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GC

Game Boy Player available ONLY in Black

by Rick Powers - February 4, 2003, 10:32 am EST
Total comments: 9 Source: EB Games, GameStop

If you've got an Indigo or the new Platinum Cube, prepare for disappointment ...

In what has got to be one of the most baffling decisions we've seen, Nintendo has chosen to release the Game Boy Player add-on for the GameCube in Jet Black ONLY. Both EB Games and GameStop are both listing only the Black model available for pre-ordering. There may be additional colors after the initial launch, but if you have to have one on the first day, Black is all you can get.

In Japan, Nintendo is releasing the Player in all of the colors available, including Spice Orange. Importers will need a modded unit in order to use the Player, because while the hardware will work on a GameCube from any region, the included Boot Disc is expected to be region-locked like like all other GameCube software.

Of course, if you want to import, our partners at Video Game Depot will be happy to hook you up.

Talkback

babergFebruary 04, 2003

My. God.

Why? That's all I want to know.

I can only hope this is a pre-order only situation. I don't want to import the player, because all the menu options would still be in Japanese.

Truly baffling.

DragonHunterFebruary 04, 2003

I agree I hope this only pre-order only. Although Jet Black and Indigo look good together.

MojoFebruary 04, 2003

My guess would be that jet black has tremendously outsold indigo and platinum. I have a black cube, so I don't care.

Ian SaneFebruary 04, 2003

IGN suggests that "Releasing only the black unit may be Nintendo of America's attempt to move the GameCube away from its 'toy' image."

I doubt that's the reason. If NOA really wanted to remove the "toy" image they would have stopped focusing on the purple unit and the platinum Cube certainly doesn't look like a toy. I figure it's a cost issue. It's likely cheaper to release everything as one colour.

I have a black Cube so it doesn't really matter to me but NOA should release all the colours. If NCL can do it they can. Releasing only one colour gives the impression of laziness and a lack of attention to detail. Now we know that's not really true but the average person may see it that way.

EdisimFebruary 04, 2003

What's the source on this? Just EBgames and Gamestop? It's probably some mistake, or maybe they're only accepting pre-orders on Jet Black because that's what they're getting first.. I'll wait until an indigo purple one comes out.. or there's some deal somewhere, whichever comes first..

But then again, the GBA SP is only/at first coming out in platinum and cobalt blue, not purple or Jet Black. Oh, wait, wasn't there just news that a Jet black SP WOULD be coming to the states? (Well, a rumor from a cat, anyway...)

What if, by some strange move by Nintendo, the GB Player and its boot disc are region free? Could we then conceivably use the disc to play software from other regions? Or would it be made to work only if it finds a gb player and send you right into the gb game? It'll never happen, of course, but that would be neat..

BloodworthDaniel Bloodworth, Staff AlumnusFebruary 04, 2003

Quote

Originally posted by: Edisim
What if, by some strange move by Nintendo, the GB Player and its boot disc are region free? Could we then conceivably use the disc to play software from other regions?


Not sure what you mean by that. GB games are already region-free. The only region incompatibility at all would be with the boot disc. I doubt that Nintendo would make the disc region free, but there's always hoping I guess.

mrcivicFebruary 05, 2003

*Points and laughs at Indigo owners!* face-icon-small-tongue.gif face-icon-small-wink.gif

MingesiumFebruary 05, 2003

I saw the pics with the black gbp on each GameCube and it doesn't look that bad. I guess NOA is treating it like an accessory. The modems and memory card 251 are black.

BlkPaladinFebruary 05, 2003

It doens't really bother me because my Gamecube is black. But its probally a mixture of cost, speed of production, and install base. I'm pretty much certian that we will see the other colors down the road, heck we even eventually recieved the spice controllers even though the unit itself never has made it Stateside.

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