Home > Consumer Reviews > GameCube Console - Legend of Zelda Bundle - Black

Four of the best video games. Ever. On Earth.

(Note, however, most sellers do not include the Gamecube system with purchase. Usually it is the game disc only. Read the item descriptions.)

If you don't yet have a Gamecube, this bundle is the perfect introduction to a superb gaming console. The Gamecube doesn't play DVDs or CDs, it just does what it does very very well, showcasing some of the best games you'll play on any system anywhere. Graphically, Gamecube games look great, play fast, and (in most cases) without the load times or lags that can so detract from the gaming experience. And the system is incredibly easy to work with and to hook up -- it literally takes a few minutes, tops.

This special Zelda package makes the perfect introduction to the Gamecube platform because it includes one of the finest games I've ever played (Zelda: The Ocarina of Time), now seamlessly integrated into the Gamecube environment. I'd highly recommend this particular system purchase just for the classic Zelda games alone -- in addition to OOT and other classic Link games, Majora's Mask is almost as much fun, although it's got a different feel to it, and isn't quite as seamlessly adapted into the Gamecube platform (as a transfer from the earlier platform, the game's resolution is noticeably less sharp than other Gamecube games, but it's amazing how beautiful the game still is -- and how fast you get used to it).

Other Zelda enthusiasts already know what I'm talking about -- these games manage to be smart, fun, adventurous, creative, exciting, and even humorous, all while maintaining a feeling of magic, wonder and innocence that is very very hard to capture in a game or to describe. That Ocarina of Time is able to do so is a small miracle in itself, and it does so in a rather dark and brooding fairytale environment that may surprise players who only know Zelda from the cheery cel animation of Windwaker (but I much prefer this 'classic' look myself, and was psyched to hear that Nintendo is returning to this look for the next Zelda title).

In Ocarina of Time, a young boy must save the world (Hyrule), discover his own gifts, and literally and figuratively grow to manhood. The game plays with the entire concept of time, both in its puzzles and storyline, as well as in the Ocarina, the magical instrument Link uses as a powerful resource in the game. The world Link must explore and save is beautifully rendered -- from majestic mountains, to eerie lava dungeons and icebound caves, to genuinely creepy graveyards and wastelands. The dungeons and environments Link must explore are fastidiously rendered and very detailed (and are far more complex than those in Windwaker) -- by the end of the game you'll feel like you explored a place that actually exists.

The characters Link meets are complex, funny, and brave, and Link's companion in his quests, the horse Epona, is a standout. The horse doesn't simply team up with Link, but must first be met, fed, tamed, raced, and won! Only after a series of challenging (but very do-able) tasks does Epona become Link's noble steed, and the experience of riding Epona over the fields of Hyrule, leaping fences and battling bad guys, is one of the most truly poignant gaming experiences I've ever had. (And yes I know that sentence makes me a huge geek. But I wear it proudly.)

OOT does have some surprisingly scary and creepy elements (especially in the "later" and more grown-up time period of Link's play), but for young teens and up, it's easily a game for all ages, one that will enchant adults as easily as kids. As always with Zelda, gameplay is seamless and easy to get used to, and the game introduces the player to his or her controls so seamlessly that most will never need to read the manual. And also as usual, Link's battles are never just button-mashers, but instead offer a creative variety of swordplay and battle options.

And these are just a few examples of how rich the Zelda universe is, and how much thought has gone into every puzzle and character of the game -- there are dozens more. After playing dozens of games for the Gamecube, Ocarina of Time is still a 10 for me -- by far the best game I've ever played to date. By the time you're done, Hyrule is more than a game environment, it's a fantastical universe, and one that feels as real as Middle-Earth, or Narnia, or Earthsea. Enjoy your visit there -- you won't forget it.

GameCube steps up to the plate, and ready to make a power shot in the continuing Console Wars. The system delivers everything the PS2 and X-box have, except the price and DVD features. If your into gaming, then the $99 deal shouldn't be passed up. And for Zelda enthusiasts, this is the ultimate collection. If, by chance, you already own a GameCube and would like to get the Zelda 4-pack, you have the option to either register your GameCube along with 2 new games (see list of games on Nintendo.com), or do what I did and pay $19.95 for a subscription to Nintendo Power magazine and get a free copy of the Zelda 4-pack. For more info check out www.Nintendo.com/zeldaclassic

If you dont already have a gamecube, this is a great deal. If you already have one and want the Zelda disc, you can get it my ordering a Nintendo Power subscription or register your gamecube and two of a small list of games. Go to nintendo.com.
Anyway this is a great deal. I ordered mine through a nintendo power subsription, and it is on its way.

I have almost all the systems! From NES, SNES, N64, Sega Genesis, Saturn, PS, PS2, Xbox and now a GameCube.... Anyways, I am a BIG fan of the xbox! The xbox is great; however, the nintendo gamecube does have more games than the xbox. The GameCube is also (in my opinion) better than the xbox. Graphics, Sound and all that compares to the xbox BUT the games you can get for the GameCube are WAY, WAY better than the games you can get for the xbox. I am not putting down the xbox down!! Believe me I love games like Halo and Fable BUT those games seem to be easier and quicker (maybe not so much of Fable) than games like Metroid Prime, Metroid Prime 2: Echos, Resident Evil 0,1,2,3 and RE4!!!

Anyways, I love the fact that Nintendo offers the old Zelda's, Resident Evils, ect on the Gamecube! That is a great idea and I hope they do the same for Metroid games. You can also get a a GBA or a Nintendo DS and connect to your GameCube and play GBA/Nintendo DS games. So, in essence you can play NES, SNES, N64 games on the GameCube.

All in all, Microsoft has alot to prove before ANYONE can say that the xbox is better than the GameCube!!!! Sorry xbox fans, but whats true is true!!