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I want to write for a computer games magazine when i'm older, so i've begun writing me own article. Do you think this would be a good enough article for a Magazine such as NGC?
GAMECUBE: THE FULL STORY
The sun is setting on the N64 ‘s reign, and soon a new era will dawn. The console of the future, Nintendo Gamecube, is on its way. When first revealed, Gamecube was questioned by many, not only for the look of the console but also the name. However, those who doubted Gamecube will have no worries now.
At this year’s E3, the world’s press had the chance to play the first ever Gamecube demos. Thanks to the technical expertise, the stunning visuals and overall fun of the Gamecube, Nintendo won the E3 show, as well as several awards, beating Sony’s Playstation 2 and Microsoft’s X-box with considerable ease. Virtually every N64 owner is now considering saving up for the next-gen Nintendo console and with good reason.
Gamecube uses the most state-of-the-art technology that Nintendo could get. The console itself is powered by the mighty Gekko processor, a chip that is used in the latest Apple P.C’s. This tiny microchip, no bigger than a C-button on the N64 controller, is the beating heart of Gamecube and is far more efficient than P.C’s and X-Box’s Pentium technology. The chip is being produced by IBM, and Nintendo signed a $1 Billion contract to get IBM to do the job. The Gamecube is even easier to program than the N64. The Mario 128 demo shown at Spaceworld 2000 had 128 Marios all working at the same time, and it took Shigeru Miyamoto three days to write. Thanks to this, development kits have gone out to more than 500 companies. In fact, development kits are now in short supply, yet the demand is still high. Nintendo have given dev kits to old friends such as Rare and Acclaim, and have even given some to new companies and old rivals, including Squaresoft, who fell out with Nintendo back in the SNES’ reign.
Nintendo have also used the new Flipper chip, developed by Californian company, Art-X, to create the amazing visuals that Gamecube is capable of. The Gamecube can produce up to 20 million polygons on one screen, and that’s with all in-game effects being used. The demos shown at last year’s Spaceworld exhibition were only using 6 to 12 polygons, but even that bettered the best PS2 games. Gamecube can even get rid of jagged lines that can be seen where two lines collide at an angle, without slowing the CPU down. The console will even be capable of eight different light sources at one time and more realistic fog. What's more, thanks to the new S3TC texture decompression, Gamecube will be able to deliver up to eight complex textures at once. Thanks to this equipment, Factor 5’s Star Wars Rogue Squadron 2: Rogue leader is the closest game to matching the spellbinding looks of the movies ever.
Factor 5 have also produced the sound processor, as their N64 games boast some of the best audio. Their new MusyX technology is a 16-bit processor, located inside the Flipper chip, and can create 64 channels of 3D sound. In shoot-‘em-ups, you will now be able to hear where shots are coming from, and this will be even more noticeable when you use headphones. Also, MusyX allows musicians to transfer their music directly into the game, rather than the rubbish music that programmers had to create. The process doesn’t take up much of the processor’s power, either.
Waving an eternal farewell to cartridges (save for their handhelds, such as the GBA),, Nintendo will instead be using specially produced discs. Originally, Gamecube was going to use DVDs, but Nintendo realised that most other programmers couldn’t fill a DVD. Instead, Shigsy requested custom-made optical discs. The discs are 8cm wide, and have a memory capacity of 1.47 GB. Bearing in mind that the largest N64 games were 32MB, this means that games will have much more memory. The new disc is roughly FIFTY TIMES LARGER THAN Ocarina of Time. This is only one reason to be excited about the quality of GC games, as they will be HUGE. These discs will also make piracy much more difficult and will be cheaper to produce than N64 cartridges. Unfortunately, however, the games may still be around £50 each. The discs did present the worry of loading times, but they are non-existent. In Silicon Knights’ Eternal Darkness, the programmers had to artificially insert a1/8 of a second pause because testers said that the way that the scene changed instantly didn’t feel right.
As well as the console itself, the Gamecube controller also raised a few eyebrows when first revealed. Many claimed that it “looked like a third-party Playstation controller”. But when tested at Spaceworld 2000, most of the press agreed that “it felt right when used.” However, Shigsy was not satisfied and has, in fact, been tinkering with the design all year. Finally, he has finished the design. The controller is purple, like the Gamecube, and has two sticks and nine buttons. The L and R shoulder buttons are now fully analogue, meaning that depending how much you press them decides how much they react. You can also push the two right down as they will click into a fixed position. What purpose this will serve will make itself clear in time. In front of the R shoulder button, there is the Z button, formerly the trigger on the N64 controller. This, like its predecessor, will fire weapons and has a handy little bump so that your fingers find it easily. On the right hand side of the controller are the main buttons, used for items, weapons and action commands. They are the main, large A button, the peanut-shaped B button and the X and Y buttons, a welcome return from the classic SNES controller. On a short prong to the left of these is the C analogue stick, a curious new edition, made for manipulating the games’ camera angles. In the centre of the controller is the “Start” Button, used for pausing the game, as usual. On the left hand side of the controller is the analogue stick, once again used for movement. And finally, on the short prong to the right of this is Nintendo’s patented D-pad, a button that has appeared on every Nintendo console and handheld simply because it works so well. The Analogue stick and D-pad are near to each other because, thanks to the N64, Nintendo realised that both could not be used at the same time. There will also be a rather impressive controller on sale at the launch; the Wavebird. By plugging a sensor into the controller port that receives the signals the controller gives off, you will be able to use your controller from across the room, even if you aren’t pointing the controller at the Gamecube.
When Gamecube was first revealed, some were confused as to why there were only two memory card slots, but there were four controller ports. This is because Nintendo have made Gamecube able to load individual data files one after the other. This means you will still be able to put in four lots of data but you’ll just have to put your cards in one after the other. The price of the SD cards is uncertain, but may end up at around £160. The cards themselves are ½ MB digicards. That is twice the size as the official Nintendo memory card for the N64. However, there will be a peripheral that will increase this even more. At the launch of Gamecube, you will be able to by a SD-Digicard Adapter, which will be able to store 256MB on a card, though most will be nearer to 64MB. This unit was created by Panasonic.
Nintendo have also made a deal with Panasonic so that they can make a DVD-compatible Gamecube. This version of Gamecube looks a bit like an oversized toaster but will play any Gamecube game and any DVD. The console will obviously be significantly more expensive, probably around the same price as a Playstation 2. Set for a definite release in Japan, Nintendo are unsure whether or not Panasonic’s Gamecube will be released here.
The Gamecube will have a slot for a 56k Modem, in order to allow online gaming. So far the only online game announced is Sega’s Phantasy Star Online version 2002 which will link players to the currently running Seganet, used by Dreamcast owners all over the world. The reason for this is not just so that Gamecube owners can play with Dreamcast players all over the world (though, that is a cool bonus) but also because Nintendo aren’t ready to make their proposed Nintendo-exclusive intranet yet. They will eventually begin this venture, but not until at least 2002. Nintendo have told those wishing to try online gaming to “do so themselves” as Sega have. The ‘Nintendo net’, when it is created, will only involve online gaming and other game-related functions, but browsing the Internet will not be possible as there is no keyboard or mouse.
Not only will Gamecube link up to an intranet, but via a special lead that will fit in the controller port, it will link up to the GBA as well. This has rather exciting potential. Nothing has been confirmed yet (though a Pokémon link-up is almost definite) but imagine the possibilities: A radar in your hand on shoot-em-ups such as Perfect Dark 2. A way of issuing orders to your team/ monsters on NHL / Pokémon Stadium. Swapping ghosts between a GBA and GC version of Mario Kart. And that’s only three possibilities!
But what will really boost the success of the Gamecube are the games. Four launch games from Nintendo alone are to be launched with the console, and many more third-party games are to join them. Launch games include Luigi’s Mansion, Star Wars Rogue Squadron 2: Rogue Leader, Super Monkey Ball and Extreme G3.
Luigi’s first solo game, Luigi’s Mansion, is great fun. In a competition, Mario’s underrated brother wins a mansion. Trouble is that it’s swarming with ghosts. Donning a Ghostbusters-style vacuum cleaner, Luigi must clear each room of the ghouls by scaring them out with a torch. The mansion in the E3 demo was surprisingly small, but this created some genuinely scary moments. Rumours that Luigi will travel into other worlds via paintings ( a la Mario 64) have been building as Nintendo revealed that the demo was only a tiny portion of the whole game. Best of all, the game is absolutely fantastic, but was only something Nintendo did in their spare time.
Factor 5 and Lucasarts are still working together, and will be releasing Star Wars Rogue Squadron 2: Rogue Leader at the launch. The game is quite easily the greatest looking game ever made. Period. So far, stunning screenshots have been seen of the Battle of Hoth, the Death Star trench run and Cloud City. New features include commanding ground troops while in the air and looking around your cockpit while flying. You have to see the screenshots for yourself to see how truly amazing this will be.
Super Monkey Ball, Sega’s first GC game, is a puzzler brought over from the Dreamcast. The simple concept is that you must tilt the course that your monkey is in to roll him into the Bananas. You have to collect all of the bananas to complete the level, and despite sounding dull, it is apparently incredibly addictive.
Acclaim will be bringing their Extreme G series back to its Nintendo roots with Extreme G3. Boasting some spectacular special effects and blistering speed, the game also has some interesting AI. Rather than choosing a bike, you choose a team to race for. Whichever ones you don’t pick will have different personalities when you race against them. For example, some may pick on you with their weapons, whereas others may use your slipstream and boost ahead of you. Intriguing.
But these are only the tip of the iceberg. Funded by Nintendo, newly formed Retro Studios have been asked to make Metroid Prime, which will be a first-person shooter. Rare have been given the Starfox characters and been instructed to convert their RPG Dinosaur Planet into a Starfox game. The next in the Turok series is well underway; Turok Evolution. Several licenses have been bought by Gamecube developers including Disney, Robocop, Inspector Gadget and Austin Powers. And a Nintendo-exclusive Resident Evil game is being brought to GC by Capcom; Resident Evil Zero, the prequel to the Playstation original. Final Fantasy IX and Tekken are said to be in development. In fact, there are over one thousand Gamecube games being developed all over the world.
In view of all this, it is easy to see why N64 owners are gagging for the next-gen Nintendo delights, why hundreds of developers are starting with or coming back to Nintendo and why Playstation 2 and X-Box don’t stand a chance.
GAMECUBE: THE FULL STORY
The sun is setting on the N64 ‘s reign, and soon a new era will dawn. The console of the future, Nintendo Gamecube, is on its way. When first revealed, Gamecube was questioned by many, not only for the look of the console but also the name. However, those who doubted Gamecube will have no worries now.
At this year’s E3, the world’s press had the chance to play the first ever Gamecube demos. Thanks to the technical expertise, the stunning visuals and overall fun of the Gamecube, Nintendo won the E3 show, as well as several awards, beating Sony’s Playstation 2 and Microsoft’s X-box with considerable ease. Virtually every N64 owner is now considering saving up for the next-gen Nintendo console and with good reason.
Gamecube uses the most state-of-the-art technology that Nintendo could get. The console itself is powered by the mighty Gekko processor, a chip that is used in the latest Apple P.C’s. This tiny microchip, no bigger than a C-button on the N64 controller, is the beating heart of Gamecube and is far more efficient than P.C’s and X-Box’s Pentium technology. The chip is being produced by IBM, and Nintendo signed a $1 Billion contract to get IBM to do the job. The Gamecube is even easier to program than the N64. The Mario 128 demo shown at Spaceworld 2000 had 128 Marios all working at the same time, and it took Shigeru Miyamoto three days to write. Thanks to this, development kits have gone out to more than 500 companies. In fact, development kits are now in short supply, yet the demand is still high. Nintendo have given dev kits to old friends such as Rare and Acclaim, and have even given some to new companies and old rivals, including Squaresoft, who fell out with Nintendo back in the SNES’ reign.
Nintendo have also used the new Flipper chip, developed by Californian company, Art-X, to create the amazing visuals that Gamecube is capable of. The Gamecube can produce up to 20 million polygons on one screen, and that’s with all in-game effects being used. The demos shown at last year’s Spaceworld exhibition were only using 6 to 12 polygons, but even that bettered the best PS2 games. Gamecube can even get rid of jagged lines that can be seen where two lines collide at an angle, without slowing the CPU down. The console will even be capable of eight different light sources at one time and more realistic fog. What's more, thanks to the new S3TC texture decompression, Gamecube will be able to deliver up to eight complex textures at once. Thanks to this equipment, Factor 5’s Star Wars Rogue Squadron 2: Rogue leader is the closest game to matching the spellbinding looks of the movies ever.
Factor 5 have also produced the sound processor, as their N64 games boast some of the best audio. Their new MusyX technology is a 16-bit processor, located inside the Flipper chip, and can create 64 channels of 3D sound. In shoot-‘em-ups, you will now be able to hear where shots are coming from, and this will be even more noticeable when you use headphones. Also, MusyX allows musicians to transfer their music directly into the game, rather than the rubbish music that programmers had to create. The process doesn’t take up much of the processor’s power, either.
Waving an eternal farewell to cartridges (save for their handhelds, such as the GBA),, Nintendo will instead be using specially produced discs. Originally, Gamecube was going to use DVDs, but Nintendo realised that most other programmers couldn’t fill a DVD. Instead, Shigsy requested custom-made optical discs. The discs are 8cm wide, and have a memory capacity of 1.47 GB. Bearing in mind that the largest N64 games were 32MB, this means that games will have much more memory. The new disc is roughly FIFTY TIMES LARGER THAN Ocarina of Time. This is only one reason to be excited about the quality of GC games, as they will be HUGE. These discs will also make piracy much more difficult and will be cheaper to produce than N64 cartridges. Unfortunately, however, the games may still be around £50 each. The discs did present the worry of loading times, but they are non-existent. In Silicon Knights’ Eternal Darkness, the programmers had to artificially insert a1/8 of a second pause because testers said that the way that the scene changed instantly didn’t feel right.
As well as the console itself, the Gamecube controller also raised a few eyebrows when first revealed. Many claimed that it “looked like a third-party Playstation controller”. But when tested at Spaceworld 2000, most of the press agreed that “it felt right when used.” However, Shigsy was not satisfied and has, in fact, been tinkering with the design all year. Finally, he has finished the design. The controller is purple, like the Gamecube, and has two sticks and nine buttons. The L and R shoulder buttons are now fully analogue, meaning that depending how much you press them decides how much they react. You can also push the two right down as they will click into a fixed position. What purpose this will serve will make itself clear in time. In front of the R shoulder button, there is the Z button, formerly the trigger on the N64 controller. This, like its predecessor, will fire weapons and has a handy little bump so that your fingers find it easily. On the right hand side of the controller are the main buttons, used for items, weapons and action commands. They are the main, large A button, the peanut-shaped B button and the X and Y buttons, a welcome return from the classic SNES controller. On a short prong to the left of these is the C analogue stick, a curious new edition, made for manipulating the games’ camera angles. In the centre of the controller is the “Start” Button, used for pausing the game, as usual. On the left hand side of the controller is the analogue stick, once again used for movement. And finally, on the short prong to the right of this is Nintendo’s patented D-pad, a button that has appeared on every Nintendo console and handheld simply because it works so well. The Analogue stick and D-pad are near to each other because, thanks to the N64, Nintendo realised that both could not be used at the same time. There will also be a rather impressive controller on sale at the launch; the Wavebird. By plugging a sensor into the controller port that receives the signals the controller gives off, you will be able to use your controller from across the room, even if you aren’t pointing the controller at the Gamecube.
When Gamecube was first revealed, some were confused as to why there were only two memory card slots, but there were four controller ports. This is because Nintendo have made Gamecube able to load individual data files one after the other. This means you will still be able to put in four lots of data but you’ll just have to put your cards in one after the other. The price of the SD cards is uncertain, but may end up at around £160. The cards themselves are ½ MB digicards. That is twice the size as the official Nintendo memory card for the N64. However, there will be a peripheral that will increase this even more. At the launch of Gamecube, you will be able to by a SD-Digicard Adapter, which will be able to store 256MB on a card, though most will be nearer to 64MB. This unit was created by Panasonic.
Nintendo have also made a deal with Panasonic so that they can make a DVD-compatible Gamecube. This version of Gamecube looks a bit like an oversized toaster but will play any Gamecube game and any DVD. The console will obviously be significantly more expensive, probably around the same price as a Playstation 2. Set for a definite release in Japan, Nintendo are unsure whether or not Panasonic’s Gamecube will be released here.
The Gamecube will have a slot for a 56k Modem, in order to allow online gaming. So far the only online game announced is Sega’s Phantasy Star Online version 2002 which will link players to the currently running Seganet, used by Dreamcast owners all over the world. The reason for this is not just so that Gamecube owners can play with Dreamcast players all over the world (though, that is a cool bonus) but also because Nintendo aren’t ready to make their proposed Nintendo-exclusive intranet yet. They will eventually begin this venture, but not until at least 2002. Nintendo have told those wishing to try online gaming to “do so themselves” as Sega have. The ‘Nintendo net’, when it is created, will only involve online gaming and other game-related functions, but browsing the Internet will not be possible as there is no keyboard or mouse.
Not only will Gamecube link up to an intranet, but via a special lead that will fit in the controller port, it will link up to the GBA as well. This has rather exciting potential. Nothing has been confirmed yet (though a Pokémon link-up is almost definite) but imagine the possibilities: A radar in your hand on shoot-em-ups such as Perfect Dark 2. A way of issuing orders to your team/ monsters on NHL / Pokémon Stadium. Swapping ghosts between a GBA and GC version of Mario Kart. And that’s only three possibilities!
But what will really boost the success of the Gamecube are the games. Four launch games from Nintendo alone are to be launched with the console, and many more third-party games are to join them. Launch games include Luigi’s Mansion, Star Wars Rogue Squadron 2: Rogue Leader, Super Monkey Ball and Extreme G3.
Luigi’s first solo game, Luigi’s Mansion, is great fun. In a competition, Mario’s underrated brother wins a mansion. Trouble is that it’s swarming with ghosts. Donning a Ghostbusters-style vacuum cleaner, Luigi must clear each room of the ghouls by scaring them out with a torch. The mansion in the E3 demo was surprisingly small, but this created some genuinely scary moments. Rumours that Luigi will travel into other worlds via paintings ( a la Mario 64) have been building as Nintendo revealed that the demo was only a tiny portion of the whole game. Best of all, the game is absolutely fantastic, but was only something Nintendo did in their spare time.
Factor 5 and Lucasarts are still working together, and will be releasing Star Wars Rogue Squadron 2: Rogue Leader at the launch. The game is quite easily the greatest looking game ever made. Period. So far, stunning screenshots have been seen of the Battle of Hoth, the Death Star trench run and Cloud City. New features include commanding ground troops while in the air and looking around your cockpit while flying. You have to see the screenshots for yourself to see how truly amazing this will be.
Super Monkey Ball, Sega’s first GC game, is a puzzler brought over from the Dreamcast. The simple concept is that you must tilt the course that your monkey is in to roll him into the Bananas. You have to collect all of the bananas to complete the level, and despite sounding dull, it is apparently incredibly addictive.
Acclaim will be bringing their Extreme G series back to its Nintendo roots with Extreme G3. Boasting some spectacular special effects and blistering speed, the game also has some interesting AI. Rather than choosing a bike, you choose a team to race for. Whichever ones you don’t pick will have different personalities when you race against them. For example, some may pick on you with their weapons, whereas others may use your slipstream and boost ahead of you. Intriguing.
But these are only the tip of the iceberg. Funded by Nintendo, newly formed Retro Studios have been asked to make Metroid Prime, which will be a first-person shooter. Rare have been given the Starfox characters and been instructed to convert their RPG Dinosaur Planet into a Starfox game. The next in the Turok series is well underway; Turok Evolution. Several licenses have been bought by Gamecube developers including Disney, Robocop, Inspector Gadget and Austin Powers. And a Nintendo-exclusive Resident Evil game is being brought to GC by Capcom; Resident Evil Zero, the prequel to the Playstation original. Final Fantasy IX and Tekken are said to be in development. In fact, there are over one thousand Gamecube games being developed all over the world.
In view of all this, it is easy to see why N64 owners are gagging for the next-gen Nintendo delights, why hundreds of developers are starting with or coming back to Nintendo and why Playstation 2 and X-Box don’t stand a chance.
You should make a post like that in the SR bugs customer service forum, and see what they think. But you should make it alot shorter, otherwise no-one would be bothered to red it. I couldn't be bothered!!
I would have to agree with Sibs
>No offence but you need to put some imagination into it, rather than just state a load of facts. Give your opinions or ideas, and it adds a bit of flare.
And leave a blank line between paragraphs so it is easier to read. I’m sure it is good though! But I don’t have hours to read it!
>No offence but you need to put some imagination into it, rather than just state a load of facts. Give your opinions or ideas, and it adds a bit of flare.
And leave a blank line between paragraphs so it is easier to read. I’m sure it is good though! But I don’t have hours to read it!
Written enough, there?
ummm... I would have read it all, but I already know all the information. It might make a good article (not sure though, didn't read it all) but I'm afraid to say it doens't make a good post.
No offense but you need to put some imagination into it, rather than just state a load of facts. Give your opinions or ideas, and it adds a bit of flare. Oh and use paragraphs. Easier on the eyes :-)
I know, we all posted some crap in our time, but this is constructive criticism, not 'Hey you newbie gimp, get lost and learn to post!'.
No offense but you need to put some imagination into it, rather than just state a load of facts. Give your opinions or ideas, and it adds a bit of flare. Oh and use paragraphs. Easier on the eyes :-)
I know, we all posted some crap in our time, but this is constructive criticism, not 'Hey you newbie gimp, get lost and learn to post!'.
I want to write for a computer games magazine when i'm older, so i've begun writing me own article. Do you think this would be a good enough article for a Magazine such as NGC?
GAMECUBE: THE FULL STORY
The sun is setting on the N64 ‘s reign, and soon a new era will dawn. The console of the future, Nintendo Gamecube, is on its way. When first revealed, Gamecube was questioned by many, not only for the look of the console but also the name. However, those who doubted Gamecube will have no worries now.
At this year’s E3, the world’s press had the chance to play the first ever Gamecube demos. Thanks to the technical expertise, the stunning visuals and overall fun of the Gamecube, Nintendo won the E3 show, as well as several awards, beating Sony’s Playstation 2 and Microsoft’s X-box with considerable ease. Virtually every N64 owner is now considering saving up for the next-gen Nintendo console and with good reason.
Gamecube uses the most state-of-the-art technology that Nintendo could get. The console itself is powered by the mighty Gekko processor, a chip that is used in the latest Apple P.C’s. This tiny microchip, no bigger than a C-button on the N64 controller, is the beating heart of Gamecube and is far more efficient than P.C’s and X-Box’s Pentium technology. The chip is being produced by IBM, and Nintendo signed a $1 Billion contract to get IBM to do the job. The Gamecube is even easier to program than the N64. The Mario 128 demo shown at Spaceworld 2000 had 128 Marios all working at the same time, and it took Shigeru Miyamoto three days to write. Thanks to this, development kits have gone out to more than 500 companies. In fact, development kits are now in short supply, yet the demand is still high. Nintendo have given dev kits to old friends such as Rare and Acclaim, and have even given some to new companies and old rivals, including Squaresoft, who fell out with Nintendo back in the SNES’ reign.
Nintendo have also used the new Flipper chip, developed by Californian company, Art-X, to create the amazing visuals that Gamecube is capable of. The Gamecube can produce up to 20 million polygons on one screen, and that’s with all in-game effects being used. The demos shown at last year’s Spaceworld exhibition were only using 6 to 12 polygons, but even that bettered the best PS2 games. Gamecube can even get rid of jagged lines that can be seen where two lines collide at an angle, without slowing the CPU down. The console will even be capable of eight different light sources at one time and more realistic fog. What's more, thanks to the new S3TC texture decompression, Gamecube will be able to deliver up to eight complex textures at once. Thanks to this equipment, Factor 5’s Star Wars Rogue Squadron 2: Rogue leader is the closest game to matching the spellbinding looks of the movies ever.
Factor 5 have also produced the sound processor, as their N64 games boast some of the best audio. Their new MusyX technology is a 16-bit processor, located inside the Flipper chip, and can create 64 channels of 3D sound. In shoot-‘em-ups, you will now be able to hear where shots are coming from, and this will be even more noticeable when you use headphones. Also, MusyX allows musicians to transfer their music directly into the game, rather than the rubbish music that programmers had to create. The process doesn’t take up much of the processor’s power, either.
Waving an eternal farewell to cartridges (save for their handhelds, such as the GBA),, Nintendo will instead be using specially produced discs. Originally, Gamecube was going to use DVDs, but Nintendo realised that most other programmers couldn’t fill a DVD. Instead, Shigsy requested custom-made optical discs. The discs are 8cm wide, and have a memory capacity of 1.47 GB. Bearing in mind that the largest N64 games were 32MB, this means that games will have much more memory. The new disc is roughly FIFTY TIMES LARGER THAN Ocarina of Time. This is only one reason to be excited about the quality of GC games, as they will be HUGE. These discs will also make piracy much more difficult and will be cheaper to produce than N64 cartridges. Unfortunately, however, the games may still be around £50 each. The discs did present the worry of loading times, but they are non-existent. In Silicon Knights’ Eternal Darkness, the programmers had to artificially insert a1/8 of a second pause because testers said that the way that the scene changed instantly didn’t feel right.
As well as the console itself, the Gamecube controller also raised a few eyebrows when first revealed. Many claimed that it “looked like a third-party Playstation controller”. But when tested at Spaceworld 2000, most of the press agreed that “it felt right when used.” However, Shigsy was not satisfied and has, in fact, been tinkering with the design all year. Finally, he has finished the design. The controller is purple, like the Gamecube, and has two sticks and nine buttons. The L and R shoulder buttons are now fully analogue, meaning that depending how much you press them decides how much they react. You can also push the two right down as they will click into a fixed position. What purpose this will serve will make itself clear in time. In front of the R shoulder button, there is the Z button, formerly the trigger on the N64 controller. This, like its predecessor, will fire weapons and has a handy little bump so that your fingers find it easily. On the right hand side of the controller are the main buttons, used for items, weapons and action commands. They are the main, large A button, the peanut-shaped B button and the X and Y buttons, a welcome return from the classic SNES controller. On a short prong to the left of these is the C analogue stick, a curious new edition, made for manipulating the games’ camera angles. In the centre of the controller is the “Start” Button, used for pausing the game, as usual. On the left hand side of the controller is the analogue stick, once again used for movement. And finally, on the short prong to the right of this is Nintendo’s patented D-pad, a button that has appeared on every Nintendo console and handheld simply because it works so well. The Analogue stick and D-pad are near to each other because, thanks to the N64, Nintendo realised that both could not be used at the same time. There will also be a rather impressive controller on sale at the launch; the Wavebird. By plugging a sensor into the controller port that receives the signals the controller gives off, you will be able to use your controller from across the room, even if you aren’t pointing the controller at the Gamecube.
When Gamecube was first revealed, some were confused as to why there were only two memory card slots, but there were four controller ports. This is because Nintendo have made Gamecube able to load individual data files one after the other. This means you will still be able to put in four lots of data but you’ll just have to put your cards in one after the other. The price of the SD cards is uncertain, but may end up at around £160. The cards themselves are ½ MB digicards. That is twice the size as the official Nintendo memory card for the N64. However, there will be a peripheral that will increase this even more. At the launch of Gamecube, you will be able to by a SD-Digicard Adapter, which will be able to store 256MB on a card, though most will be nearer to 64MB. This unit was created by Panasonic.
Nintendo have also made a deal with Panasonic so that they can make a DVD-compatible Gamecube. This version of Gamecube looks a bit like an oversized toaster but will play any Gamecube game and any DVD. The console will obviously be significantly more expensive, probably around the same price as a Playstation 2. Set for a definite release in Japan, Nintendo are unsure whether or not Panasonic’s Gamecube will be released here.
The Gamecube will have a slot for a 56k Modem, in order to allow online gaming. So far the only online game announced is Sega’s Phantasy Star Online version 2002 which will link players to the currently running Seganet, used by Dreamcast owners all over the world. The reason for this is not just so that Gamecube owners can play with Dreamcast players all over the world (though, that is a cool bonus) but also because Nintendo aren’t ready to make their proposed Nintendo-exclusive intranet yet. They will eventually begin this venture, but not until at least 2002. Nintendo have told those wishing to try online gaming to “do so themselves” as Sega have. The ‘Nintendo net’, when it is created, will only involve online gaming and other game-related functions, but browsing the Internet will not be possible as there is no keyboard or mouse.
Not only will Gamecube link up to an intranet, but via a special lead that will fit in the controller port, it will link up to the GBA as well. This has rather exciting potential. Nothing has been confirmed yet (though a Pokémon link-up is almost definite) but imagine the possibilities: A radar in your hand on shoot-em-ups such as Perfect Dark 2. A way of issuing orders to your team/ monsters on NHL / Pokémon Stadium. Swapping ghosts between a GBA and GC version of Mario Kart. And that’s only three possibilities!
But what will really boost the success of the Gamecube are the games. Four launch games from Nintendo alone are to be launched with the console, and many more third-party games are to join them. Launch games include Luigi’s Mansion, Star Wars Rogue Squadron 2: Rogue Leader, Super Monkey Ball and Extreme G3.
Luigi’s first solo game, Luigi’s Mansion, is great fun. In a competition, Mario’s underrated brother wins a mansion. Trouble is that it’s swarming with ghosts. Donning a Ghostbusters-style vacuum cleaner, Luigi must clear each room of the ghouls by scaring them out with a torch. The mansion in the E3 demo was surprisingly small, but this created some genuinely scary moments. Rumours that Luigi will travel into other worlds via paintings ( a la Mario 64) have been building as Nintendo revealed that the demo was only a tiny portion of the whole game. Best of all, the game is absolutely fantastic, but was only something Nintendo did in their spare time.
Factor 5 and Lucasarts are still working together, and will be releasing Star Wars Rogue Squadron 2: Rogue Leader at the launch. The game is quite easily the greatest looking game ever made. Period. So far, stunning screenshots have been seen of the Battle of Hoth, the Death Star trench run and Cloud City. New features include commanding ground troops while in the air and looking around your cockpit while flying. You have to see the screenshots for yourself to see how truly amazing this will be.
Super Monkey Ball, Sega’s first GC game, is a puzzler brought over from the Dreamcast. The simple concept is that you must tilt the course that your monkey is in to roll him into the Bananas. You have to collect all of the bananas to complete the level, and despite sounding dull, it is apparently incredibly addictive.
Acclaim will be bringing their Extreme G series back to its Nintendo roots with Extreme G3. Boasting some spectacular special effects and blistering speed, the game also has some interesting AI. Rather than choosing a bike, you choose a team to race for. Whichever ones you don’t pick will have different personalities when you race against them. For example, some may pick on you with their weapons, whereas others may use your slipstream and boost ahead of you. Intriguing.
But these are only the tip of the iceberg. Funded by Nintendo, newly formed Retro Studios have been asked to make Metroid Prime, which will be a first-person shooter. Rare have been given the Starfox characters and been instructed to convert their RPG Dinosaur Planet into a Starfox game. The next in the Turok series is well underway; Turok Evolution. Several licenses have been bought by Gamecube developers including Disney, Robocop, Inspector Gadget and Austin Powers. And a Nintendo-exclusive Resident Evil game is being brought to GC by Capcom; Resident Evil Zero, the prequel to the Playstation original. Final Fantasy IX and Tekken are said to be in development. In fact, there are over one thousand Gamecube games being developed all over the world.
In view of all this, it is easy to see why N64 owners are gagging for the next-gen Nintendo delights, why hundreds of developers are starting with or coming back to Nintendo and why Playstation 2 and X-Box don’t stand a chance.
GAMECUBE: THE FULL STORY
The sun is setting on the N64 ‘s reign, and soon a new era will dawn. The console of the future, Nintendo Gamecube, is on its way. When first revealed, Gamecube was questioned by many, not only for the look of the console but also the name. However, those who doubted Gamecube will have no worries now.
At this year’s E3, the world’s press had the chance to play the first ever Gamecube demos. Thanks to the technical expertise, the stunning visuals and overall fun of the Gamecube, Nintendo won the E3 show, as well as several awards, beating Sony’s Playstation 2 and Microsoft’s X-box with considerable ease. Virtually every N64 owner is now considering saving up for the next-gen Nintendo console and with good reason.
Gamecube uses the most state-of-the-art technology that Nintendo could get. The console itself is powered by the mighty Gekko processor, a chip that is used in the latest Apple P.C’s. This tiny microchip, no bigger than a C-button on the N64 controller, is the beating heart of Gamecube and is far more efficient than P.C’s and X-Box’s Pentium technology. The chip is being produced by IBM, and Nintendo signed a $1 Billion contract to get IBM to do the job. The Gamecube is even easier to program than the N64. The Mario 128 demo shown at Spaceworld 2000 had 128 Marios all working at the same time, and it took Shigeru Miyamoto three days to write. Thanks to this, development kits have gone out to more than 500 companies. In fact, development kits are now in short supply, yet the demand is still high. Nintendo have given dev kits to old friends such as Rare and Acclaim, and have even given some to new companies and old rivals, including Squaresoft, who fell out with Nintendo back in the SNES’ reign.
Nintendo have also used the new Flipper chip, developed by Californian company, Art-X, to create the amazing visuals that Gamecube is capable of. The Gamecube can produce up to 20 million polygons on one screen, and that’s with all in-game effects being used. The demos shown at last year’s Spaceworld exhibition were only using 6 to 12 polygons, but even that bettered the best PS2 games. Gamecube can even get rid of jagged lines that can be seen where two lines collide at an angle, without slowing the CPU down. The console will even be capable of eight different light sources at one time and more realistic fog. What's more, thanks to the new S3TC texture decompression, Gamecube will be able to deliver up to eight complex textures at once. Thanks to this equipment, Factor 5’s Star Wars Rogue Squadron 2: Rogue leader is the closest game to matching the spellbinding looks of the movies ever.
Factor 5 have also produced the sound processor, as their N64 games boast some of the best audio. Their new MusyX technology is a 16-bit processor, located inside the Flipper chip, and can create 64 channels of 3D sound. In shoot-‘em-ups, you will now be able to hear where shots are coming from, and this will be even more noticeable when you use headphones. Also, MusyX allows musicians to transfer their music directly into the game, rather than the rubbish music that programmers had to create. The process doesn’t take up much of the processor’s power, either.
Waving an eternal farewell to cartridges (save for their handhelds, such as the GBA),, Nintendo will instead be using specially produced discs. Originally, Gamecube was going to use DVDs, but Nintendo realised that most other programmers couldn’t fill a DVD. Instead, Shigsy requested custom-made optical discs. The discs are 8cm wide, and have a memory capacity of 1.47 GB. Bearing in mind that the largest N64 games were 32MB, this means that games will have much more memory. The new disc is roughly FIFTY TIMES LARGER THAN Ocarina of Time. This is only one reason to be excited about the quality of GC games, as they will be HUGE. These discs will also make piracy much more difficult and will be cheaper to produce than N64 cartridges. Unfortunately, however, the games may still be around £50 each. The discs did present the worry of loading times, but they are non-existent. In Silicon Knights’ Eternal Darkness, the programmers had to artificially insert a1/8 of a second pause because testers said that the way that the scene changed instantly didn’t feel right.
As well as the console itself, the Gamecube controller also raised a few eyebrows when first revealed. Many claimed that it “looked like a third-party Playstation controller”. But when tested at Spaceworld 2000, most of the press agreed that “it felt right when used.” However, Shigsy was not satisfied and has, in fact, been tinkering with the design all year. Finally, he has finished the design. The controller is purple, like the Gamecube, and has two sticks and nine buttons. The L and R shoulder buttons are now fully analogue, meaning that depending how much you press them decides how much they react. You can also push the two right down as they will click into a fixed position. What purpose this will serve will make itself clear in time. In front of the R shoulder button, there is the Z button, formerly the trigger on the N64 controller. This, like its predecessor, will fire weapons and has a handy little bump so that your fingers find it easily. On the right hand side of the controller are the main buttons, used for items, weapons and action commands. They are the main, large A button, the peanut-shaped B button and the X and Y buttons, a welcome return from the classic SNES controller. On a short prong to the left of these is the C analogue stick, a curious new edition, made for manipulating the games’ camera angles. In the centre of the controller is the “Start” Button, used for pausing the game, as usual. On the left hand side of the controller is the analogue stick, once again used for movement. And finally, on the short prong to the right of this is Nintendo’s patented D-pad, a button that has appeared on every Nintendo console and handheld simply because it works so well. The Analogue stick and D-pad are near to each other because, thanks to the N64, Nintendo realised that both could not be used at the same time. There will also be a rather impressive controller on sale at the launch; the Wavebird. By plugging a sensor into the controller port that receives the signals the controller gives off, you will be able to use your controller from across the room, even if you aren’t pointing the controller at the Gamecube.
When Gamecube was first revealed, some were confused as to why there were only two memory card slots, but there were four controller ports. This is because Nintendo have made Gamecube able to load individual data files one after the other. This means you will still be able to put in four lots of data but you’ll just have to put your cards in one after the other. The price of the SD cards is uncertain, but may end up at around £160. The cards themselves are ½ MB digicards. That is twice the size as the official Nintendo memory card for the N64. However, there will be a peripheral that will increase this even more. At the launch of Gamecube, you will be able to by a SD-Digicard Adapter, which will be able to store 256MB on a card, though most will be nearer to 64MB. This unit was created by Panasonic.
Nintendo have also made a deal with Panasonic so that they can make a DVD-compatible Gamecube. This version of Gamecube looks a bit like an oversized toaster but will play any Gamecube game and any DVD. The console will obviously be significantly more expensive, probably around the same price as a Playstation 2. Set for a definite release in Japan, Nintendo are unsure whether or not Panasonic’s Gamecube will be released here.
The Gamecube will have a slot for a 56k Modem, in order to allow online gaming. So far the only online game announced is Sega’s Phantasy Star Online version 2002 which will link players to the currently running Seganet, used by Dreamcast owners all over the world. The reason for this is not just so that Gamecube owners can play with Dreamcast players all over the world (though, that is a cool bonus) but also because Nintendo aren’t ready to make their proposed Nintendo-exclusive intranet yet. They will eventually begin this venture, but not until at least 2002. Nintendo have told those wishing to try online gaming to “do so themselves” as Sega have. The ‘Nintendo net’, when it is created, will only involve online gaming and other game-related functions, but browsing the Internet will not be possible as there is no keyboard or mouse.
Not only will Gamecube link up to an intranet, but via a special lead that will fit in the controller port, it will link up to the GBA as well. This has rather exciting potential. Nothing has been confirmed yet (though a Pokémon link-up is almost definite) but imagine the possibilities: A radar in your hand on shoot-em-ups such as Perfect Dark 2. A way of issuing orders to your team/ monsters on NHL / Pokémon Stadium. Swapping ghosts between a GBA and GC version of Mario Kart. And that’s only three possibilities!
But what will really boost the success of the Gamecube are the games. Four launch games from Nintendo alone are to be launched with the console, and many more third-party games are to join them. Launch games include Luigi’s Mansion, Star Wars Rogue Squadron 2: Rogue Leader, Super Monkey Ball and Extreme G3.
Luigi’s first solo game, Luigi’s Mansion, is great fun. In a competition, Mario’s underrated brother wins a mansion. Trouble is that it’s swarming with ghosts. Donning a Ghostbusters-style vacuum cleaner, Luigi must clear each room of the ghouls by scaring them out with a torch. The mansion in the E3 demo was surprisingly small, but this created some genuinely scary moments. Rumours that Luigi will travel into other worlds via paintings ( a la Mario 64) have been building as Nintendo revealed that the demo was only a tiny portion of the whole game. Best of all, the game is absolutely fantastic, but was only something Nintendo did in their spare time.
Factor 5 and Lucasarts are still working together, and will be releasing Star Wars Rogue Squadron 2: Rogue Leader at the launch. The game is quite easily the greatest looking game ever made. Period. So far, stunning screenshots have been seen of the Battle of Hoth, the Death Star trench run and Cloud City. New features include commanding ground troops while in the air and looking around your cockpit while flying. You have to see the screenshots for yourself to see how truly amazing this will be.
Super Monkey Ball, Sega’s first GC game, is a puzzler brought over from the Dreamcast. The simple concept is that you must tilt the course that your monkey is in to roll him into the Bananas. You have to collect all of the bananas to complete the level, and despite sounding dull, it is apparently incredibly addictive.
Acclaim will be bringing their Extreme G series back to its Nintendo roots with Extreme G3. Boasting some spectacular special effects and blistering speed, the game also has some interesting AI. Rather than choosing a bike, you choose a team to race for. Whichever ones you don’t pick will have different personalities when you race against them. For example, some may pick on you with their weapons, whereas others may use your slipstream and boost ahead of you. Intriguing.
But these are only the tip of the iceberg. Funded by Nintendo, newly formed Retro Studios have been asked to make Metroid Prime, which will be a first-person shooter. Rare have been given the Starfox characters and been instructed to convert their RPG Dinosaur Planet into a Starfox game. The next in the Turok series is well underway; Turok Evolution. Several licenses have been bought by Gamecube developers including Disney, Robocop, Inspector Gadget and Austin Powers. And a Nintendo-exclusive Resident Evil game is being brought to GC by Capcom; Resident Evil Zero, the prequel to the Playstation original. Final Fantasy IX and Tekken are said to be in development. In fact, there are over one thousand Gamecube games being developed all over the world.
In view of all this, it is easy to see why N64 owners are gagging for the next-gen Nintendo delights, why hundreds of developers are starting with or coming back to Nintendo and why Playstation 2 and X-Box don’t stand a chance.