Gamecube - recomendations?

Jet

I was undecided about what to get my 7 year old for Xmas. He wants a games console and I thought I would get him either a Playstation II or an X box.

However, after posting on another thread, I am now considering a Gamecube. We already have a very old handed down super nintendo with a super mario game which he really loves, he also loves Pokemon - so a gamecube seems the way to go.

What would you recommend in the way of extra's? Do you need to buy extra memory for example?

Spilt_Milk

Most little kids will love Gamecube for the types of games you mentioned.

My nine year old cousin loves Mario Kart.

The great thing about the cube is it wasn't oo poluar here, most AB males only want to play football and shoot people, so there's loads of games availbe very cheap.

You can get 2nd hand memory in GAME for a couple of pounds.

Ivrytwr3

Nooooooooooooo!! Gamecubes suck!!!

The X Box is really an adult gaming machine.

PS2 is a mixture, you can get the adult games, but there are a lot of kiddies games. Also there is the eye toy and singstar microphone (both currently on offer from Play.com).

Don't give your kids a game cube, do you want them to be bullied?! Hee hee

emujuice

The game cube is a great console, it has some really fun and unique games that just aren't available on other consoles. the cube is definitly what i'd recomend for a 7 year old, especially if he likes mario. it's certainly the cheapest as well. we've got every console going in our house and my preference is the cube. the xbox has some amazing games but they are more adult. the ps2 does have a mix, but nothing that is particularly special.
recomeneded games are:
mario kart
donkey konga - bongo playing game, can be picked up for 20 quid with bongos if you look - lots of fun.
zelda windwaker , or 4 swords if he has a GBA.
smash brothers melee
luigis mansion
there's lots of mario branded games also, such as mario party 5 or 6.
shrek 2 (you can play this as a 2 player co-operative so you can help him out)
also consider a nintendo DS as an alternative to the cube. this has some great games, and is a new console so will continue to have new games developed, although it is more expensive (90 versus 40 or 50 pounds) it doese free up the TV for you to watch!

Savvy_Sue

Ivrytwr3 wrote:

Nooooooooooooo!! Gamecubes suck!!!

The X Box is really an adult gaming machine.

PS2 is a mixture, you can get the adult games, but there are a lot of kiddies games. Also there is the eye toy and singstar microphone (both currently on offer from Play.com).

Don't give your kids a game cube, do you want them to be bullied?! Hee hee

Well we have 2 gamecubes in the house, and my 3 boys have never been bullied. The older two could afford to buy one of the alternatives as well, but have never seen the need. Friends who've got an XBox or PS at home really enjoy seeing something different. Be different, stick out from the herd!

carol_a_3

My son, (15 now) has had Nintendo consules since he was 6, first the SNES, then N64, now Gamecube and Game boy DS. He, my nephews and lots of his friends love Nintendo and I won't tell you what they call Playstations! (Touch wood) we have never had a single machine go wrong and all the games have been brilliant, especially the Mario ones, Zelda, Banjo Kazooie, Yoshi etc etc, real family entertainment and you can plug in 4 controllers. I agree with the post above about Mario Kart, it's great. PS. They have never been bullied either.

Ivrytwr3

I know a bit about the gaming industry, i have owned almost every console. The gamecube is dying hence the bargain prices. It has gone the way of the Sega Saturn, the Dreamcast, the jaguar etc.....

There are some impressive games out there (Star Wars franchise invested in the Gamecube) but it is not here for the long term like the PS's or X Box.

m00

Ivrytwr3 wrote:

I know a bit about the gaming industry, i have owned almost every console. The gamecube is dying hence the bargain prices. It has gone the way of the Sega Saturn, the Dreamcast, the jaguar etc.....

There are some impressive games out there (Star Wars franchise invested in the Gamecube) but it is not here for the long term like the PS's or X Box.

Thats the most utter piece of rubbish Ive read on this board. sorry but to give info like that is just plain wrong.

As with the other replies the consensus is that for a 7 yo the gc would be wonderful for them. great games more than enough to keep them going for the next few years. Also really cheap!

None of the mainstream rubbish you get with the ps2/xbox who ARE being phased out - LONG TERM??? - xbox 360 is out next month and PS3 out Before easter next year. Talk about long term * they are going to be very expensive and in high demand so best wait a while for them to settle down!

Its your little boys first console and believe me he'll be very grateful you bought him a nitendo!

Sorry strayed off topic, but you would never go wrong with going for the Mario games. Super Monkey ball is very very addictive. Get teh bongos brilliant fun! Memory card wise go for the largest you can find and you'll be fine!

I dont think Ive got any other extras, if you can afford to and you son wants, get 4 conttorllers so you can really enjoy the social side of the gaming. - Almost forgot 4 player bomberman is the most addictive fun you can have with 4 controllers, 3 mates and lots of alcohol!

emujuice

as for the 'out of date' issue. Sony, microsoft and nintendo are all bringing out new consoles in the coming year, with the xbox360 coming before christmas. the joy of the cube is that the console itself is only around 40 quid, so it's not a massive investment. the nintendo revolution when i comes out will problably be a couple of hundred, however it will suport any game cube games you already have, so you could quite happily play on the cube for as long as you want, then if he's really into it, upgrade to the revolution later, and still play your fave games. some of the cubbe games can be expensive, but the kit itself is extremely cheap.
the ps2 and xbox will also be replaced, but they still cost around £100 to buy, so it's more of an investment.
HTH
ps supermonkey ball is fab!
pikmin is also great, if you're willing to help him on the more difficult puzzles!

kipper_2-2

My son (Who's eight) loves his gamecube, he is also fortunate enough to have a PS2.

He loves the Mario/Monkeyball games and there are a lot of child friendly games for GC.

As for consoles "going out of date" I personally think that is utter rubbish, there is a huge retro gaming market out there and if the kiddy is happy, then so be it.

My son has huge pleasure playing on his uncle's Sega Megadrive/NES/SuperNES (I do too!)

Also not everyone has the money or inclination to "keep up with the joneses" when it come to buying games consoles.

Ivrytwr3

Thats the most utter piece of rubbish Ive read on this board. sorry but to give info like that is just plain wrong.

Please do not call other peoples opinions rubbish, especially when you do not appear to know what you are talking about. Yes, the gamecube is cheap and so are the games. However, they are not backwards compatible as are the x box and ps2.

The game cube will cease producing games when it releases it's next generation console, as did sega with their saturn and dreamcast and atari with its jaguar.

As for the retro argument i love playing my old C64 and nintendo. However, i can't see kids wanting to play gamecubes in a few years time when all their mates are playing on PS4 and 5's!!

I have an old playstation stuffed in a cupboard which i never touch, but i can still play the games on my ps2, you cannot do that with the gamecube.

Now chill out, it's an opinion, just like a**holes, everyones got one.