**The Forgotten Nintendo Console: Panasonic Q**

Hey, guys this is Austin. Say hello to the forgotten Nintendo console. The other day my friend Armando from Pixel Vault Games hit me up and told me he had something special come into his shop: The Panasonic Q.

This was based on the GameCube, but it was a little different. That came out only in Japan. It was a limited run that they actually had. It's funny. You look at the front, it says Panasonic DVD game player and then just down on the side you actually see GameCube.

It does have all that and it is also a CD player, so it has the buttons at the top right there too. Oh, so you get all the dedicated buttons. And it plays DVDs, which is something that GameCube didn't do here. Exactly, yeah, because the GameCube used the mini DVDs. It's a weird story how this came to be.

The GameCube was the first main Nintendo console to drop cartridges for optical discs, but weary of piracy, they opted to go with a slightly unusual mini DVD. This worked fine, but it meant that it could only hold 1.5 gigs, which was a far cry from the 8GB DVDs on the PS2 and Xbox.

Panasonic made the optical drive on the GameCube, but in return Nintendo agreed to let them make their own version of the GameCube that could play DVDs, which resulted in this bizarre Frankenstein of a console. Oh, wow. So, this is way bigger than a GameCube.

And you know how the GameCube has a handle in the back? A handle. Oh, this has the top handle. Yeah, top handle. And like I said, it is a limited run. I've never seen this. No, neither have I. I feel like they come up every once in awhile on eBay, but like three, four, 500 bucks.

Yeah, upwards to that. Exactly. Costing the equivalent of $440 back in 2001 compared to $200 for a normal GameCube, it was a huge price premium. Especially considering that both the PS2 and Xbox could play DVDs right out of the box.

Oh, dude it works! Wow, so it's just like the straight-up GameCube interface. So, it's a full-sized DVD, so I guess the GameCube discs would just fit right in the middle? Yeah, it's probably not gonna read it. It's probably not (sighs).

What if we put a DVD? Okay, so we get the GameCube splash screen. It's come up no disc. Oh, well hello! Hit DVD here. Hey! Maybe it's telling you you can't play that. Guess it wasn't a big fan of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2.

So, we hit game mode, yep, then it reboots into GameCube OS. So, it really is like two completely different pieces of hardware built into one thing. Alright, well I feel like that's a thing right there. Alright, so it's a couple days later and we've come prepared this time.

So, first of all, we have a very Japanese DVD courtesy of my good buddy Ken, and we also have a Japanese Nintendo GameCube game, so this is Mr. Driller's Drill Land: Dream & Adventure In Underground. With a name like that, we're clearly gonna have a good time.

So, if I remember correctly, we need to, there we go. So, it restarts into DVD mode. Oh (laughs). Oh, come on. Work with me here. Aye? Aye! Okay, so it does work. It doesn't look like the GameCube controller's being recognized, but we can still use these top buttons to actually still do all our normal DVD commands.

Now, for the real test: Can we play a GameCube game? Wow, the second time I tried it worked fine. So, yeah! We're able to get it up and running on this guy. We were able to play Mr. Driller's Drill Land without any issues. However, when we tried to load another game, it didn't work.

This is not happy with me right now. It is just locking up and freaking out like crazy (sighs). I've got to admit, I'm really disappointed right now. I was so hoping that we were gonna be able to get this guy up and running. To be fair, we were able to play a DVD with it; it does output, so at least it works somewhat.

However, I think there's still some more kinks that we would have to work out. But who knows? Maybe we'll have a part two where we get this guy fully back up and running.

WEBVTTKind: captionsLanguage: enHey, guys this is Austin.Say hello to the forgottenNintendo console.The other day my friend Armandofrom Pixel Vault Games hit me upand told me he had somethingspecial come into his shop:The Panasonic Q.This was based on the GameCube,but it was a little different.- That came out only in Japan.It was a limited runthat they actually had.- It's funny.You look at the front,it says Panasonic DVD game playerand then just down on the sideyou actually see GameCube.- It does have all thatand it is also a CD player,so it has the buttons atthe top right there too.- Oh, so you getall the dedicated buttons.- And it plays DVDs, which is somethingthat GameCube didn't do here.- Exactly, yeah, because theGameCube used the mini DVDs.It's a weird story how this came to be.The GameCube was the firstmain Nintendo consoleto drop cartridges for optical discs,but weary of piracy,they opted to go with aslightly unusual mini DVD.This worked fine,but it meant that itcould only hold 1.5 gigs,which was a far cry from the 8GB DVDson the PS2 and Xbox.Panasonic made the opticaldrive on the GameCube,but in return Nintendo agreedto let me make their own versionof the GameCube that could play DVDs,which resulted in this bizarreFrankenstein of a console.Oh, wow.So, this is way bigger than a GameCube.- And you know how the GameCubehas a handle in the back?- A handle.Oh, this has the top handle.- Yeah, top handle.And like I said, it is a limited run.I've never seen this.- No, neither have I.I feel like they comeup every once in awhileon eBay, but like three, four, 500 bucks.- Yeah, upwards to that.Exactly.- Costing the equivalentof $440 back in 2001compared to $200 for a normal GameCube,it was a huge price premium.Especially consideringthat both the PS2 and Xboxcould play DVDs right out of the box.Oh, dude it works!Wow, so it's just like thestraight up GameCube interface.So, it's a full sized DVD,so I guess the GameCube discswould just fit right in the middle?- Yeah, it'sprobably not gonna read it.- It's probably not (sighs).- What if we put a DVD?- Okay, so we getthe GameCube splash screen.It's come up no disc.Oh, well hello!Hit DVD here.Hey!- Maybe it's telling youyou can't play that.- Guess it wasn't a big fanof Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2.So, we hit game mode,yep, then it reboots into GameCube OS.So, it really is like twocompletely different piecesof hardware built into one thing.Alright, well I feel likethat's a thing right there.Alright, so it's a couple days laterand we've come prepared this time.So, first of all, wehave a very Japanese DVDcourtesy of my good buddy Kenand we also have a JapaneseNintendo GameCube game,so this is Mr. Driller's Drill Land:Dream & Adventure In Underground.With a name like that,we're clearly gonna have a good time.So, if I remember correctly,we need to,there we go.So, it restarts into DVD mode.Oh (laughs).Oh, come on.Work with me here.Aye?Aye!Okay, so it does work.It doesn't look like the GameCubecontroller's being recognized,but we can still use these top buttonsto actually still do allour normal DVD commands.Now, for the real test.Can we play a GameCube game?Wow, the second I switched to game modethe fans kick up like crazy.For Japan only.Sure it is.Aye!Alright!Time to enter Drill Land.This is working surprisingly well.I've got to say I'm pretty,uh oh, what does that mean?According to Google Translate,I did not read the disc,the manual.Please read (laughs).As I read it's likewhat is this gonna say?Alright, it says exactlywhat I think it's gonna say.I do actually worry a littlebit about the drive here.It was able to play the DVD alright,but the actual tray itselfis really getting stuck.It doesn't wanna come in and out.It's being really inconsistent.I'm afraid, oh no.No, the disc itself looks fine.Now it's time to seeif we can get any kindof better result with Luigi's Mansion,which for the recordshould actually not work,but I'm just curious tosee if it's the same erroror we're gonna get something else.Oh, look at that.We did get a different error.What's weird is that it knowsthat Mr. Driller's Drill Land is in thereand it gives us an errorthat when we try to take it,it's like hey, put the game back in,but when we actually try to load the game,it doesn't work.This is not happy with me right now.It is just locking up andfreaking out like crazy.(sighs) I've got to admit,I'm really disappointed right now.I was so hoping that we were gonna be ableto get this guy up and running.To be fair we were ableto play a DVD with it,it does output, so atleast it works somewhat.However, I think there'sstill some more kinksthat we would have to work out,but who knows?Maybe we'll have a part two where weget this guy fully back up and running.