href="mailto:mailbag@planetgamecube.com">Feed the Mailbag!

Kalen asks, I have a question about the upcoming

game, Roll 'o' Rama. Will this game require a GameCube game along with a GBA game, or will

it the GC simply send data to the GBA, ala Animal Crossing?

TYP Says: From what I heard at

E3, there will be two "Roll 'o' Rama" games. The GameCube game can be played

separately, using the joystick. This would make for an experience not unlike Marble

Madness. The Game Boy Advance game can also be played separately, using its built-in tilt

sensor, and will probably play more like Kirby's Tilt 'N Tumble. If you have BOTH games,

you can link the two together and play the GameCube game with the GBA game's tilt sensor,

just like the demo at E3. Nintendo's aiming for an early 2003 release, though, so plans

could change.

Jonathan Says: The GameCube

version apparently requires a GBA and link cable to even play...I guess they could enable

it with the joystick, but that would kind of defeat the purpose. I'm assuming the GC

version will include that non-game tilt cartridge that Miyamoto showed back when it was a

Kirby game. The GBA version should be stand-alone (since the GBA cartridge contains the

tilt sensor) and should also hook up to the GC version for extra goodies. But I'm pretty

sure both can be played independently.

Exile asks, Any new info on Nintendo's LCD displays? I saw them when I was at E3 this

year, and they looked absolutely stunning. They were by far the best out that I have seen.

Up until seeing this, I always thought 5" would be way too small and unplayable, but

a screen that clear makes all the difference.

Billy Says: Zero. Actually there

wasn't that much info to begin with. Nintendo was just demoing the technology. Whether it

will actually come out is still a mystery. I for one, would love one. It's the best

portable display I've ever seen. There's no price point, no release date... nothing.

Rick Says: If Nintendo decides to

risk pissing off Interact, Intec, etc. and release this screen, I will throw mine away and

get this new one. It was THAT GOOD.

I'd expect it to undercut the price of the other screens as well, considering it appears

to have less features (no AV input, unsure about headphone jacks).

Only time will tell. I just hope it gets to telling soon. Because the more time that

passes, the more we're going to worry that Nintendo will just quietly stop talking about

it, much like the SD Card adapter. :(

Jonathan Says: The response at E3

was so good, NCL would be crazy not to release those things at least in Japan. And I

think/hope a JPN version would be compatible with American GameCubes. Anyway, Miyamoto

said the LCD screen inspired Yuji Naka to start that PSO card game, so that's another

reason for Nintendo to follow through and release the hardware.

By the way, you might want to look into a monitor for the UK market from Joytech. It uses

the GameCube's digital out just like that Nintendo screen, and the screen is TFT, so it

should look extremely pimp. The sound features on it seem great too. I'm looking into

whether it is compatible with NTSC models...

Tetsou asks, Now that SK is done with the BRILLIANT Eternal Darkness: Sanity's Requiem,

what can we expect from them next? When they do announce their next title, do you think it

will take 4 years to create it? I mean, they haven't shipped a game in like what, 6 years

before ED?

Mike Suzuki Says: Well, first up

for Silicon Knights is the localized versions of Eternal Darkness for the European and

Japanese markets. With the amount of text/dialogue in the game, this could be a bit more

time consuming task than your average game. Hopefully, all localized version will be done

by the end of 2002 (maybe a bit sooner). That'll let SK get to work in earnest on their

next game starting in 2003. Most people seem to assume that this game will be Too Human

and so far nothing has come out to deny this.

We already know that Eternal Darkness was using a modified version of the Too Human

engine, so it seems safe to assume that some of the technical groundwork has already been

laid for Too Human. There should also be some basic elements of gameplay and art design

from when the game was set to be released on the PSX that could be carried over to the GCN

version of the game. All this should mean that the wait for Too Human won't be as long as

the wait for Eternal Darkness (which was actually extended significantly with the

transition from the N64 to GCN). In the end, I'd say that mid to late 2004 is a reasonable

guess to make for Too Human's release. That should give Silicon Knights enough time to

tweak the game so that it meets or exceeds the high expectations that gamers are likely to

have.

Rick Says: According to Silicon Knights, Too Human has NOT been

cancelled, but they are not talking about what's next yet. Appropriately so, since Eternal

Darkness' corpse isn't even cold yet.

While it's widely assumed that Too Human will be the next project, I'm hoping that SK

might be able to grow enough to allow multiple projects to be developed simultaneously.

Too Human, and maybe that Eternal Darkness: Sanity's Redemption I've heard so much about.

Or was that just a dream???

Billy Says: I have to agree with

Mike on that one. The other beautiful thing (or to many, not so beautiful), Nintendo isn't

going to be jumping on their throats to squeeze out another game immediately. They'll give

SK time to polish it.

The beauty of being a second party. :)

Jonathan Says: Too Human is

probably farther along than anyone thinks. It was in very advanced development on PSX, and

Silicon Knights has had about two years to port it to GameCube since the original version

was canceled. Obviously they've spent most of that time concentrating on ED, but we know

that people have at least been working on the technology for Too Human, and there has

probably been even more work on it in other areas. So now that ED is out, the company can

turn far more resources over to Too Human. I fully expect it to be out by next Christmas,

give or take a few months. I also think they're in the planning stages of at least one

more project, and hopefully their forces have grown enough by now that they can deal with

two simultaneous games. It could possibly be a GBA title, but my instincts say the next

non-Too Human game will be something original, perhaps even a strategy game like they used

to make for PC. A sequel to ED is fairly likely but probably several years away. I doubt

it would be done in time to be released on GameCube.

Max Says: I dunno, I think we

could see another Eternal Darkness game appear in the GameCube's lifetime. However, I do

think that SK will return its focus to Too Human, which will hopefully be shown next E3.

Right now though, I'd say Denis & the SK gang deserve a nice vacation!

Axle asks, What kind of "adult" things can we expect from Dave Mirra XXX? I

heard about the dog crap, but you can stick that in a T rated game. What kind of hardcore

stuff are we looking at?

Adam Says: Topless women riders,

and the ability to spend your money at a strip club.

And after a long day of riding your bike, that's what I need: boobs.

Heh.

Rick Says: A copy of Playboy is

cheaper.

I have no problem with nudity or adult content in games. I do have issue with a company

that ADMITTEDLY throws it in gratuitously. There is no reason for "strip

biking". There is no reason for FMV of strippers. If this were a detective story

where you meet a contact in a strip joint, I could understand that. But when's the last

time you saw a girl riding around your local park topless?

The sad thing is, this game will probably sell like gangbusters. But I prefer a game like

Eternal Darkness that raises the bar for the "Mature" rating, rather than this

sad excuse for a "game" that chooses to slither under it.

Billy Says: There's also quite a

bit of vulgarity and sexual innuendoes. Stuff like that.

I hope Acclaim remembers to stick some gameplay in there too. I don't know personally if

dick and fart jokes and boobies are going to make the game special, but to the demo that

buys Extreme Sports games (18-24) I guess they'll probably eat it up. I mean Christ, if

you need boobies so bad, you're already on the internet. If you want a BMX title, does

that guarantee you want soft porn and swear words?

We'll have to see how it all pans out.

Jonathan Says: I'm not

complaining. In a year when we have more me-too crap extreme sports games than ever

before, XXX actually tries hard to be different, even if only on a superficial level.

Think of it as a realistic Conker's BFD... the same type of humor and content, but with

some real nudity and totally uncensored language. The humor is a key part of the game's

style that I think a lot of people are ignoring. It is genuinely funny, and intentionally

so. The point of having topless female bikers isn't so gamers can get some soft porn...the

point is it's freaking hilarious to see a half-naked woman riding around on a BMX bike

doing tricks. Don't you people laugh at Animal House? This game is so degenerate that it's

funny, and that's the point.

Max Says: There are several

scenarios where you must perform a task to help someone, and usually these involve very

“adult” humor and many of these are quite funny. There is swearing, innuendo, nudity and a touch of violence. Yeah, it’s pretty base but I also like the direction Acclaim is

taking with XXX. It’s different, funny. and definitely got a backbone of solid

gameplay. Don’t let risqué trappings fool you into thinking the game is using sex to

sell games; XXX is definitely an improvement on last year’s version of Dave Mirra and

has a bunch of oddball mature content to boot.

Mike H. Says: If the content and

gameplay is there, then fine. But otherwise the cheap "Ooh I see a booby!" thing

wore off by the time I was 14 years old. Ironically, I technically wouldn't be able to buy

the game if I were 14.

Spiker asks, I was wondering which of the three big stars (Mario, Samus, or Link)

was your favorite, and what downsides, if any, do you see in each of their upcoming games

so far, or are they REALLY that good?

TYP Says: Since I'm not a big Metroid fan, I have to say Mario. Zelda was

great, but Mario was near completion, giving it a big advantage. Downsides? Mario's

graphics aren't that great, though the PGC DVD proves they're better than the crummy

screenshots suggest. Also, I'm not sure I'll get used to pushing R to float down (as

opposed to Holding A in every other game). And although I don't really care too much about

it myself, length is potentially a problem for some.

Zelda's looking great, but the controls could use some minor tweaking. Of course, Zelda

isn't coming out anytime soon, so I'm not too worried. Metroid Prime is really impressive,

and even those not overly-interested in the gameplay (like me) should be able to recognize

its attention to detail.

Adam Says: Mario, period. Whereas

the gameplay in Zelda, though great, seems to get repetitive (light this, rock on lever

here, open that yadda, yadda) Mario has the potential to be COMPLETELY new every single

game. As is the case with Super Mario Sunshine, you throw some strange water device on his

back and he's a whole new character. Hoverin', splashin', you name it.

Metroid on the other hand is going to be so drastically different than the 2D

incarnations, that it's hard to choose Samus right now. Once the game is finished she'll

have a better shot.

Mike Suzuki Says: Well, I'd also have to go with Mario. I'm sure

it helped that the game was nearly completed while Zelda and Metroid still have a few more

months of dev time ahead of them. The fact that Mario Sunshine is less reliant on a large

quest probably helped make the game easier to enjoy in demo form. Sure, there's the

ultimate goal of getting Shines and clearing Mario's name, but the game is built upon

exploring and interacting with the world. Zelda and Metroid rely a bit more on story,

mood, and setting for their gameplay experience which makes it tougher to get a feel for

the whole game through an E3 demo. In the end, all 3 should be great and Zelda and Metroid

may provide a more sophisticated experience than Mario, but I doubt either of the 2 could

surpass the sheer unadulterated fun of playing in the worlds of Super Mario Sunshine.

Oh, and as far as negatives for each game are concerned... I wouldn't worry about them too

much as I think all 3 are really that good. But, if I had to point out a weakness for each

game then...Mario's graphics are not overly spectacular (but they are solid and get the

job done), Zelda's gameplay is very familiar and so far doesn't seem to offer anything

revolutionary (but the N64 formula was tight and shouldn't require a drastic overhaul),

and Metroid doesn't really play like an old-school Metroid game (but it does play well and

it helps that I like 1st person games).

Rick Says: I hate to be

wishy-washy, but honestly, all three hold very dear places in my heart.

I first played a Mario game in the arcades, blowing countless quarters trying to get a

little further in Super Mario Bros. My little sister and I (bless her heart) pooled our

money together to buy Super Mario Bros. 3, then waited in line to get it at TRU. A

Nintendo 64 and Super Mario 64 was the first console I bought with my own money from

working the help desk in Microsoft Games.

Link brought my whole family closer. As a kid, I'd stay up late at night with my Mom and

Dad, helping them get just a little further through that nasty Level 5. I got to test

"A Link to the Past" for Nintendo before it was released in stores.

Samus and I spent many a dark, stormy night exploring caverns and hunting Mother Brain. A

game so epic and long, you needed passwords to save your progress. I remember being

TERRIFIED during that last battle, and desperately trying to escape the destruction of

Zebes.

I think it's fitting that three "Game Giants" would all be released very closely

together, allowing me to relive a touch of my youth. It makes it impossible for me to pick

between all three of them, and I think Nintendo KNOWS that.

Daniel Says: Well, of course I

love all three, but I'm looking forward to Metroid the most. Not only has it been eight

years since any Metroid game, but Metroid Prime had such a short demo that it leaves me

feeling like there's a lot more that's still under wraps.

I'd have to say that Metroid Prime's biggest downfall (from what we've seen) is the severe

lack of vertical space. I've always thought of Metroid as a combination of Mario and

Zelda. It features the dark underground environments and emphasis on items that Zelda has

and the platform jumping of Mario. Metroid Prime leaves out that important emphasis on

platforming. I still think it's a great game, but so far it doesn't live up to the Metroid

name in my eyes.

Jonathan Says: I think Samus is

the most interesting first-party Nintendo character. Mario has to remain simple so the

masses can accept him more easily, and Link is always being rewritten and redefined so

much that it's hard for me to even have a consistent opinion of him as a character.

Max Says: My favorite was Mario

hands down. The gameplay was so much fun and there was lots of different wild things you

can do. I really can’t wait to get my hands on this game once again. Of course, I

loved three games. Zelda was truly breathtaking and Metroid Prime has a lot of

promise and blew naysayers away, but there’s only one Mario, and this latest game was

truly the most fun—at least his E3 demo was. As characters go, I’m probably more

attached to Samus, and I’m so glad that she’s getting her own game again. The

best part of Metroid Prime is that despite the shift in perspective, it still feels like a

Metroid game.

Smash asks, Lately I have been frequently

browsing the PGC Message Boards, and I

have especially been interested in all the Super Mario Sunshine talk that is going on. I

came across an interesting comment by one of the board members about the feel of the game

(Although at the time he was referring to the box art, but it got me thinking). He said

that the box art gave him the feeling of "Mario's adventure with a water pack"

instead of "Mario's next, epic adventure". As a video gamer who is eagerly

awaiting the next Super Mario 64 caliber game, I was wondering what your take on this

subject is.

TYP Says: Well, Nintendo has

previously likened the transition from N64 to GameCube to the shift from the NES to the

SNES. I think this is quite appropriate in Mario's situation. On the NES, we had Super

Mario Bros. 3, which fully realized 2-D exploration at its best. Super Mario World added

very little: Yoshi. In fact, I think of SMB3 as the more advanced game, with SMW as almost

a step backward. Super Mario Sunshine is similar to SMW since it borrows most of its

"innovation" from its predecessor. And let's face it...there is NO WAY you're

going to get a Mario game as revolutionary as Super Mario 64 again: you can only have your

first 3D experience once ;-)

So while Super Mario Sunshine may not be the all-new, @#%$-your-pants Mario game, it's

stupid to think it SHOULD be, unless you want something that isn't pure Mario fun (a la

Sonic Adventure 2). Super Mario Sunshine takes Mario 64 and throws in the stuff we all

missed, and that sounds like fun to me. People expect too much of Nintendo and its

red-clad plumber. I'm not expecting Mario to be a 10, but I fear those who are will end up

giving Mario an unneeded headache.

Adam Says: TYP, go get your head

checked. How on earth can you say SMW was a step-back?!?! Ahh well, to each his own.

It's been 6 years since Mario 64. Kids that weren't BORN when that came out can now walk,

talk and annoy you. This game had better RULE. I fully expect the game to be every bit as

good as Mario 64 and much better. I think the water pack adds a dimension to Mario that

can only heighten the gameplay. Of course it won't be the step from SNES to N64 (who

thought it would), but it should improve on every aspect of Mario 64 - and of course,

after 6 years, be truly EPIC.

If that game is as short as Luigi's Mansion, I'm gonna lose my mind.

Mike Suzuki Says: Well, I

definitely believe that Super Mario Sunshine is the next "Super Mario 64 caliber

game" for which you've been waiting. It's been described as the properly evolved

sequel to Mario 64 and from what was playable at E3, it seems that that statement is dead

on. And while it may not be as revolutionary as our last adventure with Mario, it should

be at least as fun an adventure offering new gameplay ideas/mechanics that are sure to be

seen in a bunch of games at E3 2003.

Rick Says: Games that are NOT

epic don't get high (rumored to be 38/40) scores in Famitsu. I'd say you have little to be

concerned about.

Billy Says: I'm not really

concerned. Super Mario World was epic as well. Introduced a lot of cool stuff to the Mario

series. Super Mario Sunshine is my most anticipated game. The jet pack has many uses

instead of just shooting water. In around a week, we hope to tell you how truly epic Super

Mario Sunshine is!

Daniel Says: Well, I've been

seeing a lot of whining about how "non-epic" Super Mario Sunshine is in our

forums. Supposedly some magazine said that it's "only" 10 hours long. I don't

think anyone really knows how long it is, but for Mario, I really don't think we need some

gigantic 30-hour Chrono Cross-sized game.

For an action game, 10 hours is plenty. You're not spending all your time reading or

watching cinemas. Mario's so fun that you'll probably go spend more time than that just

goofing off and wandering around like in Mario 64.

Adam Says: (jumping back in) If

Mario is 10 hours that will be a travesty. Even the "short" part of Mario

(completing the game without 120 stars) took longer than 10 hours the first time through.

I wish Nintendo would release a "even our developers knowing EXACTLY what to do next

completed it in X amount of hours" like they did with Zelda. That was a great way to

let people know how long the game would be.

Jonathan Says: First, I totally

agree with TYP about Super Mario 3 being both a more advanced AND better game than World.

SMW was extremely easy and, IMO, felt very out of place with the series...almost as much

as SMB2, which isn't even a "real" Mario game.

Anyway, Sunshine may not be revolutionary, but it's plenty different from SM64, and I

don't think anyone will be disappointed. I really doubt it's only ten hours long

too...there is always a lot of optional stuff to do in Mario games, and Sunshine's worlds

are HUGE with tons of stuff to play with and explore.

Max Says: As fun as Mario

Sunshine was at E3, I’m not too worried about the length of the game. The worlds are

big and beautiful and there is lots of fun stuff to do. The evolution of Mario gameplay in

Mario Sunshine is pretty epic I’d say, and I don’t expect to be too disappointed

with the final product. Like Billy says though, we should all know soon!

Overheat asks, Been up awhile (about 32 hours) so I'll make this brief. A friend

of mine claims that in the Quartermann section of the latest EGM, Conker's Bad Fur Day 2

is cited to be an X-Box exclusive. (!) He also went on to state that Perfect Dark Zero to

be a PS2 exclusive. (?!) Another friend also claims to have read the article and says that

while he can't vouch for the Conker's statement, Perfect Dark will be ps2 AND GameCube.

Normally I don't buy this kind of crap, but now this crap is in PRINT for all the world to

see see and to scare pee pee out of me, me. I had no web provider for about 3 weeks (about

9 months on Internet time), did I miss something? Is EGM blowing hot air up my ass or are

my friends?

Mike H. Says: I

can't say I've read the article, but we ALL KNOW that what Quartermann says is gospel and

may as well be a booming voice from the sky, and his words carved in stone.

Not. EGM's a rag. Especially this column.

I don't think anything regarding the Nintendo/Rare situation is going to be revealed until

a little bit after StarFox is released and their queue is cleared up. But yes I believe

something is going on.

WindyMan Says: Did someone say

Sonic in SSBM? I thought I heard that somewhere...

Adam Says: Of course it's a

rumor, but don't be surprised by it. It actually makes pretty good sense to me as far as

which Rare franchises will go where when they become a 3rd party.

Mike Suzuki Says: I just checked

the article and found no mention of Perfect Dark Zero or a Conker sequel being exclusive

to the PS2 or Xbox; there's only the rumor that those consoles could see versions of the

games. Unless Sony or M$ really suck up to Rare and Rare really doesn't mind pissing off

Nintendo, then I find it difficult to believe that the PS2 or Xbox would see any Rare

exclusives (unless, of course, Nintendo doesn't want that game on the Cube). From what I

know, it seems that Rare wants to broaden its horizons by including the PS2 and Xbox in

addition to developing for the GameCube. But, until an official announcement is made, it's

hard to accurately guess on what platform a franchise can appear.

Rick Says: Quartermann is an f'n

hack. I don't understand why anyone still believes that guy. Hell, I can't really

understand why any gaming magazine even still has readers ...

Anyway, let me tell you all a little about how Quartermann works. First, there is no real

"Quartermann", just like there is no "Ed the Janitor" or "Louie

the Cat". (Just kidding, Louie.) Quartermann is one of the editors serving up rumors

they've heard. They're the same ones everyone else has heard. Might be true, might be not,

though they try to pick the ones that might be more true (or are "newsworthy")

to print.

Then, there are the obvious "Factor 5 is working on a new Star Wars game" ones.

Well, DUH! Of COURSE Factor 5 is working on another Star Wars game. Quartermann can claim

a respectable "hit ratio" just based on the "well, duh" rumors.

Billy Says: OMG WHEN YOU TURN

YOUR GAMECUBE UPSIDE DOWN MARIO WILL FALL OUT AND TEHN TRIPLE JUMP AND THROW FIRE BALLS AT

YOUAR SISTAR!!!!111111111

Rumors, schroomers. Rare knows what's going on at Rare. That's about it. Quartermann

doesn't know what's going on at Rare.

Daniel Says: Like I've said

repeatedly, Rare is secretive and doesn't mind making fools of the press. Heck, they've

even picked on Jonny on their site.

I really honestly believe that someone over there is having fun playing a practical joke

on the media by dishing out "insider info" to different outlets. It's just such

a Rare thing to do.

Jonathan Says: Even if Rare ends

up developing multiplatform games, I think it's very unlikely that any of them will be

exclusive to either PS2 or Xbox.

Max Says: Well, I’ve heard a

LOT of different things about this whole Rare mystery. However, I would like to point out

that Quartermann’s rumors aren’t always so reliable. He was the source of Sonic

in SSBM (and oh what a stink that caused) and I believe another rumor that said Mario

Sunshine would be cel-shaded like Zelda. Then again, Rare rumors have almost always been

unreliable. They’re just so darn secretive! I’ve heard Rare will make an

announcement sooner than later, clearing things up one way or another. We’ll see.