GC Twilight Princess only available online in Japan

GCN News | The forgotten cubed brother takes another one for the team.

After literally years of questioning which format The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess would end up on, Nintendo has committed strongly to the Wii version these past few months. Not to be outdone by previous downgrades, it now appears that the GameCube version of Twilight Princess will sell in Japan - exclusively online.

Nintendo have an official online store, through which Japanese gamers can buy up their gaming needs to their heart's content. The GC Twilight Princess will be available only through this channel. This is both good and bad news - Japanese gamers can now avoid the confusing mess that is in-store retailing, but it also could mean more planned downgrades for the launch of Twilight Princess in PAL regions.

It will be easier for customers to decide between the two versions if there is only one on the shelf - and give that extra nudge to those considering a Wii purchase. However, Nintendo doesn't have a full-fledged online store in Australia, so this could mean the retail version is still going ahead as planned. We're betting it will be very limited; GC stock is hard enough to find as is, but for those unwilling to take the risk with the Wii, the GC version is still happening here - until further notice.

Related The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess Content

GC Twilight Princess still coming to stores in Europe
13 Oct, 2006 Insane completists rejoice!

Leipzig GC: Zelda dazzles in new screenshots
26 Aug, 2006 Ten Twilight Princess screens from Germany.

Wii Zelda to have controller swordplay
21 Aug, 2006 Also: Shiggy to revive Cube games on new machine?

19 Comments

mqphu1

5 years ago

HEY! Where are Nintendo's loyalists comments?
N is screwing you guys ( and ME, again) for sticking with the CUBE all the way.

First, they delay cube version AGAIN and now this.

There are so many quesions i want to ask N.

1) What are their motives for doing this?
My guess is SAVING and cut out the middle man. OR
make ppl buy the Wii version instead.

2) Why'd they skipped Tokyo Game Show ?
It was a chance for them go One On One with the PS3.
AND show it was more FUN.

Wii ($400) + (Controller with Nunchuck) ($110) + game (100)
+ Ethernet port ($40) + S Video cable ($20) + SD Card (2GB) ($200)
+ VC ($50)

= $920

All this and i only have 2GB Memory. (360 and PS3 have 20GB)

Is the Wii still Cheap?????? TOO BAD i've already pre-ordered one.

And I am STILL waiting for more revealation from N.

Emuaust

5 years ago

Rumor going around from certain people within the ranks of nintendo
is that there is a VERY BIG chance that if you want a copy of twilight
Princess on the GCN then you had better get that freeloader out!

838 La

5 years ago

Quote

SD Card (2GB) ($200)

Sif.
Who ever's paying one for $200 is getting ripped off.

Game Cube's dead mqphu1. If you go here you'll see that Nintendo had only made 3 games for the GameCube for Japan. (Top left is Zelda) All their focus this year has been on the DS or the Wii itself. If you pre-ordered your Wii at Toy R us you could have got a free game along with it too. (Not a point to help out Nintendo, but being a $$ saving point of view)

realitybites

5 years ago

What I find most amusing is Nintendo do that every console generation.

Support for their consoles wane and they basically cut the lifeline and force their loyal supporters to get teh new console.

Happened with N64 they pushed Mario Sunshine to the GC and now they are doing it again with TP. SNES in PAL terriotries basically dried up whilst Japan and the US got heaps of titles.

The reason is they haven't anything else to hang their hat on and realistically its the loyal fans which keep them afloat in the home console market.

Certainly even MS has gone to some degree to keep Xbox owners with games. Sony has always.

Maybe Nintendo should really look to their fan base (which is shrinking) and maybe this generation change tactics.

Please don't go on about profitability etc. etc. If they didn't have the GBA and DS they would be broke.

LeonJ

5 years ago

Who cares, buy a Wii and Zelda. Will be in 480p and Widescreen, which is something the PAL gamecube does not support. Better to shun the gamecube community (that is dead anyway) and make them embrace the Wii (Sony style ie "you'll buy what we tell you to buy"!).

My purple box is going straight into the cupboard since all the games are backwards compatible on the Wii. (well I'll hold on to the controller at least).

Karai Pantsu

5 years ago

Realitybites, I think you need a reality check (sorry, lame jokes and puns are my bread and butter).

Why on Earth do you think Nintendo should suddenly start pumping resources into the Gamecube? It is dead in the water, and has been for a long time - it just doesn't like to admit it. Between the booming success of the DS, and the work leading up to the Wii, it'd make absolutely no sense for them to bring the GCN back into the game. If anything it would confuse consumers, and possibly hurt DS/Wii sales.

Yeah it's a kick in the pants for all those GCN owners who wanted to get Zelda for their 'cube. Yeah, Nintendo should do better by it's fanbase. But hey, since when have any of the Three Big Names in gaming ever chosen to do something nice for their fans instead of going for the profits?

ObsoletE

5 years ago

it's funny though, Nintendo used to maintain support for a damn good length after the next gen came about.

it's was a good 2-3 years after the launch of the SNES before NES games were slowed.
and about the same for SNES games when the N64 was released.
and these were on formats that are more expensive to produce than the current media, and, they weren't backwards compatible.

it's not really an ideal position to take, for anyone. not everyone will get a console on launch, so keeping them entertained in the interim should be a priority since if your consumers aren't being entertained by your company, then they're liable to switch, or worse, go outside

ramp down production/support, but at least give people the time to change over. you don't see MS stopping XBox support because the X360 is out, neither did Sony drop the PS1 when the PS2 was released.

LeonJ

5 years ago

Your point is valid, but the Gamecube really is dead and burried. There isn't much point supporting it. Nintendo aren't in the same position moving forward like the NES to SNES

Far far from those days haha

Xbox development did stop pretty quickly, only multi-platform stuff is getting released. But I guess the Xbox and Gamecube are jealous of their PS2 brother, whom continues to enjoy success.

realitybites

5 years ago

Actually I think you answered your own question.

Look I'm not a Nintendo fan so I tend to let my bias sway my opinions sometimes.

I wasn't suggesting for one minute they should pour large sums of money into a product that has been dead for years now. What I am suggesting is they at least show the commmon decency to release the product for the GC. Which realistically that should of been 12 months ago. But thats another story which doesn't endear me to Nintendo either.

Sony always look after their install base for goodness sake you could still get PSOne titles long into the PS2 life.

ObsoletE

5 years ago

leonmc wrote

Xbox development did stop pretty quickly, only multi-platform stuff is getting released. But I guess the Xbox and Gamecube are jealous of their PS2 brother, whom continues to enjoy success.

that's true i suppose. i haven't really looked at what is being released ONLY for XBox.

and when you think about it, it's kinda counter-productive of MS and Nintendo doing that, because it means that the only choice people who are slower at getting into new consoles only have 1 choice, and it only strengthens Sony's position.

(this is, of course, assuming Sony support the PS2 into the PS3's life like they did with the PS1 before. this mightn't be the case.)

Jeremy

5 years ago

Not bothered really, got a freeloader and will probably pick Zelda with my Wii preorder (if thats possible)

David

5 years ago

Jeremy wrote

Not bothered really, got a freeloader and will probably pick Zelda with my Wii preorder (if thats possible)

I saw your name on the pre-order list at Toys R US

Jeremy

5 years ago

David wrote

Jeremy wrote

Not bothered really, got a freeloader and will probably pick Zelda with my Wii preorder (if thats possible)

I saw your name on the pre-order list at Toys R US

What's funny about that

Karai Pantsu

5 years ago

realitybites wrote

Sony always look after their install base for goodness sake you could still get PSOne titles long into the PS2 life.

I really think Sony were then, and still are now, in a much different position to the competition. During the transition from PS1 to PS2 there was the '64 (already done with) and the Dreamcast (being swiftly slaughtered by the Sony Hype Machine), most third party support flocked to Sony (or were already there from PS1) and so developed/continued developing for them. That has carried over to today. Publishers can still push out PS2 stuff because the installed base is enormous, much more so than XBOX or 'Cube - unless its a niche title without a market its pretty much guaranteed to be viable.
MS and Nintendo don't really have that option. Well MS could, but they're being ruthless pushing the 360 so there's not a chance in hell =)

But I agree, Nintendo really should honour their promises and release (even in small amounts) TP in the 'Cube for the US/PAL markets.

Edit: My bad, looks like TP has a confirmed release date of Dec 13th in North America. As it stands Europe (etc.) are still waiting on confirmation onr way or the other.

David

5 years ago

Jeremy wrote

David wrote

Jeremy wrote

Not bothered really, got a freeloader and will probably pick Zelda with my Wii preorder (if thats possible)

I saw your name on the pre-order list at Toys R US

What's funny about that

It's just funny when you see people's names somewhere you haven't seen them before.

rodvcpetrie

5 years ago

I'm one of those people who never bought a GameCube and it seems to me that choice was the right one to make. Because I didn't get a GC I can now buy the Wii, buy Zelda: TP on that and also buy cheaper GC games. So I am quite happy with what Nintendo are doing.

If I wasn't in this situation I'd be annoyed as well. Although I would probably exert patience and wait for the Wii version anyway.

Cerebral

5 years ago

Uhh, you guys realise this is only in Japan, and that none of us live in Japan, right? My word some people jump the gun quick-smart.

Still I'll get the Wii version, so I couldn't care less whether they release it on the GCN or not.

ugh the boot

5 years ago

Yea Wii version for me! Man finally another Zelda game! They're like one of the most epic in history!! ANd you can change into wolves this time!!! aRooOOOoooo..

ObsoletE

5 years ago

Cerebral wrote

yeah, i kinda did a Pilkington and read half the story before deciding what it was all about. (which was, as it seems with a lot of people who commented here, that the NGC version is ONLY being released on Japanese online stores. not that it's not get a retail release IN JAPAN.)

i should L2Comprehension.