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I apologize for the lack of subject and short length of this post. I must admit, I didn't even plan on making a post until Tuesday. However, I felt I should really give thanks to those who deserve it.

Last week, I wrote an article about converting to OS X. The story can be found here. I also wrote a response to that article in which I write about several of the e-mails and comments I received which you can find here.

The original article received over 3100 diggs and was even the top story on Digg.com for a while. I received nearly 100 great comments on this site as well as nearly 300 on Digg.com. I also recieved about 30 great e-mails from people who read the post.

Thanks to e-mails from Photoguy and KrazyMike, I was informed that my article had been mentioned in the New York Times. My post was mentioned in the "What's Online" column written by Dan Mitchell.

LOOK BEFORE YOU LEAP According to AppleInsider, more than two million Macs were sold this holiday season (appleinsider.com). Converts from Windows will spend much of January getting used to their new machines — and it’s not always as easy as Apple would have you believe. Cameron Banga offers a list of “Things I Wish I Had Known Before I Switched to a Mac” on his blog “Confessions of a Teenage Fanboy.” No. 1: “When you install an application, you might not have actually installed an application” (teenagefanboy.blogspot.com). DAN MITCHELL

Complete links are at nytimes.com/business. E-mail: whatsonline@nytimes.com.

The entire article by Dan can be found here. The column can also be found on page B5 of today's New York Times.

I would like to give a huge thank-you to Dan for writing about my article. I can't even explain how great it felt to see my name in the New York Times. I would also like to give a bigger thanks to the users of Digg.com. Your diggs definitely helped increase the popularity of my article. Digg is, without a doubt, the greatest user-focused website on the internet.

Again, sorry for the lack of a post today. Be sure to check out the blog next week. I will be posting my opinions of the announcements Apple makes during Macworld.

Thanks again to everyone. I really appreciate the feedback and support.

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NOTE: If you are looking for more great tips and tutorials for OS X, check out my new website, www.appleinfive.com

(Author's note: This article is in response to a previous post. The previous post can be found here.)

I received some great responses from my post the other day. I am a big Digg.com fan and was ecstatic to see my article make the Digg homepage. It was great reading all the positive comments left on both my blog and Digg. I also learned a valuable grammar lesson. I will remember to proofread every article because it is impossible to tell when a story might get dugg. I guess I "should of" worried less about lunch and more about spelling.

After reading all the comments and e-mails, I have decided to build upon my previous post a little. Many people made valid points that I wanted to continue to build upon. I hope you all enjoy these other viewpoints of OS X!

I use osx, i've been using apple products since the late 80s, but i can at least admit that their operating system has flaws. Finder needs a huge overhaul, and there are some very annoying unconfigurable stupid-proof options such as "do you really want to change the file extension to *.txt???" (which of course defaults to no). Also, it adds hidden .DS_STORE files to every directory regardless of weather or not it's removable media or networked devices. I could go on, but there's no point.

All systems have their pros and cons, and until you've tried them all (mac, windows, kde, gnome, et cetera), most of people's opinions are simply related to whatever they are more used to. At this moment, i've go a mac laptop, a linux desktop, and an old box running windows. Just find the one that works for you.

Here is some great advice by cypher35. You need to make the decision yourself. I have received numerous e-mails from people stating that I helped solidify their decision to buy a new Mac. I am really glad I helped lead you, but remember that it is your decision. I suggest sitting down at at Apple store for a while before the purchase. Play around with a computer similar to the one you plan on purchasing. I would even suggest voicing any concerns you have with a Mac Genius. Make sure you make the decision yourself.

I was very surprised how much my new mac DOESN'T suck for games. I can play CIv4 and WoW, that's really all I need, I can also play AoE3, America's Army, and more. PLUS with Bootcamp I can play windows games.

Spidoman posted this on Digg. I must express that about 90% of my Mac usage has been restricted to my MacBook. If you do want to try games on your Mac, the MacBook is definitely not the route to go. The Mac Pro as well as the iMac can both be very capable of playing games. Heck, even the MacBook Pro can show off some nice games. However, the MacBook is definitely not the route to go for hardcore gamers. The main point I tried to show in my article was that OS X might not be the best system for hardcore gamers. I totally understand that some games run great on the Mac. Nevertheless, Windows blows OS X out of the water in the games category.

Simply uncheck the option in the 'Advanced' section of iTunes preferences for 'manage music library automatically' (or somesuch), and it will stop trying to manage the song files. You can just leave the files wherever you want them, and iTunes won't move them. This is the first thing I do when setting up iTunes. I can't stand how badly iTunes mangles my music library when it tries to organize it...

Here is a tip from WiseWeasel on Digg. I should have stressed that I am fully aware of this option. I was just unaware that is it turned on by default in OS X. On a PC, this option is off by default. New Mac users might be surprised by this when they initially make the switch.

"Useless applications start loading out of no where. AIM followed by MSN Messenger and Yahoo! EZ Web Chat something or another. Who the hell needs that many messaging clients? Why do they assume I want to use them when I start my computer, causing another 5 minutes of load time?"

I refuse to believe that any quasi-technically literate person who used Windows his entire life could fail to figure out how to set programs to start or not start automatically on the system startup.

I am glad you didn't believe it Gotamd. Personally, I could find out which programs are set to start on start-up and fix the problem. I guess no one saw my humor. I initially wrote to article to appeal to those who are typical Windows users. The hardcore PC user on Digg was not my target audience. I respect every hardcore user and totally understand that they are fully capable of keeping a safe and peaceful Windows PC. Users with computer habits like my Grandmother can't. I am sure that nearly every computer savvy reader of my post has experienced the pain that comes with attempting to fix a "non-techies" computer. That pain is what I tried to convey through my writing.

I agree with everything except item #1. I merely searched a mac-based forum for "installing apps" and found my answer. Once I realized the ease of installing/trashing apps I couldn't believe something like this wasn't created for Windows.

This came from GenghisKhan on Digg. In my opinion, I should have to search forums in order to get a program to work. Some programs are great. FireFox makes the whole process simple with arrows and a great ReadMe file. That makes everything great if FireFox is the first program you attempt to install. Some programs aren't so great and they can make the entire process confusing to a new Mac owner.

If you REALLY want a right-mouse click just get yourself a good USB mouse, which should work just fine.

Micheal suggests a USB mouse if right-clicking is a necessity. I totally agree. I just wanted to give this tip to people who are stuck using a trackpad. If you are looking for a mouse, I suggest Apple's Mighty Mouse. It is a great Bluetooth mouse if your computer has Bluetooth capabilities. A Bluetooth mouse is great because it doesn't take up a precious USB slot.

How much did Apple pay you to write these lies?

Not nearly enough.

Wow... all those comments and not a single person mentioned Quicksilver.

More powerful than Spotlight. Faster (in my opinion). Looks better (from a 2-paned "glass" style window to an overlay on the menu bar). Easier hotkey, for example, I double-tap the Apple key, and the menu appears, and I can start typing. Insane amount of plugins (Firefox/Mozilla, Disk Image, Terminal commands, iApps, Growl support (a notification app, growl.info), Keychain support, the list is endless.

I disabled Spotlight completely in favor of Quicksilver.

Here is a nice little suggestion from Modulo1. Quicksilver is a great app. It does take time to fully learn Quicksilver. However, once you learn the ins and outs of the program, it will really save you some time.

I've been a Windows user since birth, but am thinking of purchasing a Macbook. I don't do much gaming, so I'm not worried about the integrated graphics card. However, I don't know how to configure a Mac:

- Which Core 2 Duo - 1.83GHz? 2.0?
- How much Memory - upgrade to 1GB? 2GB?

Although I appreciate this article's discussion about some 'idiosyncrasies' of switching to OS X, I'd appreciate a hardware article as well.... Anyone?

Here is a question from Enrique. I would personally upgrade as much as I could afford. Just like any computer purchase, it will be well worth the upgrade in the long run. I am currently running a 2.0 Ghz Core Duo with 1GB of RAM. I feel like I have tons of power and would recommend this system to anyone.

I'd like to add that printer compatibility kind of sucks with the Mac. It probably has to do with the manufacture than anyone else. That said, you might need to buy a new printer.

Valid point by Sigintop. Just make sure your printer is compatible with OS X and definitely make sure any new printer you buy is compatible. If you search Google for your printer model number and OS X in the same search term, you should find some some great insight from users who already have the printer. I also agree that the problem is definitely the manufacture.

@ brundlefly76, I'll bite.

-Apple being ahead of the Intel processor curve was a one-off for the Intel launch - from now on, you wait until the PC folks get new CPUs, and wait...
>That's funny, because I received my MacBook Pro Core 2 Duo the same time as those from other manufacturers were receiving theirs.

-If you are used to a 14" screen, dont get a 13.3" MacBook, because besides being smaller you cannot fullscreen apps in OSX for some reason.
>Wanting to "fullscreen" apps is a habit that takes most Windows users a week to get over. You didn't really own a MacBook, did you?

-MacOS has context menus but no right button, and it is as annoying as it sounds
>Get an external mouse, or learn to adapt. It feels perfectly natural for me to Control-click now (my hands are always by the keyboard anyways).

-Quicken for Mac cannot import your financial records from Quicken for Windows.
>Agreed. You should e-mail them and complain :-).

-The tiny black arrows show the apps which are currently running, and yes it is frustratingly obtuse
>What? This makes no sense. I don't get what is hard to understand about whether an app is running or not...

-The BSD underside of MacOS is different enough from Linux/BSD that you dont want to use it for Unix development.
>As a Mac OS X/Unix developer, I disagree. But you may have some points.

-The cool effect where the icons grow in the taskbar is the first feature you will turn off.
>It doesn't come turned on.

-GarageBand only records in aiff
>This is a valid concern, but is easily remedied by any number of numerous free converters.

-Going to the computer store to browse the software shelf is no longer any fun
>Hmm, I still find it tons of fun, considering most computer stores stock Mac software these days.

-You will want to punch you're friends when you see them playing BF2
>Actually, I'll join them! My MacBook Pro runs BF2 beautifully.

In conclusion, it sounds like you didn't own your Mac long enough to give it a chance. If you ever try it again, remember that the Mac OS is not Windows, and that you'll need to learn and change your ways. It is tough at first, but the reward is usually worth the effort :-).

Here is a great post on Digg by DaveyMcGav. He is responding to questions proposed by brundlefly76. I couldn't agree more with Davey's answers. I was actually going to write my own response to brundle, however Davey answered so well I didn't even bother wasting my time.


Well, that turned out to be more than five more things. I hope you don't mind. I also wanted to mention that I will also allow members to subscribe to my blog by e-mail. If you would like to subscribe by e-mail, just send an e-mail to TeenageFanboy@gmail.com with "subscribe" as the subject line.

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Time Magazine certainly thinks so. I recently read a story on Time's website which claims that the game is the best game of the year. That story can be found here.

When I first read this article, I couldn't disagree more. This year saw the release of The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess, Gears of War, Resistance: Fall of Man, Final Fantasy 12, and Oblivion just to name a few titles. A crappy looking game packed in with the Nintendo Wii console couldn't compete or can it?

I cringed when Nintendo announced that Wii Sports would be packed in with the Nintendo Wii system. I felt that Nintendo only included the game to justify the $250 dollar price point. I didn't want to play Wii Sports, nor did I want to think about paying for it. Why would I want five mini-games? I felt like Nintendo should have included Zelda if they were going to pack any game in at all.

I kept this philosophy until the day I bought my Wii console. I wasn't extremely happy that a portion of my money was going to pay for the game. However, after waiting in line for over 12 hours, I wasn't in the mood to argue.

My thoughts changed completely almost immediately after I turned on the system. I was immediately convinced after my first game of tennis. The game just worked. If I swing my hand, my little Mii does the same thing. It was nearly perfect.

I was totally convinced when my parents started playing. I never would of ever imagined my parents sitting with me at nearly 1 AM fighting over game controllers. It was exactly what Nintendo wanted. My mom still plays a game of tennis almost every day.

A game doesn't become game of the year after the first sitting. A game must continue to impress over a substantial period of time in order to be named the best game of the year. This is where Wii Sports has several flaws. To discuss depth, I have decided to analyze each game individually.

Tennis - This game continues to impress me. The game feels amazingly simple upon first play. Over time, it is easy to see the depth of the game. It takes tons of time to master certain shots and shot speeds. Multi-player matches remain amazing even after hundreds of matches.

Baseball - This might be the most disappointing game on the disc. Single-player mode becomes a bore after only several plays. The game does use many different Mii characters which is a plus. Nothing is better than hitting a game winning homer with my best friend's mom at bat.

Bowling - Bowling is easily the most polished game out of the bunch. This game might be one of the most perfect sports games I have ever played. I dare anyone to play a multi-player match without having fun.

Boxing - This is a love-hate game. You will either love it or hate it with no middle of the road. This game is a great party game if you are playing single-player. It might seem odd, but this game is a total blast when one player is beating up the computer with a room full of friends cheering the boxer on. The controls in this game feel rushed but nothing is better than hitting a Mii in the face with an uppercut.

Golf - I really wish Nintendo would of thrown out this title. The controls are WAY too inconsistent. Two similar swings can produce two insanely different results. This game needs more holes and more swing consistency.

I think any gamer will notice after several plays that Wii Sports only contains MAYBE two games which are above average. The other three are average at best. How does this make Wii Sports a possible game of the year? It is quite simple. Wii Sports offers something no other title did this year. Wii Sports was new and innovative. In a year full of sequels and remakes, Nintendo took a huge chance and came out on top. Wii Sports offers game play that no gamer has ever experienced at home.

Wii Sports has all had mass appeal. Games like Gears of War and Final Fantasy 12 might only appeal to a certain age group or audience. Wii Sports appeals to children as well as adults. Microsoft can't sell Gears of War to Mom. Nintendo can sell Wii Sports to Grandma.

So, was Time correct in naming Wii Sports as its game of the year? I would actually have to agree. Wii Sports redefines gaming to many people much like Super Mario 64 redefined gaming in 1996. Many people have been turned onto gaming thanks to Wii Sports interesting controls and fun game play. In the end, the game of the year isn't really the best game. Instead, the game of the year is the game which turns the most heads and interests the most people.



I hope you all enjoyed the third installment of my blog. I hope you leave your comments and opinions in my comments section. If you have any personal questions, comments, or suggestions for myself, please e-mail me at TeenageFanboy@gmail.com

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It seems like everyone is getting a Mac lately. AppleInsider reported that nearly 2 million Macs were sold this holiday season. Amazon also recently announced that the MacBook was their best selling laptop over the last several months. Heck, even my girlfriend and brother have picked up a Mac in the last two weeks. I hope these new users enjoy their systems.

I was also a new Mac user just six months ago. The MacBook was just too luring to me and I broke down and picked up my first Mac system. As I entered the wonderful world of Mac, I was alone and afraid. I basically jumped head into the computer with no knowledge of OS X. Fast forward six months and I am in love with my machine. It has been a great experience up to this point.

Anyways, I was helping my brother set up his new MacBook today. He has been a long time Windows user and has never spent quality time with OS X. While helping him, I remembered starting up my machine for the first time. Certain things on OS X are very different to long time Windows users. It reminded me of things that I wish I would have known when I first started using OS X.

So, I decided to put together a list for my brother, girlfriend, and everyone else who is new to the Macintosh operating system. I hope this list gives some good hints for newbies who might have picked up an iMac or MacBook this holiday season.

1. When you install an application, you might not have actually installed an application. - It took me a good couple of days to realize that I wasn't really installing NeoOffice. I couldn't understand what was going on. I looked at some help sites and finally realized that I needed to drag the application icon into my application folder. Most programs make this obvious, however some don't. If you're new to a Mac and you try to install a program that doesn't make this obvious, you could end up scratching your head for a while like I did.

2. When on a MacBook, two fingers on the trackpad plus a click can equal a right click, if you know how to set it up. - Windows users love their right-click. When on a PC, if all else fails I would right-click. New Mac users will obviously notice single-click bar on MacBooks or MacBook Pros. Control+Click works as a right-click, but it is kinda awkward. However, if you go to System Preferences>Mouse and Keyboard, you can find settings for the trackpad which allow you to right-click if you have two fingers on the trackpad while you click.

3. Embrace iLife. - Windows users are used to searching the internet for programs that fit their every need. Apple solves a lot of this for Macintosh users out of the box with Apple-made software. Mail, iChat, iTunes, and iPhoto might all be lacking features for the extremely hardcore, but everyday users will be amazed by their usability. The programs also work together very well. I must admit I was impressed when iChat allowed me to view what songs other Mac users were listening to while I chatted with them. I was even more impressed when I could easily link to that song in tne iTunes music store and listen to see if I liked it.

4. Use the built in search. No, really use the built in search! - Windows users should all be aware with the horrible monstrosity of a search found on XP. The search dog might look cute and cuddly at first. Except, I think a dead dog could find search results faster. Windows searches also often gave me useless files which never really seemed to match the terms I was searching. Basically, Windows search features are useless. However, do not hold that grudge against Spotlight! Apple's search feature is much more useful. Search any term and I would almost guarantee a useful result. You will also get your results back before the apocalypse.

5. You will no longer dread turning off your computer. - Nearly every Windows user I know cringes at the thought of shutting down a PC. They hate the idea of waiting five minutes before the computer loads into a state of usefulness. I am sure everyone reading this knows what I am getting at. First, you go through 2 minutes of a Windows XP logo with a little loading blue bar. Next, you log-in. Done, right? Hahaha, you couldn't be more wrong. Useless applications start loading out of no where. AIM followed by MSN Messenger and Yahoo! EZ Web Chat something or another. Who the hell needs that many messaging clients? Why do they assume I want to use them when I start my computer, causing another 5 minutes of load time? On my Mac, I see a short load screen followed with a prompt for my user password. I am then loaded and ready. Start up literally takes less than 20 seconds.

6. With BootCamp or Parallels, you can boot into Windows. Except, you really won't need to. - I was really worried when I bought my Mac. Even my parents were worried . They even went to the extent of buying me a new copy of Windows XP to install on the Mac with BootCamp. When college came along, I assumed I would boot into Windows almost every day to edit documents or print papers. Well, I was wrong. I only booted into Windows once during my first semester in college and that was only to prove that it was possible to a Mac-hater who lived down the hall. After about a month, new user will realize that nearly every program they could ever want was on a Mac.

7. Don't bother with games, even 2 year old games. - If you're a PC gamer, don't buy a Mac. Simply stated, you won't find any games you like and I don't want to hear you bitch about it. You're right, I couldn't even get Halo to run decently on my MacBook. You know what, I don't care. That is why I just spent $250 on a Nintendo Wii. Mac users don't tend to be the biggest computer gamers. We would rather e-mail and blog with ease and without fear of computer crashes or spy ware.

8. iTunes automatically makes copies of songs when you add them to your song library. - I am one of those guys who knows nearly every file on his machine and how large it is. I have this odd fixation over how much hard-drive space is left on my disk even when it really doesn't matter. I transfered over some albums I owned in .mp3 form from another computer using a thumb drive and noticed that twice the size of the files was taken away from my available disk space. This confused the hell out of me. On a Mac, iTunes has a default setting which causes it to "organize your music". This feature is great, but I was unaware of it. It basically makes an exact copy of your music files in another location on your computer. Just remember this and delete the file you originally placed on your computer.

9. Exposé is your friend. - In your System Preferences folder, you will find a nifty little icon for Dashboard and Exposé. Be sure to set up Exposé either as a keyboard button (default is F9) or as an active corner. Exposé takes every open window on your desktop and makes a smaller version of it. You then chose which screen you would like to view. You will become ten times more productive after you start using this feature. Exposé sounds simple or pointless at first but with use it will become one of your favorite parts of the operating system.

10. Don't second guess your decision. - It took me a couple weeks before I finally talked myself into getting an Apple computer. I worried about nearly one thousand different things before I finally made the decision. If I can give you any advice in this post it is this; jump into the Mac experience and enjoy the ride. The experience will amaze you and while the price tag might seem a little steep at first, it will be an investment well made. After a month on the system, you will have no regrets.


Well, I hope you guys enjoyed this post. I especially hope it was useful to new Mac users. Please e-mail any questions, comments, or suggestions you have to TeenageFanboy@gmail.com




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I have been playing around with the idea of a tech blog for a while now. I love reading and talking about technology related issues, so I guess a blog is the next big step. Anyway, I have been thinking about putting together a blog for quite a while. I just so happened to be on my favorite site this morning, Digg, and I stumbled across this link by a guy named GeekIdiot.

I guess I should explain the "Fanboy" word in the title of this blog. Hello everyone, my name is Cameron and I am a Nintendoholic. Nintendo has had me under their horribly wonderful grasp for the last ten years. I didn't go wacko like Nintendo 64 kid when I unwrapped the paper on my present that faithful Christmas day. However, I was sucked into the Nintendo magic and have loved it ever since.

One feature of the recently released Wii I see as Nintendo's biggest advantage is backwards compatibility with the GameCube. This feature is never given enough attention because the PS3 has this feature as well as the XBOX 360 to a lesser extent. Except, Nintendo has a huge advantage over Sony or Microsoft simply because no one bought the GameCube. Backwards compatibility means nothing when everyone already owns a system which plays old games. The success of the Wii translates into new Nintendo gamers who never had the luxury of playing old GameCube games. Sony doesn't have this luxury because approximately 8 trillion people bought a PS2 and have already played any old games worth adding to a collection.

Anyways, enough with my rambling and back to my first paragraph. I read an article on the 40 essential GameCube games. As a GameCube owner, I would agree with most of the titles on the list. I am also aware of nearly every title because I have followed the system throughout an entire generation. New Wii owners have never heard of many of these titles and therefore have no idea which of these games to pick up first or which are actually worth cold hard cash. I don't want to criticize Geek Idiot because I feel like he put together a great list. I just wish he would of given a little look into each of the games.

I decided to cut the list into 20 games. That should keep any gamer busy for the next couple months. I am placing the games in a top 20 order AND giving some details about each game. I hope you all enjoy the list!

20. Pikmin 2 - A RTS done right on a console. Pikmin 2 is the same great gameplay from Pikmin with more depth and detail. Controlling the Pikmin is over half the fun in the game. Pikmin isn't for everyone though. Some might find the controls tricky and complicated if they aren't familiar with RTS games.

19. Mario Power Tennis - I had a hard time deciding on if I should add this game to the list. With Wii Sports bundled in with the Wii, gamers can play tennis to their hearts content. However, Power Tennis offers more depth and detail and will keep tennis fans busy for a long time.

18. Super Monkey Ball 2 - If you haven't played any Monkey Ball game before, you're missing out on one of Sega's greatest gaming gems. Anyone can enjoy this puzzle hit. The later stages will push even the most skilled gamers into an intense level of concentration. Everyone should own either Super Monkey Ball 1 or 2 for the GameCube.

17. Star Wars Rogue Leader: Rogue Squadron II - This game has held a special place in my heart ever since I picked it up on the GameCube's launch night. The missions are varied and interesting enough to keep any gamer happy for hours.

16. Mario Golf: Toadstool Tour - A great solid golf game. Much better than the golf game thrown together in Wii Sports. It doesn't feature motion control, but this game offers a fair amount of unlockable characters and courses. I do think that Mario Golf for the N64 is a better game. If your willing to wait, I would hold out and spend my money on the N64 version of this game whenever it is released for the Virtual Console.

15. Resident Evil (aka REmake) - The original Resident Evil won the hearts of many gamers when it was released for the PS1. I had never played the original, so this was perfect for me. Controls can be a little lackluster at times, however this is still a quality game.

14. Super Mario Sunshine - This game might have received more shit than any other game in the GameCube's lifespan. I guess that is what happens when you are technically a sequel to Super Mario 64. No, this game does not revolutionize gaming like Super Mario 64 did in 1996. That doesn't make it a bad platformer. I recommend that everyone checks out this game, just don't expect anything to be leaps and bounds over Super Mario 64.

13. F-Zero GX - It didn't sell too well and it wasn't well recieved by many. Plainly stated, this game was hard. Very hard. If you have the patience to practice and master this game, it could be one of the most rewarding things you have ever done in gaming. ONLY FOR RACING DIE HARDS.

12. Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes - Poor sales of this game and Eternal Darkness lead to the end of Nintendo's friendship with Silicon Knights studio. Don't let sale numbers fool you, this game is of superb quality. This game is another quality rerelease on the 'Cube. Again, if you have played the original, you might want to take a pass. If you have never played this Kojima classic, be sure to pick it up and enjoy. It only takes about 15 hours to complete, but I guarantee that it will be the best hours of your life.

11. Animal Crossing - Many will argue with me about placing this game so high up on the list. Simply stated, this game created a new genre of sorts. It was often compared to the popular "Sims" games which doesn't quite do this title justice. You WERE an inhabitant of the world in which you created. Day and night passed and people changed. The DS version released a little over a year ago was a better game. The GameCube version just helped create and define a title which will carry great power on Nintendo systems for years to come. That alone deserves a top position.

10. Lost Kingdoms - One of two real sleeper titles I still have on my list. This game is amazing and I almost promise that you have never heard of it. The story and graphics might be typical but the gameplay isn't. This game focuses on collecting a team on monsters in a deck of cards. The concept it hard to explain in words, but the game is wonderful in action. Definitely worth the seven bucks or so you will find it for at your local GameStop.

9. Eternal Darkness - A game that defines the GameCube. It is amazing, yet it sold like shit. If Nintendo has a kiddy image, this game didn't help create it. The story and gameplay are better than any other horror game on the market. What made ED stand out was a certain gameplay element which I really won't go into detail in because it ruins the game. Want to know what that element is? Do yourself a favor and go purchase this game.

8. Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door - I just finished this game less than 24 hours ago. Never before has a game given me such mixed feelings. Part of me wants to praise this game as a great RPG that should be number 2 or 3 on this list. The other part of me placed this game at number 8. This game is slowly paced and involves several fetch quests. The battle system is great and I want to keep finding bigger and badder enemies and bosses. The game would rather send me on a fetch quest and that just pisses me off. This game does have depth on it's side. If you find every badge and shine, you will easily put 50-60 hours into the adventure.

7. Viewtiful Joe - An amazing franchise that saw it's rise and fall before the Wii was even released. The original VJ was a wonderfully fresh side scroller that made games feel like kids again. Capcom would overkill the franchise with too many sequels in too short a time span. That shouldn't stop you from picking up the first game. Just a friendly tip, go through the game first on child mode. Adult mode will kick your ass.

6. Metroid Prime - Considered by many to be the greatest Metroid game. I think 2D Samus is a little better, however this is still a great game. FTS fans and adventure fans will both find this game amazing as it wonderfully intertwines the two genres.

5. Tales of Symphonia - The RPG that PS2 owners wished they had. It made up for the lack of any meaningful Final Fantasy on the system. This game provided a hell of an adventure with a great story and even better gameplay. Battles never got old and the game offered tons of collectible items that could make fights even better. The game does have several fetch quests which do piss me off. They are however placed out evenly enough and sparsely enough that I never even cared.

4. Beyond Good and Evil - This game is easily the Cinderella of the list. Ubisoft delivered a gem which was released on all last-generation systems. It also sold poorly on all last-gen systems. This game was a hit on every level. Story, music, character design, level design, difficulty, and gameplay were all perfect. The game's one flaw is it's length. It is only about 13 hours or so long. I do give Ubisoft credit for keeping the game short instead of just adding in a big cup of boredom to extend the game's length. I bought this game for ten bucks about two years ago and it is still one of the best investments I have ever made.

3. The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker - Another Nintendo game that received a ton of flak. Cell-shading or not, this game is a triple A title. Don't let the colorful appearance fool you, this game is beautiful. The game is polished and a welcome addition to the Zelda series. The game is unbelievably polished. Every moment is wonderful. Well, except for the Tri-Force shard hunting late in the game. Damn fetch quests.

2. Resident Evil 4 - The most amazing survival horror game of all-time. Easily one of the best games of the last generation. Personally, I still think the controls are a wee (wow a bad pun) bit wack. Don't let that make you think twice about this game. It is still an unbelievable experience. The best part about it is the price. You can find this game for around $15 or even in the Resident Evil 10th Anniversary Pack which includes RE 0, REmake, and RE4 for a great reasonable price.

1. Super Smash Bros. Melee - Every once in a game comes along that is damn near perfect. Melee is that game. No other game on the GameCube provides the hours of fun of this first generation GameCube game. I will go out on a limb and say this game could quite possibly change your life. The amount of depth in this game is enough to drive any perfectionist to insanity. Collecting trophies, unlocking characters and levels, and playing countless multi-player matches against your friends will continue to be fun even after as much as 100 hours of gameplay. If you have a Wii or a GameCube, go buy this game now. If you don't have the cash, sell the computer your reading this on and go buy this game. You'll make the right decision.

Well, that's it for my top 20 list of GameCube games. If your a new Wii owner who has never owned a Nintendo system, go pick yourself up a WaveBird controller and a few of those games. Any game on this list will be a great addition to any library. If I missed any games or if you want to argue with my order, be sure to leave a comment or e-mail me at Cameron@CameronBanga.com




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