Celebrating the 20th anniversary of the Nintendo GameCube! Playback of classic titles from the GameCube! Part 1

On September 14, 2021, the Nintendo GameCube will celebrate its 20th anniversary. Although the total number of units sold worldwide was approximately 22 million, less than the 33 million sold by its predecessor, the Nintendo 64, there are many titles that are still in demand for remakes, and there were many bright spots, such as the controller that was easy to hold in the hand and the concept of easy title development. In this issue, we pick up eight titles released on the GameCube. We will present them in two parts, one before and one after the other.

Resident Evil 4

Image: Switch version

Genre: Survival horror
Release date: 2005/1/11
Manufacturer: CAPCOM

The fourth numbered title in the popular survival horror "Resident Evil" series, Leon S. Kennedy is the daughter of the President of the United States who has been kidnapped by someone after escaping Raccoon City, which has been turned into hell by the t-virus outbreak, and has been selected to become an agent directly under the President of the United States, Leon S. Kennedy heads to the frontier of Europe to search for Ashley Graham, the president's daughter, who has been kidnapped by unknown assailants. There, Leon finds himself fighting a mysterious organization called the Los Illuminados cult.

Compared to previous "Resident Evil" games, the game system has been completely redesigned. The fixed camera perspective has been replaced by a TPS-like perspective that follows the character's back, and the player can now not only collect items in the field but also buy and sell weapons and items with merchants using the money collected. Many new elements were introduced, such as the elimination of item slots and the use of attaché cases to manage and organize possessions.

The worldview was also tweaked, and instead of t-virus-infected zombies as in the past, "Ganado," humans taken over by the parasitic "Praga," appeared as enemies. The zombies roaming the streets with their rotting bodies were frightening to watch, but now that they are Ganado, who look no different from ordinary people as long as their parasitic bodies do not pop out, the sense of dread is somewhat lessened. Furthermore, players now have more ways to counter the threat of such enemies, with the addition of special actions that allow them to flinch and at the same time perform body techniques. Visually and systematically, the balance between action and horror in "Resident Evil" has been rethought.

If the first film created "Resident Evil" as survival x horror, "Resident Evil 4" created "Resident Evil" as action x horror. There are many people who were too scared to play the first trilogy but were able to play this one. The fixed-point camera, which could not see beyond a turn, and the control screen of the previous "Resident Evil" series, which did not display any information, were unbearably scary to me at the time, and I could only watch my father playing from behind. However, with this title, the game system and various other elements have been completely redesigned, and I was finally able to make my "Resident Evil" debut.

However, it is not so much that "Resident Evil 4" is less scary than "Resident Evil 3" and before, but rather that "Resident Evil 4" has changed the direction in which "fear" is expressed. Whereas "3" and before emphasized the psychological terror of being slowly cornered by zombies in a confined space or being hesitant to move on, "4" is more like a Hollywood movie where you fight powerful and terrifying creatures head-on.

In contrast, the action elements of "4" are more like those of a Hollywood movie, where the player faces powerful and terrifying creatures head-on. The number of items that can be picked up has increased, remaining ammunition can be managed more easily, and as already mentioned, physical techniques can be applied to a flinching opponent. The "attack the head with a knife, then kick the flinching opponent in the face" is a standard combo, and the series' customary knife-bound clear was particularly easy.

The difficulty level of each saved data was fixed to the one chosen at the beginning, so it was not possible to play on Normal and then choose the highest difficulty level, Professional, for the second lap while carrying over the data. Therefore, in order to enjoy all difficulty levels with hidden weapons such as the Infinite Rocket Launcher, it was necessary to complete Easy, Normal, and Professional, and then play Warriors with hidden weapons, in other words, at least six rounds. As a result, the number of laps and the number of saved data became very large, but I have no bad memories of this game, even though I enjoyed it. That's how much fun this game was.

As a side note, this work is also famous among fans for its "empty ears. I can't write much about it here because of the content, but I like "Nakano Burger" the best. Early in the story, Leon is in a tight spot after being attacked by the villagers, but the situation changes when the bell rings and they disappear, murmuring something to each other. The line here is "Nakano Burger" (or more accurately, "Oh, Nakano Burger"). I remember laughing to myself as I wondered why a fast food restaurant that looks like it originated in Japan is in this village, and what kind of menu Oyasama Sadler likes. You can find out the details by yourself.

Super Mario Sunshine

Genre: Action
Release date: 2002/7/19
Publisher: Nintendo

Mario's adventures take place on the tropical resort island of Dorpik. Mistaken for "Fake Mario," a graffiti artist causing trouble on the island, Mario is accused of a crime he did not commit. In order to prove his innocence, Mario and his partner "Pump" work together to collect "Shine," the symbol of light on Dorpik Island, and pursue the real culprit behind the commotion.

The Pump is literally just as he appears, and is an indispensable part of the film, as he can erase sludge (dirt) in the area by releasing stored water, or float Mario in the air by releasing it directly below him. The pump's performance can be switched depending on which of the following parts are used: the "hover nozzle," which allows the pump to stay in the air, the "rocket nozzle," which allows it to fly to high places at once, and the "turbo nozzle," which allows it to move at high speed on the ground or water, giving it a high degree of freedom to move around in any direction.

Perhaps because of the convenient pumps, the difficulty level of each stage is generally high. Many of the maps, such as "Rico Harbor," with its steel scaffolding, and "Pinner Park," with its many attractions such as a Ferris wheel, are height-conscious, and the degree of difficulty was directly related to how well the pumps were used. Once you get used to it, however, you can take shortcuts using hover nozzles and other devices, and exploration becomes more and more enjoyable. The water spray itself also has derivatives, and I loved the "sprinkler" technique, in which Mario spins around while spraying water to cover all directions, and the "scattering" technique, in which water is spread when sprayed while jumping.

Players rely on the pump in all kinds of situations, such as cruising high places, stomping on enemies, and cleaning up slop, but the scary part is that there are stages in this title where players must take on the fake Mario with that pump stolen from him. In "Super Mario Sunshine," the usual jumps and moves are commonplace, as in "Super Mario 64" and other 3D action Super Mario games, but in "Super Mario Sunshine," the commonplace is lost. Every time I control Mario without the pump, I am reminded of how much I was relying on him.

It is important to note that there are not only stages without a pump, but also various water-related situations, such as a water race on a squid, a slot using the pump's water discharge, and a boss battle against a giant Bowser with what looks like a plastic bottle rocket attached to the pump's mouth. Not only is there an ingenious way to prevent the game from becoming monotonous, but the way Dorpik Island gradually becomes brighter as you collect Shines gives you a sense of accomplishment that goes beyond clearing a stage.

There had long been requests for a remake or remaster of this title, and in September 2020, "Super Mario 3D Collection" for the Nintendo Switch, which combines "Super Mario 64," "Super Mario Galaxy," and "Super Mario Sunshine" into one HD version, was finally released. Super Mario 3D Collection" for Nintendo Switch was finally released. It is nice to be able to play "Super Mario Sunshine" on the current consoles.

Beautiful Joe

Genre: VFX action
Release date: June 26, 2003
Maker: CAPCOM

This is an action game centered on defeating enemies in spectacular fashion. In order to save Sylvia, who has been taken away to "Movie Land," a world in the movies, Joe becomes a hero named "Beautiful Joe" and confronts the evil organization, Jadoh.

The "VFX action" reminiscent of special effects in movies, such as "SLOW," which slows down the flow of time to deliver a heavy blow, "MACHSPEED," which accelerates time to attack opponents at high speed, and "ZOOM," which zooms in on Joe himself to deliver a special move, are the best part of this film. The real appeal of this work is its "VFX action" reminiscent of special effects in movies. Joe avoids attacks and counters, sometimes striking a signature pose to attract others, and performing his battles in the coolest and most spectacular manner possible. When a battle is rated highly, the audience cheers, and the production is designed to resemble a movie.

The film is structured like a movie within a movie. The audience is watching Joe's battle in Movie Land from the real world in a movie theater. I remember feeling strangely nervous while playing alone at the time. I even brought "Beautiful Joe" to a friend's house, darkened the room to create a movie theater atmosphere, and hid myself in the middle of a three-bunk bed to show off my skills.

The light-hearted banter between Joe and Jadeau's executives, which can be seen throughout the story, is full of quirkiness. The story is cool no matter how many times you see it, as Joe transforms his mask into a full-face mask and enters a battle stance, a complete change of pace from his more casual style. I even practiced the transformation pose at the beginning of the story secretly behind my parents' back then. Although the overall story is short, the game is rich in content, with levels of difficulty such as "ADULT," "V-RATED," and "Super V-RATED" that include challenging elements. The game also features a variety of characters, such as Sylvia, the girlfriend, Alastor, the boss and rival, and Captain Blue, Joe's hero, who are released as controllable characters depending on the difficulty level you complete. Not only do the characters have different performances, but their dialogue also changes depending on the hero you choose.

In terms of difficulty, "Super V-RATED" is well known among fans for its out-of-the-box difficulty. Enemies' attacks have been increased to the level of instant death, and the "VFX Gauge" required to use VFX actions such as slowdowns is also high. In addition, the "skull mark," which tells you in advance where an enemy's attack will come from, is not displayed in this difficulty level only.

This skull mark is the key to avoiding attacks, but in fact, there is a one-point technique for easily identifying attacks even without the mark.

First, when an enemy is about to attack, you should avoid the enemy either up or down in advance. If the direction of the enemy's attack and Joe's evasion coincide, the enemy will immediately attack, ignoring the time between the preparation and the attempt, but if they do not coincide, the sequence of events will be maintained and the attack will occur as soon as the preparation is completed. In other words, the calculation is to put up a mountain either up or down, and if the enemy attacks immediately, you can successfully evade on the spot, and if you miss your guess, you can evade in the opposite direction. This is tough on medium bosses and above, but it can be used to deal with most of the zakos. If you are planning to play the highest difficulty level of this game, please refer to this guide.

According to the dialogue in the game, humanity will face three crises, and fans are eagerly awaiting the release of "Viewtiful Joe 3," which will follow "Viewtiful Joe" and its sequel, "Viewtiful Joe 2: Black Film Mystery," released in December 2004. As one of them, I sent a postcard to Capcom long ago hoping for a sequel, but I wonder if they got it right.

killer7

Image: Steam version

Genre: Action Adventure
Release date: 2005/6/9
Publisher: CAPCOM

The only "CERO: Z" (18+) title for the Gamecube, this action-adventure game still boasts a cult following. The player controls Herman Smith and the other "killer7," a "multi-layered" assassin with multiple independent personalities, as they travel across the United States on behalf of the U.S. government to eliminate the "Heaven's Face" and other threats that have infested the world.

The game follows a predetermined set of paths, exploring branching routes, fighting the Heaven Smile, and sometimes using the power of a specific person among the multiple personalities to solve the mystery and advance. The game is full of quirky and artistic elements, such as the multilayered personalities, a difficult story that leaves a lot to be explored, toon rendering that emphasizes shading, and the art of "ruby," in which the word "kill" is read as "take," which has divided players into two camps.

For me, this is the most shocking game I have ever played. Not only is the story thought-provoking, but the combat with enemies, where you have to look for their weak points and attack them, is also difficult. And the interactions between characters are all poetic and unfamiliar. But I was drawn to it and played the Steam version released in 2018. Not only did I think about it on my own, but I also looked back at the story during its creation and visited discussion sites, but I still don't know the full extent of the story. As I mentioned in my previous review of the film written for Akiba Research Institute, KILLER7 exists as a dot rather than a line in the gaming industry, and I don't know what became the source of the film.

I do know that an overwhelming sense of style is hidden in the rail-based game progression and mission-based system. killer7 is also a masterpiece of Goichi Suda, who has continued to create unique works such as "Silver Incident" and "No More Heroes". Many players must have been shocked at the time by the high level of artistry described above. I believe that professional creations sway between art and commerce, but it is rare to see a game that is this close to art.

This work consists of six chapters, including the introduction. The story is all unremitting: "Angel," which shows the beginning of the fight against the enemy named Heaven Smile, "Falling Sun," a political story about the world situation and Japan-US relations, "Cloud Man," a fight against a charismatic Afro entrepreneur, and "Encounter," which describes the fate of Dan Smith, one of the multi-layered personalities. It seems to be a kind of documentary, capturing the process of the battle between the Smith Alliance led by Herman Smith and Heaven's Mile led by Kung Lan.

In particular, "Cloud Man" is particularly memorable in my mind. Andrei Ulmeida, the man in this story, is a senior executive at a major logistics company called First Life. One day, however, when he blows up an idol's live concert and has it broadcast nationwide, he uses the live broadcast to ask killer7 to find him. When we meet him, he tells us that the real reason for his search request was to eliminate him.

The company First Life did not actually exist, and URMEIDA was merely a member of a government-controlled military city. The fact that First Life, which was supposed to be known as a major corporation, was only a paper company, and the fact that the idol idol was erased, reveals Ulmeida's attitude toward the word "existence. He himself had spent his life willingly infecting himself with all kinds of pathogens and then coming back to life, as he could only feel a sense of life by risking death. It was only through death that he was able to confirm his own existence. But Ulmeida, frightened by the threat of the Havensmile, wants to be killed by someone else before she becomes the Havensmile herself.

Herman Smith and his killer7 are similar in that they have established themselves through outside factors. During the game, they switch personalities whenever they pass by a surveillance camera. They are changing their existence by being observed by someone else.

The fact that they change their appearance according to how others see them is similar to that of idols who attract people's attention, and also to that of gods who accept wishes and desires. Large entities such as the charismatic entrepreneur Ulmeida or killer7 with its god-killer, Herman, are only possible when they are recognized by someone else. ...... I suspect that what was depicted in Cloud Man was the dazzle and instability of such symbols and idols, but even if it were correct, I am not sure how it affects the story. That mysteriousness is the key to this work.

The game was first released on the Gamecube and ported to the PlayStation 2 in July of the same year; the PS2 version has had some descriptions and text modified; the version available on Steam since November 2018 has the same specifications as the Gamecube version and does not contain any restrictions. If you play now, I definitely recommend the Steam version.

(Text by Natsumu Uchiyoshi)

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