Whether you want to enjoy retro gaming during the ongoing pandemic or dig into the past moments with family and friends, retro gaming devices, i.e., Gamecube and N64, might be the consoles in question.
GameCube and Nintendo 64 launched in 2001 and 1996, respectively, and both ruled the world of gaming at their launches. However, something we cannot rule out is both these consoles are among the best old game systems to buy. “Why?” you ask? Because both offer an extensive range of games and have taken part in beautifying the childhood of people – making it not only memorable but “remarkable.”
As a rule of thumb, both have unique qualities, and there’s often a debate of console gamers and the fierce war on “Nintendo GameCube vs. Nintendo N64”.
Really, which one is better? GameCube or Nintendo N64? Let’s find out.
The answer to this question differs for everyone. The two consoles in debate, Gamecube and N64, are quite like PlayStation 3 and PlayStation 4 – the console gaming beasts of this age: both coming with a different fanbase, games and suit the taste of different people.
In other words, the one ideal for someone may not be a fit for others.
If you talk about the performance and diversity of available games in mind, GameCube significantly beats N64. But from the perspective of compactness, portability, and sleekness in design, N64 rules GameCube out.
But who takes the overall lead? Let’s go through their specifications and try to figure that out.
Specifications will help us better compare these two gaming classics. Here’s a table to help you visualize it better:
Performance-wise, GameCube beats N64 with 5x faster processing power and 21 MB more memory. GameCube was known as the gaming beast of its time and contained powerful hardware. While N64 on the other hand – being 4 year older – lacks powerful internals but still ensures smooth gaming.
But design is where N64 stands out. Coming with an elegant design, It’s a fit for design-freaks who are looking for a sleek gaming console. GameCube, on the other hand, seems more of a cube or box in appearance – well, duh – and feels a little bulkier – with a significantly heavier body.
Also, the point to note is, GameCube supports connectivity between home and portable devices while N64 doesn’t. In other words, you can use some specific portable devices (e.g., some handheld consoles and smartphones) as a gamepad with GameCube.
Since the controller plays a significant role in your gaming experience, it’s a crucial factor to consider. It can either level up your gaming experience or ruin your gaming mood. Concerning the GameCube and N64, both come with elegant controllers – coming with the standard joypad design that fits your hands.
Also, the GameCube comes with two analog sticks and eight buttons. In comparison, the N64 controller packs one analog stick and seven buttons. More buttons and analog sticks equal a more complex input – but can be more helpful in the gaming consequently.
Now the question arises, “can the controllers of GameCube and N64 be switched or used alternatively?”. The brief answer is “yes”, but let us elaborate.
Both GameCube and N64 controllers come with different controller ports and require an adapter (connector) to work alternatively. However, the only problem is the difficulty in setting keys in the games since both controllers have different amounts of buttons and analog sticks.
After all, the specifications, performance, controller, and everything of a gaming console revolve around playing and enjoying games.
Diversification of available games gives you more choice. Of course, you cannot enjoy Mortal Kombat every time. Being human beings, we love to change the taste. The more tastes available, the better. Remember, a console having more games indicates its popularity.
So, which retro console has got the better games? N64 or GameCube. Let’s see.
The GameCube significantly wins the fight with over 357 more games available. In total, the GameCube and N64 come with 653 and 296 games, respectively. Thankfully, you get to see a lot of choices with either console. Whether you want to enjoy some action or casual gaming with friends, both excellently serve the purpose.
GameCube Games:
N64 Games:
But can GameCube run N64 games? Can you play N64 games on GameCube?
The short answer is no. The games specialized and developed for N64 cannot be played on GameCube due to the difference of working mechanisms – unless that game was also developed for GameCube, like Mario Kart.
And one last thing: if you think this comparison was about graphics – i.e. which has got better graphics – then no, that’s not the point of retro gaming. It’s about immersing the “retro-est” experience, which these two consoles have a strong competition in.
Here we will answer the frequent questions related to Nintendo GameCube and N64.
GameCube is worth buying in 2021 due to affordability and the exclusive collection of games.
Though time is what decides the value of a product, people never forget the legendary stuff. When it comes to the classic game consoles like GameCube, they are what colored the childhood of today’s millennials, and how can we forget those good old days?
So, if you’re willing to revive old memories or see what gaming in old days felt like, GameCube is worth buying for you.
We expect the old game consoles like GameCube to go up in value.
Though the world has moved on to advanced gaming, people could enjoy amazing real-life graphics, stunning motion effects, and smooth gameplay – it doesn’t mean old game stations are worthless.
In fact, the prices of classic gaming consoles – especially GameCube – have dramatically increased during the Covid-19 due to increase in demand, and you know the reason well: the pandemic is reviving the value of old-school games.
The N64 controllers work on GameCube. However, since there’s a difference in ports, it requires an adapter (converter) to connect the N64 controllers with GameCube.
But the problem arises when setting up keys for the games. Let us back it up a little.
The GameCube controller comes with two analog sticks and eight buttons, while the N64 controller packs one analog stick and seven buttons. You see, the games for a unique platform are developed with its hardware in mind. Since the two-game consoles under debate come with different numbers of keys, using one’s controller for another can bother you.
Legendary gaming consoles like GameCube and N64 are still a great way of enjoying spare time with family & friends and making it “remarkable.” But even if you decide to invest in one of these, which one should it be?
That’s what this article was about. Mathematically, the overall winner is GameCube, featuring more options for games and coming with faster processing power. In reality? You be the judge. Try these consoles out and see what they have in store for you.
Have queries? Let us know in the comments below. Happy retro-gaming!
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