Nintendo GameCube

Nintendo’s long-awaited response to the PlayStation 2 came in the form of GameCube,  the company’s 128-bit gaming system unveiled at the SpaceWorld Expo in Japan a few weeks ago.  Previously known under the moniker Dolphin, GameCube marks Nintendo’s move to a CD-based media, although the company decided to forgo the DVD route and instead use custom-built 1.5 gigabyte optical disks for the machine.

Regardless of what you think of the name of the machine’s industrial design, we all know what's important: the games.  Nintendo showed an impressive demo reel at Spaceworld which featured familiar characters such as Zelda, Pokemon, and Metroid.  My favorite demo was one of Mario’s brother Luigi running through a haunted mansion.  While it certainly wasn’t a photo-realistic mansion, I actually appreciated the cartoon look to the game – it looked fun and alive, as opposed to so many PlayStation 2 demos that have thus far looked dull and uninspired.

However, Nintendo had little in the way of solid games to show for GameCube, which will arrive on U.S. shores next fall.  I have little doubt we will see a new Mario (or perhaps a Luigi game) announced at E3 next year, and you can bet your bottom dollar that it’s going to be one of the best games at the show.  After all, Nintendo has long understood that its characters are the best asset to use in selling a new gaming platform.   The firm knows that gamers will spend the money to buy a GameCube if it means they can play a new Mario game – regardless of whether they already own a PlayStation 2.

While it’s true that Sony will have the leg-up on Nintendo thanks to the October 26^th launch of PlayStation 2, believe me when I say that Nintendo will be back full force at E3 with an amazing launch lineup.  The battle for the next generation of console games is just beginning.