    How long before someone finds a way to use them as cheap ROM dumpers?

    • How long before someone finds a way to use them as cheap ROM dumpers?

      They already are. Just connect any GBA, GBA SP (with the light turned off; otherwise you get power issues), or GCN Game Boy Player to a PC with the MBV2 cable [lik-sang.com] (which Nintendo still lets Lik Sang sell even after the lawsuit), and then exercise your Betamax fair use right with mb -1 file.gba -w 300. (Not available in Australia, whose copyright laws consider fair use a much narrower exception.)

  • Gameboy SP? or Gameboy Advance?

    • Re:Which GB? (Score:3, Informative)

      by PyroMosh ( 287149 )
      The Gameboy Advance and the Gameboy Advance SP are the same platform. Just a diffrent form factor. They both play exactly the same games.

      • Re:Which GB? (Score:4, Insightful)

        by GoRK ( 10018 ) * on Friday May 16, 2003 @04:38AM (#5970903) Homepage Journal
        Actually, to be very technical they are just a tiny tiny bit different. They are different enough that a cart can detect which model gameboy it's in by code (and it's not just some sort of query that returns "gameboy sp" - afaik, that sort of direct determination is not possible) -- some homebrew code is using the detection to slightly alter a game's color pallette to account for differences between the way colors look onscreen between the GBA and the GBA SP.. But other than that, there's no difference between the units and all code is 100% compatible.

        The introduction of the GBA SP undoubtadely left Nintendo with an overrun of original GBA product either pre-assembly or pre-shipment. Although I havent seen a site posting the innards of a Gameboy Player unit for the GameCube, I would bet that it contains a repurposed GBA motherboard.

        ~GoRK
        • I didn't say they were identical. I said they were the same platform. As for the GBA player using GBA components, I doubt it, as I remember reading somewhere that Nintendo is still MANUFACTURING new GBAs. Some people (myself included) prefer the old style to the new one. And I'm sure parrents who are buying them for their kids appreciate the lower price tag on the older ones.
        • The game boy player has been out in Japan since before the SP.

          Of course, that still probably is the bulk of the innards.

    • Re:Which GB? (Score:5, Informative)

      by prockcore ( 543967 ) on Friday May 16, 2003 @04:08AM (#5970832)
      Neither.

      It's the GB Player. It's a little device that plugs into the bottom of the gamecube.

      There's picture and an article here:
      http://www.gamespy.com/hardware/march03/gbp layer/

      It lets you play gameboy games on the gamecube, with a gamecube controller.
      • A +5 not even for reading the article -- but merely for being bothered to look at the picture.

        This has got to be one for the records. :-)

  • Makes up for the lack of PAL s-video... (Score:4, Interesting)

    by Kris_J ( 10111 ) on Friday May 16, 2003 @03:41AM (#5970756) Homepage Journal
    Finally something to make up for the fact that Nintendo screwed over Australia for the sake of Europe. RGB might be popular there, but equipment in Oz tends to go for S-Video first. Finding out that the PAL GC has no S-video stopped me from buying one. Since I'm a huge fan of the GBA, bundling the adapter will probably change my mind.

    That is of course if Australia ever sees the bundle.

  • This certainly sparked my interest. With such an adapter I could play the games I bought for the GBA. Not only that, but for people with a flash card they can play their own made games on it too.
    Most likely you can also use a GB-bridge to also play all your old games from the original gameboy on tv, that would be nifty.

    Oh and of course, I could also play the great games from the Cube.
    • The Game Boy Player [planetgamecube.com] is the piece of hardware that is going to be bundled with GameCubes, and it supports Game Boy Advance, Game Boy Color, and original Game Boy software.

      No hacky GB-bridge type thing required.

      • The Game Boy Player, like any other GBA compatible hardware, does not support the original GB/GBC carts' analog sound connector. Thus Pocket Music for Game Boy Color won't run.

        The Game Boy Pocket, Game Boy Color, and GBA don't have the original (large) Game Link connector. The Workboy PDA conversion kit requires this connector.

        • If there's anyone out there that could find something that doesn't work with the Game Boy Player, it would have to be you, yerricde :)

          I'd feel pretty safe in saying that anyone with just standard, old, and boring official games that are simple cartridges that don't use any special features would work. Of course, fancy things like pinball games with vibrators, tilting games, cameras, printers, third-party keyboards, AM/FM tuners, mp3 players, and other "lesser known" hardware and games may have problems.

          Th

  • This is good news (Score:5, Insightful)

    by nicky_d ( 92174 ) on Friday May 16, 2003 @04:10AM (#5970838) Homepage
    One great aspect of this is it will allow big-screen, front-room access to wonderful games like Advance Wars [nintendo.com] and its imminent sequel - games which have far more depth than the majority of PS2/GC/Xbox titles, but don't stand a chance of being released on any of the 'proper' consoles because they're 2D, "old school", blah blah blah. Hell, until its big brother shows up, Mario Kart Advance is flat-out the best 'fun' racer you can play on the current platforms. Yeah, that's like having a SNES in your front room (no bad thing), but a great game is a great game, just like a poor one is a poor one, regardless of poly count and shaders. Truth be told, this will probably lead to my GBA games taking up far more screen time than their GC shelfmates. Bonus.
    • I wonder if you will be able to play Mario Cart Advance 2-4 player on the Gamecube. If so I will definately be buying one of these things for my 'cube
      • Well, the cartridge doesn't allow for split-screen games, but I guess someone could write software to create four separate GBA sessions on a single GC and orchestrate a multiplayer split-screen game of the adapter cartridge that way, but I'd be very surprised if Nintendo did this. Then again, they do push the system link capabilities of the GBA, so it's something they might look at for the adapter.
        A lot of titles offer multiplayer games with only one cartridge, which would help. Some require multiple carts

        • Have a LAN party (Score:2, Informative)

          by yerricde ( 125198 )

          but I guess someone could write software to create four separate GBA sessions on a single GC

          No. It's not emulated. There is only one piece of GBA hardware in the GB Player accessory.

          The proper way to run four-player Mario Kart Super Circuit on TVs is LAN-party style. Get four TVs, four GameCube systems and four GB Player accessories (or four GCN/GB Player bundles), four copies of the game (most games artificially limit what is available with one cartridge), and a 4-player link cable. Then connect the

    • I'm a huge fan of 2D games too, but I've never owned a GB because of the tiny screen. Sorry, I can't handle 2 inch screens.

      But even more exciting than the gameboy player is the Hori Digital Controller [lik-sang.com]. This is what will make the GB player a must have, at least for me.

  • Nintendo keeps talking about their grand Gamecube/Gameboy intergration plans, but honestly the whole thing is really just too gimmicky for me. Most of the uses that Nintendo has come up for this have seemed really forced - added to the game just to use the connection - rather than well thought out or beneficial to gameplay in any way.

    In the new Zelda game, for example, you could use the Gameboy Advance connection to summon up a little flying dude that would drop bombs to uncover secret treasures. But you
    • I agree with you on some accounts. I've played most of the GBA/GC linkable games, and unfortunately a lot of them are unncessary gimmicks. However there are several that are an absolute blast, namely the Zelda Wind Waker additions. You can essentially play with 2 people, but even if you don't the game is completely different if you play through it with the GBA attached. Much fun.

      I'm glad that you don't *have* to use the GBA though. You kind of mention that in a negative aspect at the end of your parag
    • To my understanding and experience with the linking of the GBA and the GC it does add to some games.
      I myself don't own a GC (yet) but my smaller brothers do, and they really liked the way they could swap pokemon with several games. They were actually playing games to gain pokemon so they could use them on the GB. I know this example is from the Nintendo64, but I can imagine this should work the same for the GC.

      All extras are cool anyway. It just adds to the fact you can use your entertainment machines t
    • "In the new Zelda game, for example, you could use the Gameboy Advance connection to summon up a little flying dude that would drop bombs to uncover secret treasures. But you don't need to do it, and it adds nothing to the game experience. "

      Actually, if you have a friend watching over your shoulder, (or an obnoxious sibling) it gives them something they can do. You don't just look for stuff with him, he can fight enemies as well. You can drop bombs on enemies for 10 rupees. There are other spells as we
    • They don't want to make games unplayable without the GBA linkup feature.

      However, especially in Animal Crossing, if you have the feature, you're in for even more wicked gameplay. A whole bunch of the connectivity they're showing (GBA as a controller, GBA 4 swords link to Cube, Crystal Chronicles, etc) looks like they thought about the games around the GBAs. Pokemon Collesium's probably going to really take advantage of it, not just as something that's cheaper and more reliable than ye olde N64 transfer pa
      • [PS2/Sony] might start to lose momentum these next 6 months. We'll see how the summer and fall turn out.

        Your optimism is encouraging, but my guess is this: despite having the oldest technology and fewest unique features, the PS2 will still be the most heavily advertised console. Consumers, being what they are, will still flock to the one with the most ad placements and bright, flashing lights.

        --Jeremy

  • Gah! (Score:2, Insightful)

    by Daetrin ( 576516 )
    When are they going to learn? IANA Marketing Executive, but last i heard the GameCube did pretty badly over christmas because they didn't match the XBox's special offer, and are now only begining to catch up again thanks to Zelda. Now they are yet again deciding not to follow step with the other consoles, and thinking it will somehow turn out alright. Yeah, Sony is doing the broadband adapter bundle, but they're _also_ lowering the price on PS2s without the bundle! And Microsoft got the clue and dropped the
  • Any word on whether or not a free game still comes with the GameCube with this deal? Or will the Gameboy Player "replace" the free game in the deal?

    If you don't know what I'm talking about, several (all?) stores have been bundling a GameCube with a game for $149.

    For example:

    http://www.ebgames.com/ebx/ads/shops/createabundle /gc/default.asp [ebgames.com]

    The Gameboy player is definitely cool, but being I already have a GBA, I'd prefer the GameCube + Metroid Prime = $149.

    --

    jason

  • How about an SNES/NES/N64 Player (Score:4, Interesting)

    by PaddyM ( 45763 ) on Friday May 16, 2003 @08:04AM (#5971410) Homepage
    Come on Nintendo. You know you could do it.
  • For some GB games (e.g. Kirby's Tilt and Tumble) part of the control method is literally to move and tilt the controller - of course, for the GB this means you're tilting the entire unit and in fact there is a tilt sensor in the cartridge itself.

    How will this translate to the GameCube adapter? I wouldn't want to pick up, and tilt or shake anything that had an optical drive in it...
    • That's true, but that tilt and tumble motion sensor was only used in about two games.

      Second, I'd also point out that these games are incompatible with the new GBA SP, since the games load from the bottom (as opposed to the top) and therefore the directions are reversed when tilting the unit.
    • They've already stated that some games just won't work. Tilt-games, and games that rely on the IR sensor won't work.

    • How will [GBC tilt games] translate to the GameCube adapter?

      Poorly.

      That is, unless Nintendo adds a function to the driver disc that emulates the tilt sensor's signals using the C stick.

  • Does anyone know how much the Game Boy Player will cost when purchased separately? I like my Cube, but I'd prefer to not have to buy another one...
  • This sounds a bit like a Super GameBoy on steroids. However, I suppose that it would be a lot more practical nowadays with GBC and GBA games. Original GB games didn't look all that great on the big TV with the SGB even with the small visual facelift it offered. GBA games don't suffer from that.
  • I hope this doesn't replace the "free game" bundle. Between them, Nintendo has a really great bundle going. With this instead of the free game, though, I think it would be a step backward. =/
  • Does the GB Player allow for GC/GB connectivity? For example, if I have Sonic Adventure 2 and Sonic Advance, can I transfer my Chao (tamagotchi raisable thingy) from a GB cartridge to the Gamecube game and vice-versa?

    I think you can't, since apparently you need to boot up the GB Player with a special disk, so you couldn't swap to a GC game for transfer.

    Can anybody who owns one of the Players confirm or reject this impression?

    • Does the GB Player allow for GC/GB connectivity? For example, if I have Sonic Adventure 2 and Sonic Advance, can I transfer my Chao (tamagotchi raisable thingy) from a GB cartridge to the Gamecube game and vice-versa?

      Future versions of these games will be able to access the Game Boy Player hardware, just as they accessed the Transfer Pak back on the N64. For now, you can link a GCN with a game to a GCN with a GB Player.

      • Future versions of these games will be able to access the Game Boy Player hardware, just as they accessed the Transfer Pak back on the N64. For now, you can link a GCN with a game to a GCN with a GB Player.
         [if I had mod points, you'd have +1 informative from me :-( ]

        Given this fact, if there was a cheaper GB Player, I might consider it, but I prefer to use those $50 to partly finance a Gameboy Instead. I might not have fullscreen, but I can use the "double screen" feature from some games without worrying

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