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The Video Game Console Library - Panasonic Q

Panasonic Q

Panasonic Q

Panasonic Q

  HANDS ON REVIEW by Marriott_Guy            DW FACTS by Dark Watcher
 
Developer Manufacturer Release Date Country(s) Initial Price Model Number  Game Releases  Overall Rating
Panasonic Panasonic Dec-01 Japan $439 USD SL-GC10 700+ 9.0
Ratings Reviews Pictures\Video Specs Games\Emulation Models Clones Links  
   
Panasonic Q

Ratings
Ratings are based on the available technology at the time of release.  Ratings based on a 10 point scale (10 being excellent\very rare).

Console Design (Appearance and overall functionality)

 10

Console Durability (Sturdy and hearty or frail and fragile)

 09

Controllers (Design, response, feel and ease of use)

 07

Graphics (Graphical capability and game presentation)

 07

Audio (Sound capabilities, including music, speech and effects)

 10

Media (Game media format, design, durability)

 06

Packaging (Appeal and durability of packaging)

 08

Game Library (Quality and quantity of game offerings)

 09

Innovations (Technological strides on the industry)

 06

Gamer Value (Is this a good investment for the gamer?)

 03

Collector Value (Is this a good investment for the collector?)

 08

Games Rarity (General availability of most games)

 01

Console Rarity (General availability of a functional system)

 07
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    Reviews
Panasonic Q

  DW FACTS
  - by Dark Watcher

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.
 

 Panasonic Q
  HANDS ON REVIEW
  - by Marriott_Guy (23-Feb-08) 

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.

Panasonic QAs 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 Nintendo GameCube. 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.

Panasonic QWhile 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.

  

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     Pictures & Video

Panasonic Q
Q - Front

 Panasonic Q
Q - System & Box		 Panasonic Q
Q - Back		 Panasonic Q
Q - LCD Display
Panasonic Q
Q - Control Description
User Video of the Panasonic Q

Video courtesy of berrisiffredi.
 
User Video of the Panasonic Q
Video courtesy of PanamaStang.
  		Panasonic Q
Q - Nice Overall Display
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    Specs
Processor Type Processor Speed

Other Processor Information

 RAM \ Video RAM

128bit IBM Power PC Gekko

 485 MHz See Other Details for specifics

24 MB

Screen Resolution

Color Palette

Polygons \ Sprites

Audio
 

16.8M colors

 33 MPS Macronix 16-bit DSP Sound Processor

Media Format

Media Capacity

Games Released

Other Supported Formats

3 inch Nintendo GameCube Disc

1.5 GB

 700+
(for Nintendo GameCube)		  

Internal Storage

External \ Removable Storage

Game Controllers

Other Game \ Peripheral Devices

1KB Flash ROM

Standard GameCube Memory Card

 Standard GameCube control pad  
Controller Ports Network Ports

Other Ports

Audio \ Video

Four (4)

  

 

  

Power Supply

Other Outputs

 Other Details \ Notes
     
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    Games & Emulation

The following lists some games screen shots and\or videos released for this system.
See the Nintendo GameCube for game listings.

The following lists links to third party sponsored game emulators   

Program Website Description
See the Nintendo GameCube for emulators.
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    Models

The following lists additional authorized releases for this console.

This console is a variant of the Nintendo GameCube.  No other additional models were released.
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    Clones

The following lists non-licensed additional releases.
No clones were released for this system.  This system is a clone.
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    Links

The following sites\resources are highly recommended for this system.  References utilized in compiling this data are denoted with an (#).
Name Website
   
   
   
   
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counter hit make
visitors since 01-Apr-2008
System page last updated 11-Oct-2008
 

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