GameCube Generation

Let’s say that you are an avid gaming fan and you just can’t bear to be apart from your desktop gaming rig. But let’s say you’re often on the move a lot and you want to be able to carry your rig everywhere you go. But carrying around a desktop tower, keyboard, monitor and mouse just isn’t in the cards. So how can you have all the gaming power you want at your fingertips without having to carry around the beast you use at home?

The solution is to invest in a gaming laptop. Just think of it as a portable gaming solution – you get to have the most powerful processors and video graphics in a package that’s easier to carry around than your gaming tower. With a laptop, you can do nearly all of the things that you would be able to do with your desktop gaming rig without having to lug a colossal tower around.

Gaming laptops come primarily in sizes ranging from 15″ to 18″. Most of the gaming laptops worth their salt are found in the 16″-17″ range, but there are 15″ laptops out there that can keep up with their larger counterparts. Keep in mind that the size of the screen usually dictates the overall dimensions of the computer, so when a 15.6″ laptop is mentioned, it is usually the screen size that is being referred to. Also keep in mind what size is comfortable for you to carry around. Many laptops in these sizes are often used as “desktop replacements”, since these laptops are used in lieu of desktop systems and aren’t expected to be moved around on a constant basis.

Processing power is a big concern when it comes to gaming laptops. In order to play the latest games at the fastest settings available, there has to be enough processing power to handle such strong demands. Processors such as Intel’s Core 2 Extreme and Mobile Core i7 are designed to address the needs of gamers and other power users, with multiple processing cores and the ability to overclock for added processing power.

Dedicated graphics cards are nearly mandatory when it comes to gaming laptops. Companies such as nVidia and ATI offer powerful graphics solutions that deliver superior performance over “integrated” graphics solutions. In fact, dedicated graphics cards are much different than their integrated counterparts. Instead of being graphics chips directly mounted on the main motherboard, dedicated cards are on their own board that is connected to the motherboard by a slot. With their own specialized memory and graphics chips, these cards perform much faster, giving gamers a better playing experience.

When it comes to system memory, gaming laptops are able to accommodate gobs of it. Most laptops are now able to hold and use up to 8GB of system memory, although some laptops can only use 6.8GB thanks to chipset limitations. Most companies will supply their gaming laptops with 2GB of RAM at the minimum, with options to upgrade during the order process.

Gaming laptops can get pretty expensive, especially if you end up checking everything on the options checklist. For $1500, you can get a decent gaming laptop that can hold its own against any other system, while $2000 or more can get you the laptop of your gaming dreams.

By: Matthew Richard Kerridge

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Hundreds of games were developed for the Nintendo Gamecube since it was released in 2001. So many in fact that it can be hard to choose which games you want to buy. The ten games below are the games that I feel every Gamecube owner should have in their collection.

10. Super Mario Sunshine – The sequel to Super Mario 64 for Nintendo 64. This game was not as well received as the Mario’s first 3D adventure (It’s hard to top one of the greatest games of all time) but it was very fun. Mario uses a water pack to levitate and shoot enemies. The best parts of the game don’t use the water pak at all and are pure platforming like in previous Mario games.

9. Pikmin – A new franchise for Gamecube inspired by Myiamoto’s garden. Control huge swarms of tiny plant creatures and throw them at enemies, solve puzzles, and try to rebuild your space ship. This game is very fun and original. Plus you have to beat the game in 30 game days, so the entire adventure has a sense of speed and adrenaline while to try to beat the game fast enough.

8. Zelda Twilight Princess – A mature Link tries to save Princess Zelda from the worlds of dark and light. The second Zelda game for the Gamecube, it has the same graphical style as Ocarina of Time and a more mature story line than Wind Waker (see below). Twilight Princess is the first Zelda game where Link can control other animals and turns into a wolf.

7. Animal Crossing – A very simple, but addicting game. You move into a house in a new town and must get to know the townsfolk while running errands, planting trees, designing t-shirts, and decorating your house. It is like ‘The Sims’ for PC. I never would have thought I would enjoy running errands, but I ended up forcing myself to sell this game because I was ignoring my real life chores.

6. Donkey Kong Jungle Beat – A platforming game using the Gamecube Bongo’s as the controller. Run left and right with left and right drumbeats. Jump by hitting both and punch by clapping. The game is short but each level is unique and has different goals to achieve besides just getting to the end. Probably the Gamecube’s most unique game.

5. Zelda Wind Waker – Many people didn’t like the graphics on this Zelda game because they were too “kiddie” in their opinion. But the cartoon style really helped you feel Link’s emotions because they could be so much more expressive. A very fun adventure, slightly tedious in one section (a giant boat ride across the whole world), but one of the best games for Gamecube.

4. Super Monkey Ball – Roll a monkey around the levels while he is inside a ball. That is the basic design of this game, but it is very fun. The single player mode is like a puzzle where you have to get the monkey through a goal without falling off a ledge. But the game really shines in multiplayer mode. Monkey Boxing, Monkey Racing, and best of all Monkey Target. Up to four players can play this at once and will enjoy themselves for hours.

3. Mario Kart Double Dash – A faster, better graphics Mario Kart game plus you control two racers instead of one. Each character has a special weapon only they can receive so picking your combo of riders is very important. Good single player with many varied levels and circuits to beat but like all Mario Kart games multiplayer is the most fun. Race or battle with four players at the same time and you will be entertained for hours with your friends.

2. Super Smash Bros. Melee – A deceptively simple fighting game for the Gamecube. It uses the joystick and two buttons for almost every move. Anyone can pick up and start playing, but experts will learn different combos and “secret” moves to keep them coming back for more. Very deep single player and a four player game that is the best released on the Gamecube. It’s the best selling game on the system for a reason!

1. Metroid Prime – A perfectly executed 3D game in the Metroid Universe. Great weapons, thoughtful puzzles, beautiful graphics, and fun game play. My favorite game of all time and the highest rated game on the Gamecube according to gameranking.com. If you like first person shooters or liked the original Metroid games, you will love this game.

With any or all of these ten games in your collection, you should have hours of fun and definitely enjoy your Gamecube purchase.

By: JJ Hendricks

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If you’re still buying your Nintendo Wii Games from your local games shop, stop! Now there’s a lot easier way to get all your Wii media. Downloading games from the internet has recently become popular for platforms like the Playstation 2 and the PSP but now you can download your Wii Games online. Wii Media Downloads is the first online service that allows you to do this. Imagine only paying a small one-time fee, less than the price of one Wii game, and having access to a massive database of all the latest games for life.

Not only games, Wii Media Downloads lets you download music, TV shows, movies, software and more, then instantly play them on your Nintendo Wii. Imagine playing one game whilst downloading another one. Goodbye Boredom! Wii Media Downloads has a number of great features when you join, allowing you to download all their media whenever you like. Unlike a lot of services online, there’s no monthly fee to pay, you pay once and you’ve got access for life.

The service also includes all the tools you need for downloading and playing your new games and media and if you ever need any questions asked, there’s a 24/7 customer support team waiting to help you. Wii Media Downloads also includes a money back guarantee, no questions asked in case your not happy with their service. What have you got to lose?!

So to sum up, Wii Media Downloads lets you download great, new Wii Games, Music, TV shows, Movies, Software and more, for only a small one-time fee. They have a 24/7 support service and a money back guarantee.

By: Lewis Waller

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