Nintendo adds demo disc to US Cube bundles

A new element has been added to Nintendo's GameCube offering in the USA, where purchasers of a new console will now be treated to a demo disc of upcoming Cube titles as well as a free best-selling game.

As previously reported, the company will also shortly be adding the Game Boy Player to this deal, giving buyers five options to choose from for their free gift - with the four games on offer being Zelda: Wind Waker, Metroid Prime, Starfox Adventures and Mario Party 4.

The demo disc is a first for Nintendo outside of Japan, as the company has previously shied away from offering demos of its titles to consumers. Interestingly, no first-party titles will be featured on the disc in playable form, although videos of games such as F-Zero GX will be included.

The playable demos on the disc are Namco's Soul Calibur 2, Sega's Sonic Adventure DX Director's Cut and Billy Hatcher and the Giant Egg, Capcom's Viewtiful Joe and Ubi Soft's Splinter Cell.

There's no word on whether we're likely to see a European demo disc at any point in the future, but with demo discs now part of Nintendo's marketing strategy in Japan and the USA, it's likely that Europe will follow suit eventually.