N-Sider Q&A
Got a Question? Send it here. Remember we only accept GameCube or Game Boy Advance specific questions.
January 12th, 2001
Why can't you make lots of more anime games? Anime is very very popular and why don't you make games like those. Pokemon Stadium looks cool but it's no good if you can't be the pokemon, like as if it was Street Fighter. Dragon Ball Z/ GT would make a great game with all those fans out there. AND ONE MORE THING... my own opinion for a game is a Gundam Wing Game for gamecube. It'll take advantage of the camera stick, aiming blows on a enemy, plus the gundam series are pretty popular.-ShadowMoonlight
Pete: Well, Sin & Punishment would be a start for Nintendo. I wouldn't mind seeing more anime styled games from them.
Any word on Tony Hawk 2x coming to the GameCube? Also, will we see any other games from Activision or Neversoft on the Cube?
-rxfang6
Pete: Activision has confirmed all their major franchises will be coming to the GameCube, so we're sure some version of Tony Hawk will be out in time for next fall on the GC. Spiderman is another likely franchise that could end up on the GameCube. Whether or not these games are designed by Neversoft or farmed out to other dev houses (as was the case with the N64 versions) remains to be seen.
Dear N-Sider,
I was just wondering when you think the gamecube will be released in Europe. All the sites talk about is a US release date of october so when do us europeans get the system. Also the Zelda demo looked impressive at spaceworld 2000 but when do you realistically think the game will be released.
-Sam Brown
Pete: I'd have to say around Feb/March 2002. There's a chance Nintendo might get out the GameCube in time for Christmas, but I wouldn't bet the farm on it.
Dear n-sider
I have recently been playing Yoshis Island on the SNES and can say it is one of the finest platformers I have ever played. Seeming as PC owners can emulate the SNES on their machines is their any chance of the Game cube being used as an emulator in the future? Is this technically possible? The N64 will host old NES games contained within the game code through the forthcoming Animal Forest, could this be a pointer for the future?
Great Site. Keep up the good work.
-JP
Pete: I don't think Nintendo will have this option as a standard. Meaning I doubt they'd ever distribute an emulator and a disc full of ROMs. Mr. Miyamoto did say he wished to make Animal Forest on the GameCube as well, so you might be able to play some old school 8-bit or 16-bit titles through something like that.
On the other hand, having an emulator that plays older games would be a great way to get people to buy into Nintendo's online network. I guess we'll have to wait and see, but it doesn't seem like Nintendo's style.
Do you guys notice that gray tint that the Gameboy Color's screen has? I was wondering if the Gameboy Advance's screen is going to have that same annoying tint?
-Crono256
Pete: The Game Boy Advance's LCD is not only larger in size, but it's also higher resolution and can display more colors on-screen. So that annoying "tint" that you see on the GBC likely isn't going to be on the GBA.
Do you think Nintendo/Capcom would develop a special fighter pad for Gamecube. the d-pad would be where the stick is and L and R move to front for 6 button layout. the buttons woul all bee the same size.
Pete: Obviously, I think someone is going to have to make a proper stick/pad for 2D fighters on the GameCube. It'll probably be Capcom or Ascii, or maybe even Nintendo themselves. I don't imagine Killer Instinct would work too well with the current GameCube button layout.
I was just wondering. I saw a gamecube controller pic with the camera stick out,and i saw another on with the controller stick in, it look like a button. Are there two types of the gamecube controller? Sorry if this question is confusing.
-mdm
Pete: The C-stick on the GameCube pad is short and "stubby" so from certain angles (like when you like straight at it) the joystick may appear to be button. It's definitely a joystick, however, and there's no difference between the standard GC controllers thus far.
Ok so every one has seen what the GC looks like but does anyone know about the one being developed by matsuita (panasonic) whats it look like a sphere or pyramid perhaps?. Also what specs are known about it?
Thanks heaps.
-Matthew M.
Pete: It was reported a while back that the Matsushita DVD version of the GameCube would be similar in shape to the GameCube -- meaning it'll probably be a cube-like design as well. This will be done to take advantage of the GameCube brand. A pyramid would've been a lot more interesting, that's for sure...
This past weekend, I rented a PS2 and several games. My favorite by far was EA's critically-acclaimed SSX. While the idea of a snowboarding game had never appealed to me before, now I'm totally converted and can't wait for the GameCube "Special Edition" of SSX. While I'm sure you have no definite details, can you offer any speculation on what will make this edition so special? Just nicer graphics and new outfits for the characters, or something substantive and gameplay-related?
-Abobo
Pete: Well according to IGN, SSX: Special Edition will feature new tracks and new characters on top of what was already in SSX. I think EA should just give the GameCube SSX 2002 (or whatever they call it) instead of SSX: Special Edition, if they're going to the trouble of adding new courses and characters.
Cool site and very nice..........now my question. I know Rare is making Conkers Bad Fur Day and to my knowledge the first R rated game. You think they would have more fighting games realistic showing blood and gore and heads flying off. I mean I played Bio Freaks and it was alright but I hated the control terrible. The graphics to me were also terrible so I would like to see more adult games and more realistic. And my other question is will there be a dbz game Gamecube and who will the developer be. Oh wait one more thing, I know that the L and R buttons will be analog how will you use them as analog. Does N-Sider want the D-Pad to stay or to go?
Sorry for all the questions but I really need answers.
-ll Gohan ll
Pete: From my understanding, Conker's BFD is rated "M", which is the same rating as Perfect Dark. I think it's likely you'll see more "M"-rated content from Nintendo's second parties -- take a look at Silicon Knight's Eternal Darkness. That's definitely more serious than Conker.
There's been no announcement concerning a Dragon Ball Z GameCube title, but chances are you'll see one eventually. The analog triggers on the GameCube can be used in various different game situations. The most obvious would be a racing game, where you can control the acceleration and breaking of your car at various degrees. The D-Pad on the NGC is a good inclusion because there's definitely room for it and it will make fighting games, puzzle games, and RPGs a lot easier to work with.
Nsider,
There's no greater mystery today in the world of gaming than what Nintendo has been alluding to in talking about their still secret specs for Gamecube that they are keeping hidden from the competition. I have a few possibilities that excite me and I'd like to know what you thought. Do you think that Nintendo is actually going to use a kind of DVD-RW (rewritable) drive, instead of just a DVD-ROM drive? Do you think the controllers will be able to sense how far they're being tilted like in the GameBoy Tilt-pak? Finally, do you think that the developers who got the 500+ dev kits that went out with complete hardware know about whatever this secret is? Or could Nintendo still be keeping it a secret even in that situation???
- Aesop
Pete: Well, I'm pretty sure DVD-RW is out the window because it's just too expensive to put into a $200 box. GameCube will use those spiffy rewritable SD Cards instead, and once the price comes down on those, they should be a nice alternative. The tilt thing is an old rumor, and I suppose it's a possibility still. Nintendo did say they held out some features from the Spaceworld show on the controller. Personally, I don't really like tilt controllers from my experience with them on the PC, so I don't think Nintendo should be focusing so much on that.
If there is some "secret" feature yet unveiled for the GameCube that is really significant, then Nintendo has done one hell of a job keeping it from everyone, because I'm pretty certain some 2nd or 3rd party would've leaked such information by now.
I am really looking forward to Gamecube! Will the Gamecube have a digital optical out so that we may hear the finest sound on our stereos? Do you think Gamecube will be comparable in quality to Xbox and do you think the cube exceeds the performance of Dreamcast and PS2? Why is Xbox supporting Dolby Digital and not Gamecube?
-David
Pete: GameCube does not have a coaxial or optical audio outlet like the Playstation 2. The sound chip in the GC is a beast, however. It's a very powerful programmable DSP with access to a healthy chunk of A-Memory. It should be a good deal better than the Playstation 2, and possibly even better than the XBox. The XBox supports Dolby Digital 5.1 for cut-scenes and DVD movie playback. The reason why GameCube does not feature Dolby Digital is because Dolby Digital suffers from "sync" problems when encoded in real-time.
That means if you're playing a game like Perfect Dark in Dolby Digital, the sound effects would not match up with what's happening onscreen because there is a delay in processing Dolby Digital sound effects. Needless to say, when the Dolby Digital standard was finalized in the early 90s, they didn't foresee video games using the standard, just pre-recorded movies. So Nintendo opted not to use it, and it probably will save them more than a few bucks on the GC system costs in the end.
Hi. I am Brian Gallo, I was wondering how and where people go to beta test games from nintendo. I have asked a few places, but with no definite answers. I am involved with Twin Galaxies of Nintendo, a video games top scores book - created and maintained by Walter Day, but this isn't exactly a nintendo based company.
I don't want to sound like someone who just wants to play games before others. That is not why I ask you about beta testing. I am currently the #1 ranked Mario Kart 64 player (NTSC). I also am ranked top 15 for Super Mario Kart. I do not want to beta test everygame, but with the new mario karts coming out: Mario Kart Advance and Mario Kart on gamecube, I would be able to contribute to something that has kept me playing for 8 years, and going.
Thank you for reading all of this. I hope everyone had a Merry Christmas and Fantastic New Year. Hope to hear from you soon.
-Brian Gallo
Pete: To be a game tester or counselor for Nintendo of America, I believe you have to live (or be willing to move) in the Seattle area. Click here for more information.
Do you know if Nintendo is actually planning on making any good games for cube, or is everything going to be all cartoony like the nintendo 64. And do you know if Ea Sports is going to make any hockey games for Cube cause for the last two years they never made a hockey game.
-asd
Pete: I think making "good games" would be a priority for Nintendo. EA Sports is making Nintendo GameCube titles. I believe NHL 2002 will be one of those. On the N64, they canned the NHL series simply because cartridges cost too much to produce so EA only made games (Madden, Bond) on the N64 which they knew would sell in high numbers.
Another week closer to E3. Be sure to check out the Lord of the Rings trailer this weekend if you get a chance, and of course send in your GC and GBA qs to us.