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"Nintendo Christmas 2005"

For anyone that has been listening to me (so none of ya :D), will know that this Christmas I'm in a bit of a pickle regarding what, gaming wise, I should buy. My options include an X-box, an X-box 360, a DS or stick with the Gamecube and hope some titles surprise us this Christmas.

Because this Christmas is shocking... isn't it?

I'm glad to see so many Nintendo fans happy that Nintendo were willing to delay Zelda. But none of us are happy that we won't be playing it this Christmas. Yet there are 3 positives regarding the delay of Zelda:

1: The game now has the chance to be EVEN better with new ideas.
2: It gives us a reason to look forward to games on the Gamecube.
3: It gives other games this Christmas the chance to shine.

Yes there are other games and they may actually be very good. My little look at this Christmas' Nintendo titles has unveiled to me a good selection of decent software. There maybe no Pikmin 2, Metroid Prime 2 and Paper Mario 2 that stunned me last Christmas... but there is much more.


Pokemon XD: Gale of Darkness

I probably won't be getting this. It is starting to look tad dissapointing. But with the news that Zelda has stepped aside, the marketing cash cow of Pokemon is more than up to the challenge of filling Link's large sized boots. It hasn't received glowing reviews but Pokemon sales have been on the up this last year and a big Gamecube release at a prime Christmas slot will mean a certain top 10 position for the game. It is far from a little gem, it won't light up our gaming world. But it'll sell. Oh yes it'll sell.

Geist

I don't care if the reviews are less than inspiring or if the graphics are far from amazing. I still feel this title has a lot to show for itself. Two reviews I have read insist that the game has a lot of clever ideas and opens up as it continues. For that reason alone, and the various 80% scores it has received, I may still get it. After all I really enjoyed Starfox Assault and that got the same score. Regardless of how good it is though, the customary adult orientated game is always nice to see around Christmas time.

Fire Emblem

With no Golden Sun as of yet we will all have to make do with Intelligent System's Fire Emblem. And as far as I am concerned I cannot wait. I am not a big RPG fan but I loved Paper mario, my favourite Gamecube game so far, and my respect for Intelligent Systems is paramount. I have never played any of the 900 Fire Emblem games that IS has released over the years and so, like Kirby, it is one of the major Nintendo franchises I've never enjoyed. I've read previews, I've watched videos... it is all very styalised and looks set to please Nintendo fans the world over. This is a game for us, it certainly won't light up the all format charts... but we'll love it all the same. I hope those who have yet to give up on Nintendo are willing to give it a shot.

Battalion Wars

Apparently, despite initial worries, this game is very very good. Like Fire Emblem it is a Gameboy series developed by Intelligent Studios... but this time it is British developer Kuju at the helm. IGN have dubbed it the sleeper hit of the season and the videos look intensely fun. Unlike Advance Wars this is not a turn based shooter, it is a real time action game and, like Fire Emblem above, a title lack on the Gamecube frontier. It is likely to appeal to a very limited group of people (it be those Nintendo fans again) but like Fire Emblem, it'll almost certain;y be one of the Gamecube's finest titles this Christmas.

Mario Smash Football, Mario Baseball and Dance Dance Mario Mix

If you include NBA Street and SSX, these 3 Mario games are the 5th, 6th and 7th Mario games released for the Gamcube this year. Nintendo rapeing their mascot??? Well sorta, but I don't really care. None of these games are made by Nintendo. Football is developed by Next Level, Baseball by Namco and Mario Mix by Konami. In fact, the traditional platformers, Mario Kart and Paper Mario aside. 90% of these Mario spin offs aren't made by Nintendo at all.

Mario being lent out to other companies does make sense. NBA street sold well, it'll almost certainly be on Nintendo systems in the future, SSX 4 will also so well. Dance Dance Mario is a clever way to persuade Konami to release its popular dancing games on a Nintendo system and as for the Baseball/football titles... well. Baseball is popular in Japan and America, Football is popular in Japan and Europe. It is a clever way to release a popular sports title in all major regions.

I care little for Baseball, it seems little more of a slower paced version of Tennis. And Dance Dance Mario will be fun but is squarely for the younger generation. Mario Smash Football has a SEGA Soccor Slam feel about it. It does look very good and the previews are glowing. Apparently the game is addictive and has a lot of depth with weaponry and aggressive tackles. With the popularity of Football over here, Europe could well have a little Mario Kart on its hands. I know I'll pick it up and Nintendo of Europe are already talking about bundling it with the system. Which, strangely, makes sense.



That is the bulk of Nintendo's releases this Christmas. And there is no denying that it is the DS owners that are the better off. But Fire Emblem and Battalion Wars looks a class act, Mario Football could really rule (unless it gets boring ala Fifa Street) and the wave of Mario games combined with Pokemon could still keep the sales going (although will never do what Zelda can).

There are more games than that though. Sonic Team is releasing an exclusive Gems collection for Nintendo fans as well as the multi-format game "Shadow the Hedgehog". EA's traditional James Bond, Harry Potter, NBA, NFL FIFA, Madden and SSX combination. Spartan: Total Warrior, Day of Reckoning 2, Prince of Persia 3, Gun, Tony Hawks, The sims, Call of Duty, True Crime (tempting), King Kong (very tempting), Need for Speed, and so on and so forth...

You know it may not be such a bad Christmas after all.

Dringo.

Nintendo of Europe think it'll be very big, Smash Soccor that is.

I think I'll get Mario Smash Football, Battalion Wars, Fire Emblem, Gun, True Crime and King Kong this Christmas...

And I'll think about Geist.

Oh and if Mario Soccer Smash or whatever is half as good as Nintendo World Cup (for the NES), it'll be the second best football game ever (After Nintendo World Cup, obviously).

I enjoyed Baten, but sometimes the card sytem was annoying (giving you only weapons when you need armour, or armour when you need weapons etc).

Good game though.

I'm really looking forward to Fire Emblem though, but that's about it.
Nothing much else intrigues me.

Hedfix wrote:
> Baten has cards I think and I quite enjoyed Lost Kingdoms so I need
> more cards!

It's the best card system, and one of the best turn based fighting systems generally, that I've ever played.

I can see the ninty christmas already:

Miyamoto looking across the table at Iwata with a firey (no pun intended Dringo) resentment burning (no pun intended Dringo) through his tearful eyes.

Iwata will be slightly scared, regretting taking Miyamoto's new I-pod (no pun intended Dringo) from him, but trying to put on a brave face, and not think about what might happen in a few weeks (no pun intended Dringo).


And Reggie will be shoehorned into a straining child-size pikmin costume, sitting on a small footstool facing into the corner of the room, arms clasped around his shoulders and shuddering, wishing with all his might that everyone finishes christmas dinner so he can go back to playing in the boxes on his own (no pun intended Dringo).


Gawd bless us, every one.

I'll get one of those games when they can make dance challenges from custom soundtrack tunes.

I'm sure Mario Dance Dance Euromix would go down well with your prison cell buddies, might stop them from invading your ass for a couple of minutes.

I have Tales but haven't played it yet.

Baten has cards I think and I quite enjoyed Lost Kingdoms so I need more cards!

Apparently Tales is better ... but I'm much more draw to Baten for some reason. It just looky nicer, I suppose.
Fickle ol' me.

Ah yes Baten...

There's another one!