N-Sider Q&A Mailbag

Edition: 12-12-2004

After a little over a year of complete absence, the N-Sider Mailbag has returned! By the way, Im Jeffrey and Ill be the resident mailman here, for the time being. Im going to do my best to start bringing this column back to life on a fairly regular basis, but I cant do it without letters to post. Weve received a reasonable number for a column thats been dead for so long, but I think we can do better. I am positive that N-Sider has some of the most intelligent readers of any website of our kind, so let your voice be heard. Send your criticism, commentary, feedback, praise, or rants to qa@n-sider.com.

In todays update the PSP and NDS dominate the thoughts of a few readers, one crazy Zelda fan is declared clinically insane, we post a few letters of praise, and one guy thinks Nintendo is getting ready to unveil a super satellite that will allow you to play the DS online anywhere on earth.

Someone Actually Read N-Banter

Just a few quick comments...

"I don't think I can name another company, besides Nintendo, that has managed to keep its characters alive for so many years."

Disney anyone?

As far as the PSP being "niche", I doubt it. Not that I believe Sony has the best strategy for entering the market, but I know almost factually that Sony is notorious for creating the proper image, and when that PSP comes out, everyone and their mom (and even their mom) will know about it. Sony will attack the masses and the masses will believe that it is the best thing ever, as they did with the Playstation and the Playstation 2. Just because a product is better doesn't mean its going to succeed.

Nintendo needs to realize that a form of "online" will one day (probably in our lifetime in some form) be the medium for gaming. If they want to make alternatives for this, they need to create them sooner rather than later.

If Nintendo doesn't create new franchises with the DS, they've officially run out of ideas.

Sega should be having wet dreams over ideas for the DS. They have always been the absolute best at making innovative games that generally require the consumer to invest more than they care to. But with the DS, all the tools are already there for them to screw around with as they please. They could thrive very much on this system.

That's basically all my thoughts on this so far. You should do another Banter after you've played all the November releases.

-Alan

Jeffrey: Wow. Someone actually read N-Banter. I was beginning to think no one did. Thats awesome. Well try and get another N-Banter up before the end of the year, but I make no guarantees. The holiday season is a busy time for most of us here at N-Sider. Our real lives tend to creep up on us.

I think youre generally right about the PSP. It has a lot going for it. On top of being much more powerful than the Nintendo DS, the system features the coveted PlayStation name, and appears as if it will be priced very competitively with the DS. On the other hand though, the handheld market is not the same as the home console market. Im sure that the PSP will see some impressive sales initially, but its going to come down to games. If the PSP fails to deliver a system seller over the course of its first year on the market, I cant see it making the colossal impact some seem to think it will. However, I might be completely underestimating peoples willingness to purchase the system for its groundbreaking movie and music playback. (By groundbreaking I mean movies that come on a proprietary format that will never take off and music that must be stored on memory sticks).

On the other side of the fence, as popular as the Game Boy series is, Nintendo is far from invincible. The Nintendo DS has had a successful launch, from a sales standpoint, but has yet to truly define itself and be the innovative driving force Nintendo proclaimed it would be. Im sure many of you are happy with Super Mario 64 DS and will swear up and down how fresh it is. I think it is a fun game, but hardly the kind of innovative and original title Nintendo needs to win over an older market. The lack of a killer app really isnt a huge concern for the DS at the moment, but if Nintendo doesnt step up and begin creating some truly unique games that are geared toward the older demographic it claims to be targeting I dont really see the DS as being anything more than the next generation of Game Boy. Nintendo can gear its advertising efforts toward older gamers until the sky falls down, but if the look of their games speaks a different story, it is really all for nothing. There is nothing wrong with targeting games to all ages, but it is essential to make each age group feel like they are playing something that isnt just for kids. I believe games like Super Smash Bros.: Melee have demonstrated that philosophy.

Handheld Wars

My question is simple... between the Nintendo DS and the upcoming Sony Playstation Portable (PSP), which do you think will win the war? Nintendo with its innovative ideas, or Sony with its fancy graphics?

-Silent Bob

Jeffrey: Hah. See above. I dont make predictions before both systems have even entered the market. That would be foolish.

GCN?

I know this is kind of like a retarded question, but ive always wondered this: What does GCN actually stand for? I mean, i know its for gamecube or somethin but what is the N for? It cant be gamecube nintendo because that sounds stupid so like what does it stand for? id appreciate it if you answered back on this alot.

- Mr. HiHi

Jeffrey: Im not sure if this is a joke or not, but Ill answer it nonetheless (learn how to spell). GCN stands for GameCube Nintendo. The systems official title is Nintendo GameCube so I bet you are wondering why its initials arent NGC. If I remember correctly, Nintendo of America (NOA) and Nintendo Co. Ltd. (NCL, basically Nintendo of Japan) couldnt agree on what the initials of the system would be. I spoke with fellow staffer Brenden Petracek about it and he reminded me that NGC is a Japanese phone company. With that in mind, it's likely that Nintendo didnt want to initiate any disputes with the company. Regardless, here is a list of systems to save you from future troubles.

NES: Nintendo Entertainment System
SNES: Super Nintendo Entertainment System
Famicom: Family Computer (the Japanese name for the NES)
Super Famicom: Super Family Computer (the Japanese name for the SNES)

GB: Game Boy
GBP: Game Boy Pocket (a smaller Game Boy)
GBC: Game Boy Color
GBA: Game Boy Advance
GBA SP: Game Boy Advance SP

PSP: PlayStation Portable
NDS: Nintendo DS (DS stands for 'Dual Screen' and possibly 'Developer System')

PS2: PlayStation 2
XBX: Microsoft Xbox
GCN: Nintendo GameCube

Tactical Espionage Action...ZELDA STYLE!!

I've got some valid reasons why this game WILL play like MGS.

You ready? Let's begin:

[POINT 1]= In an interview with Nintendo Power before "Ocarina of Time" came out the following Question was asked:

NP: "What's your favorite area of the game?"

Miyamoto: "Though it's not a dungeon, I like the Gerudo Fortress, because you have to play a sort of hide-and-seek game with the guards to avoid getting caught. It's a unique area because it doesn't have the ordinary attack-style of game play."

SLAP-BANG!! Now that answer screams out "I love Hideo Kojima's Metal Gear franchise".

[POINT 2]= Interviewed again by Nintendo Power before "Ocarina of Time" came out, the following question was asked:

NP: "Will there be a lot of 3-D cinema scenes in this Zelda?"

Miyamoto: "Perhaps more than 40 minutes worth of scenes. I think it's important to have cinema scenes in order to keep people actively involved in the game".

WIZZY-WOW!! Another answer that screams out "I love Hideo Kojima's Metal Gear Solid".

[POINT 3]= Has everyone here played "Zelda: A Link to the Past"?

Remember the gaurds looking for Link? If you do you will already know that this also screams out "I love Hideo Kojima's Metal Gear franchise".

Though an old 2D title these gaurds had impressive AI. You could sneak up behind them and attack (So Metal Gear). And if they saw you they would chase you.

[POINT 4]= The Gerudo Fortress, The Sacred Forest Meadow as Adult Link. Sneaking in to see Zelda as Young Link.

Need I say more on this point?

[POINT 5]= Sneaking past the guards in the Deku Fortress in "Majora's Mask"

[POINT 6]= "The Wind Waker"!! Now A LOT of parts in this game screamed out "I love Hideo Kojima's Metal Gear franchise".

Come on!!
> Link can now crawl at will (stealth up to pigs).
> Gaze around corners (Soooooo Metal Gear-esque).
> Sneak up to enemies building on the "A Link to the Past" AI.
> Whatever ones I missed that YOU can think of.

[POINT 7]= The fact he got on his knees and pleaded Hideo Kojima to bring the franchise to the GameCube.

Futhermore paying part of the development cost by getting Silicon Knights to develop it.

Yet again: "I love Hideo Kojima's Metal Gear franchise".

[POINT 8]= New top-down view in Zelda will let you avoid certain enemies and stealth up to them. Soooo "MGS: The Twin Snakes". You must agree that I hvae made some good points here.

Agree?
Disagree?

- Galvin Okoye

Jeffrey: I've got some valid reasons why I think you ARE crazy.

You ready? Let's begin:

[POINT 1]= You pointed out that Zelda games since A Link to the Past have all incorporated stealth tactics, yet fail to realize that a sneaking around level is almost a staple of the Zelda franchise these days. You are often faced with having to sneak around guards in the earlier sections of the game because Link starts out relatively weak. He matures, learns new tactics, and becomes quite formidable as the game progresses. I recall Shigeru Miyamoto or Eiji Aonuma discussing that very fact in an interview after the release of The Wind Waker, though I am too lazy to find the quote.

CLING-CLANG!! An answer that screams Youre crazy!

[POINT 2]= Miyamoto saying that cut scenes are an important part of telling a story has absolutely no correlation with MGS. Unlike some of the MGS games, Miyamoto and company dont believe that cut scenes are the only way to advance a story or game. On top of that, Im pretty sure that pre OOT interview was done before or right around the time MGS was first released. I doubt Mr. Miyamoto had even played Metal Gear Solid yet.

BIM-BAMERA!! Yet another retort that screams Youre crazy!

[POINT 3]= I find it kind of funny that there is only one real shred of substantiation in your theory, that being the fact that the next Legend of Zelda will feature a top-down camera viewpoint in certain areas of the game. However, in no way does that mean that the game will take a dramatic shift and mimic the Metal Gear Series. Ill be the first to say that stealth elements will continue to play a role in the next iteration of the series, but Nintendo isnt going to dramatically change a time tested formula unless there is a truly compelling reason. In this case, there is no such rationale. Nintendo might opt to enhance the stealth elements in the game and we might even see a few more cut scenes, but sneaking around wont be the focus. If Nintendo was going in that direction, it wouldnt have showcased new features like on-horse combat.

Yet again: Youre crazy.

You must agree that I have made some good points here.

Agree?
Disagree?

Eternally Absent?

What in God's name has happened to Silicon Knights? Eternal Darkness was a masterpiece, and I want more!

- Omkar

Jeffrey: I completely agree. Eternal Darkness is definitely one of my favorite games this generation, if not ever. Silicon Knights havent been totally absent since the release of ED though. Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes (GCN) was a joint collaboration between SK, Nintendo, and Konami and is definitely a game to check out. It hit shelves last March. However, since then Nintendo and SK dissolved their partnership. Why? At this point no one is entirely sure. I would speculate that the Canadian developer is hard at work on next generation titles. Perhaps we will see Too Human released in our lifetimes, who knows. Id venture to say that well learn more about whats happening at SK as E3 2005 approaches (May 2005). Sadly, there is a good chance their next title will be released on the Xenon (Xbox 2) or PS3 instead of Nintendo's Revolution. Until then, Ill keep holding my breath.

Mario 128: Revolution or Cube?

Dear N-Sider,

Let me start by saying that you guys write some of the best editorials on the net. The last one titled "GeneratioNintendo" was a masterpiece and was very well written. I'm glad to see the return of the Q&A feature on your site. I would appreciate if you could answer a couple of my questions...

My first question is regarding the N64 adaptor for the cube. Nintendo also had a poll on this on their website asking if people were interested. Do you think Nintendo is really going to release such a thing that allows one to play N64 games on the cube?

My second question is about Mario 128. Famitsu recently interviewed Miyamoto, in which he revealed that currently Mario 128 is under development for the GAMECUBE...Do you think its a good move to bring this potential Revolution Launch title so late in the cube's life span? Personally I would be happy either way, but what do you think will/should Nintendo do?

Thanks,

- Shan

Jeffrey: You officially win the prize for sending the best formatted letter Ive received yet. Congratulations. I too enjoyed Glens GeneratioNintendo editorial. He brought up some very valid points, many of which are often ignored. As for a N64 adaptor ever seeing the light of day, I wouldnt bet on it. Nintendo has been known to release GB adaptors for systems, but there is really no viable reason for it to do so for past consoles at this point. There really wouldnt be a very large market for such a device. Id say your best bet would be to keep the old N64 in good condition, because its going to have to last you a while. As for Mario 128, I brought up the subject with one of my favorite N-Sider staffers, Travis, and we pretty much have the same view on it. With that in mind, Ill just let him answer.

Travis: A good question. Part of me wants Nintendo to wait and make Mario 128 a Revolution title simply so that the next system can launch with a real Mario game (unlike the GameCube). As for what I think Nintendo should do...well a Mario launch title would certainly start the Revolution off on the right foot (assuming its a freaking sweet game). Ideally though, I'd love this new Mario as soon as possible as long as we get a follow up for the Revolution's launch.

Mario Net

I've been reading every rumor I can find about Nintendo's mysterious "Mario Net" project, but I am still very confused. Can you shed any new light on this subject? From what I can glean, it is some sort of GPS-like satellite gaming network that will allow you to play the DS online (or, if you prefer, "non-line") absolutely anywhere. Is there any truth to the rumors? What about the bizarre "guerilla marketing" Nintendo has done so far (as it pertains to "Mario Net")?

Thought I'd help get the newly-revitalized Q & A section off on the right foot.

- Ryan from Minnesota

Jeffrey: Yeah, not really. Whoever told you that has led you astray. If Nintendo really does have some super ultra online network in the works Ill gladly retract my comments, but its not going to happen anytime soon. Eventually the DS will have games that are playable online, but there is no way that Nintendo will be able to set up wireless WiFi internet access for the entire world. It wont happen - perhaps someday, but not for a long time to come.

Fan Mail

To N-Sider,

I would just like to say that you do a great job with the site. The thing I like most about this site is articles like the 'Playing It Safe' article. I like reading about opinions on issues like that. Lets hope you do more of those in future. Thank you for Your time.

- Nick

Jeffrey: Ah, theres nothing like a good ego booster.

Taken by Tekken

Does it seem unlikely that Tekken 5 would come to the Cube? It seems that Nintendo and Namco are establishing close ties with each other with games such as Tales of Symphonia, Baten Kaitos, and even working on characters such as Donkey Kong and Starfox. So why does this thought seem impossible?

- Souli Thong

Jeffrey: I doubt Tekken 5 will hit the Cube. Tekken has been a PlayStation franchise for quite some time. Still, the relationship between Namco and Nintendo is definitely looking pretty positive at this point. I wouldnt completely rule it out, but again, its highly unlikely.

Uh Oh

The Zelda oracle of Seasons for color has an internal battery which is now dead. How do I replace this? Do I have to send it someplace?

- Dan Klepacs

Jeffrey: Hey, I was talking with Travis again and he pretty much had the same advice that I would give. Being that I dont feel like retyping it, Ill just copy and paste his response.

Travis: Well I'd say that short of calling or emailing Nintendo of Americas Tech Support (and hoping they are feeling generous) there isnt much that can be done. It's not a very common problem. Usually by the time game batteries die the general population could care less about the game in question. Buying a new copy, however, would suffice if you absolutely had to return to the all-knowing Oracle of Seasons and that's certainly something I could understand.