Nintendo launched theGameCubein 2001 as the company’s first disc-based console in order to compete with Sony’s PlayStation 2 which had launched the year prior. Although it would never reach the same level of popularity as Sony’s console, theGameCubewas still home to many titles Nintendo fans still hold in high regard today. Part of the charm of this console was the array of accessories available to it, including the Game Boy Advance Link Cable, which allowed players to connect to certain games using the handheld console.
Far more popular than the GameCube was Nintendo’s handheldGame Boy Advancewhich released earlier in the same year. Being the more commercially successful of Nintendo’s two 6th generation consoles, introducing the Game Boy Advance Link Cable as an accessory for the GameCube shortly after its release was a great way to entice Game Boy Advance owners to pick up the new home console as well. A solid number of GameCube games were compatible with the Link Cable, including some of the console’s most popular titles, and offered a variety of different forms of content when connected to a Game Boy Advance.
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Animal Crossing
The first entry in Nintendo’s popular life-sim franchise,Animal Crossing,utilized the Link Cable for several different features. Players could acquire an NES item in-game that would allow classic NES games to be played on the Game Boy Advance when connected with a Link Cable. The Game Boy Advance could also be used to create textures for clothing, wallpaper, or flooring for free rather than having to pay a fee to create the designs at the Able Sisters. Undoubtedly the coolest feature the Link Cable offered was access to the secret island which could be visited by talking to Kapp’n at the docks while a Game Boy Advance was connected.
Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles
Although the coreFinal Fantasyseries had left Nintendo consoles in favor of Sony’s PlayStation by this generation, the GameCube did receive the spin-off titleFinal Fantasy Crystal Chronicles. This entry allowed for up to four players to connect for multiplayer using the Link Cable to turn each additional Game Boy Advance into a controller. Players could control their character on the TV screen while using the Game Boy Advance to manage their individual menus without interrupting gameplay for the other players. While this was a novel idea, it was difficult to accomplish as it required four Link Cables and four handhelds to create a full party.
The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Adventures
While not the most popular title inThe Legend of Zeldaon the GameCube,The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Adventureswas novel in that, likeFinal Fantasy Crystal Chronicles, it allowed co-op gameplay with up to four players each using a Game Boy Advance connected via Link Cable. As a home console follow-up toThe Legend of Zelda: Four Swords, gameplay followed a similar formula to other top-down entries in the series with the added twist of Link being able to create three other clones of himself. This mechanic took advantage of the Link Cable by giving additional players control of one of the clones, but again suffered from the need for a lot of hardware to accomplish.
Metroid Prime
Although not as integral to gameplay as other GameCube titles that utilized the link cable,Metroid Primestill offered some enticing bonus content to players who connected their Game Boy Advance to the game. As the first 3DMetroidgame, it’s understandable that Nintendo would want to give players something extra for purchasing bothMetroid Primeand the handheld titleMetroid Fusion. Connecting a Game Boy Advance withMetroid Fusionin the cartridge slot would not only unlock a special suit for Samus, but would also allow players to play the original NESMetroidas long as they had a completed save file forMetroid Fusion.
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Pokemon Box: Ruby and Sapphire
Although less of a game and more of a piece of software,Pokemon Box: Ruby and Sapphirewas a way for players to transfer their monsters from the Game Boy Advance titlesPokemon Ruby and Sapphire,Pokemon Emerald, andPokemon FireRed and LeafGreento a storage system on the GameCube. This software utilized the GameCube’s memory card to store more Pokemon than was possible on the Game Boy Advance’s cartridge and was the precursor to modern storage software likePokemon BankandPokemon Home. As an added bonus, players could play the Game Boy Advance titles on their TV while connected with the link cable without needing the Game Boy Player accessory.
Other Games that Utilized the Link Cable
Altogether, the Link Cable saw no shortage of use and had the potential to provide a lot of value to GameCube and GBA users over time. TheGameCubemay not have been the most successful of Nintendo’s consoles, but it pushed the envelope with its innovative ways of connecting players and other systems to one another.
