Mario Tennis GC, like Mario Golf: Toadstool Tour, is a Camelot-developed GameCube update of a Nintendo 64 classic. The N64 Mario Tennis was regarded by many as the pinnacle of videogame Tennis due to its sheer range of shots and amazing playability. Rivalled only by Segas Virtua Tennis series, N64 Mario Tennis stands as a true legend.
Last year Microsofts Xbox received Top Spin, a game in which many considered to surpass both Segas realistic Virtua Tennis and Nintendo/Camelots super fun Mario Tennis. While I love the game, Ive always harboured a secret desire to get my grubby hands on the next Mario Tennis, and the wait is almost over.
With Mario Tennis GC, Camelot and Nintendo are out to prove a point. And with updated graphics, play-modes (including some incredible multiplayer modes, no doubt), characters, an expanded range of shots, and who-knows-what-else, hopefully E3 will reveal Mario Tennis GC to be a Tennis game that has the potential to reclaim its rightful place as the pinnacle of videogame Tennis.
Fire Emblem: Trail of the Blue Fire will be the first console Fire Emblem released in North America. The series has seen many sequels over the years, however they have all been relegated to Japan-only releases. With the success of the recent Fire Emblem for Game Boy Advance, Nintendo of America might finally have the confidence to translate and bring the game across the Pacific for GameCube owners.
The game's hero is a young boy named Ike, the son of a mercenary captain named Grail. The plot follows Grail's mercenary unit - including second man in command Tiamat, loyal chief of staff Senerio, and Ike's younger sister Mist - around the war-torn continent of Terius where they will come into contact with a Princess desperate to save her kingdom. And the N-Sider staff has come into contact with a game we're desperate to play...
Those who havent had a go at the Free Radical Design developed Timesplitters 2 are definitely missing out. The team, headed by some ex-Rare employees, made a title that blended some very positive aspects of Rares Goldeneye 007 with an almost arcade-style design. The series is best known for its multiplayer, where the action moves at a furious pace yet offers enough options that make an enormous amount of scenarios possible.
Here we go again. Now with Timesplitters 3 on the horizon we grow anxious knowing there is probably a great deal in store for us. Could there finally be a LAN mode even for GameCube owners? Vehicles? Massive multiplayer maps? The possibilities are endless. And since the team showed what they could do once given enough time with the second instalment (the first was practically thrown out the door) we can only imagine what these blokes will come up with in their third foray into the first person shooting genre.
One thing is for certain: Were going to be giving multiplayer mode a whirl if it appears in some form at E3. We expect that the game be running at a silky-smooth pace and have even more polished combat mechanics. Obviously the pixel-perfect hit detection has every reason to make a return along with the great characters and weapons. Also, we can say with confidence that an online mode will be included in at least one of the platforms release. While we dont feel it will happen for GameCube, its certainly not out of the question. Since the broadband adapter was not given to Free Radical Design early enough to work with on Timesplitters 2, they were not able to implement a LAN mode. However, now that they have had sufficient time to look it over, hopefully some form of connection will be in the cards.
Earlier we mentioned the news about Nintendos rumoured partnership with UK codeshop Kuju on an as-yet-unnamed game. Anyway, one of the theories going around is that the rumoured game is a GameCube edition of Nintendos longstanding (in Japan) Wars series. A series best known in the Western world on the Game Boy Advance, where Advance Wars 1 and 2 are essential additions to any GBA owners personal game library.
Whether or not the Kuju connection is true or not, rumours of a Nintendo-developed Cube Wars have never gone away. We at N-Sider certainly hope that Cube Wars is in development somewhere and by some development house, because we adore the Advance Wars games and the prospect of a GameCube version (whether traditional 2D, 2.5D, or 3D, it doesnt matter!) is a gobsmacking proposition.
If it shows up at E3, you can bet your life savings on us being all over it. If its playable, well tell you all about it. If its in video form, well tell you all about it, and possibly even show you!
And then some
These were the hot games that we are eagerly awaiting to get our hands (or eyes) on, but it doesnt end there. There are some seriously sizzling games from 3rd parties that we didnt go into detail with. Games like:
- Tales of Symphonia
- Donkey Konga
- Starcraft Ghost
- Mega Man Anniversary Collection
- Mega Man X Command Mission
- Second Sight
- Urbz
- SSX 4
- Harvest Moon: A Wonderful Life 2
- Prince of Persia 2
These are just a selection of the awesome software for Nintendos little console that could.
All of the above games, with the exception of Cube Wars, will all show up in one form or another at E3, and all really do have the potential to be absolutely amazing games. Nintendo has a very strong showing this year, and thats only with what we know! As can be expected with a company like Nintendo at a show like E3, there are bound to be all manner of surprises in store for us all.
Nintendo DS is a major drawcard, those 30 games are certain to unearth even more Nintendo classics and if so, then the first thing well all be doing is going over our bank balances to find the money to buy all this excellent stuff.
If youre wondering why theres no GBA coverage, its because the GameCube stuff is so exciting that weve decided to leave the GBA games until after we play them at the show. Theyll appear in our post-E3 coverage. Dont worry, we havent forgotten Nintendos handheld cash cow.
Meanwhile, keep a look out for our forthcoming E3 coverage, if all goes to plan well be making N-Siders 2004 E3 coverage the best coverage weve ever done. If you thought wed had great content before, youll find this years content to be totally mind-blowing.
This is the Pre-E3 Storm, and by golly it's a bloody huge storm!