| Astro64th's Nintendo Gallery | home |
| NEWS | NEWS ARCHIVE | MORE NEWS |
 |
| MORE NEWS |
Last Updated: March 24, 2001
Yess!!!!!! The Game Boy Advance has finally lauched in Japan. It launched with lots (About 25 I think) of games and has already sold over 600,000 units on launch day (Wednesday, the 21st)!!!!
It's being very well recieved by the Japanese, and Nintendo expects to sell around 25,000,000 (Yes. Million!) GBA units by March of 2002!!!!!
The US launch date has also finally been anounced. It will be released June 11 at the cost of $99.99. It will launch with 15 games. Including Super Mario Advance (An updated version of Super Mario Bros. 2), F-Zero: Maximum Velocity (An all new F-Zero game), Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2, and thirteen other games!! Other announced games include: Mario Kart Advance, Super Street Fighter 2, Final Fight, Mega Man EXE, Castlevania: Circle of the Moon, Napolean, Breath of Fire, and Golden Sun.
The Game Boy Advance is a 32-bit system (No, it's not as powerful as a Playstation, because it has no 3-D chip. But it is more powerful than a Super NES. Being able to do scaling and rotation effects a lot better than the SNES could). The screen is bigger than that of the Game Boy Color too. It can also play Game Boy and Game Boy Color games, as well as Game Boy Advance games, of course. When playing a Game Boy Color game, it puts a border around the screen, because the screen ratio of the Game Boy Advance is a lot bigger than that of the GBC, so they have to do that for the game to look right. However, if you hold down the L Button while turning the system on, you can let the screen stretch to the ratio of the GBA's screen. But it will look a little weird and stretched out.
The Game Boy Advance also has a cool new feature called the Download Link. Using this, a cable that allows three other systems to hook up to one main system, you can play four-player games, using only one cartridge (Plugged into the "main" system). This won't work on every game though.
The Game Boy Advance also has the ability to hook up to the GameCube. But Nintendo hasn't really announced anything about that yet.
All in all, the Game Boy Advance is an excellent system. I can't wait until it comes out here in America. :-)
The three officail US Game Boy Advance colors. Arctic, Idigo, and Glacier. I think Arctic looks the best.
CLICK HERE for more pictures of the Game Boy Advance. Including games, boxes, and peripherals.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Last updated: February 11, 2001
Finally, an update to this section. Well, there's been lots of news in the videogame world lately. Most of it regarding SEGA, who announced a while ago that they are slowly going to get out of the hardware race (read: stop producing the Dreamcast), and become a third-party company, making games for all of the next-generation systems. This includes the Game Boy Advance, Playstation 2, Dreamcast, GameCube, and the
Xbox. The first games announced were Space Channel 5 for Playstation 2 and Sonic Advance for the Game Boy Advance (YESSSSS!!!!!!!!!!!). They've also said they are making Virtua Fighter 4 for the PS2, and are making more GBA games too (Chu Chu Rocket's the only other one I know of). And they announced yesterday that they have got development kits for both the GameCube and the X-Box. Although they didn't announce any games being made for the systems . . . . yet. When asked by GameSpot, if they are in negotiations with certain first-party companies to make exclusive games in conjunction with the first party companies and their characters and/or mascots (this is mainly because everyone's been wondering if it would be possible for Sega to have some of their characters (Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, etc.) in the next Super Smash Bros. game, or a game or games, like it), while Sega didn't confirm it, they didn't exactly deny it either. They did say though that they ARE in negotiations to make exclusive games for certain systems, especially Nintendo with it's strong first and second party games, series, franchises, and characters. So that's definately a good sign. They also say that Sega and Nintendo have a rather good relationship together. Yaaaayyyy!!!!!!
Also, Nintendo's president Heroshi Yamauchi (Not exactly sure how to spell his name) said publically that he is in no talks for Nintendo and Square to make any games, and doesn't plan to be. Which I think was a really stupid thing to say, especially since Square (someone who could really help Nintendo's systems sell) was thinking about making games for the GameCube and Game Boy Advance. But, Square seems determined to get into some kind of aggreement with Nintendo to make something for either the GCN or GBA, because just the other day, this one type of vending machine thing in Japan, that you can buy Playstation 2, DC, and Playstation One games through (among other things), said they would start selling GBA stuff. Which marks the first time they've sold something made by Nintendo. And guess who owns those little vending machine things . . . Square!!!! So, why's this important? Because this is a first step in Square making games for Nintendo. Why would they all of the sudden want to sell Nintendo stuff, when they haven't done that in years, and weren't planning too? Unless they were in some kind of talks with Nintendo to make Game Boy Advance games or something (Or are hoping Nintendo will want them too). Many people are hoping they will re-make versions of Final Fantasy 1,2, and 3 for the GBA like they are for the Japanese portable system WonderSwan Color. Maybe other games in the series and stuff too. But so far Square hasn't said anything about it, although they have always expressed interest in both the Game Boy Advance and the GameCube. So hopefully they will start actually making games for the system. Here's hoping :-D
Well, I guess that's about all the news worth writing about. I'll be here next time something else big happens, ok. C-ya guys later.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Last updated - October 6, 2000
-Have you heard yet!? What's probably the greatest news I've heard yet about the upcoming Gamecube system, is: A METROID GAMES IS IN THE WORKS FOR GAMECUBE!!!!!! Yeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeesssssssssssssssss!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Metroid is probably my favorite game series of all time. And this news definately rocks. Nintendo showed a about 10 second clip of some FMV from the game (well, they said it was just a "demo", but many believe that it's from the actual game) at Space World 2K. Even if that wasn't the actual game though, Nintendo themselves have CONFIRMED that a Metroid game is in the works. It's currently being developed by their close second party Retro Studios. And, don't worry, it's being watched over by the great Shigeru Myimoto! So I know it will be great. Stay tuned.
For your viewing pleasure, I have posted two pics from the Metroid Demo. One of Samus running down a cool futuristic looking 3-D hall, and the second of some new awesome looking metallic creatures. Hopefully I'll get my Gamecube page up soon. But until then, just google at the pics below. Enjoy :-)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-On August 24, 2000. At a pre-viewing before the Space World 2K show, Nintendo finally revealed it's next generation console. Included in the Pre-show viewing was the final name of the system, finalized system specs, the controller, etc. The final name of the system is the Nintendo Game Cube. It is also being called the N-Cube for short. Soon I will have a page with all of the known information on the Nintendo Game Cube. But for now, here's a picture of the system. Along with a detailed description about it.
This is the Nintendo Game Cube system. Along with the controller. As you can see, the Game Cube itself is very original in design. It really is a cube. You've also probably noticed the handle in the back of the system. A very japanese-ish thing for Nintendo to do. Keep in note that all of the known information from Space World is based on the japanese system. So things could change, although they most likely won't. The controller is also very original in design, and has been said to "melt into your hands". And some developers have even said that the controller feels like is has been "custom made just for you". The controller has been very well thought out by Nintendo, and has been designed with both large and small hands in mind. The buttons are set up in "systems" with the directional buttons on the left prong, the action buttons on the right prong, and the trigger buttons on the top. The controller itself has seven buttons. With the A Button in the middle, and the B Button to the left, the Y Button above, and the X Button to the right. On the top of the controller you have the Left and Right Shoulder Buttons (L & R), and the Z Trigger Button located below the R Button. To the diagnol left of the B Button is the C Camera Stick. This multi-purpose control stick could be used in a number of ways by developers, but was made mainly as a joy stick that would control the camera in 3D games. Although, of course, it could be used for other things as well. On the face of the system are four controller ports, and 2 Digicard (Memory Card) slots below them. On the top of the system are the Start, Reset, and Open buttons. The system uses mini-DVD disks. Which, while they don't have as much space as a regular sized DVD, they have 3 times the amount of space a CD has, and are larger than Sega's GD Roms. The reason for Nintendo using Mini-DVD disks, instead of the regular sized DVD's, are many. They are harder to be copied and emmulated, they are cheaper to produce than regular DVD's, and perhaps best of all for us Nintendo fans, the disks spin at a faster rate than regular DVD's, thus cutting load time in half. Or even lower. Whichever it is, they will load a lot quicker than normal DVD's. The Game Boy Advance, which was also announced at Space World, will be able to link up to the system. While linked, the Game Boy Advance could act as a seperate controller, or as a seperate screen. It could also act just as the Transfer Pak did for the Ninendo 64, and could be used to transmite data between the two systems, which could be used to open up new levels, characters, and secrets between both versions. I will have more on the Game Cube and the Game Boy Advance soon. For now, here's a picture of the Game Boy Advance linking to the Game Cube for your enjoyment. :-)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
- Dolphin news confirmed at Space World. But no playable games.
- Game Boy Advance games will be playable at Space World (Nintendo's annual show). Games confirmed so far: Mario Kart Advance, a Mega Man game, and puzzle & RPG from Nintendo.