Greetings, and welcome to the first installment of the Nintendo Spin Gate. Each week I’ll be discussing the latest Nintendo happenings and releases, as well as some random bits of Nintendo-related goodness. Got a beef with Nintendo, or want to recommend a game nobody played? Shoot me an email (BerserkGamerGuy@aol.com), and we’ll talk about it right here. Paul and Nick, of course, will be doing similar features for those "other" consoles. Heh, like we even need those other systems, right? I mean, just look at our release list for this upcoming week!
...
Okay, apparently there isn’t a single new release on either the GameCube or the GameBoy for this week. Bummer. I suppose that’s understandable, as both the Cube and the GBA have a major release next week, but those will have to wait until next week’s column. In the meantime, let’s discuss the past week’s news. The biggest, and only, major Nintendo news story has been the announcement of the Nintendo DS. This mysterious device is said to become Nintendo’s third pillar, standing beside the GameCube and the GameBoy, but not replacing either. We at GWX have been very lucky, as we’ve gotten on our hands on an exclusive image of the Nintendo DS, which is displayed below.
Listen, I have a confession to make. Nintendo may not have really sent us that image. Regardless, this masterfully drawn artist’s conception clearly shows the use of two screens, as mentioned in Nintendo’s press release. This two-screen concept was tried with the Dreamcast’s visual memory unit, which did little more than remind the player what game he was playing. Even the GameCube, via the GBA, has a few games that use this kind of interface. Pacman Vs. is a great success, and the Four Swords should be a fun time, but these games are very gimmicky in nature. To have an entire platform based around this dual-screen concept is interesting, but I’m having a hard time picturing games that would really require multiple screens for the same person. Sure, in a first person shooter, one screen could have the actual gameplay, while another showed ammo and health counters, but I’d rather they just be displayed at the bottom of the game screen.
I’m going to be honest here by saying that the DS baffles me. All these new portable systems are hitting the market and Nintendo wants to introduce yet another one? Instead of producing a new platform altogether, they should be using these resources to strengthen their GBA library. While the N-Gage was dead on arrival, Sony’s PSP is surely going to be a success. Instead of re-releasing old Mario games, why not develop an all-new Super Mario Brothers 4? Talk to Treasure and have them craft a must-own portable shooter, or snag exclusive rights for portable versions of Grand Theft Auto. Nintendo hasn’t had to really worry about the portable market, since they have a total monopoly, but with the PSP on the way, Nintendo can’t afford to rest on its laurels. Creating a new system, interesting as it may be, is not going to strengthen Nintendo’s grip on the portable market. Head over to our forums and let us know what you think of the Nintendo DS. We may not have many details yet, but random speculation is always fun.
Joe’s Weekly Picks Normally in this space, I’ll select the best of the week’s releases, but when there’s nothing interesting hitting store shelves that week, we’ll talk about some older titles worth giving a look.
Beyond Good and Evil Having just had a massive price drop to $20, this excellent adventure game should be in everyone’s collection. While it isn’t the longest quest, it’s a fun ride while it lasts. The storyline and universe are compelling, and the characters are more interesting than your average game characters. That’s no surprise, seeing as the creator of Rayman was involved with this project. Taking photos of your enemies for quick cash is a great little gimmick, too, producing a kind of "Gotta Catch ‘em All!" feeling throughout the adventure. Highly recommended, especially with the new price.
Viewtiful Joe Yeah, yeah- I’m sure you’re all tired of hearing me talk about this one. It was my favorite game of last year and it didn’t sell nearly as well as it deserved to. Give it a shot if you like video games. Seriously.
That’s it for this edition of the Nintendo Spin Gate. Join me again next week, where we’ll discuss the latest Nintendo news and releases, plus other bits of random Nintendo fun. Don’t forget to stop by our forums and give your thoughts on the Nintendo DS, or email me directly and we can talk about it here. Have a good weekend, and stay out of the trees.
