Question about games from USA to be use in Europe.

[Eltano1]

I'm going to visit some family in Germany, and I have 2 games for Gamecube that I'm thinkink to give as a present (they are new) to my niece and nephew, but I don't know if they will be able to play them, since we have a different system (NTSC here and PalN over there), if someone know the answer to this dilemma I will appreciate it.

Thanks and best regards

Eltano

 

[Eltano1]

TTT, I need an answer.

Eltano

 

[Eltano1]

Anyone???

 

[RSMemphis]

I am not 100% on this, but:
No, not out of the box.

They will either need a modded gamecube or an Action Replay cartridge:
"Action Replay (THIS WILL ALLOW YOU TO PLAY IMPORT GAMES ON YOUR PAL MACHINE- NO MORE WAITING MONTHS FOR THE LATEST TITLES)

Datel have done it again with the Action Replay for the GameCube, now you can enjoy those extra stages and game features with the simple codes available in Action Replay.

Not only can you unlock your games, you can also play the latest Import titles from the USA and Japan. This product is a must have for all PAL gamers."

The price for Action Replay stuff is normally around $30 (or also around 30 Euros)...

I think the Gamecube Action Replay is preorder right now.

Sorry, but I really don't think it will work otherwise.

EDIT:

I just reread something, and I think you also need an NTSC compatible TV or at least VCR (there are more and more of those in Europe now)... Also, there is a software called Freeloader that also allows to play imports.
Honestly, I am not sure it's worth all the trouble...

 

[Eltano1]

Thanks, I had the same feeling that it will not be worth it, also I found this at Nintendo site:

Other...Why don't games from another country work with my system? Can you modify them?
Products made by Nintendo for use in other countries are not designed for use in the U.S. for a variety of reasons, including:

Different electrical standards in different countries
Different TV broadcast standards (i.e. PAL, NTSC, SECAM...)
Different languages (This is a significant issue for operational instructions, precautions, and warnings)
Different government regulations (i.e. warranty, safety, electrical, etc.)
Different marketing requirements (i.e. game ratings, packaging, advertising, etc.)
Because of the many differences, the products are made specifically for each country or region, and there is no way to ensure compatibility. Games and systems purchased for use in other countries will often not function properly in the U.S. or with made-for-U.S. products, or will be difficult to use because of language issues (manuals, warnings, screen text, etc.).

Best regards

Eltano

 

[RSMemphis]

Well, most of those reasons are bull and a half.

Mostly they do it to control what goes into which market when.

You can play NTSC games on a PAL system with some software/mod and the right VCR/TV.
Also, games in Europe are often more expensive than in the US, and it would hurt Nintendo if everyone just got their games from the US or even Japan.
Internally, there are no electrical problems between a European and an American product, the product could be designed to meet all the safety criteria and so on and so forth.
No, control is the main issue here.

 

[Eltano1]

That's what I thought, in any case I'm going to take those games and see what happens.

Thnaks and best regards

Eltano