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[Amusement Vision President talks about F-Zero GC/AC and shows off new footage.]

26

TalkBack / Producer Nagoshi shows off F-Zero

« on: October 30, 2002, 01:49:40 PM »

Amusement Vision President talks about F-Zero GC/AC and shows off new footage.

The first Tokyo International Computer Graphics Festival (TIGRAF) was held for three days from October 28 to 30.  On the 30th, the event featured a game special composed of three segments.  One of the segment featured Toshihiro Nagoshi (Super Monkey Ball, Daytona USA and Scud Race) regarding the evolution of driving games and his current involvement with F-Zero GC/AC.

The event kicked off with Mr. Nagoshi walking the audience through the history of driving games showing off clips from games such as Daytona USA, Scud Race, and Sega GT Rally.  He discussed about the challenges his team faced when moving to new hardware.  Finally, he shows off for the first time footage of the eagerly anticipated title, F-Zero GC/AC, Sega's second game to run on the Triforce hardware.  Regarding the development, he mentioned his focus on the element of movement and the speed.  Click here to download the footage.

After his presentation, a panel discussion was held between Mr. Hamada (Famitsu's editor), Mr. Sudo (Auto Modelista), Mr. Imaeda (Sega Rally GT 2002), and Mr. Nagoshi.  During the panel discussion, they show off a slightly modified version of the footage, and Mr. Nagoshi commented that he is focusing on the interface and rhythm of the game.

F-Zero GC/AC is still the working title.

More details as it develops.

[More info on Crystal Chronicles, plus release dates for the two Square GBA games.]

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TalkBack / Square Meeting 2002 Autumn Wrap-Up

« on: October 22, 2002, 05:22:39 AM »

More info on Crystal Chronicles, plus release dates for the two Square GBA games.

The Square Meeting 2002 Autumn was held today in Tokyo. Square revealed their focus and strategy for the second half of their fiscal year. Specifically, Square will be focused on package business, online business, mobile content, and the Nintendo platforms. Before presenting FFXI for Windows and new titles for PS2, Square presented its lineup for the Nintendo platform.  

After a Nintendo executive spoke shortly about the relationship between Nintendo and Square, Square introduced their three titles for the Nintendo platforms, Final Fantasy Tactics Advance, Chocobo Land, and Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles. There were no screens or footage shown for FF Crystal Chronicles, but the game is still slated for a spring release in Japan.  According to the press information kit, the game can use the GBA as a controller and will support up to 4 players. Players will be able to use their GBA to display personal information that other players cannot see. As a result, players will have to communicate and thereby feel more like they are on an adventure together. For example, when you are low on life, since the other players do not know your health status, you will have to tell another player to use a cure spell.  

The two GBA games both received a specific Japanese release date. FF Tactics  Advance will be out on February 14, 2003 and Chocobo Land will hit shelves on December 13, 2002, which also happens to be the release date of Nintendo’s The Legend of Zelda: Kaze no Takuto. The only in-game footage was of Chocobo Land for the GBA. Chocobo Land will feature additional times and more stages than the original PlayStation version.

Stay tuned for more information.

[Guess what PGC got its hands on. Click on for pictures and how to get your own copy.]

28

TalkBack / The Smash Brothers Concert CD

« on: October 21, 2002, 08:17:12 PM »

Guess what PGC got its hands on. Click on for pictures and how to get your own copy.

The latest issue of Famitsu Cube Advance comes packed with a CD of the Smash Brothers Concert held in Tokyo this summer. The CD contains 15 tracks, which are listed below:

Planet Corneria
Jungle Garden
Great Bay
Dr. Mario
Original Medley from Smash Bros.
Fountain of Dreams
Pokemon Medley
Opening from Smash Bros.
Planet Venom
Yoshi's Story
Brinstar
Smash Bros. Medley
Fire Emblem
Green Greens
Rainbow Cruise

The magazine is available in Japanese bookstores such as Asahiya and Kinokuniya. Make sure you are buying the December edition of Famitsu Cube Advance.

Check out these sexy pics:

 

[In an interview with Famitsu, the Metal Gear Solid creator mentions a new GBA title, and it has at least one other developer quite excited...]

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TalkBack / Kojima's Mysterious New GBA Game

« on: October 20, 2002, 05:35:11 AM »

In an interview with Famitsu, the Metal Gear Solid creator mentions a new GBA title, and it has at least one other developer quite excited...

Director Mikami of Capcom (Resident Evil, Devil May Cry) and Director Kojima of Konami (Metal Gear Solid, Zone of the Enders) recently sat down  with Famitsu to talk about Capcom's latest court battle game, Gyakuten  Saiban, for the GBA.  During the discussion, Director Kojima mentioned his latest project for the GBA.

Production of the game is only possible on the GBA, says Director Kojima. When Director Miakami heard what the game is about, he responded, "Could it be?  You can do that kind of thing?!  It would not be strange if  this game sold a million copies.  I don't approve of many games, but I am sure this game is one of those that I approve."

Unfortunately, the article did not reveal his actual comments about his game, so we'll just have to trust Mikami-san's judgement for now.  Stay tuned for more details.

[Click on to find which Nintendo titles stole the top three spots in the Top 30 and how Famitsu reviewed Eternal Darkness.]

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TalkBack / In This Week's Famitsu

« on: October 19, 2002, 06:04:42 PM »

Click on to find which Nintendo titles stole the top three spots in the Top 30 and how Famitsu reviewed Eternal Darkness.

According to the latest Famitsu, "takuto" in the title "Kaze no Takuto" refers to the baton that an orchestra conductor uses. As a result, like its predecessor Ocarina of Time, music will probably play a role in this game. It is also very likely that the Baton of Wind is an item in the game just like how the Ocarina of Time and Mask of Majora were in their respective games.

Nintendo grabs the first three spots in this weeks Top 30 in Famitsu. Star Fox Adventures (GC) leads the pack, with Super Mario Advance (GBA) in second and Densetsu no Starfy (GBA) in third.  

Three GameCube titles, including ZooCube, Eternal Darkness, and Pool Edge, were reviewed this week. Eternal Darkness receives a gold with a score of 32 (9,8,7,8). Reviewers praised its story and its cinematic touches. One reviewer commented on the difficulty of control at times, due to the fixed camera angle. ZooCube received a 23 (6,6,6,5). Downfalls of the puzzle game included a lack of play modes and depth. Lastly, Pool Edge did slightly better with a score of 27 (7,6,7,7,). Reviewers generally agreed that the game was a excellent simulation of its real counter part. However, the game was lacking something to add depth, such as story modes.  

On the GBA front, the new Kirby game scores a platinum mark with 35 (9,9,9,8). Namco's RPG, Tales of the World Nariki Dungeon 2, received a score of 32 (9,8,8,7) making it eligible for a gold mark. The scores in this week's Famitsu are summarized below.  

 

ZooCube (GC)- 23 (6,6,6,5)  

Eternal Darkness (GC) - 34 (9,8,7,8) - Gold  

Pool Edge (GC)- 27 (7,6,7,7,)  

Bomberman Jetters: Legend of Bomberman (GBA): 26 - (7,6,7,6)  

MotoGP (GBA) - 27 (6,7,7,7)  

Best Prep Baseball - 27 (7,8,5,7)  

Monster Farm Advance 2 - 29 (7,8,7,7)  

Tales of the Wolrd Narikiri Dungeon 2 - 32 (9,8,8,7) - Gold

Hoshi no Kirby: Fountain of Dreams Deluxe - 35 (9,9,9,8) - Platinum

[Come inside to find out the scoop on the official Japanese title for the next Zelda game.]

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TalkBack / Zelda Gets an Official Title

« on: October 16, 2002, 11:48:08 PM »

Come inside to find out the scoop on the official Japanese title for the next Zelda game.

Nintendo recently updated its Japanese website with the official title for The Legend of Zelda (GC). Due out on Friday December 13, the game is officially named “Zelda no Densetsu: Kaze no Takuto.”  

The translation of the title can be interpreted many ways including: The Legend of Zelda: Baton of Wind; The Legend of Zelda: Staff of Wind; and The Legend of Zelda: Wand of Wind. Nevertheless, the title does seem to highlight Aonuma's comments when he was interviewed recently by Famitsu - wind will play an important role in the game.

We'll have more details as they develop.

[Developer Keiji Inafune talks with Dengeki about the return of Mega Man to theNintendo console, and we've got the translation.]

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TalkBack / Mega Man EXE Transmission Interview

« on: October 11, 2002, 10:57:38 AM »

Developer Keiji Inafune talks with Dengeki about the return of Mega Man to the
Nintendo console, and we've got the translation.

Dengeki GameCube recently interviewed Keiji Inafune regarding GameCube's upcoming  Rockman EXE Transmission (Mega Man EXE Transmission for overseas).

Inafune-san helped developed all of the Mega Man series.  His recent work includes the Onimusha series and Rockman EXE for the GBA.  PGC brings you the interview's translation below.

Dengeki: First of all, please tell us about the background for bringing  Rockman to the GameCube.

Inafune: Originally, Rockman was a title that began on Nintendo hardware (Famicom).  After various things, at one time the series was brought over to the PlayStation platform.  However, after the GBA got released, we realized if we were targeting children, the most suitable platform would probably be portable gaming.  With that in mind, we developed EXE.  Then we thought that kids that have GBAs are showing interest in the GameCube.  That  is when we realized it might be better to go back to Nintendo.  It started with Nintendo, and now we want the fun and enjoyment to be spread through Nintendo once more.  I felt that fighting with Rockman was most suitable under the Nintendo hardware, so I thought, let's do it.

Dengeki: The title is Rockman EXE Transmission.  But it's not a game derived from the GBA version of EXE, right?

Inafune: That is right.  The GBA version of EXE merged the interesting aspects of action and card games.  When we asked how we should transcend the action  elements of the current Rockman, we started by wondering whether we should use the perspective of EXE.  Returning to the original point, which includes returning to Nintendo, we rethought about what exactly is fun about Rockman.  Today, with the rise of hardware's power, games have started to  use 3D landscapes, but I think that does not come to my mind regarding Rockman, which demands precise jumping and action controls.  When we think about what is fun about Rockman, it is about trying to figure out if you can jump this height or this width, which used to be measured in those block units that couldn't be helped with the limitations of the Famicom.  Today, with hardware evolving, we stopped doing that even though it was fun.  I think that was the wrong choice.

As a result, we started at a point where we wanted to preserve the core of Rockman that had graphics matching the hardware.  We did not make the game for people that liked Rockman in the past, but we hope that even when those people play, they will remember the series and its fun gameplay.

Dengeki: Looking at the graphics, we have the impression of anime.

Inafune: Yes, the characters are cel-shaded.  Since the Rockman EXE anime is  currently on TV (in Japan), we created the game trying to make a connection with the  anime.  Rather than making Rockman very realistic, I thought the anime style would be much more enjoyable.  Regarding effects, we developed the game trying to insert eye-catching effects.

Dengeki: Do you want to build an online game?

Inafune: No.  Thinking about the business size, the current situation is a bit harsh.

Dengeki: Would you like to bring the Onimusha series on the GameCube?

Inafune: I think that the GameCube is for kids.  I do not want kids to play Onimusha. My opinions are split with Director Mikami (Resident Evil's creator).

Translation by Bakudan Yoshinoya.

[Famitsu features an interview with Eiji Aonuma, director of The Legend of Zelda for the GC. Learn more about the role of Link's eyes and wind in the game.]

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TalkBack / Famitsu Zelda Interview

« on: October 10, 2002, 05:12:32 AM »

Famitsu features an interview with Eiji Aonuma, director of The Legend of Zelda for the GC. Learn more about the role of Link's eyes and wind in the game.

Last week's Famitsu featured an interview with Eiji Aonuma, director of The Legend of Zelda for the GameCube. PGC brings you the translation below.

Link's big eyes is a key to the game?! Don't you think this time the eyes of Link leaves an impression? One big reason why we decided to use cartoon as the form of expression is that we wondered if movements Link's eyes can be used in a game. This time when enemies approach Link, Link's eyes will look at where the enemy is. If an item drops, he will also look in that direction. When Link realizes a hidden trap or device, his sight will also be directed towards it. In a dungeon, when Link's eyes move, players might think, "s there something there?" Then when you actually go there, you will find something. Even when you go to the dungeon the first time, it is easy to understand and fun. In Ocarina of Time, when you first enter a room, first you have to use your first person camera to look from one side to another side. Consequently, some find it to be troublesome. Well, this time Link is not as calm and patient. Even in places that have nothing to do with the main game, Link will look around. It' very cute. I think this time players will have fun as they feel Link trying to appeal to them. Of course, we made sure puzzles cannot be solved too easily. We cannot show switches too directly so that players can know immediately where the switch is.

Puzzle solving is influenced by wind!? This time the keyword is "wind." Wind is blowing throughout the world. In the raft scene, the direction of wind is shown, and we put in elements that that will make the players be aware of the wind such as the direction where Link's hat and flags are blown.  If you do not put the wind into consideration, there are puzzles that you cannot solve. However, it is not as severe such that you must consider the wind in everything. It will not become a game where it is always influenced by wind, and if you walk you will be blown away. It is not like that, but at times you must use the wind to succeed. There are also times that you will fail because of the wind. These kinds of puzzle solving will appear more as you progress. This time Link rides the raft to various places, which is also influenced by wind. On the ocean, depending on the time, the direction of the wind changes. You should feel a sense of reality when you try to move your raft during those situations.

Is there a connection with the series? This time the story begins on an island. It is not the first time the game takes place on an island, but you will be surprised if you just think it's just like any other island. The game features a whole new story, but it actually takes place some time after a "certain time period" in The Ocarina of Time. Of course, in the game, we prepared elements that will remind players of the prequel. As a result, for those that played The Ocarina of Time, there will be some parts where they will feel, "Ahh, I remember this." The word "tradition" also becomes a keyword too in the game. I am sure you are concerned with what does the previous time period have to do with the setting this time. And also why the sea? We have put a lot of puzzles that hints at the link, so we really want the fans to be looking forward to this title. Of course, even if you do not consider the link between the series, the story of the game is complete as a whole, so that even players that never played the Zelda series can feel comfortable playing. It is not a game where you cannot clear if you did not play the previous titles.

A message to the readers! We made a game that will not disappoint all those who are waiting with their hearts. We believe that as long as we ourselves feel the game is fun during the making the game, it should not disappoint fans. So please look forward to this game. By using the GC/GBA link, we created a system where beginners can follow. For people that are not good at solving puzzles and action, please play it with your family or loved ones.

[Click on to read what Miyamoto has to say on his latest work, The Legend of Zelda GC.]

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TalkBack / Miyamoto on Zelda

« on: September 25, 2002, 06:33:26 PM »

Click on to read what Miyamoto has to say on his latest work, The Legend of Zelda GC.

Nintendo’s latest demo DVD in Japan features a clip of Miyamoto-san’s commentary on The Legend of Zelda (GC).  PGC brings you the highlights translated below:

What is The Legend of Zelda?
The first game in the series was made about 15, 16 years ago.  It takes place in a fantasy world.   It is the story of a small kid around the age of ten going on an adventure fighting enemies.  I really wanted to make a series where players themselves are going on an adventure using their heads, and using the controller to control the character’s body.

Character Design
When we showed the game last summer, there was a lot of controversy around the world regarding Link’s cartoon-like face.  In Ocarina of Time for N64, Link was a cool and handsome man.  There were a lot of opinions last year. As we entered this year with people able to try the game out, people who initially disapproved of the new look, especially Europe, received the game well.  When you are able to touch the game, you feel happy.  When you are able to touch the game, and make the animation move, it is an amazing thing that lets the players have fun.

In Ocarina of Time, it was the same.  We had the same theme of making images that you can touch.  When you can touch the animation that you usually watch, it’s really amazing.  I designed the game, but until it was made, I did not see the game.  After it was done, I tried it, and I was really happy.  I could touch the animation.

Even Beginners Can Enjoy
Anyhow, the theme is making a game where you have fun once you start playing it.  Of course, clearing the game itself is fun, but the fact that just by playing you can have fun is also very important.  Mario is the same.  When you start to play, you have fun.  Zelda is also the same.  Not only do you have fun when you play, you also get a sense of adventure.  I can guarantee it.

The controls in Zelda are quite easy.  However, you can do a lot of complicated stuff, which is supported by many systems.  Like the auto jump system.  Like pressing a button and having Link face the enemy automatically.  In the industry, many of the basics of action games are pretty much provided by our Zelda games.  We think that even players that don’t play games on a regular basis will have fun.  If they try once, maybe they will get hooked on videogames for like ten years or so.

Connectivity
We are always thinking of ways to create something extra by connecting the GC and GBA in our games.  In Zelda it is also the same.  It is not just watching from the side.  By receiving maps and giving the player hints, another person can also participate. With the GBA connected, we want sisters sitting by their brothers to give them advice, and perhaps even trouble them.  Please try the game by connecting your GBA.

Message
This May at the E3, we unveiled the game and let people play it.    We were still in the process of bringing new ideas in the game.  Everyoneis anticipating this title.  We will launch the series first in Japan this Christmas. Video games are one of the few media that originate from Japan and get dispatched across the world.  The customers in Japan also have the merit of playing the games first.  Zelda will be released this year in Japan.

[GC and GBA titles pop in the top 10 and Star Fox Adventures receives a medal. Details inside.]

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TalkBack / Famitsu Update

« on: September 22, 2002, 05:21:26 PM »

GC and GBA titles pop in the top 10 and Star Fox Adventures receives a medal.  Details inside.

Famitsu recently reviewed Star Fox Adventures, which is due out later this week in Japan.  The game fared well with Famitsu receiving a gold mark.  On other news, The Legend of Starfy (GBA) and Zoid VS. (GC) takes the second and third spot respectively in the Top 10 sales ranking from September 2 to 8.  Super Mario Sunshine slides to the sixth spot behind DCfs Ikaruga.  

[With PSO released, Sonic Team brings us another surprise.]

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TalkBack / Sonic Team Announces PSO Card Battle

« on: September 22, 2002, 03:26:38 AM »

With PSO released, Sonic Team brings us another surprise.

At TGS Sonic Team announced their next GC title, PSO Card Battle.  PSO Card Battle will be an online game sharing the same lobby as PSO.  Players will be able to chat and find other players to engage in a four player card battle.  Sonic Team also stated that there would be two types of decks, a Hunter Deck and an Enemy Deck.  

More info will be available in the next issue of Dorimaga.    

[The 40th Amusement Machine Show began today in Japan. So what happened at the Namco and Sega booth?]

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TalkBack / 40th AM Show

« on: September 19, 2002, 04:01:54 AM »

The 40th Amusement Machine Show began today in Japan.  So what happened at the Namco and Sega booth?  

The 40th Amusement Machine Show (AM Show) began today in Tokyo, and will continue until Saturday.  The AM Show is a tradeshow for arcade operators featuring the latest arcade games, UFO catchers, prizes, and token games. Some of the major game companies there were Namco, Banpresto, Taito, Konami, Sammy, Tecmo, Capcom, and Sega.  The main attraction at the Capcom booth was their new arcade game Capcom Fighting All Stars.  Konami had their famous arcade version of Winning Eleven and World Combat, a shooter, at their booth.  Battle Gear 3, a racing game, seemed to be the main attraction at the Taito booth.  On to the Nintendo news.  

In addition to House of Dead III and Initial D Arcade Stage Ver. 2, Sega had their first Triforce title, Virtua Soccer 2002, fully playable.  The latest installment features more countries, more stadiums, and a new stamina system.  Please read my impression for Virtua Soccer 2002 for more information.  

At the Namco booth, they had the same Triforce exhibit shown at the AOU Amusement Show earlier this year.  Unfortunately, there were no signs of Star Fox anywhere.  Other than that Namco had one GBA title, Chocovader: The Invaders from Space, on display.  Chocovader is a new innovative series from Namco.  At the core, it is based on an online game, which can be found at http://www.abduction.jp>http://www.abduction.jp.  The main concept is about collecting aliens, and in order to collect aliens, you will need codes.  You can obtain codes from Chocovader snacks, game magazines, or playing the arcade game, Chocovader: Contactee.  You can also use these codes in the GBA game to gain new items.  From the footage Namco showed, the GBA game looks like their take on the Pokemon series.  

More info tomorrow as the Tokyo Game Show opens.  

[Tokyo Game Show's official website provides info on 20 of the 29 GC titles that will be at the show.]

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TalkBack / TGS Update

« on: September 18, 2002, 12:08:35 AM »

Tokyo Game Show's official website provides info on 20 of the 29 GC titles that will be at the show.

Tokyo Game Show's website announced 20 of the 29 titles for the GameCube that    will be present at the show.

As reported earlier, The Fall Tokyo Game Show will be held this coming weekend    in Tokyo. The official website now has a list of the names of 20 titles for    the GC that will be present at the show. Earlier this week, it was announced    that 29 titles in all will be on the showfloor. Scroll down below for the list.    Stay tuned for more info.

 

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         

Title	Genre	Company
Eggmania	Puzzle	Kemco
Disney Sport American Football	Sports	Konami
Evolution Skateboarding	Sports	Konami
Godzilla	Fighting	Konami
Disney Sports Soccer	Sports	Konami
Dinsey Sports Skateboarding	Sports	Konami
Dinsey Sports Basketball	Sports	Konami
Massuru Champion	Other	Konami
Super Monkey Ball 2	Other	Sega
Sonic Mega Collection	Action	Sega
Zoids Vs.	Action	Tomy
MUTSU to no ho hon	Other	Tomy
Mister Driller Land	Puzzle	Namco
Ikaruga	Shooting	Infogrames Japan
Momo Taro Dentetsu 11	Other	Hudson
Bomberman Jetters	Action	Hudson
Kinnikuman	Battle	Bandai
From TVanimation One Piece	TBA	Bandai
Rune	RPG	From Software
Pool Edge	Sports	Media Kite

[More Nintendo commercials for you! This time straight from Nintendo’s website in Japan.]

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TalkBack / Star Fox Commercials

« on: September 17, 2002, 12:18:32 AM »

More Nintendo commercials for you!  This time straight from Nintendo’s website in Japan.  

Nintendo Japan has posted two commercials on their Star Fox Adventures web site.  Star Fox Adventures is scheduled to be released on the 27th in Japan. (U.S. release date is 23th)  From the commercials, it looks like the voice acting will be in English, and like Mario Sunshine, the cut scenes will have Japanese subtitles.  The downloads are below:

• Star Fox Adventures Japanese website
• http://www.nintendo.co.jp/ngc/gsaj/movie/gsaj_01.wmv">SFA Commercial Version 1
• http://www.nintendo.co.jp/ngc/gsaj/movie/gsaj_02.wmv" >SFA Commercial Version 2

 

[Famitsu reviews Disney’s Skateboarding for the GC and Super Mario Advance 3 for the]

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TalkBack / Latest Famitsu Scores

« on: September 17, 2002, 12:01:26 AM »

Famitsu reviews Disney’s Skateboarding for the GC and Super Mario Advance 3 for the

In the latest issue of Famitsu, Super Mario Advance 3 is awarded a silver mark with the score of 31 (8,8,7,8).  The other GBA game, Samurai Evolution (Enix), received a score of 28 (7,8,7,6). The only GC title reviewed, Disney Sport’s Skateboarding, received a 29 (7,7,7,8)

The score are summarized below:

• Super Mario Advance 3 (GBA, Nintendo): 8, 8, 7,8 (silver)
• Samurai Evolution (GBA, Enix): 7,8,7,6
• Disney Sport’s Skateboarding (GC, Konami): 7,7,7,8

 

[Panasonic Center Opens in TokyoAnd PGC is there. Details about what was there at the Nintendo Game Front inside.]

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TalkBack / Panasonic Center Opens in Tokyo

« on: September 14, 2002, 06:46:33 AM »

Panasonic Center Opens in Tokyo
And PGC is there.  Details about what was there at the Nintendo Game Front inside.

The Panasonic Center opened today in Tokyo showcasing Panasonic’s latest technology and products.  The center included a section called the Nintendo Game Front featuring the latest Nintendo games on Panasonic’s television sets and stereo systems.  

Three GBA games were available for play: Super Mario Advance 3, Densetsu no Sutafi (an action game from Nintendo released earlier this month), and the demo version of Gyakuten Saiban 2 (Capcom’s court battle simulation sequel).  For the GameCube, visitors get to test out Phantasy Star Online’s 4-player mode, Animal Forest and GBA connectivity, Disney’s Skateboarding, and Mario Sunshine on a big plasma screen with surround sound speakers.  Unfortunately, no upcoming titles were playable although footage of Star Fox Adventures and Biohazard 0 were shown.  

Stay tuned for impressions of Gyakuten Saiban 2 and Disney’s Skateboarding.  

[For those who could not be in Japan to attend this event, you can still listen to the concert on your surround sound speakers this fall. Updates about the concert inside.]

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TalkBack / Smash Brothers Concert Update

« on: September 03, 2002, 10:48:44 AM »

For those who could not be in Japan to attend this event, you can still listen to the concert on your surround sound speakers this fall.  Updates about the concert inside.

The Smash Brothers DX Orchestra Concert was held last week in Ueno, Tokyo.  The sold out event featured 14 tunes from Nintendo’s popular franchises including Mario and Zelda.  The audience consisted mostly of children accompanied by their parents.  

The producer of the event was the director of the game, Mr. Sakurai from HAL.  Around 1,200 sheets of music were needed for the 14 tunes.  And perhaps the biggest news for Nintendo fans everywhere is that the CD of the concert will be published in Fall by Enterbrain.  

[Find out the Japanese release date and publisher.]

43

TalkBack / More on Ikaruga

« on: August 24, 2002, 11:26:27 PM »

Find out the Japanese release date and publisher.  

Infogrames Japan has announced they will be publishing Treasure’s Ikaruga.  The port will include all the features of the Dreamcast version including exclusive GameCube features.  The GameCube port will be developed under the Atari brand scheduled for completion in January of 2003 in Japan.  

Ikaruga, which was released in late 2001 in Japan, is a vertical shooter well received by arcade shooting fans.  Depending on the type of enemies and situations, players can transform their vehicle from white to black or vice versa.  For example, white projectiles will fly through your vehicle when you are white, and when dark projectiles get fired at you, you can switch to black to avoid them.  

Ikaruga will be first released for the Dreamcast in September in Japan.  Visit Treasures website for more information on the game.  

[Two more months and it will be broadband adaptor GET for GameCube owners in Japan!]

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TalkBack / Japan Broadband Adaptor Release Date

« on: August 22, 2002, 01:52:02 PM »

Two more months and it will be broadband adaptor GET for GameCube owners in Japan!

Nintendo Japan has updated their website with the release date of the broadband adaptor for the Japanese market.  The broadband adaptor is set to be released on October 3 with the price tag of 3,800 yen (around $35).  For your information, the modem adaptor is scheduled for September 12 with the same price of 3,800 yen.  The Wavebird, which has already been released in U.S. has not yet received a release date in Japan.

Thanks to Mephy for the tip!  

[The creators of Mario Sunshine battle it out in an interview with NOM. Highlights inside.]

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TalkBack / Mario Sunshine Staff Interview

« on: August 11, 2002, 11:36:21 AM »

The creators of Mario Sunshine battle it out in an interview with NOM. Highlights inside.

The recent edition of Nintendo Online Magazine on Nintendo Japan's website features  an interview with the staff of Super Mario Sunshine: Director Koizumi, Director Usui,  and Producer Tezuka.   Highlights of the interviews are translated below:

Nintendo Online Magazine (NOM): Did Mr. Miyamoto come up with the Super Mario Sunshine title?
Usui: No, Koizumi came up with the name.
Koizumi: I thought Miyamoto would disagree with it, but he seemed to have liked it very much.

NOM: Besdies the normal nozzle, by using the hover nozzle you can fly for a brief moment.   We think this changes the nature of the action by quite a lot.
Usui: We had about ten kinds of nozzles, and the hover nozzle was one of the last options.  
Tezuka: However, if you have so many kinds of parts, the player becomes confused.  As a result, we made the newest concept of hovering the main part of the game.
Usui: But from the view of people that make action games, having a super function like hovering is kind of like cheating.  There are actually courses where we tried very hard to make the routes complicated, but with the hover function, you can use a shortcut.  As developers, the decision to allow this or not was very difficult.  
Tezuka: However, it was more important that when the players play the game, they feel good.  As a result, this time we priotized that first.
Koizumi: Basically Miyamoto wanted the game to be broad.  This time there are more than one route to the destination.  

NOM: By increasing the number of routes, the game feels very vast.  
Usui: The area alone is about 4 times Mario 64.  

NOM: Were there any stages that did not make it to the final game?
Usui: The nozzles that did not make it to the game seem to be more interesting to talk about.   In the beginning, we had a lot of difficulty with the design of the pump.  One idea  was putting Yoshi on the head and spitting water from the cap.  Another idea was having Mario himself spit out the water.  In the very beginning, we thought about using guns, but dropped the idea since we considered that when we are releasing in America, we cannot have connections with guns.  
Koizumi: We had many nozzles such as one that can shoot water up like fireworks,  and another one that was like a sprinkler.  But to insert all of them was impossible.   We tried to leave only the things that were fun.  However, it was difficult because when things become too fun,  they can instead become boring.   Till the very end we adjusted things like the amount of water the pump holds,  the size of the water droplets, the distance the water shoots until.

NOM: Was the control adjusted a lot?
Usui: Miyamoto is very picky about controls.
Koizumi: Miyamoto practically only checked that. (laugh)


The original interview can be found here.

[What's this? A Japanese ad of Mario Sunshine with a lady in bikini and Mario...]

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TalkBack / Super Mario Sunshine Ad

« on: August 09, 2002, 06:28:50 PM »

What's this? A Japanese ad of Mario Sunshine with a lady in bikini and Mario...

Quiter posted on their website an ad of Mario Sunshine featured in Spa! and the Japanese Play Boy, which are magazines geared towared a more mature audience.

Click here to view the ad.

[GC-Inside provides us with a shot of Japan's Star Fox Adventure promotion poster.]

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TalkBack / Star Fox Adventure Poster

« on: August 09, 2002, 06:19:29 PM »

GC-Inside provides us with a shot of Japan's Star Fox Adventure promotion poster.

Click here to view the poster.

Star Fox Adventure is scheduled for September 27 in Japan and September 23 in U.S.  

[What happens when you put programmers from Dragon Quest VII and Mother together? You get Genius Sonority.]

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TalkBack / More RPGs for GameCube?

« on: August 07, 2002, 12:23:05 PM »

What happens when you put programmers from Dragon Quest VII and Mother together?  You get Genius Sonority.  

Founded last month with 100,000,000 yen of investment from Nintendo and The Pokemon Company, Genius Sonority is hiring for programmers, sound engineers, game planners, and administrative staff in Japan.  The founding staff includes programmers that worked on the Dragon Quest and Mother series.  The company will focus on developing RPGs for the GBA and GameCube.

No titles have been announced yet.  More info as it develops.  

[Read what Miyamoto had to say at the Super Mario Sunshine press conference in Japan.]

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TalkBack / A Message from Miyamoto

« on: August 04, 2002, 09:03:13 PM »

Read what Miyamoto had to say at the Super Mario Sunshine press conference in Japan.

A press conference was held regarding the release of Super Mario Sunshine in Japan on July 19.  Here is a summary of what he said:

Every time I make a series, I want to make a completely new game.  Especially when the younger you are as a director, you want to make something completely different.  When we made Mario 1, 2, and 3, we always started from zero.  The evidence of that is that new hardware became necessary.  This time with the Cube, we put in a lot of effort from the frontline.  When we announced Mario 128, we were already working on Super Mario Sunshine.  At that time, the basic actions were completed; however in the eyes of a Mario player, it was not enough.  To go beyond Mario meant using actions to discover new things.  Understanding that and retaining elements from Mario 64 was how we passed this year.  The most important goal was when players start playing, Mario can move like it was a part of them.  Another thing is that I had confidence in the N64 controller, but when I felt the two controllers recently, the GameCube controller felt much more comfortable.  I hope the players will get use to the controller.  After 10 years, I am confident in the controller such that I can say that in 10 years, the controller will be the standard of the world.  So please give it a try.

I think we may have raised the bar of 3D action games again.  It is apparent that it is quite difficult to jump around in a 3D environment.  By hovering, the player can go here and there freely.  It is a good fit with 3D jumping games.  

I am 50 years old this year.  The Mario series has pretty much become my lifework.  From now on every year I will still work on it, I hope more people will play it.  

[No Skies of Arcadia for PS2 while GC version get more than a port!]

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TalkBack / Skies of Arcadia Legend to Come to GC Only!

« on: August 02, 2002, 11:26:32 AM »

No Skies of Arcadia for PS2 while GC version get more than a port!

According to Dengeki Online, Sega of Japan announced on August 1 that they will cease development of Eternal Arcadia Legend (US title: Skies of Arcadia Legend) for PS2.   Sega states that the development team will focus on improving the quality of the GC version by adding new elements to the game and more.