Game on for the Cube

By THIS IS MONEY
Updated:

 

JUST what the world needs: another games machine. Last Friday, Nintendo's GameCube joined the fun, elbowing for TV time with Microsoft's recently launched Xbox and Sony's Play Station 2. There were the obligatory price shenanigans - Microsoft sliced £100 off the Xbox, while Nintendo discounted to £130 - and the predicted (and predictable) first week sell-out.

So can you live without a GameCube? It's aimed at families with children and is about as powerful as the PS2, but, unlike its rivals, it can't play DVD movies, and there are no plans to adapt it for internet gaming. It's the only console that has Nintendo's family-friendly games, though, bizarrely, it also has exclusive rights to one of the goriest, zombie-fest Resident Evil. And it's the only console that you can plug into a Game Boy Advance to let you play mini (though limited) versions of GameCube games while on the move - although this feature hasn't yet been fully exploited.

We assembled a panel of users, aged from nine to 40, to find out how the GameCube matches up.

Nintendo GameCube £130. Small; no DVD player; no internet connector. Games cost £45.

'The small design is great,' said Anna Williams, 40, probably mindful of sitting-room clutter. 'Plus the option of four controllers means no one misses a go. And the games are really child friendly.' Her kids, James, 10, and Alice, nine, agreed, raving over the vivid colours and cartoon characters of fighting game, Super Smash Bros Melee, and surreal racing game, Super Monkey Ball. But would the Cube appeal to teenagers?

'The graphics are really good, and the controller is simple,' said Hannah Saad, 16, 'but the games are much too complex.' Sarah White, 18, and Richard Lewis, 15, disagreed. All the games are the same, they said. Even the more adult-oriented Star Wars Rogue Squadron II: Rogue Leader got short shrift for 'being boring' and for its simplistic controls.

Microsoft Xbox £199. Bulky; powerful; high-speed internet compatible; plays DVDs (with extra controller). Games cost from £40.

'Wow,' said James, after a session with Xbox's first-person shooter, Halo. 'I'll tell my parents to buy my brother one for Christmas,' said Katie Simpson, 16. Anna disagreed: 'It's too violent.'

The testers liked the four-player, minigame compilation Fuzion Frenzy. 'For beginners, this is perfect,' said Hannah. James and Sarah commented on the 'really cool' look. Graphics were highlighted as a major Xbox win on all the games tested.

Sony PlayStation 2 £199.99. Plays most games; plays DVDs; no internet gaming until at least 2003. Games from £20-£40.

Most testers had already seen a PS2, but how did it compare with its new rivals? 'I like the graphics, but I've seen better,' said James of road-race best seller, Gran Turismo 3. But he was left speechless by definitive shoot-'em-up, Metal Gear Solid

2. 'It's really quite gross,' said Hannah, as the hero went down in a pool of gore. Gamers Richard and Nick Watts, 31, both rated its superb graphics and gameplay. But PS2 games are a very mixed bunch, and they found the non-violent action-adventure Ico 'gloomy and slow'. The PS2 also got minus points for only having two controller sockets.

The verdict: PS2 came equal first, especially among the hard-core gamers, for the range of titles available. Joint first was the Xbox, which was liked for its power. This left the GameCube trailing in last place. The lack of 'grown-up' games left even the children cold. Only Anna, the mum, voted for it.

The best GameCube games:

1. Star Wars Rogue Squadron II: Rogue Leader:
Chock-full of space battles and gorgeous effects. But a bit easy for hardened battlers. 8/10; Nintendo.

2. Super Monkey Ball:
Pilot a tiny monkey-in-a-ball through hazardous mazes. You tilt the maze rather than controlling the monkey. Crazy, but great fun. 8/10; Sega.

3.Pikmin:
Comes out in June. A bizarre half puzzle, half real-time strategy game set in an overgrown garden. Nintendo at its best. 9/10; Nintendo.

4. Luigi's Mansion:
Ghostbusters meet Dustbusters. You exorcise spirits by vacuuming up ghosts. The let-down? It's over all too quickly. 6/10; Nintendo.

5. Wave Race: Blue Storm:
This jet-ski game looks superb. The tropical sea ripples and reflections make you wish you were there, but the courses can be frustrating to navigate. 6/10; Nintendo.

Most watched Money videos