Nintendo 64 vs. Nintendo GameCube
 

So I had a discussion about Nintendo consoles in general earlier today. It started on the SNES, and ended up being about comparing both N64 and the NGC.

Both were pretty great consoles. The best domestic Nintendo consoles after the SNES, imo. But which one was better? Let's compare them, shall we?

N64

- Had better Mario and Zelda games than the GC. Mario 64 is definitely better than Sunshine, even though the latter is still a good game. As for Zelda, N64 had Ocarina and MM. I'd take both of those over Wind Waker or Twillight Princess.

- It was on the market when Rare was at the top of its game. Banjo-Kazooie, Banjo-Tooie, Conker's, Diddy Kong Racing, Blast Corps, Jetforce Gemini, etc. Nintendo GameCube didn't have the same luck.

- Had the best Star Fox game;

- Had the best Mario Party games;


GameCube

- Had the best F-Zero game of all time;

- Had a better SSB game than the N64;

- Had Metroid games, unlike the N64;

- Had a better Mario Kart. 64 was fun as hell back in the 90s, but Double Dash is a better game and has aged better as well;

- Had Eternal Darkness and also Resident Evil games(one of them an exclusive, I think) and an esclusive Metal Gear Solid game;

- Had more RPGs. N64 didn't have a game like Tales of Symphonia, per example.


GC aged better than the N64. Although the N64 means more to me nostalgia-wise. That being said, I'd rather play GC nowadays. It's a fairly underrated console and it was the least great domestic Nintendo console, imo.

So what about you?

I like any Nintendo system and own both of those systems. I prefer N64 just because it was apart of my childhood and know what a game changer it was for game systems there on pun unintended. I spent countless hours Mario 64, Super Smash Bros., Mario Kart and still play those three to this day on the N64.

I was around 6-10 years old at the time N64 was on the market, so it has more of a nostalgic effect on me, but I'm not clouded by such effect. Mario 64 and Banjo definitely aged gracefully, though.

The N64 had the more groundbreaking games for the obvious answer that it was the first 3D Mario, first 3D Zelda, first 3D Mario Kart, first 3D Starfox, etc...and then you had all of Rare's games.

Gamecube had some fantastic games too, most notable Smash Bros. Melee, Metroid Prime 1 and 2, Wind Waker, Paper Mario 2, F-zero GX, Pikmin 1 and 2, Donkey Kong: Jungle Beat, Luigi's Mansion etc. Sunshine wasn't as good as the other 3D Mario's but its still fun. I'm also partial to both Starfox games but I know others don't like 'em as much.

Which console had the better Zeldas, in your opinion? Also have you played the Mario Golf and Tennis games on both consoles? And both Wave Race games?

Half the time I played the Wii I played Gamecube on the Wii. Most of what I played was Rocky especially story mode, the three 2003 era games but after I unlocked TMNT: Arcade Game and Turtles In Time Arcade I played those since I already beat the main game. Its funny that I was playing a Nintendo game on a Gamecube disc on the Wii.:lol:

Nothing wrong with playing GC games on the Wii. The day my PS2 Slim finally dies, I'll just get a PS3.

The N64 was before my time (I wasn't even a year old when it first came out), whereas the Gamecube's lifespan years were nearly identical to my prime childhood years (2001-2006). So I won't vote because it wouldn't be particularly fair. But I've played both consoles strenuously and I've had a better overall experience with the Gamecube.

I got a PlayStation in 1998 but in 2002 it died without warning. The systems with the computer based technology is not going to last like the good old Sega or N64 and others. Nintendo Entertainment System worked only 60 % of the time back in its heyday but the rest of those 20 years or older systems function amazingly well. Of all the games systems I have Nintendo, Sega Genesis, N64, PlayStation, Gamecube, Wii, and upgrade Gameboy as I need to from the bulky B&W to color to Advanced to DS to 2DS.

My SNES still works pretty well 23 years after. And my NES only stopped working around 2009-2010. N64 and GC work great still. However my PS2 Slim, which isn't even 10 years old, has had some problems loading games in the last 3-4 years. The black piece with the lenses goes forward sometimes, which can freeze games or make it unable to load them.

Never had a Microsoft console but heard they tend to break easily. People say it's because Japanese hardware is better than the American one but how does that explain my Sony console issue then? And my Saturn making the screen go apeshit flickering through 4:3 and 16:9 resolution every 3-4 seconds since like 2002? Maybe its Nintendo that has the best hardware overall?

It very well could be the case but remember the rubbing alcohol and crossing her fingers that the game will work and not get messed up? Bubble Bobble hardly ever worked on NES. I mainly played the TMNT games and the first Super Mario Bros. and those worked most of the time. That was the only system I had issues with booting up when I played it regularly. I believed it was the computer reliant consoles of today that just does not have technology that will last over such a long time the older tech has. That was what Gamestop told me about my PlayStation ages ago.

No, I only remember everyone believing the myth that blowing into a cartridge would make it work, because when a game didn't boot up, it was assumed that the cartridge simply had some dust in it.

I never had N64. At the time, I didn't see the appeal all that much, despite being a Nintendo head exclusively to that point. I instead had the Playstation. I love much of it's games now that I've been able to experience them other ways, but for the most part, I'd still take Crash Bandicoot over Super Mario 64. I did have the Gamecube, & it helped to re-solidify my love for Nintendo at the time, & I still play it often (not that there's a Nintendo console I don't play regularly :trazz:). Smash Bros Melee, Wind Waker, need I say more? I mean, I could, but I'm lazy.

Me and my brother got the Saturn and the N64. I was a kid, so I obviously wasn't the one who picked those consoles. Funny how he went for the Saturn instead of the PS1, considering the latter was hyped like hell and Saturn was considered a disappointment. Maybe its price went down pretty fast, dunno.

Not that Saturn was a bad console, anyway. it had some good games on it, and some of its best stuff dint'even get released outside of Japan.

What are we even talking about here? Game quality? Importance? If we're talking about which one is still worth owning and playing it's the Gamecube. There's zero contest there.

N64 was an incredibly important machine with some of the most groundbreaking games of the era, games that defined 3D design, but the library has soured and anything worth playing it on has better sequels, remakes or ports elsewhere. The N64 also lacks a secondary level of quality software beyond the heavy hitting Nintendo first-party. They exist to an extent, but the Gamecube has a far more interesting library, especially now that time has passed.

Man, I feel old reading stuff like this. I was already a teenager when the N64 was out. Sometimes I forget that some people actually started with the N64 or Gamecube as their first console.

Man us 80's kids are getting old.

Wait until the kids on here are getting nostalgic over Angry Birds, then we can feel old.

I'm talking about game quality, basically. I'm not asking which one was more important or more innovative for their time. Obviously you can talk about that if you want to, but at the end of the day, what truly matters to me in a console, is if I like its games. And I prefer GC's games nowadays.

I agree with what you said.

The PS2's insane success has overhadowed its competition, which unfortunately has led to many people miss out on DC/GC/Xbox classics.

I was born in 1990, so the only reason I actually played on the NES/SNES/Genesis as a kid was because my older brother owned them. Otherwise, the first console I'd have touched would have probably been the N64 or the PS1. It was the first generation I actually remember, though. By the time I was old enough to pick up a controller, the 16 bit generation was already near its end.

One thing I wonder is how did teenagers and adults react to PS1/Saturn/N64 games back then. As a 1st-2nd grader, obviously my jaw dropped every time I saw images of a new game for each of those consoles, especially N64.

Btw, I feel old when i realize that games like Super Smash Bros. Melee are already over a decade old. I still remember 2002 Christmas and us getting the GC alongside with Melee and Sunshine.

I've always thought the GameCube was under-rated. I was the only one among my friends that owned one and I was always trying to talk them into getting one. It's an odd little system with interesting games. The only thing I dislike about it is the controller. That thing is just horribly designed.

The N64 really brought to focus the whole 3D aspect but while playing I always got the feeling that the game was unfinished. It was one of those systems that you "had to be there" when it came out to really appreciate. There is no denying the importance of GoldenEye or MarioKart though.

I've had like two classmates who had a GC. It didn't sell much in my country. 95% of the kids at the time went for the PS2.

I've played some Banjo-Kazooie last Summer and it has aged well. Not as magical as it was obv, but it's still playable. Ocarina also replayed it not too long ago. Still a good game, but not the "best game ever" like I'd call it back in 1998 :P

How did it give you the feeling that games were unfinished? And you mention Mario Kart instead of Mario 64 or even Ocarina?

I'd award the Gamecube the based on the controller configuration alone. I can't stand the placement of the thumbstick and d-pad (practically useless) on the N64 standard controller.

Yea, the N64 controller d-pad... what games used it?

N64 had a huge controller. I liked it at the time, but GameCube had a better one. The best Nintendo controller will always be SNES, imo.

Mario 64 is actually a good example of an unfinished game. It wasn't visually appealing to me mainly because the environment felt too empty. I understand that's just the way it was for a newly developed type of game and each system is limited but I couldn't get past it. The gameplay felt sloppy also. I despise games that rely heavily on jumping, yet the controls are no where near precise.
Mario Kart was so much more polished.

I haven't played Ocarina enough to discuss it but I don't think I've ever played a Zelda game I didn't like.

Gamecube hands down. The Gamecube is to the N64 what Super Nintendo was to the NES. While the NES and N64 were the more revolutionary consoles, they both existed during an awkward time for games. There's definitely good games to be found in each but 2D and 3D gaming were still just being realized with the NES and N64. It was their successor that perfected the formula. Games felt smoother, looked noticeably better, and even tried new things.

Nevermind the unique console design, the great controller layout, the wavebird, and the Gameboy Player add-on. The games is where the Gamecube really shines. We were introduced to Luigi's Mansion. Metroid finally made the transition from 2D to 3D. Resident Evil was perfected with REmake and even revolutionized third-person action games with RE4. It also had better versions of Mario Kart and Smash Bros. Then there's Mario and Zelda. While most people usually prefer Mario 64 to Sunshine, I've always preferred Sunshine for its unique setting and charming music. Controls may have been a bit slippery but I felt FLUDD really helped balance that out. Ocarina of Time and The Wind Waker are both really amazing but Gamecube ultimately gains the advantage for having both games available in its library as well as Twilight Princess.

With that said, Gamecube wins, no contest. It's a shame it was such a criminally underrated console. It's by far one of my favorites, if not, my all-time favorite console.

Never had an N64, but played friends' consoles in the college dorm, mostly Goldeneye and Ocarina. Despite that, I feel I got much more gameplay out of the Gamecube. I loved Sunshine and Wind Waker. I developed an obsession with Animal Crossing (which curiously didn't continue to subsequent AC games).
Despite being a huge Zelda fan, I to this day have never made it to the end of Ocarina. Even though I purchased the superior 3DS upgrade to the game, I still haven't beaten it. Same with Mario 64. Something about these games always makes me eventually lose interest, while I stuck with Sunshine and Wind Waker to the end easily. I know I'm in the minority here.
So for me, Gamecube all the way.

This post is some next level bullsh*t. My mind is reeling.

You pretty much nailed it, without even going super deep on the stellar library.

Easy there, it's just my opinion.

Never owned a GC but I love my N64! Played a GC and although I never owned one I kinda wish I had bought one

Gamecube all the way. I would even take GC Zeldas before the ones on N64.

You can't have an opinion about a factual statement. The game isn't unfinished. The stuff about the controls being bad is a poor opinion, seemingly arrived at because of a distinct lack of knowledge and/or experience, but you not enjoying it and thinking it's a bad game is a totally valid opinion.

As far as the people who think the N64 is a superior console...I do have to wonder where they're coming from? It almost has to be an entirely nostalgic choice, or else one based on limited experience with both consoles. Gamecube had Ultimate Muscle, guys. ULTIMATE. MUSCLE. But for real, if any of the people who voted N64 can give me a solid case beyond nostalgia/never playing a GC I'd love to hear it.

The guy I talked to abotu this before making this thread told me he preferred N64 by far. And then I went on comparing both console's libraries and when I began listing good GC games he simply said "none of those appeal me. I liked N64 for the Rare platformers, Mario 64, GoldenEye and Perfect Dark. Melee was cool, tho."

N64 was a big hit with people who couldn't afford to or didn't "Need" to play a lot of games, like if they didn't have a wide variety of interests and were satisfied with just Mario and Zelda stuff. Or like if all a person played was wrestling games, the N64 is pretty much the only console you'd ever need unless you *really* cared about graphics, and those are super-casual gamers so they wouldn't. So, basically, people who'd say they prefer N64 generally have a much more narrow range of interest as far as what games they play. But it's a bigger group of oddballs than you'd think.

But yeah, objectively the Gamecube kills it from every angle, really. Especially once you stick that GBA Player on it and quadruple the amount of games you can play on it.

Nintendo 64 games could b kinda expensive though. Especially Rare games form what I recall.

Saturn's price lowered significantly only a year or two after it hit the market. So I bet some people took advantage of that to buy one and several games for low prices before they were taken out of the stores.

And it's crazy how many wrestling games were on the N64.

Only 4 or 5 worth playing, but they're also the only ones you'd ever need. To this day I know dozens of people who ONLY play those games, and nothing else, no Mario or Zelda, just No Mercy forever until the sun goes supernova. And a few others who do that and then maybe also have a 360 for the WWE games and nothing else. It's weird. To me, buying any console only to play 4 or 5 games seems kind of a waste, but y'know, whatever, it's Your hobby, you do it how You like it.

But yeah, literally the ONLY people I've ever heard say the N64 was their favorite console, also said No Mercy was their favorite game of all time. So, y'know, it's kind of a shallow opinion. I'd be shocked if anyone who "really" played video games honestly preferred it over the Cube.

Many prefer the 64 over the GC. about 40% of the people in the poll thus far, per example. And it's not just on this forum. Like Peanut said, it's probably more nostalgia than anything else. Also, people tend to prefer the Mario and Zelda games on the n64 over the GC ones, which I guess kinda influences their final decisions. I mean, people have different tastes. If everyone was objective and on the "right side", no one would rank any domestic Nintendo console above the SNES :lol:

I can see people buying consoles not just for games nowadays, since they can play DVDs, blurays, etc. hell, PS2 being a cheap DVD player really helped selling the system, per example. But a console like N64 where all you can do is play games? Buying it just for a couple of wrestling games? Those people most be really big wrestling fans.

From my experience, the typical N64 collection consists of: Ocarina, Mario 64, Majora's Mask, Star Fox 64, Mario Kart 64, at least a couple of Rare Games, one of the Mario Party games, that ****** South park game, Turok, and a sports or wrestling game(if people are fans, that is). I swear, 95% of the N64 collections I've seen all look more less like that. Oh plenty had Wave race and Pilotwings 64 as well. The only other console I can think of from the top of my head where like everyone seems to have the same games is Sega Saturn.

Btw, N64 multiplayer was a blast back in the day. Remember Mario Kart, DK64 and GoldenEye multiplayer modes? Also those Mario Party games when the series was new? Good times. First console where I experienced multiplayer with 3 other people.

Well, there's certainly nothing wrong with it but it's still kind of odd, to me. I mean the Cube just has more games and as others have said, the best N64 games are done better elsewhere. I'unno.

Meanwhile, the N64 is almost all I've personally messed with for the past few weeks. :lol:

Which N64 games have been ported? I know that there's remakes of OoT, MM, Diddy Kong Racing and SF64 on the 3DS. And that Mario 64 had been sorta remade for the the DS. And you can also play OoT on the GC if you buy Wind Waker's bundle with it. But what about other classics? have they been ported or remade? I don't really count Animal Crossing's GC remake/port since the N64 version was only released in japan iirc.

The N64 seemed like a stepping stone to the Game Cube. The N64 did these new ways to play the game, it just didn't do it very well.

Allow me to help you get caught up. When I said the game was unfinished I was referring to an earlier post of mine that said the game just FELT unfinished. Maybe I only feel that way in comparison to other games, I don't really know. I do prefer Playstation controllers over all others so maybe that's why I don't like Nintendo's. The layout just doesn't work well with my hands I suppose.

Dude...what? SM64 and OoT were not only game changing, genre defining 3D games, they were also (and still are) incredibly designed games that stand the test of time.

Hmm. Were you actively involved with games at that time, or did you come to all of this stuff later? Trying to wrap my head around the environment that would foster your particular stance. Also, the original PS controller didn't even have an analog stick, so making the controller comparison where it concerns a title like SM64, the game that revolutionized 3D analog control, doesn't really hold water. Unless you're a huge fan of Croc, then I don't even know what to say.

Like...what? What other classics are there? Conker has a steller remake on the Xbox and in August the N64 version is being updated for Rare Replay on X1, both Banjo-Kazooie games and Perfect Dark have superior HD ports on the 360 and what else is there? You can go to fringe games like Ogre Battle 64 or Mischief Makers, but those are few and far between. There are better sequels, ports and remakes of nearly everything worth playing on the N64.

Also, took longer than I thought for someone to come in here and spew over those f*cking N64 wrestling games.

Oh, right. Banjo had a remake on the 360. Totally forgot about that one. Didn't know about Perfect Dark and Conker's remakes, though. Then again I've never owned a Microsoft console and don't really pay attention to what goes on there. I guess it makes sense, though, since MS owns Rare. Also, you know what I'd really love to see a remake of? Blast Corps. I loved that game as a kid. Imagine that game with better graphics and with improved gameplay :o

Pilotwings 64... well there was a game on the 3DS, wasn't there? I guess that's included in sequels that are better? GC also has a Wave Race game.

A GoldenEye remake would be nice... but that game has issues that go deeper than dated graphics. It's really a game that you had to be there to play it.

What about the Turok games? I own the first one, Dinosaur Hunter, but could never get into it. Then again I've never been a big shooter guy.

And what's wrong with N64 wrestling games? You think they've aged poorly? I haven't tried them out but judging from the videos and images I've seen, they look pretty dated. Although big fans of those games have told me that they actually play quite well still and that you need to ignore the dated graphics in order to enjoy them properly nowadays.