N-Sider Q&A
Got a Question? Send it here.
January 24th, 2001
are there coming some games like duckhunt or time crisis on the gamecube?
-Pieter Holland
Pete: Given the recent backlash against light-gun shooters, I don't think you'll see anything like Duck Hunt from Nintendo any time soon. It's plausible that Namco or some other company might release a light-gun and some games, however.
I heard that Nintendo is putting in a special chip in GBA games that will try to stop piracy (like dumping roms). Will Gameboy Advance be compatable with U.S. GBA games and vice versa? Sure GB/C allowed for games from any country to be played on any system, but that didn't have the piracy chip. I would hate to buy a japanese GBA and not be able to play the games that come out in the U.S. later on....
-D. Anton
Pete: Well, I'm pretty sure there will be no physical territorial lockout (like the tabs on the US N64) on the Game Boy Advance just to ensure backwards compatibility. I guess Nintendo could make some chip that could "read" the differences between US and Japanese Game Boy Advance cartridges, but that doesn't seem likely. It certainly wouldn't work on Game Boy or Game Boy Color titles. So I don't see Nintendo adding a territorial lockout at this point.
Are the SD memory cards EXACTLY the same Panasonic use for their Camcorders? If so, could you take a still photo of your self, save it on the memory card and then use it in a Gamecube Game? Do you think it is a Good Idea and the probability of it working?
-Laurence
Pete: Yup, you can take your SD Cards and in theory transport data from a device like a camcorder onto your GameCube or possibly your Game Boy Advance as well. I think it's a neat idea, and probably one reason Nintendo opted to go with the SD Card standard.
with the announcement of tekken coming to the game boy advance, what are the chances that we will see this, or possibly even soul calibur on the gamecube? i think nintendo will have a huge advantage if they can get one of the series on the gamecube.
-dre
Pete: Well if Namco is bringing Tekken to the Game Boy Advance it certainly doesn't hurt chances of a game like Soul Calibur 2 ending up on GameCube. I get the feeling the next Soul Calibur game might be multiplatform, meaning it'll end up on PS2, GCN, XBox, possibly Dreamcast and so on. Namco suffered some tough losses in the last fiscal year and spreading out a game like Soul Calibur can help them recoup money.
So the Nintendo 64 is on its last legs and needs all the help it can get so what do NCL do? They stop any chance of one of the finest shooters to appear on the platform getting a Western release. The game is Sin and Punishment, and the crime? Not bothering to release a game from a developer that has shown unsurpassed consistency over the years ( Treasure ) and a game that is already mostly in English and ready to ship.
But I wonder. As we have seen some projects that were due to appear on the 64 are now GameCube bound ( e.g. Dinosaur Planet from Rare ). Might this be the case for S & P? The game is 'on-rails' so conversion would not be that daunting and it would be a great opportunity for the developer to get used to the GameCube architecture. I just cannot see why Nintendo, the purveyors of quality over quantity would ditch such a classic title. Sin and Punishment to launch with the Cube in the west? I can only dream.
-JP
Pete: I would love to see Sin & Punishment on the GCN, but I doubt it'll happen. Treasure and Nintendo generally don't like to rehash released games on new technology. Treasure I believe even has a "no-sequel" standard for their games. Sin & Punishment might still make it out to the US, certainly the N64 lineup isn't exactly brimming with new software. I think if Nintendo does opt to bring it out here, they should add a few new modes or some extra difficulty settings to extend the replay value. It's sad that Sin & Punishment had to come out so late in the N64's lifespan; had it been available during the dry Christmas 1999 shopping season, for instance, it probably would've cleaned up.
Hello there guys, I have seen that there are a lot of companies (including Konami) that will support the GBA on it's launch; but I want to know... Did Konami confirmed about whether it will support the Gamecube or not? and what about Squaresoft? Also, I see Konami and Square's interest in the X-box, but I don't understand why they are not being talkative about the Gamecube. I mean, are Konami and Square leaving behind the Gamecube? Are they thinking that Gamecube is a difficult console to develop for, or are they just willing not to develop for it ??? Do you have any answer about this ??
regards,
Henry A.
Pete: Konami is definitely onboard for the GCN. The Squaresoft situation just became a lot more interesting this past week with Square's higher-ups expressing a strong desire to get their Final Fantasy titles on the Game Boy Advance. The reason why you're not hearing too much right now is because Nintendo has non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) with developers to keep quiet until the E3 show.
Hey, I have a question that I don't think anyone has answered yet and I really need to know the answer. I am buying a home theater this week. I went to go and look for a receiver and I explained to them at the store that when the new Nintendo system comes out it will have surround sound capabilities and I want to hook it up to my home theater. They asked me what type of connection it is going to have on the system. I told them I have no clue. Do you know what type of connections I have to look for when buying a receiver if I want to hook up the GameCube so that I can get surround sound.
Please, I beg of you. If you know, can you please email me back. I don't mean to rush you, but I am looking at this one receiver and it is on sale right now. They said that on 1/28 it goes up in price about $150 and I really don't want to waste that much money. They also said that if I do buy the receiver now without knowing what connections the GameCube has and the GameCube has a different connection than what is on the receiver that
I can't hook it up. I think I need to know if it needs Optical or Coaxial connectors. Hope to here from you soon.
Thanks again,
Brian
Pete: Whoops, sorry about the late response Brian, I've been behind on Q&As lately. To answer your question, the GameCube does not have a digital or optical audio outlet. So you don't need any special wires to get Dolby Surround Sound on your home theater. You can use the standard composite A/V wires that will come with the GCN and hook those up to your receiver. Chances are your TV will be wired to your receiver anyway, so really all you'll have to do is plug in your GCN to your TV and turn on your receiver.
Will Gamecube be delayed unitl 2002 and Nintendo depend on Game Boy Advance sales?
- David E.
Pete: Nope, Nintendo hasn't wavered from their launch dates and their Japanese launch is about 5 1/2 months away, so I don't foresee another delay. Game Boy Advance will be huge no doubt, but Nintendo has practically nothing for the console market after Conker's Bad Fur Day is released, and Nintendo has always maintained a strong console presence since 1986 with the NES.
Do you think there would be a way to hook up the Gameboy Advance to the Gamecube and be able to play Gameboy games using the T.V. set? I know the screen sizes are different but it would be a cool feature if they letter boxed the screen or something.
Pete: I get this question all the time. While Nintendo hasn't said anything officially, I think Nintendo would be foolish not to enable this feature. It wouldn't have to be too complicated, since the "emulator" software (if needed) could be stored on an inexpensive GameCube disc and the GBA does plug into the GCN directly. It would certainly be a strong way for Nintendo to give GBA owners a good reason to get a GCN as well.
N-sider,
What do you think about the fate of fighters on Nintendo's GameCube? For a while now, I've spent most of my time worrying about RPGs, but now we can look forward to Too Human, as well as offerings from Camelot and Retro Studios. There are many rumored games for the GC now, and the one genre that has gone unmentioned is fighting.
I don't think the controller will be a real problem. I've played DOA2 and Tekken Tag on the PS2, and their control schemes would fit perfectly on the GC's available face buttons. Playing a 2D fighter on GC would require the shoulder triggers, but would feel familiar to anyone who played Street Fighter II on the Super NES. Finally, a 3D fighter crafted specifically for the GC controller could take advantage of its unique layout and aim for intuitive simplicity.
Though I've written to you partially to present a different opinion on the controller's suitability for fighting games, I'm still aware that developers could use it as an excuse not to make fighters for the GC. What's your opinion on this? Are you aware of any fighting titles coming to GameCube? If not, can you think of any possibilities?
- Abobo
Pete: Well, for 3D fighters the GameCube pad might even been more intuitive. Most 3D fighters have a block or evade button that is sort of like a central button, so that could be the large A-button. The surrounding buttons and the digital shoulder button offer 4 buttons for punches and kicks. That's a pretty solid layout for 3D fighters. 2D fighters are more tricky, but Capcom is really the only one that still pumps those out, and they have shown that they'll milk the Street Fighter franchise on pretty much any console as long as it's financially viable.
Will Bluetooth be included in all GCs and GBA as a standard ?
-Phillipe P.
Pete: That would've been great wouldn't it? Unfortunately the Bluetooth chip is a bit pricey at the moment and would become really cheap until about 2002. There will likely be a Bluetooth enabled adaptor for the Game Boy Advance later on that will let you play against your friends without a link wire. I suppose it's possible that later GBA models and maybe even GCN models will have this built-in.
Hey guys thanks for answering my last question. I am now wondering if the GC will have a memory expansion port like that on the 64.
Thanks from Matt Molloy
Pete: The GameCube does have a number of expansion ports on the bottom of the machine. In theory, yes, you could add more memory, but we don't think any of those ports are fast enough to accommodate new 1T-SRAM to go with the main memory. Nintendo would be better off just sticking with the way the GCN is now rather than having add-ons later on.
Dear N-sider I was just wondering what your predictions for the cubes launch titles are. I can't see Zelda being a launch title but when do you think it will get released. Also the cubes going to storm E3 but what do you think are going to be the highlights of E3 ( actually playing Zelda or Metroid ). Thanx for the help
-Sam Brown
Pete: I'm expecting Mario, Wave Race, and Retro's NFL football game at launch. Beyond that I believe Nintendo will try to push new franchises, especailly from EAD, HAL, and possibly Intelligent Systems. Like the 1996 E3 Show, I think the highlight of this year's show will definitely be the new Mario game. I think Zelda will be Nintendo's big 2002 Christmas title.
I've read that Namco has confirmed that they are porting their Ridge Racer V game to the Dolphin (that's what it was called at the time). Now I hear that this is just a rumor. Is this true or not? If it is, that's great news for Nintendo, because Namco is an important third party. I'm glad that Nintendo and Namco finally got over their feud. Hopefully they can now do the same with Squaresoft.
Thanks, Praitorian
Pete: Well IGN seems rather confident that Ridge Racer V will be on the Dolp...err GAMECUBE! Seriously, IGN's sources are generally very good, and I know that quite well. So expect to see Ridge Racer on GameCube this year. As for the Square thing, for the first time in a long time I'm cautiously optimistic that Square and Nintendo will be able to defrost their relationship to a decent level some time soon.
That's all for this week. Keep those questions coming in the meantime.