In Japan it appeared as if the
Playstation 2 gained many hardware sales by being a low costing DVD
player. Nintendo partner Matsushita saw an opportunity to
also cash in. The result? The Panasonic Q. A machine that
combines a Nintendo GameCube and Panasonic DVD player into one.
The
Panasonic Q is currently only sold for retail in Japan, however it can
be purchased through import retailers. To help garner the attention of
import consumers, establishments such as Upstate Games have gone
the extra mile to make it totally region friendly, enabling you to play
all region DVDs in addition to Japanese and US GameCube
software. However, importing this puppy would run you close to $474.99
USD.
During the development of their GameCube
gaming system, Nintendo
partnered with Matsushita-owned Panasonic to manufacture the
disc drive for their console. As part of this agreement, a license was
issued to Panasonic to be able to utilize the base GameCube
software technology for their own system, if they chose to do so. Needless
to say, Panasonic decided to exercise this contract clause and
released one of the most visually attractive hardware units of all time
- the Panasonic Q. Debuting just three months after its parent in
December, 2001, this system ultimately proved that the old adage "looks
aren't everything" was true - especially if not priced correctly.
Released exclusively in Japan, the Panasonic Q was developed to
address the fact that the GameCube's main competitors, the
Sony Playstation 2 and shortly after the Microsoft Xbox,
supported
DVD
movie playback out of the box while Nintendo did not incorporate
this feature into its machine. Hoping to capitalize on this supposed
oversight, the Panasonic Q was born. This was Nintendo's
second attempt at licensing game hardware technology to a third party
manufacturer, the first being the Sharp Twin Famicom. The initial
venture did not prove to be successful for neither Nintendo nor
Sharp. History would once again repeat itself with this new
partnership with
Matsushita.
As stated earlier, the Panasonic Q is one of the most striking
consoles ever released. Sporting a mirrored front facing with a
scratch-protective coating, the overall design is extremely advanced and
crisp. Soft-touch buttons line the respective left and right sides and
give quick access to sound, game and other options. The subtle but
tasteful use of the
Panasonic label is centered at the top of the main interface, with a
smooth front loading
DVD\GC hybrid player residing just below. Four controller
ports, accented with neon ice-blue lighting around their circumference,
are featured across the front of the unit with two standard
GameCube memory card slots lying in unison just below. All button,
port labeling and compatibility logos (DVD, CD, DTS,
GameCube, and
Dolby), are detailed in pure white and are surprising easy to read
against the reflective background. Standard DVD buttons and
controls are located on the top of the unit, along with the most
stunning feature of the
Panasonic Q - the backlit LCD display. This message center has a
futuristic look and provides relevant data (mostly on DVD play).
The 'Hello' and 'Goodbye' sequence that is displayed when powering
on\off the system is also a nice touch that further exemplifies the
extra care that was put into its design.
Technically, the gaming hardware in the Panasonic Q is identical to
the NintendoGameCube. There are literally no variations - please see the
overview of the Nintendo GameCube for these details. That being
said, owners of the Panasonic Q will enjoy the following audio
enhancements over their GameCube brethren: Dialog Enhancer,
Cinema, Surround and Bass Plus. All of these audio modes
modify or boost a respective frequency to produce subtle if not
unremarkable effects during game and DVD play. These options do
not have level adjustment or customizable settings that can be modified.
This is unfortunate but really not that important considering that most
televisions at the time incorporated these features anyway.
Matsushita's marketing plan was to develop a DVD player with
gaming capabilities, rather than just producing a video game console.
The
Panasonic Q
hit the mark in this area with a DVD player that exceeded the
industry standards of the time. While lacking the bells and whistles of
some of the higher-end players available, DVD playback is
extremely detailed, displayed in bold and vibrant colors. The included
DVD
remote is easy to use (though all text is in Japanese) and contains the
basic playback controls. At the time, the DVD
player performance of the Sony Playstation 2 and Microsoft Xbox
paled in comparison. There is another bonus feature in this area - region
free game and movie support. The first model only supported NTSC Region
2 disks and Japanese-released
GameCube software. After a very short period of time, a second
model was made available that fully supported NTSC Regions 1 through 6
as well as USA game disks. Unfortunately, there was no official PAL
released unit and VCD playback is also not supported.
While the advantages of owning the Panasonic Q over the
Nintendo GameCube
are significant, the decision to purchase one was not an easy task in
2001. The first release debuted at $439 USD (equivalent to $545 USD in
2007) and the multi-region version could be yours for $499 ($635 USD in
2007). This price point severely limited the potential buying market,
especially since the GameCube and a separate DVD player
could be purchased for less.
With excellent
DVD playback, multi-region media support, audio enhancements and
its stylish look, the Panasonic Q is a definite upgrade to its Nintendo
GameCube parent. Since the system was released in limited
quantities, be prepared to spend a good amount to acquire one. A CIB
(complete in box) unit will cost you around $200 to $300 dependant upon
condition. Compare this to being to get a comparable GameCube
system for around $20. If you are just looking for a video game console,
the advantages of the
Panasonic Q really can not be justified. For the collector, this
system will definitely stand out on your gaming shelves.
Highly
recommended additional sites\resources for this system.
Name
Website
Description
visitors since 01-Apr-2008
Page last updated
06-Feb-2010
Copyright 2008-2009 The Video Game Console Library. This website
and the information contained within it is protected by copyright.
Reproduction of part or all of the website contents in any form is
prohibited unless expressed written consent of the author has been
obtained in advance. Content of this website may not be copied to any
other publication (including electronic, hard copy or others). Interior
deep linking or framing of this website is prohibited without permission
of the author.
HANDS ON REVIEW by
DW FACTS by 
DW FACTS
HANDS ON REVIEW