Today, Nintendo’s first shot in the next-generation of video game wars was fired. Rick Powers attempts to illuminate why the battle may be over before it’s even started …

It’s tempting to say something clichéd, like “they never knew what hit them,” or “it was over before it began.” It’s tempting, but needs to be avoided because it just isn’t true. Sony and Microsoft have known this has been coming for a long time now. Nintendo’s plan to use Game Boy Advance as a wedge into gamer’s homes has been well documented. It’s one of those rare occasions where Nintendo lays all of its cards out on the table, and the competition is still powerless to stop the impending onslaught.

After months of speculation on a possible secret function in the GameCube's controller, it was revealed that the L and R buttons have click-action built into them. What might this be used for?

I remember when I first looked at GameCube's controller; it looked odd. I'm not talking about the appearance though. I thought it was odd because, aside from the button layout, it didn't really bring anything new to the table. Nintendo practically invented the L and R button with the SNES, and they pioneered the analog stick (and rumble pak) with the N64. I didn't see the familiar innovation in the GameCube controller that I've come to expect from Nintendo. One way or another, they managed to keep their secret well, because, as we now know, the GameCube controller has an interesting new feature: click-action.