Dustin asks (er, says): Hey PGC. My comment/question is about blood in video games. When "Perfect Dark" came out, I wasn't allowed to buy it because of the blood it contains. It was "perfectly" understandable, and I understand why they said that. But, it had a feature that let you turn off the blood, and I thought that was brilliant, and I wish that more games contained that feature, like "Geist", and "Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes". My parents aren't too strict about cursing in video games, as long as we don't say them. And since I love games like "Midnight Club II" and "Halo", I think that cursing should be able to be turned off, too. So, if developers (Silicon Knights, N-Space, Rockstar, in particular) are reading this, please consider the option to turn blood and offensive language, please.

Rick says: I'm all for it. You open up your games to a wider audience, you get the parents involved in the process ... I don't really see a downside. Well, except for minimal added development time.

Steven says: The reason why developers don't bother with it is because the audience a game is targeted for usually doesn't really care for a language or gore filter. If you're 26, you'll hear someone swear or see someone's head get blown off, then move on and kill the next guy.

However, I'm all for deeper game options in general. TimeSplitters 2 has spoiled me for options, and I demand that all games have 100% customizable controls, and if developers want to throw in language and gore filiters, by all means, give us that and more.

Alex says: These games are meant for a mature audience. That's what the big white "M" is trying to indicate. It isn't illegal to purchase MGS, Perfect Dark or any other game that has been given a Mature rating -- even if you're under 18 (it's store policy, nothing more). It's a guide for concerned moms and dads to go by. Inform your parents what the rating system means, why the game you want is rated that way, and then let them make the parental decision as to whether or not this game should be allowed in the house. As for the rest of us (over 18), it's irrelevant. To me, the rating system is a screwy way to mess up beautiful cover-art, with ugly ESRB ratings. I don't mind the self-censorship programming in certain games, but I do think that it's a load of bullocks, being that the parents of gamers will have no idea how to use the feature (over 90% of concerned parents still can't program their "V" chip). I was watching movies as violent as they came at 15 years old. I played the very first FPS games without a concern, even though I was underage. I don’t think any of this dictates who you are, as a person. I think a 25-year-old could be messed up by an FPS. At the same time, I think a 15-year-old could play the same game, with no residual affect. That's why I think using "ratings" as more than a guide is ludicrous, and none of them should be based on age. "Mature" for one person is at an entirely different time of life than "Mature" for another.

Jonathan says: If you mean an option to simply "bleep" over swear words, I guess that's okay. It shouldn't take too much effort to program in. Perfect Dark sort of had its own profanity filter, in that characters swore much more on the harder difficulty levels. I think that was meant to be a reward for the skilled players though.

Still, you seem to indicate that your mom wouldn't let you get Perfect Dark even though it had a blood filter. I would think that's typical, that filters don't really convince anyone to buy the game when they wouldn't otherwise. And if my reasoning is correct, a swearing filter would help no more than blood filters, which are common, already do. Most parents either care about the content, or they don't. Very few actually take the time to look at the rating, much less at whether the game has content filters.

MHawk asks: Hey guys. How come Mario 128 wasn't at E3? Mr. Miyamoto-san has previously mentioned that Mario 128 has been in development even longer than Super Mario Sunshine. So what are your speculations on this game. Do you think that it can live up to the hype as "the proper successor to Mario 64"?

Daniel says: Actually, I think that if anything, this game will go in a much different direction and I wouldn't rule out the possibility of it heading back to 2D either. Mario Sunshine was the proper successor to Mario 64 -- too much of one in a way. Mario's move to 3D has lost a lot of the casual audience that used to be able to pick up and play without getting lost, and Sunshine in particular was very difficult for even experienced gamers. To be honest though, I don't think anyone has a clue regarding what's cooking over there.

Rick says: Mario 128 wasn't at E3 because Miyamoto has seen the reaction that showing his games early has gotten. In other words, clueless people on the Internet slamming his games after having seen nothing but screenshots (Wind Waker and Mario Kart). He was reportedly debating showing it at the Press Conference, then decided to hold back until the Roundtable, then decided not to show it at all. And I don't blame him in the least.

As for whether it will live up to the hype, I have few doubts that it will.

Alex says: I think that Mario 128 is a product of Miyamoto's imagination, that may never reach our TV screens. I look forward to this "2D" game like no other. If it does come out, I feel it could show people for the first time what they've been missing by not having a brand new 2D Mario platformer, on a next generation system. If Mario 128 becomes a reality, and is marketed correctly, every nostalgic gamer alive will be standing in line. And behind them will stand the curiosity seekers. And before you know it, Nintendo would have a hit on their hands that may even surpass Super Mario 64.

Jonathan says: I asked this exact question at the E3 roundtable. Miyamoto's answer was that he wasn't ready to show Mario yet, but EAD will continue working hard on both it and the next Donkey Kong game over the next year. In other words, don't expect to see Mario revealed in the near future...but it is in development, and it will probably debut at next year's E3, if not before.

Vince asks: When's Star Fox 2/Armada coming out? I was happy to see it at the show this year, and both disappointed and enthusiastic at it's current status. I mean, I wish it were closer to completion, but I wouldn't mind a nicer graphics engine (and better controls in the third-person, over-the-shoulder view since it seems to have ripped it's controls from the awkward N64 setup). I also want to see how the multiplayer pans out, cuz it would be a shame if it didn't join "double-dash!!" as a Nintendo LAN game. I mean, all they'd have to do is add more pilots (even though I'm REALLY happy to see Crystal as part of the team) like Kat Monroe, Bill, Peppy, James McCloud, and the Star Wolf squadron and they'd be all set for 8-12 player multiplayer. So, PGC, you got any answers for me, cuz I sure would appreciate it. Thanks guys.

Rick says: Actually, while there were pre-E3 rumors that games like StarFox and Custom Robo would be LAN-enabled, Mario Kart was the only game to showcase the functionality. While it's not entirely out of the question that those features could be added to StarFox, I wouldn't be heading to Vegas and placing any wagers, if you catch my drift.

Jonathan says: I think Star Fox is a really good candidate for LAN. It's still really, really early, so there's certainly time to add that feature. Also, if you remember playing four-player battles in Star Fox 64, it was really hard to see your opponents from afar. Surely Namco remembers that issue and will do what it can to fix it for the latest game.

Amy asks: Why doesn't Nintendo use the GBA as leverage to get more third-party games on the GC? Take Castlevania for example; with Aria of Sorrow there are now three Castlevania games on the GBA, all of which, I'm sure, have sold well. As Konami is making plenty of money off of these installments, couldn't Nintendo tell them that before Konami makes another new GBA game, they want a [2D] Castlevania game for GameCube? Obviously, they don't want to push developers away by giving them ultimatums, but it just seems that with lots of companies making money off of the GBA, Nintendo could parlay that into more GC games.

Daniel says: You really answered the question yourself I believe. Nintendo can't afford to bully around other publishers anymore, and most publishers realize that the GBA and GC markets are vastly different. I think that by experimenting with connectivity though, Nintendo's provided incentive for publishers to consider taking some of those franchises across.

Steven says: I can't agree with you more. Konami publishes an insane amount of GBA games in Japan, yet Nintendo doesn't bother "asking" them for GC releases. Nintendo does offer an incentive for making connectivity games to developers, but why not go even further than that? Why not offer a break on console royalty fees for being a loyal GBA publisher (or raise their GBA fees for not making more GC games, if you want to force the issue)? Nintendo really wants to push its GBA connectivity to everyone, but that's really hard to do if everyone doesn't have GC games to connect GBAs to.

I just can't believe Nintendo lets this huge leveraging tool go wasted. It'll need to use it in a hurry before Sony makes all its PS2 developers make PSP games and nab Nintendo while it wasn't looking.

Alex says: When Konami has released three successful games on the GBA, Nintendo does have the clout to "bully." I don't even know if "bullying" is the

right word, seeing as how Konami has made a ton of cash off of its last three GBA Castlevania games. If they want to make a fourth, which I'm sure that they do, it's time for Nintendo to put its foot down. "Give us a genuine next-dimension 2D Castlevania for the Cube, and only then can you release the next installment on the GBA." If Konami refuses, it's their loss. And I feel Konami will know who would be calling whose "bluff." If Nintendo doesn't start using the GBA as leverage to bring bigger and better things to the GameCube, it may have only a handheld console left. And if that happens, I'm going to release a scream so loud, your monitor may shatter. My apologies, in advance.

TYP says: Video game companies can't get away with such bully tactics any more. If Sony demanded that their console developers support the PSP, I think you'd see more companies moving to Nintendo and Microsoft consoles. They're already getting fed up with the PS2 hardware, and many companies may not care as much about the PS2's larger consumer base after they consider the development costs and risks of the PSP, especially if they don't already focus on handheld games. If Nintendo pressured GBA developers to make GameCube games they would could encourage developers to support the PSP.

No matter what the situation, demanding games is a horrible tactic that yeilds poor results. What's the point of an additional GameCube game if no effort was put into it? Windy's suggestion of lowering GC royalty fees for loyal GBA developers is a better solution, though I doubt Nintendo would ever do such a thing.

Rick says: Except for one thing. GameCube is the wrong machine to be pushing this with. Nintendo has already refocused it's efforts on the next machine, and rightly so. We're still going to get a lot of great GameCube titles, and a lot of great GBA titles, too. But trying to leverage the people that are helping keep your handheld dominant is not the wisest choice. Nintendo would rather coax them, by showing them ideas of things they hadn't thought of. Gee, like this Connectivity thing, huh?

I've also heard that Nintendo makes more money on GBA titles than on GameCube. So why would they want to make developers switch to a platform that will end up costing Nintendo money?

Pretty much everyone asks: What do you guys think of Sony's newly announced portable system, the PSP? How will Nintendo react to it?

Aussie Ben says: While I can't really speak for what I think of the PSP at the moment as it's just a bunch of specifications and not an actual piece of hardware, I can definitely say that I am excited and pleased as a portable game player that Sony's decided to do something like this. Firstly, I'm eager to see what kind of titles they'll produce, secondly, I'm hoping It'll give Nintendo a much needed kick in the arse to encourage them to be more aggressive with promoting the Game Boy Advance/SP. And finally, I'm hoping It'll encourage Nintendo -- and other guilty companies -- to produce more unique, fresh products instead of bringing out one hundred and one Super NES quick ports that we've already seen, and in 99% of cases, done much better.

Mike Sklens says: While I'm not sure how Nintendo will react, I can tell you how I feel about the PSP. They're obviously billing it as more than just a videogame system. The system uses this new "Universal Media Disc" (UMD) format for a reason. They can stick anything on those, games, music, or even movies. I think it's a great idea. I'd love a portable system that I could use to watch movies on that long flight to E3 with. I see two problem though. First off is battery life. This unit needs to access a spinning disc (which is more power-intensive than accessing a cartridge) and it has a backlit screen. It's going to need a huge battery. The other problem I see is the price. They're packing a lot of features into this sucker, and it's going to cost quite a bit. I don't know how they're going to be able to price it well. I think it will cost too much.

Rick says: I'll tell you what I think about the device itself when something other than a logo and a hacked-up MiniDisc is shown. Numbers on paper are meaningless ... I want to see at the very least a CONCEPT shot of what it will look like, a date, and a price. The specs are pretty meaningless, since they'll probably change between now and the release date, and were pretty much just put out there to create hype. I mean, can you honestly tell me that Sony is going to put an expensive backlit screen in the device which will chew through batteries when they could put in a cheaper front-lit solution like just about every PDA out there is using? That's just not smart, so you have to think that most of this stuff is going to change before release.

That said, Sony has an opportunity ahead of them, but they have to play it VERY carefully. Too expensive, and it won't sell. Too cheap, and they'll cannibalize their console market. I think they would have been wiser to skip this ridiculous Universal Media Disc, let it play standard DVD movies, and position it as a portable DVD player than can play games as well. I don't know anyone that is going to buy movies or music on these proprietary UMDs that they can only play on one device. Make it play DVDs, price it at $199, and I'll buy one just for the sake of having it. $299 is a big mistake, and any cheaper than $199, and they'll eat into their console stranglehold. They have a very fine line that they need to walk, here.

Steven writes a huge thesis: I really believe that there is absolutely nothing Sony can do to make anything more than a chink in Nintendo's handheld armor. It's not like Nintendo hasn't handled a serious threat to its position before (we all know how Nintendo defended the B&W Game Boy against the color Game Gear), and with the little info Sony has released, it's almost dead in the water as it is. Disk media in a handheld will eats up batteries, obviously, but there's a little bit more to it than just what's going into the handheld.

With the media that Sony is going with, and the power that's going into it, developers are going to be looking at high development costs, relative to the handheld arena. Do developers really want to spend hundereds of thousands (or even millions) of dollars developing games for a handheld? Do consumers want to pay the same price for a new handheld game as a new console game? Is this risk worth it to most publishers? For some of the smaller ones, it won't be. Even with the PlayStation name, Sony might have some trouble rounding up the majority of the game developers where the bulk of handheld games come from, developers that Nintendo has in its pocket (pun). Sony, therefore, will be in a pickle of sorts: They'll either have to market the thing as either a pure handheld and go after smaller developers agressively, or make it a mirco-console with it's $200-300 price tag and have all the big-name developers bring all their big-names games to it. Either way, it won't be directly competing with Nintendo, as it'll have an advantage either way.

Also, the planned wireless connectivity piqued my interest. The PS3 is probably going to be a set-top box just as much as it's going to be a game system, so why not use the PSP with the PS3 in the same way that the GC and GBA hook up, but wirelessly? Sony certainly doesn't like the fact that Nintendo is getting exclusive features in games like Splinter Cell and The Sims, because of the GBA. That eats away at some of Sony's overall sales, something it's going to need in 2005 for leverage. Sony might want to cash in on this connectivity thing that Nintendo is really pushing for this year, and a simultaneous release of the PS3 and PSP might steal that thunder away from Nintendo.

So what's Nintendo to do? For right now, nothing, really. The GB Player is going to be out and about, so the Game Boy name is going to be everywhere (not that it isn't already) by the time Sony gets its handheld out. By this time, the GameCube's successor will be out too, so Sony will need to fight the war on two fronts, something Nintendo has been doing since 1989, and quite successfully at that. Sony will be using the PlayStation name as leverage to sell the unit, while Nintendo can use the 1000+ games the Game Boy family will have. If Nintendo does decide to come out with a new handheld, it'll be cheaper than the PSP, that's for sure, which will be another thing Sony needs to be concerned with.

The only thing Sony can do to get a major stake in the handheld market is to release a "starter" system of sorts to get a brand name in, then release a new system that'll really start competing. Microsoft is using the Xbox to get its foot in the door, then will release something majorly major in 2005 to really make a name for itself in the console industry. That'll take a lot of time, something Sony will need if it truly thinks it'll be a threat to Nintendo in the future.

Alex says: My opinion? If they price it over $199, they won't pull a PS1 or PS2 and demolish the competition. If they sell it at a $149 price-point, they're in the game, and may present a challenge to the GBA SP. I doubt Sony will go lower than $199 (their antiquated PS2 is still nearly $200); so I don't think the big N has much to worry about. On the other hand, unlike Nintendo, Sony is willing to advertise nearly nonstop. People can be commercial lemmings. The PSP sounds like it has potential, but I know that I won't be buying into that potential, unless it's $149, or less. Call me cheap, or call me content. I'm very happy with my GBA. Not many people, other than the idly rich, will feel the need, or have the income, to purchase a PSP so soon after their purchase of the GBA SP.

TYP says: I had planned on making an editorial out of my response to this question, but Windy pretty much said what I was going to say! As MISTAR GALE pointed out, having a 3D handheld market is a dangerous proposition. If power constraints are addressed, 3D gaming on a handheld with optical media could be very appealing to the consumer, but it could spell doom for the industry. A 3D handheld will once again blur the line between handheld games and console games, just like in the good old days, and will in many situations reduce the decision of a game's target market to a question of visuals—only this time the development costs will be much higher in both markets, making a bad choice all the worse.

The PSP's current specs leave a lot of questions unanswered. However, if the PSP is popular Nintendo will have to make a 3D system as well. Nintendo is most certainly cooking something up already (I believe Iwata even confirmed this). Remember, the GBA was under development for many, many years. I trust Nintendo will make another programming-friendly system, but it must follow Sony’s lead and use optical media, lest it repeat the past. Yes, sadly this would mean load times in handheld games, but hopefully Nintendo’s proven 1.5 GB disc will keep them to a minimum. As Windy pointed out, backwards compatibility is vital, and Nintendo’s optical-based system MUST have a GBA cartridge slot. One elegant solution would be a dual-purpose cartridge slot for memory cards as well as GB/GBA games.

Depending on when this proposed Game Boy is released, Nintendo should consider incorporating it into the company’s next console, much like they are doing with the Game Boy Player, since 3D games are much better suited for the big screen. Doing so would also provide a way out for developers unsure of which market to develop a game for. If the next Nintendo console is backwards compatible with the GameCube, implementing this would “only” be a matter of getting the console to emulate the Game Boy, as it can already read the disc. It's highly unlikely that the handheld project will have progressed far enough, but ideally the console's architecture would be designed with sideways compatibility in mind. Ah well, perhaps in two generations.

I don't believe that Nintendo can shrug Sony's PSP off. Nintendo doesn't need to take immediate action, but it cannot wait until the PSP is successfully released either. In my own selfish way I wish 2D systems could stay around forever, but sadly the mainstream audience puts 3D above 2D. I only hope Nintendo can pull off this dimensional transition better than the last one.

Smapty asks: Are the rumors true, that Nintendo is getting a new ad agency? I've heard Leo Burnett is being replaced by Wieden and Kennedy, the ones behind Nike's ads. Also, I'd like to get your thoughts on Nintendo's advertising, now and into the future, and what it needs to do in order to build upon the Nintendo brandname.

Rick says: That's news to me, but I think it's about time.

Alex says: Nintendo's advertising now? It's embarrassing. As soon as Super Mario Sunshine popped up with that dorky "clean is better than dirty, dirty's meaner than clean" ad, I knew they needed some fresh advertising blood. How should they change their image? Accentuate the positive. More ads for games such as Metroid Prime and The Wind Waker. Let people know about smaller games that are receiving critical praise, such as Eternal Darkness. That would of course mean they'd have to start advertising "M" games on prime-time TV. Honestly, I think that that would be another step in the right direction.

The Grate White Dope asks: Hey guys what's up? I just wanted to know what you guys thought about Nintendo's booth and games compared to Sony and Microsoft.

Mike Sklens says: I think Nintendo had quite a good showing this year. I can't really speak for Sony's booth becuase I didn't spend any time there. As for Microsoft, their booth should have had a giant banner that said "Microsoft's E3 2004 Preview" because so many of those games aren't even coming out this year.

Rick says: Honestly, no one really had a breakout show this year. The whole experience was so lackluster that a mere week later, very little stands out in my mind, aside from Half Life 2 ... a PC title. It's almost like the theme of the show this year was "More of the Same". That's not necessarily a bad thing, but with exactly ZERO surprises, it didn't help.

Steven says: Nintendo's booth was far less crowded this year, thanks to a lot less cramming of games inside of it. It really helped with the lines and moving around in it.

For me, I think that Ubi Soft's booth was a big surprise. Games like XIII, Prince of Persia and The Matrix Online were REALLY good, and there wasn't a game any less than average there. I'm looking forward to what it can do for next year.

Alex says: No console maker had a very jaw-dropping booth this year. I think Microsoft forgot about games released in 2003, and just focused on their 2004 lineup. PS2 and Nintendo both did better, but needed a few more surprises. Both companies announced almost everything before E3. The only HUGE disappointment from Nintendo was that it was still basically refusing to go online.

Evildede asks: Is Harry Gregson-Williams composing the music for Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes? I think he did a wonderful job with MGS2 and it would be very cool to have him do the music for TTS.

Steven says: So far as I know, since the game is a remake of the original, it would retain the original music and such, most likely remastered by Konami or Silicon Knights. The original didn't have Gregson-Williams music in it, so it's a good bet that The Twin Snakes won't, either.

Tim asks: I was just wondering, if you can really hook up eight Gamecubes together and play eight player Mario Kart, would it be possible for someone with too much time on their hands to write a program to fool the gamecube into connecting to other cubes on the internet instead of connecting through a lan kind of like Lancraft for Warcraft III?

Daniel says: Wow, we've answered this question quite a few times already. I'll let Rick lay out the details.

Mike Sklens says: In a word: yes. With a broadband adaptor attached, it is entirely possible to "tunnel" out to another cube on the internet somewhere. The GameCube won't even know it's not directly linked to another Cube.

Rick says: Hopefully, this will be the last time I'll have to explain the concept, for reasons I'll explain in a sec ...

There is very little difference between a game with LAN capability, and a game with Internet capability. GameSpy makes software for the PC that allows you to take Xbox LAN enabled games, and play them on the internet, in a process called "tunnelling". Your PC sort of "emulates" the network traffic that the Xbox is expecting, then passes that information over the internet. GameSpy is reportedly working on a version of this tunnelling software that will take LAN enabled GameCube titles onto the internet. In otherwords ... Mario Kart Double Dash will have online play, just not from Nintendo themselves.

However, just like Xbox Live is looking to obsolete the tunnelling concept, GameSpy has also become an official Nintendo developer. It was originally assumed that this was in order to get the networking information from Nintendo to make their tunnel work, but recent revelations have turned that on it's ear. It seems that GameSpy is creating all of the networking tools FOR Nintendo, and is going to use the GameSpy server infrastructure to create a similar service to Xbox Live, but without the cost to the end-user. Yes, that means something like Live for GameCube, but free. Don't beleive me? We just posted a story about Iwata discussing an upcoming announcement about Online, and this is supposedly the way they're going about it. This means that your ability to get GameCube games online will be built-into the games, and won't rely on your computer to get the job done ... just like it should be.

Now it's just a matter of biding our time until the announcement and all the gritty details are revealed ...

Steven says: There's just one small difference between LAN games and online games that should be noted. Games designed strictly for LAN play are designed for zero lag. Online games need to be developed to account for the inconsistency of internet connections, among other things. You can't just take a LAN game, flip a switch, and make it a perfect online game. (This is why the PC version of Halo is taking so long to come out, as the multiplayer needed to be rebuilt from scratch for the online factor.)

Basically, a game needs to be designed for online play for it to work like one. Nintendo would have had to been thinking about this for some time for it to truly be online. I'm sure GameSpy has been an official Nintendo development kit holder for quite some time now...

Link20_02 asks: Hi, I was wondering if you knew why Konami decided not to make DDR for GAMECUBE. I mean, it's coming out on XBOX and DDRMAX2 is set to come out for PS2 in the near future. I thought that Nintendo and Konami were good partners and a game like DDR would do great on the GCN. I don't wanna buy a PS2 just for one game and the same deal for XBOX and an actual machine can run in the thousands and I don't have that kind of money.

Dance-freak Ty says: DDR is Konami's first XBox LIVE game, am I right? It's a good game to get their online feet wet with. Coming out with DDR on PS2 is a pretty obvious decision, as there are already lots of DDR pads (and a big fat userbase) available for it. DDR is still pretty much a niche game, and although it's really catching on in the U.S. lately, there isn't a big enough reason to release it on GameCube.

Still, they released the Disney version for N64 in Japan, and three DDRs for the GameBoy Color over there, too. Y'never know.

TYP says: I've said it before: Nintendo and Konami would be wise to team up an make a DDR Nintendo Edition. I loved Samba de Amigo 2000's classic Sega songs, and had Sega gone the full distance with franchises it could have been a huge hit. GameCube owners tend to be Nintendo fanatics, and what Nintendo freak WOULDN'T want to dance to remixed verisons of classic Nintendo songs? Nintendo likely owns the rights to the Super Mario Bros. Super Show's "Do the Mario," if anyone is interested.

If Konami doesn't want to make such a game, maybe Sonic Team does. Come on, you know you want to see Wario jiggle his fat on the dance floor!

Rick says: I really don't think that we need DDR on every single platform out there. It's a very niche title, and I don't think a Nintendo platform is ideal anyway. DDR is about music, fundamentally, and a console that outputs really good music works much better. The PS2 and Xbox both have digital audio connections, so those sound right to me.

The idea of having an internet enabled DDR that can download new songs and graphics without having to buy a new version every year is VERY appealing, so it'll be interesting to see how that turns out. I wonder how long it will be before we see PS2->Xbox controller adaptors that will let you use your existing dance pads ...

Steven says: An obvious reason why this isn't happening might be because of the GameCube's controller layout. While a lot of people own some sort of dance pad, there are still plenty of people that don't, meaning they'd be using a controller. When the PS2 and Xbox have nice, big D-Pads, and uniform face buttons, it's easy to correlate those to the Up-Down-Right-Left DDR players are used to. On the other hand, when you've got the GC's tiny pad and irregular buttons, it's not quite as easy to pick up and play, something that the PlayStation games have always been.

If Konami wanted to make a DDR game for the GameCube, they'd need to supply a controller (other than a dance pad) for those who want to play it, but don't want to shell out $20 or more for a pad (or are otherwise physically unable to play).

Art sign something blah blah asks: I heard that the new Starfox GC would have an offer for Starfox 64 on Gamecube, is this true?

Daniel says: No. There's really been very little revealed about the title, and something like that wouldn't be decided until very near release.

Rick says: No. That was a rumor started during a Roundtable discussion with Miyamoto when someone mentioned the idea, and Miyamoto thought it was interesting. And it wasn't going to be StarFox 64, but the StarFox 2 for SNES that was finished, but never released. Regardless, I've heard nothing about it being in the works, and I'm pretty sure that it was Miyamoto's surprise at hearing the idea that got the rumor mill grinding away.

ArchMagnus asks: Is the Gamecube capable of 'True' HD TV 720P or 1080i? I know the 'Cube can muster 480P on specific games like Metroid Prime and Wind Waker, when you hold the 'B' Button as you turn on the Power to the system... But I was unsure if it is capable of more. Thanks.

TYP says: The GameCube can only output 480 horizontal lines of resolution. Sorry! On a brighter note, it is most likely that the DTV cables for the GameCube will be compatible with Nintendo's next system, which will likely support higher resolutions. Nintendo’s proprietary analog port has been around since the SNES.

Rick says: Nintendo only put support for 480p screens in the GameCube, which is just fine for this generation, I think. EDTVs (Enhanced Definition, which is 480p ONLY) are much cheaper than full HDTV, so that hits as much of a market as it needs to.

And if I can go completely geek on you for a second, there are very few HDTV's out there that can support 720p properly. Most HDTV sets have 7" electron guns, and they are too short to give a full 720p picture. So even if a TV says it supports 720p, if it only has 7" guns, you're missing some of the picture. Not a lot, but enough to shortchange you on what you're supposed to be getting. If you want a real 720p picture, make sure that your set has 9" guns. Most other sets will "downsample" a 720p picture into 1080i.

Going forward, I think you'll see all the consoles supporting a minimum of 1080i, and possible 720p as well.

Pale asks: Did you guys happen to notice, or be able to notice, if you can hook up old Pokemon games to Pokemon Box? Or just Ruby and Sapphire?

Aussie Ben says: I doubt very much that you'll be able to connect the pre-Ruby/Sapphire Pokemon titles to the GameCube. There's many reasons for this, including the addition of the contest stats (cool, tough, smart, etc..), the fact that old Game Boy titles require the original Game Boy or Game Boy Pocket link cable, and won't work with any Game Boy Advance cable. Seeing the Game Boy Advance to GameCube link cable is a Game Boy Advance cable, this rules that out. But hey, I'm hoping for old game link up as much as you are -- I need my own Meowth. That's all I need to make me happy.

Mike Sklens says: Pokemon Box only works with Ruby and Sapphire, sorry.

Rick says: During the Roundtable discussion, Miyamoto somewhat dodged the question about the older Pokemon being accessible in the new Pokemon titles. However, he did end the conversation with a cryptic comment along the lines of "Pokemon fans have nothing to worry about." That seems to suggest that there will be a way to get these Pokemon, they just aren't ready to reveal how yet.

Rob asks: Do you guys think this has been Nintendo's worst E3 showing? A lot of people have been saying that there was just too much emphasis on GBA conectivity, although I personally don't think that's true (lots of great upcoming GC games too). What do you guys think?

Daniel says: I think that Nintendo realizes that 3D gaming has alienated a lot of people, and the simple games like Pac-Man and four swords are a way of capturing that audience. For years, Nintendo has commented about finding ways to break away from the traditional teenage male audience. I know a grandmother who tries to play games with her grandchildren, but gets laughed at because she can't handle all the controls. When I told her about Pac-Man, she was very interested.

Also keep in mind that even if the general public never sees connectivity as more than a gimmick to sell systems, Nintendo is intrigued by it from a creative standpoint. They know that the idea holds a lot of potential, but they are still experimenting with how to unlock that potential.

By the way experimenting is the key word. Tetra's Trackers and Pac-Man aren't on any kind of release schedule yet. They are experiments and were put out there simply to see what people thought and to give other developers ideas for how connectivity can be used.

Ty says: I found Nintendo's E3 performance to be in no way disappointing, although maybe some other folks did. So what if they probably couldn't top last year's Mario/Metroid/Zelda? Mario Kart, F-Zero and Pac-Man work for me just fine.

If you really want to know about worst showing, go back to E3 2000, where they were showing stuff like already-released N64 games. No, wait, they had Conker, PD, and Mario Tennis, so it was still pretty rad.

TYP says: I agree with Ty. I never expected Nintendo's E3 2003 showing to be as intense as 2002, which had three huge titles. Nintendo did a better job of focusing on variety this year, with lots of fun (but not system-seller) titles from internal teams as well as third parties. To be honest the entire show didn't have the energy found the previous year. Nintendo did a good job of staying above the murmurs of disappointment.

Rick says: Bull. The entire point of E3 is to get the industry excited about what's coming. Aside from the PSP vaporware announcement, there was ZERO buzz around the show, and that's not how you want to go into the next year. The game everyone was talking about this year was Half Life 2, and nothing else even came close. There was absolutely NO excitement in Nintendo's booth at all this year, and part of that might have been due to them not having part of their booth dedicated to giving things away like last year. In fact, everyone seemed to have pulled back spending, and that reflects directly on the energy of the show. No, I'm not saying that there wasn't enough "swag" this year. I'm just saying that how companies approached people coming to their booth this year was all focused on games (and rightly so), but the games weren't enough to get the job done.

If Nintendo is smart, they'll realize that E3 didn't have the impact that it needed to have this year, and will plan to have a SpaceWorld showing, or a place at the Tokyo Game Show to make up for it. They need to get people excited about Nintendo again.

Rob asks: Hi PGC, I heard Tales of Symphonia was supposed to be at E3 but I have heard no impressions on it or any news on it at all, was it there at all?

Ty says: It certainly wasn't playable, and if they had it on video, I missed it. Namco has it on their E3 site though, so it's still on track for the U.S. with a "release date yet to be determined."

oohhboy asks: A question for all staffers who went to E3; how was your personal experince during the three days and do you have any "stories" to tell?

Rick says: I was very busy, and with the show being so "listless", for lack of a better word, it's hard to come up with anything that really stands out. I will say that I had people coming up to me on the show floor that recognized me, and that always freaks me out a little. Honestly, the best part of the week as far as I was concerned was going to see "The Matrix Reloaded" not once, but TWICE on the Saturday after E3. That was pretty darned cool.

Steven says: When I woke up on the third day of the show, my left calf muscle was tight, and it hurt a lot. I literally needed to crawl to the tub in the hotel room to take a shower, and let me tell you, warm water does wonders for cramped muscles.

Also, when I heard that Atlus was bringing back River City Ransom for the GBA, I literally jumped for joy. The rest of the staff can verify that.

Ty says: A bunch of people recognized me, but I didn't recognize them. I entered the SC2 tournament and blew it, only to get like a 40-streak back in Nintendo's booth later. Rick latched onto a bunch of Something Awful catchphrases. A lot of the hotel crew got to watch Battle Royale, which is the best move ever.

Jonathan says: Like Rick, I was super-busy running from one appointment to the other this year. There were some great staff moments at the hotel, including a lot of jokes and conversations that would seem more at home in our chat room. I wrote a little speech for our first staff meeting, and having never written or given a speech before, I was really nervous about that. I think it turned out pretty well though. There were also a few very special events, but those are not for public discussion. ;-) And I can't leave out our trip to the incredible Chinese Theater in Hollywood, followed by a very redeeming meal at Denny's.

TYP says: The third day of E3 was pretty exciting for me. Jonny, Bloodworth and I ran into Mr. Nagoshi during our Sega booth tour, which was very cool. Less than an hour later I ran into composer Jun Senoue of Sonic fame in Nintendo's booth, who had obviously played way too much Sonic Heroes (it's his job!), along with an assistant director for the game. They were both really nice, and I enjoyed talking with them about their new game and how good old-school companies don't get the attention they deserve any more.

I also played a few holes of Mario Golf with three folks from Rare. They weren't the best Mario Golfers out there, but we had a lot of fun abusing the taunts ;-)

Since Ty brought it up, I'll mention how I watched the first half of Battle Royale TWICE only to be denied the second half both times by soulless creatures who claimed they were saving it for the next day! Thanks a lot, guys!

Finally, I got to share my Wario impression with the world once again during E3. Wario told me I "need more mean," so Radio Trivia fans beware! I have a few more stories I could tell, but I'd rather not share them, at least not right now.

Rick says: Oh, hey ... there's a funny story for you. After seeing "The Matrix Reloaded" at the Chinese Theater, I convinced everyone to get some culture and go eat lunch at "Roscoe's Chicken and Waffles". We walk, what, probably a MILE or so all the way to Roscoe's, get there ... and they see Denny's on the next corner and decide to go there instead. That bunch of freaking Judases would rather eat someplace they can go to ANYTIME rather than eat at a famous California institution. Philistines. ;)

TYP says: Hey, it was the best damn Denny's I'd ever eaten at! The steak was juicy and the service was amazing!