Topic: Diggin through past articles...

[Blackknight131]

Whelps, this may not be new to you, but it was News for me

Instant Messaging Built-in!?

http://gameboy.ign.com/articles/499/499420p1.html

We all know about Pictochat and the cool communication features it would allow, and I've read more than once someone exclaiming "Nintendo should just pack the software in or somehow build it into the unit!" What i didnt know was that perhaps Nintendo was planning this all along...
Thats what the article seems to indicate anyway...if true, brilliant  
Maybe it can be a default feature that some games who otherwise do not use the second screen can just set the hardware to display so that you can Instant Message at all times even while your game is playing on the primary screen above...or maybe some multiplayer games use only one screen, with the touch screen able to be utilized for PictoChat for some trash talkin'...again, I think it would be a brilliant little extra flourish  


Mother 3/EarthBound 2

http://gameboy.ign.com/articles/393/393535p1.html

For anyone who has played Earthbound for the SuperNintendo, this is awesome news...I really had no idea this was announced even tho the article is dated April 2003. Earthbound possessed the most quirky RPG world I have ever played in and the game was definitely equal parts charming and weird but all over RPG goodness. On a side note, I sometimes wonder why Nintendo has but three RPG properties out of their massive stable of franchises (the other two being Fire Emblem and Mario RPG/Paper Mario)
Whats the relevance with the DS? The game Mother 3 was originally being developed for the 64 DD (Nintendo 64's ill fated disc drive) and was sporting a 3-D graphics engine along with its quirky visual designs...now I dont think the game as it was could possibly be ported to the GBA as the article suggests. Rather, it would be perfect for the DS, a system that has N64-like power.
If true, I would envision this game possibly setting the standard on the cool ways that the DS with it s unique features can streamline and enhance RPGs...hopefully inspiring other developers. If true, this would have me so psyched....but the article IS from 2003, so maybe I shouldnt get my hopes up. For all I know it may be Cube-bound this whole time...


Developer comments circa Feb 2004

http://gameboy.ign.com/articles/491/491921p1.html

Just for fun
This was well before E3 so I though it was interesting some of the reactions this article had....keep in mind these reactions may have been before the revelation of touch-screen hit the developers. Most notably, I think there may be a good chance that a Camelot RPG (Golden Sun perhaps?) will shine on the DS...

-Blackknight131

[Bill Aurion]

Nintendo said back when Mother 3 was revealed to be in development that it would be for the GBA...Of course, that could have changed since then...

[reverend_tod]

Why didn't they release it for N64?

[mouse_clicker]

The N64 version was scrapped because the developer (HAL?) was having a lot of trouble working with polygons. It was so far behind schedule that Nintendo decided to cancel it.