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Show us your launch! Volume #1

Page 2

by the NWR Staff - November 19, 2001, 10:25 pm EST

I live near Portsmouth, NH and the launch up here was pretty quiet. My original plan was to get up very early Sunday morning, say around 5:30 or 6, and head to the local Best Buy and camp out until they opened. On Sunday that usually means noon, but, apparently they may have opened at 10 according to one employee I talked to later that afternoon. In any case, I realized that one of our many Walmart stores in the area opened at 7. Waking up later than I had planned, I ended up getting to Walmart around 6:35. When I drove by Best Buy, there were already a few people waiting there, but, not nearly as many as I had expected. As soon as I walked into the outer doors of Walmart, I was greeted by the crowd and asked if I was there for a Cube. I told them yes and was handed a slip of paper with the number 11 on it. I was told that it was not really an official number, but, someone in the crowd found out they had 16 Cubes for sale and they decided to make up their own numbering system. Fair enough.

Everyone standing in line seemed to be in a rather good mood. As the employees went into the store, one of the dads decided to play around a bit and sneak in with the employees. The store manager even laughed as he actually made it into the store before turning around. About 6:55 we were told that the Cubes would be at the service desk which is right inside the main door to the right. When they finally opened a little after 7, we were all handed the official slip of paper with a number on it. Sure enough, I got number 11. As we headed to the service desk and stood there for a bit, the store manager then informed us that the Cubes were still in electronics because he felt we MIGHT want to buy some of those accessory type things.

So we made a mad dash to electronics with our numbers in hand. By the time I got there, all of the official Nintendo controllers were taken. Fortunately I was able to get a memory card. All of the games and the Cubes were behind the register. They went in order, checking each slip of paper as they rang up each person. They had about 6 or 7 black Cubes. I was hoping to get a black one, but, they ran out before I got to the register. I ended up getting Rogue Squadron 2 for my first game. I left my house at 6:20 and was back home with Cube, game, and memory card in hand by 7:30. Much better than the 6 hours I thought I'd have to wait at Best Buy! Also much better than the 5 hours I did wait last year at Best Buy to get a PS2.

Our local Movie Gallery actually had 2 GC games to rent...Super Monkey Ball and Rogue Squadron 2, so, I rented Super Monkey Ball. Later that afternoon I decided to head to Best Buy to see if they had any controllers and Luigi's Mansion. Much to my amazement, they apparently still had some Cubes in stock. They had only a couple official controllers and a good supply of super pad controllers. I opted to get 2 cheaper super pad controllers in black. They had absolutely no copies of Luigi's Mansion left at all. They also had no memory cards at all, so, I was quite happy I was able to get one at Walmart.

This morning I went to Toys R Us to see if I could get Luigi's Mansion and they had exactly 1 copy left. WOO HOO! Behind the register they had a HUGE supply of memory cards...at least 20 or more. They had plenty of controllers both Nintendo and 3rd party, as well. I didn't get a chance to ask if they had any Cubes left or not, but, I didn't see any.

For everyone who can't seem to find a game they want to buy, I suggest checking out their local video stores to see if they have any of them to rent. You can at least rent it until the stores get more copies in or until the copy you just ordered online arrives. I highly recommend checking out Rogue Squadron 2. This game is simply incredible if not hard.

Good luck to all who haven't yet found a Cube or are still deciding whether or not to get one!


I got to Wal-Mart around 7:30. The store was unusually crowded with Christmas aound the corner. Of course, I headed directly to the electronics department. At the time there were only around 6 fellow cubers hanging around, here and there. So I found a seat of my home and did a little reading for my eassay due tomorrow.

Time passed, and around 9:30 things began picking up, at least fiftenn more gamers joined the laggers, and for awhile there we just brooded around, anticipating, cubeless.

But things were getting too crowded, so Wal-Mart decided to make a change.

The announcement seeped its way from the sales clerk to the crowd quickly, "...checkout 20..." was all I picked up.

And then it happened, teenagers and grown men became kids again. Everybody picked up there feet and darted down the store aisles, past people and unaware shoppers to chechout 20.

At first, I didn't want to run. I thought, thats crazy. I picked up my pace some and took an alternate route. But then it hit me, IM CRAZY! So I darted as quickly as I could, dodging shoppers like an Arwing in deep space. I've never felt such a rush.

I was about sixth in the line at checkout 20. What took me back instantly were the people in line. There were hardly any kids in line, just older gamers, some parents with their kids stood behind me, and even adults. Some guys were playing with their GBA multiplayer, some were counting there money. Shoppers passed by us with looks of curiosity on why there was a 70 deep line at a Wal-Mart, and the answer ususally was, "Oh, it's that new Nintendo machine." Why else? Looking around, I relaized this is what Nintendo is all about, great gaming for EVERYONE.

The wait in line lasted two hours untill midnight struck, and then it happened, the checkout opened, and the line was moving. I've never had enjoyment in merely holding a box, but I did last night as my jet black Gamecube was in my hands. I got home, and I gamed for a few hours, and went to bed. I was even ready to curl up with my Gamecube next to me.

There were 104 units ready to ship out. This morning, my uncle called to see if any were left, there were, just three. It seems to me NINTENDO HAS DONE IT AGAIN!


It was like yesterday when I got my Gamecube... oh wait. It WAS yesterday. Here's the schedule:

8:00 AM - The grueling day started with a MAJOR HEADACHE. But what could I do? I had to go to work early morning. (woo... hoo.)

8:30 AM - Arriving at my local Kroger a half-hour late (they didn't care), I went over to the pharmacy to grab some Advils.

9:00 AM - With the headache gone and GAMECUBE on the mind, I took my sweet, sweet time, bagging, carting (No, not Mario-Kart'ing: that'll come later), and picking up the last $92 for the sweet release at midnight.

3:00 PM - Right when the day couldn't get any worst, my loyal friend comes into the store to bring heavenly rays of hope about the status of Wal-Mart's Gamecube line. Put it this way: NO ONE WAS THERE but his friend, who just heard about GCN (Gamecube Nintendo). I was tempted to cry out a portion of the classic "Messiah" (Hallelujah Chorus), but those lazy supervisors told me to bring in some more carts. Grumbing, I went out to bring in those "oh-so-precious" carts for the "oh-so-precious-and-have-a-good-day" customers, asking my friend more about the status at Wal-Mart. He was soon driven away by the lazy bumpkins and was forced to retire to Wal-Mart in the thousand-year wait.

4:06 PM - Finally clocking out and kissing that grocery store SEEYA!, I headed over to Wal-Mart in my blazing fast 1987 Lincoln Town Car at a blinding speed of 43 mph on the highway. Parking the car, running to the Layaway Station at Wal-Mart, meeting up with the GCN Squad (my friends, of course); that was the easy part.

4:30 PM - Now came the LONG, BORING wait. My other friend is there before me (Grrrrrr), making it THREE people in front of me. First two friends in line have been in line since 11:30 AM. Loaded with my Gameboy Advance, ready with Golden Sun and Mario Kart: Super Circuit, my trusty Rio PMP300 (one of the first MP3 players), and some comfy Wal-Mart pillows and tush-cushions, I was ready for that horrendous wait for the GCN.

5:00 PM - The hours dragged by with endless battles in the world of Golden Sun (GBA), exploring Goma Cave Entrance, blazing through Kolima Forest, and beating that darn evil tree. Hmmm... time for some more Advil. (Gulp. Sips water. Snore.)

8:00 PM - Okay. Finally, some people other than the four of us are here. Two guys and a girlfriend with one of them. Yeah! (Cutting out detailed description here. Sorry. -- Editor)

10:00 PM - That's it! Friends are going crazy from the boring wait, and "Kroger" friend grabs a kid's scooter and takes a few laps around the store. Gets pulled over by an employee. Speeding ticket is issued. Darn. Oh well, time for some Mario Kart! (Scores a blazing 54.06 sec on Peach's Circuit.)

11:00 PM - Golden Sun time. Can't... put... down...! In... Mercury... Tower...! WoW... a buncha people are starting to show up... over 50... uh-oh. (Only 42 GCN's.)

12:01 AM - The wait is over! I'm STILL playing Golden Sun, because I forgot my watch. (Hey, it helps you get through something a WHOLE lot faster, like "waiting.") I save the game (Dang, I was about to bust a spell up Saturno's "bass"...(GS for GBA)), and I get in line for Gamecube! "Scooter/Kroger" friend is over the limit of hyperness.

12:30 AM - All four of us strut down the aisles of Wal-Mart, proudly dawning our newly paid-for Gamecubes. People in the waiting lines bow down valiently before us, praising the "best gaming console in the known universe" ( - Nintendo Power). "Scooter/Kroger" friend waves the Gamecube like a flag of victory as the waiting line cheers in pure happiness. The four of us split and go our separate ways... and won't see each other until Monday at school. I'm never letting this baby go. (Hugs GCN.)


I live in Gainesville, Florida and go to the University of Florida located there. Our football team had a huge game against Florida State that started at 8pm. Of course there was lots of passing so the game ended about 11:30 and of course, all the Wal-Marts had capacity lines. I did some checking and found out that a Wal-Mart in Chiefland (about 50 miles away) had plenty of Gamecubes left. After we kicked FSU's ass in the game, I headed for Chiefland to pick up the Cube. I should also mention that my birthday was Saturday since that makes the situation even more unbelievable. I get to the Chiefland Wal-Mart and get sent running all over the store to get some games, an S-video cable, and the system itself. None of these items was in the same place, so I ran all over the Supercenter to get them. Finally,

after about an hour of waiting on clerks and flying around the store, I had everything I wanted and I took off for home. As I was headed home, a deer runs across the road and I slam into it at 60 MPH. Airbags deployed, the windshield cracked, the front of the car crumpled in and the deer (a full grown female) went flying. I pulled over and got out to assess the damage, forgetting that when the airbags deploy, the car won't start again until it has been fixed. So I am sitting on the side of the road in the middle of nowhere with a Gamecube. A truck pulled over after a few minutes and I thought he was coming to help me. Nope, he was picking up the deer. I'm on

the phone with AAA and they are giving me crap about the fact that I'm not

near a crossroad. Finally, the tow truck gets there and pulls me home. Now it's 4:45am and I finally get to play my games, of course now I'm so tired that I fall asleep holding the controller. Now I finally have it, and I am trying to balance school and Gamecube (that's a tough one). All of this on my birthday.

-Adam


timeline of events:

7:30: wake up, goto toys r us in revere (a few miles from boston)

7:45: arrive at store, about 15 in line. there was some group first who had seemed to be there since the previous night it seemed.

8:00: a guy who worked as a fireman in logan airport arrived, he basically provided the comic relief in the line.

9:30: oh ay did i mention it was around 30 degrees outside. i finally gave and sat in the car for a half hour. tried calling friends on cell phone attempting to brag about where i am, of course they were sleeping. fireman's son called saying that most of the stores (mainly the mall) had smaller lines.

10:00: mangers finally come out and give out tickets from 1-200 (the number of gamecubes in stock). there were up to about 70 by the end. i am number 31. oh ay I sat in the car again.

10:30: start letting people in the store.

10:40?: finally get in store. picked up: gamecube (black), luigi, waverace, thps3 and a memory card.

11:00 exactly: get in the car and left with the cube. after i left there line was huge

unfortunately, i still have to wait until christmas before i could play it.


I live in Chico, CA, which is not a huge place so I wasn't sure how big of a hit the Cube would be. I called my 24 hr. Wal-Mart Saturday morning at 10:15 just to be sure they were selling them. Sure enough there we and there were also people in line according to the clerk. I frantically jumped in the shower and gathered my things and was off. Got there at around 11:00am and snagged number 4 in line. The manager was cool enough to wheel out a big screen tv and a dvd player and we got to watch free movies courtesy of Wal-Mart all day long. The people in line were cool and enthusiastic. I was surprised at the amount of older teens and even some adults in line. I'm a 22 year old college student myself. At first there I was told they only had 6 Cubes because they misplaced 36 of them!! A little while later they found them and the total was 42.Midnight rolled around and there were at least 39 buyers (probably 42 though). There was hooting and hollaring as the first guy in line got his. I picked mine up, the lady wouldn't let us choose colors so I switched with the guy who was first in line. So, in a way I guess I got the first GameCube in my town... It was a long 13 hr. wait, but now I've got my Cube and I didn't have to wait out in the cold for it. I'm sure all the other big stores sold out as well and that makes me happy... encouraging news for Nintendo's future. I had my games (Rogue Leader and Tony Hawk 3) and my memory card before I even went to Wal-Mart. So here's to the future of the GameCube. Cheers.

#4 GameCube owner in Chico, CA

Nick Driver

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