How Capcom Five Built the Legacy of the GameCube

Third-party support and its importance to video game hardware has been a constant for decades. Having a great first-party program is one thing, but if you don’t have support from software developers other than your own, it can be difficult to get any footing. Nintendo, Sony, and Microsoft have all excelled at third-party support over the years, each achieving varying degrees of success.

The relationship between Nintendo and Capcom has proven to be quite interesting in that regard. Even during some of Nintendo’s darkest times, when it seemed like no third-party developer wanted to port their game to their hardware, Capcom often hung on.

That would come to fruition during the GameCube era, as Capcom and Nintendo would come together in a joint venture known as Capcom Five. It was both exciting in a way at the time, as it would lead to the creation of some truly amazing games, but it also created the very environment that would lead to Nintendo becoming what they are today.

Period of Limitations

Throughout the 1980s and early 1990s, video game hardware relied exclusively on cartridges. It was somewhat limited, both in terms of available space and the type of content you could put into your game, but the talented teams that worked on these games made it work.

As the 1990s wore on, however, the prospect of CD-based games was starting to become a reality. CD-powered consoles saw the light of day, including the stellar PC Engine add-on for the TurboGrafx-16, the technology wasn’t quite there yet.

While Sega and newcomer Sony took the initiative, introducing the Sega Saturn and Sony PlayStation with a focus on high-end CD playback, Nintendo stuck to N64 consoles. The price of the consoles themselves, combined with what was happening on other platforms, meant that Nintendo ended up missing out on certified ’90s classics like Metal Gear Solid and Final Fantasy 7.

Like any good friend, however, Capcom stuck by their side. When other developers looked for greener pastures, Capcom would continue to produce games for them, even bringing Resident Evil 2 to the N64 in what was considered a miraculous port.

The Big Plan

Although the N64 is fondly remembered today in many retro gaming circles, it struggled to compete with the PS1. Even worse, Nintendo was facing more competition with the announcement that Microsoft was entering the console space with the Xbox, competing directly with them and Sony for the sixth generation crown.

They introduced the GameCube in 2001, and chose to join the CD trend with the MiniDVD format. Despite its impressive capabilities on its own, the GameCube will lag behind Sony and Microsoft. Third-party support quickly dried up, and the console was facing hard times.

It was very frustrating, but Capcom will remain incredibly committed to Nintendo. They will reproduce the original Resident Evil, as well as the original game in the franchise known as Resident Evil 0. There was hope, but after a meeting with Capcom, the plan to save the GameCube became a reality.

At a surprise press event in Japan in 2002, Capcom announced five titles that would be available exclusively on the GameCube. Collectively known as the Capcom Five, these titles included Viewtiful Joe, PN03, Dead Phoenix, Killer7, and most shocking of all, Resident Evil 4, which would be exclusive to the Nintendo GameCube. It was a big, bold turn.

Unfortunately, the result was shockingly lacking. Each game had its own unique story to tell after its launch, but the idea behind Capcom Five was to increase sales of the GameCube hardware. It got eyes on Nintendo’s hardware for a while, but there was little movement in terms of consoles actually selling better because of it.

The fate of the five

Of these five titles, one will be canceled and the others, with the exception of Resident Evil 4, will suffer from incredibly poor sales. Nintendo wasn’t the only one feeling the brunt of poor gaming performance, as Capcom was also feeling the heat.

Dead Phoenix would eventually be cancelled, and while Viewtiful Joe and Killer7 would find their own cult audiences, PN03 was an unmitigated disaster. Directed by Resident Evil creator Shinji Mikami, PN03 was one of the best-selling games of the year and the most focused game for Capcom Five.

Resident Evil 4 needs no explanation. It was a landmark release for the franchise, and would lead to a takeover of the industry by shoulder-based third-person action games. The survival horror genre was irrevocably changed thanks to Resident Evil 4, and whether that was good or bad depends on your opinion, but there’s no denying how great RE4 was.

Overall, Capcom Five produced a timeless classic and some cult favorites, but it is considered one of the biggest issues in the history of video games. Not only did it complete the goal it set out to achieve, which was to increase sales of GameCube hardware, the games themselves are pretty much forgotten today except for RE4.

The final disastrous result of Capcom Five would push Nintendo forward in the direction we see them today. He told them that high-end hardware wasn’t their strong suit, and that while it might mean muted support from their third-party partners, it created a culture and identity that was very much their own. Today’s Nintendo was born out of Capcom Five’s failure to launch.

Brand

Nintendo

Original release date

November 18, 2001

Original MSRP (USD)

$199, £129, €199

Weight

3 lbs.