Your launch stories RAW AND UNCUT. I haven't done any spelling or grammar (or *cough* BS detector) checks. You wrote it, I posted it.

I have recieved HUNDREDS of launch stories. This is just a slice of the different stories we recieved.

This is volume #1...volume #2 coming soon!

Without further ado...here we go!

Ever since I can remember Nintendo has always been the "Best of the Best". I have been following the Cube from the begining and it has been one hell of a ride! Several days ago when you guys (meaning PGC) stated that stores were allowed to sell early, I went completely nuts!!! Right away, I called all the stores I could think of that would be selling it. But alas, they all said the launch date was the 18th and they couldb't break it. I can tell you for one thing that those several days were one of the longest days I have ever gone through in my life. But nothing could have prepared me for the night before.

I had planned to go to a local Wal-Mart to buy my Cube at midnight. After calling all the ones I could, there was only one option available to me. A super Wal-Mart that had recieved 44 Cubes. It was probably 7pm and I was waiting eagerly to leave. To pass the time I decided to call the Wal-Mart to see how big the line was. The clerc told me it was a LONG LINE. Getting off the phone I freaked out, got my keys and left for the store. I'm sure you know how bad it feels when your thinking to your self "What if I don't get one tonight!?". Trying to keep myself from speeding, I made it to Wal-Mart as eager as ever.

But the sad thing is when I got there, 8 people were in line. I was

confused and I asked several people there if this was it? They said yes, and a GIANT sigh of release came out of me. Expecting there to be teenagers I found that most of the people there were parents trying to get this one thing for their son or daughter for Christmas. About an hour had passed (felt like 3 or 4) and I had totally forgotten to get my memory card. Again I began to freak out!!! I asked one of the ladies in line and she told me they had a couple left. I briskly walked to the isle that had them and was lucky enough to get the second to last one. Another sigh of relief....

After that point it was all about the waiting. It was very interesting

seeing other avid Nintendo fans and talking with them. We shared our

favorite game series (ZELDA of course) and talked about all the time we had spent looking and reading about this system we were about to buy. The line stayed pretty small up until about 10pm. Then it basically quadrupilled in size and there were easily over 100 people there. At 11pm a manager came down and counted out the 44 cubes. Knowing that I wasn't dreaming gave me a burst of new energy that woke me up until I got it.

I have to admit, seeing all those sad faces walking away because they

couldn't get one made me laugh (I know its wrong). I thought the last 4 hours was really rough, but the fact is the closer it got to midnight the longer time slowed down. When peoples watches turned to midnight people began to yell. I was actually thinkin riot. But it didn't happen (bummer!) and at about 12:15am they began to sell. I got my Jet Black Gamecube and practically ran out the store in excitement. I got home about 20 minutes later and was up until about 3:30am playin the hell out of Rogue Leader (so %#$@ing AWESOME!!!). All I can say is that this was a night I'll never forget. Thank you Nintendo!

Eric Rawdin

Tucson, Arizona (Home of the Wildcats!!!!!)

P.S. For all of the people that got there Cubes last night or today,

congrats and have a hell of a time playing the best system out there. Also, for those that haven't gotten there Cubes, good luck and may the force be with you.....

Hello people. My name is Angel Colón and I'm from Trujillo Alto, Puerto Rico. The launch day here goes from quiet to outrageous (As it was everywere in the US). I reserved my system with Electronic Boutique in a local mall not far from my house. Except for learning days later that with Babbage's you can reserve the system outside of the infamious bundles and all the games and perpherals were cheaper than EB, everything was going normal. Except for yesterday (Saturday).

A friend of mine, who had his system reserved at the same time as mine in EB, told me that the people of EB called him. He thought that that they were calling him to tell him that his system were there and he can get it earlier. He was wrong. The call was to tell him that "there were trouble with the shippment and the system will not arrive until MONDAY." I went just like Stone Cold, WHAT!?. I just let myself been convinced by another friend to make the resevation with EB. In their $400.00 bundle, I was losing aroun $20 or so buying everything with them. So I had to make a decision: To get in my car, get to the store, ask them about it, and if is were true, ask for my money back. I was going to get my money. No matter what. Then go and torture myself for being such an idiot for letting my friend convince me to reserve a "bundle", hitting my knuckles real, REAL hard into my friend's face.

So there I was on Saturday night, in front of the register. And I asked the guy "Is it true that there's is not going to be a launch tomorrow because the systems wasn't here on time?" OK, I tried to relax myself before asking about this. I know the poor man doesn't have the fault if this was true. But it was to late. I was very pissed off to ask normally and he noticed. There was a silence of about ten seconds or so, but at the end he ask me the most impressive question of all (You will find out why. Keep reading): "Which color did you choosed your system to be?"

I told him: "purple (indigo?)

Let me check which colors(?) are available for tomorrow... (See? Impressive).

Good news for you, the color that you had choosen is the only color that will be available tomorrow. The other colors are coming on Monday! (Smart guy. Employee of the Month)

Well, apart from the "super clerk", everything went normal today (Sunday). I went at 11:30 AM or so, almost half hour after the mall opens, and except for three guys that went to buy just one system, the were nobody at the store. As soon as I went out, there were like five more persons asking for their systems. BUT, my friend (the guy who didn't got his system from THEIR store today) told me that arond 1:30 PM, the store was a mess! There even was a fight IN THE STORE! WITH "super clerk"!

But the stress is over, I finally got my system, and I'm very, VERY happy! I like happy endings. To bad for the guy who convince me to get the system in EB. He had to wait for his black GC. HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!...... OH!, that's.... sad. Ain't it?

Well, first off, i want to say is that i really do like the Gamecube. I

still cannot believe how small it is. You have to see it to believe

it. The games themselves boggle my mind too! How can something like Rouge

Leader fit on that small of a disk. Technology is amazing isn't it?

Anyways, to get back to the launch. I came home from school today to visit the family and all, and my brother mentioned that he was planning on getting a Cube just after he got off work (which was about 11PM). I offered to stand in line for him at the local Wal-Mart 24hr. Supercenter (god, they are a life saver!!). I arrived with my little sister and some books about 10PM and there were about 19 people in line ahead of me. They were all great people to talk to. We talked about football and how the game earlier today was affecting EVERYTHING in Columbia, because South Carolina beat Clemson at home for the first time in 14 years! So, needless to say, everyone was out partying and getting drunk while I was standing in line for 2 hrs! Oh well, it was worth it. Around 11:35, the man on the intercom told us that all who were paying in a check (like we were) had to go verify there accounts and stuff like that, so my brother went up there. 5 minutes later he comes back pissed as hell because he forgot that he doesn't keep any money in his checking account, it all goes to savings...so we had to rush to the nearest ATM machine and withdraw 400 dollars, but the machine only had a limit of 300!!! AGGGHHHH!!! We found out, that its 300/transaction though (pretty crappy huh?) so we rushed back and got back to the store around 11:59, just in time. He went and bought the cube, and gave me $220 to go buy a memory card, extra controller, and 3 games. We bought both the black controller and the black cube..(pretty tight). We also got Rouge Squadron 2, Luigi's Mansion, and Super Monkey Ball. I wanted Madden 2002....but its my bro's money so it was his decision!In the line was actually pretty neat. Everyone was very polite and mature. There was a cop there, but he didn't need to do anything. Most of the disorderly people were passed out, outside of Williams Brice Stadium downtown. It was a neat experience. and they had plenty of everything!! The games that were being sold were....

Luigi's Mansion

Rouge Squadron 2

Super Monkey Ball

NHL Hitz

Madden 2002

Waverace

All-Star Baseball 2002

and i think that was about it.

Had about 15-25 copies of each one, so there was plenty to go around for the 40 or so people there. We raced home (literally i might add :) and plugged it up and played till we fell asleep around 3:00AM...all in all, a great night. Thanks NINTENDO!!