fraeone asks: I read the latest Mailbag and the question about Super Famicom Games working on a Super Nintendo reminded me of a question I have: Can I do the opposite? I have always lusted after a Super Famicom, but I haven’t been able to find any compatibility information.

Ty says: Yeah, it's still the same hardware, but I'm pretty sure it's more or less impossible to fit the cartridge in. Yank apart the case and make it fit!

SRX - 0741 asks: Hey guys! I have one quick question; Is the 2005 release date for GCN 2 set in stone, or will Nintendo release it earlier if they finish earlier? 2005 is a good release date... but I want to tease my cousin if GCN 2 is released before PS3.

TYP says: Is any Nintendo console release date set in stone? Didn't the GameCube get pushed back weeks before its release? You question is honestly pretty silly. 2005 is a very broad time span, and it is very likely Nintendo's next console will come out that year. However, the 2005 date is simply being thrown around by Nintendo and others. The more important factoid is Nintendo's determination to release around when Sony releases theirs.

Certainly Nintendo will release the system when they are finished with it and its launch titles, but that's only because lauch titles aren't finished UNTIL they are released (er...made right before release). Delaying the system two months also delays the games two months, and there's always something to tweak or add in a game.

Rick says: "Analysts" are speculating that Nintendo's next console, rumored to be called "NES5" (or simply "N5), will be released in Japan in late summer/early fall of 2005, and in the US by Christmas 2005. Nintendo knows that they need to negate the head start that put the PS2 so far ahead this generation, and supposedly already has software in the works for the console. With another two years of development, we should see some pretty decent games at launch.

Gibdomaster asks: There's been a raging debate on most Metroid boards over whether or not Metroid: Zero Mission is a new game or a remake of Metroid. I personally believe it's a remake since most of the areas and rooms shown in vids and pics are taken straight out of the original Metroid game. Despite the fact that several gaming sites and mags have stated the game is a remake a lot of the people on the "it's a brand new game" side feel it's only their opinion and not official. So basically has Nintendo stated anything on what exactly Zero Mission is? If they haven't what is your personal opinion on whether or not it's a new game or a remake?

Daniel says: Nintendo hasn't really given any details on the game. They just stuck the video of it and Metroid Prime 2 out there to get people talking, and indeed they are.

Rick says: Based on screenshots and the extremely short video shown at E3, it's highly likely that it's a "reimagining" of the original Metroid title. Either that, or somewhat less likely, a prequel to the entire series.

Ty says: This reminds me of how Super Metroid had some of the same territory to cover as in the original Metroid...

Sarah asks: Hey Guys, I was just wondering if the Eternal Darkness movie will be a theatrical release or will it be like a TV series?

TYP says: The recent announcement listed both as possibilities. We could see either one or both.

Mike S. says: Like TYP said, the annoucment says it could be either. Personally, I'm really hoping it will be a TV series. I think the multiple-character design of Eternal Darkness lends it self much more to a TV series. Each episode could focus on a different character, or maybe even 2 episodes per character. That would be awesome. It'd also work well as a miniseries.

Great Saiyan Man asks: what ever happened to Virtua Fighter Quest?

Ty says: There hasn't been hide nor hair of it since our last news story. I can't even find it on Sega's Japanese site anymore. It doesn't look good. I'd buy it, so I sure hope they come through on it...

Colby asks: Will there be a way to locate the F-Zero Arcade machines once they're out so that we can actually take advantage of the memory card abilities? There aren't any arcades in my city and I don't want to drive to all the surrounding ones when I could go right to one that has it.

Steven says: Well, there's a lovely little website that has a wonderful database of all the known Dance Dance Revolution machines in North America. What you might want to do is to wait until AX comes to the states, then putz around their regional forums and ask them if there's an F-Zero machine anywhere. The DDR crowd is usually into the racing game scene too (Initial D I think), so they'll probably be happy to help you out.

Ty says: DDRFreak is the first thing I thought of, too. Maybe a bunch of nerds like ourselves could get together and make our own little location database, hm?

Ryan Yoo asks: Do you know what happened to Howard Phillips? The guy who used to work for Nintendo and the star of "Howard and Nester" (the old comic that ran in Nintendo Power). I remember he was so strongly associated with the company, and in the book "Game Over' it seems he had a large role in helping build the company in America.

I think it would be neat if you found him and interviewed him or wrote an article about him.

Ty says: I remembered that after Nintendo, he went to THQ... after that, er, I dunno.