Written by Matt Swider  on June 30, 2003

Accessories: Playa' iN Da Ouse

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Expect many critics that found fault with Nintendo for not pushing its portable powerhouse further these past years to counter their claims at the end of 2003. This prediction comes off the heels of the March release of Game Boy Advance SP in which the company listened to feedback and improved upon the original Advance unit from two years ago. It's also motivated by the latest milestone for Game Boy: the Nintendo GameCube Game Boy Player. The device, which shipped to stores around the country last week, is similar to Super Game Boy in its intention to play all of your favorite handheld games on the big screen. Since it was only possible to play monochrome Game Boy titles on the Super Nintendo, this marks the first consumer product that's able to use both Color and Advance games series on the tube as well as black and white. Even though the SP display was enhanced dramatically with a backlit screen, it can't compare to a large television monitor and the affordable GB Player price point of $50.

GameCube owners that will benefit most from the GB Player are ones that possess a healthy Game Boy collection or individuals that cherish classic games but, for some reason, don't own the handheld or don't plan on doing much traveling. For anyone that doesn't own a GameCube yet, Nintendo has a limited time offer where the add-on comes free with the purchase of the console. Everyone else can pick the GB Player kit up separately any week they decide to forgo purchasing a new GameCube game at the same price point. Color is limited to black in the U.S., and though Japan saw multiple shades to coordinate with their system schemes we know that black mixes with our current line of console colors here.

Installing the GB Player is a snap, and that's meant to be taken literally. It takes no more than a minute to connect it to the УHi-Speed PortФ where it sits underneath the console in the same way that the 64DD didn't for N64 in North America. It only raises the system about an inch, so unless your GameCube is a snug fit in your entertainment center with limited space to spare, the thickness won't make much of a difference. Be sure to hold onto the boot disc that comes with the kit, though. It's an essential part of running the entire operation. Once this CD is spinning in the GameCube tray and a cartridge is slid into the GB Player upside down, the opening Game Boy title screen shows up. From here, the add-on begins adding on replay value to even the oldest games that would continue to collect dust otherwise.

Above the frame of the actual game display is a reminder that the Z-button on the GameCube controller holds several different options that players can configure to their liking. Though my fourth life in Super Mario Advance 2 would like to know why opening this menu doesn't also pause the game, I am more forgiving about the slight setback. The first adjustment that comes up along the bottom of the screen is for switching between custom frames numbered one through 20. Though this doesn't have a direct effect on any of the games, it's nice to see that cosmetic control has been taken to the edge. The last option is something that seems even more futile than the first. Gamers can turn on a timer that counts down anywhere from one to 60 minutes and receive a warning when timer is finished ticking. The only sense I had in using it was speeding through a test of all the Game Boy Advance games I own, but maybe Nintendo sees more logic behind it than me.

The four remaining items on the Z-Button menu have more impact on the actual games to the point where the other two options pale in comparison. Size, the first of these important preferences, certainly matters depending on how close you are to the television screen and whether you desire quality or quantity. Basically, players can select between an initial screen size and a zoomed-in version. The latter works rather well when farther away from the television as it anti-aliases the picture to fill most of the screen. Display is another option that goes along with picture quality in its ability to fix certain visual issues. Certain games quit using a flickering effect that could drive someone insane, but for the most part, games show little difference between Normal, Soft, and Sharp. Change GamePak is an obvious, but useful function of the GB Player. Powering down the console each time you want to swap Game Boy games seem simple enough, but avoiding turning off the power and turning it on again makes things much more convenient.

Controller simply assigns the shoulder buttons to either the L and R triggers or the Y and X face buttons on the GameCube controller. The second choice seems needless, but it's enough to satisfy gamers looking for something different or for a classic approach to the controls. With both the analog stick and the directional pad at work, the GameCube controller feels very comfortable and Wavebird proves to be the ultimate setup in my mind. For the most authentic control scheme however, Nintendo enabled use of the Game Boy Advance as a controller through the GBA/GCN Link Cable. Since this wears down the battery life in the process, it defeats one of the reasons the GB Player is so useful when stationary. Nevertheless, some people claim they can't play as well with the GameCube joypad in hand.

Besides using a GBA unit by preference, players can participate in multiplayer games if they have the right equipment. Except for player number one with the GB Player, everyone still needs a Game Boy Advance of their own, the game cartridge, and link cables. Apparently, there's no easy way around it like I was hoping the GB Player could provide. The device can't take the place of a GBA/GCN Link Cable for unlocking game extras either. This is because the boot disc occupies the tray, preventing a regular GameCube game from running on the console.

Even though the GB Player isn't an easy way around multiplayer headaches as I once hoped and won't act as a replacement for the GBA/CGN Link Cable, its function as a big screen projector is near picture perfect. In effect, the device increases the GameCube library by 750 percent as Nintendo likes to say and it works with everything I tested from the original Game Boy, Color, Advance, and even the E-Reader card series. There's a good chance that you missed something in a certain game from long ago or you might be able to break a long standing score with the aid of the big screen. For the many functions that the GB Players provides, it's tough to pass up the device, especially when it's the same asking price as a new GameCube game.