Nintendo GameCube UK Launch - Spring 2002

Nintendo of Europe has confirmed that the GameCube will arrive in the UK Spring 2002. In a press release they said "We are really excited about the launch of Nintendo GameCube in Europe in spring next year." It is expected that the GameCube will launch in early March 2002.

Source Nintendo

Perfect Dark 2 - GameCube

Sources close to Nintendo have said that Perfect Dark 2 will not be a first-person shooter like the N64 game. Perfect Dark 2 for GameCube will be a MGS2-style third-person sneak-'em-up, with added spy elements and a little more use made of the first-person camera for some sections. But the majority of the game will be viewed from outside Joanna Dark's body. Just as Golden Eye 007, re-invented the first-person shooter genre, expect Rare's new Perfect Dark game to re-invent the awesome MGS engine. Perfect Dark 2 should be playable at E3 2002 .

Source Games Radar

Nintendo GameCube Tops Harry Potter

Nintendo's claim for weekend GameCube sales put the game ahead of blockbuster movie "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone," which posted a record, three-day opening weekend box office of just over \$90 million. "Harry Potter's such a hot thing it's just kind of nice to be up there with that," Kaplan said. The top-selling game for the console, Kaplan said, was "Luigi's Mansion," a Nintendo-publisher title, followed by Lucas Arts' "Star Wars: Rogue Squadron 2" and Nintendo's "Wave Race: Blue Storm." For the first nine months of the year, Nintendo had five of the top-10 selling video games, according to statistics released by The NPD Group on Monday. Nintendo has started to sell the Nintendo GameCube on November 18th for \$199. Nintendo shipped 700,000 GameCube consoles at launch and will ship a total of 1.3million GameCube by December 24th.

Source Reuters

Super Smash Bros. Melee - Famitsu Review

Famitsu magazine recently reviewed Super Smash Bros. Melee for the Nintendo GameCube. Famitsu is known for their tough reviews. Super Smash Bros. Melee received the publication's platinum award and a score of 37 out of 40 (9, 9, 9, 10). The reviewers loved the gameplay, graphics and the variety of gameplay options. When Famitsu rated Super Smash Bros on the Nintendo 64 they gave the game a score of 31 out of 40. Super Smash Bros. Melee will ship on November 21st in Japan and December 4th in the US.

Source Famitsu

Biohazard News - GameCube

Shinji Mikami, producer of the Biohazard series (Resident Evil in the US) revealed that 70% of the new Biohazard GameCube game will differ from the original PlayStation game. Items will be in different locations and the enemies will not be in the same locations. Also the game locations will differ greatly; Mikami mentioned the forest in the game, which now contains steam and gas turbine systems. While these differences may not be as major as some people may like, Mikami did mention that he is trying to keep the remake interesting for those who have already played through the original. Biohazard will ship in Japan on March 22, 2002. The US version is expected to ship April, 2002.

Source Capcom / thegia.com

Phantasy Star Online Ver2.0 - GameCube

Source SEGA / Sonic Team

EA Ships Madden NFL 2002 - GameCube

Madden NFL 2002 for the Nintendo GameCube arrives at retailers nationwide on November 9th. On the GameCube, the colors of the uniforms, fields, players and crowds are more vibrant and there is a higher level of detail for the individual crowd members, coaches, and field textures than has been seen before... EA will ship Madden NFL 2002 for the Game Boy Advance on November 19th. The game will feature the same great Madden game play from the past 16-bit versions of the game.

Source EA Sports

Lunar: Silver Star - Game Boy Advance

GameArts has announced that they will release Lunar: Silver Star on Game Boy Advance. The game also appeared on Sega Saturn CD and PS One, the GBA version will be produced by Yoichi Miyaji, and will be scaled down (no voice or FMV sequences) for the portable version. Working Designs, who published the US versions of Lunar in the past, has not confirmed that the new Game Boy Advance version will be released in the US. Lunar: Silver Star for the GBA will ship February 2002 in Japan.

Source The Gia

Castlevania on GameCube?

European websites are posting RUMORS that Konami is working on a 2.5D (side scrolling) Castlevania game for the Nintendo GameCube. This game will be the true sequel to Castlevania: Symphony of the Night and is expected to ship Summer 2002 in Japan. Konami has not confirmed or denied this rumor...

Source Gamefront.de

Panasonic Says No Q in the US

The Panasonic Q is a DVD/GameCube Hybrid console that will go on sale in Japan on December 14th for \\$320 USD. "The Q is simply a Japan device... Right now there are no plans for U.S. marketing,'' said Kurt Praschak, a Panasonic spokesman. The Nintendo GameCube uses a smaller disc than the standard DVD format and does not play DVD movies. The two companies announced earlier this year that Panasonic would produce its own unit with licensed GameCube technology.

Source Panasonic

Treasure Comes To GameCube

Treasure created Sin and Punishment, one of the best games ever made for the Nintendo 64. Sin and Punishment was co-developed by Nintendo Japan and Treasure and is a mix between Contra 3 and Star Fox. While the game was a hit in Japan, Nintendo did not release Sin and Punishment in the US due to declining N64 hardware sales. Treasure has announced that they plan to create games for the Nintendo GameCube.

Ex-Konami employees started Treasure Inc. in 1992. The founding members of Treasure created Contra 3, Castlevania IV and Axelay for the Super Nintendo. Titles designed by Treasure include: Gunstar Heroes, Dynamite Heady, Mischief Makers, Bangai-O, Sin and Punishment and the recent NAOMI based arcade game Ikaruga. Look for Treasure and Nintendo to co-develop Sin and Punishment 2 for the Nintendo GameCube.

Source Treasure

Tony Hawk Pro Skater 3: Confirmed For GameCube Launch

Activision has confirmed today that the highly anticipated video game Tony Hawk Pro Skater 3 is set to launch simultaneously with the Nintendo GameCube. The game lets players skate as the legendary Tony Hawk, or one of 12 other professional skateboarders as they perform hundreds of real-world tricks through authentic locations with interactive environments. Tony Hawk Pro Skater 3 is the revolutionary sequel to the best-selling action sports game of 2000. Offering eight massive levels filled with people, traffic, and other interactive elements, the environments are brought to life on GameCube with richer graphics and advanced special effects. Smoother life-like animations and significantly improved tricks capture the style of the world's best skateboarding pros.

Source Activision

Read The Ultimate History of Video Games

Steve Kent is well known for his work on MSNBC and his strong praise of the Nintendo GameCube. Take a look at his new insider's book, which covers everything from the very beginning of video games to 2001. Steve Kent documents the rise of home video games and the console wars of the past decade, when Nintendo, Sega, Sony and others raced to produce the fastest, most powerful game systems. Along the way, Kent interviews virtually every key player in the industry. Fascinating stuff. The Ultimate History of Video Games reveals key technology developments, decisions, and lawsuits that shaped the videogame industry as it is today. Highly, highly recommended.

Source Amazon.com

EA Has 9 GameCube Games In Development

EA will have Madden NFL 2002 and FIFA 2002 ready for the GameCube launch. In early December EA will ship SSX Tricky, Cel Damage and Simpson's Road Rage. During the first quarter of 2002 EA will release NHL 2002, NBA Live 2002, NBA Street, and F1 Racing 2001. It is great to see EA supporting the Nintendo GameCube. Expect the EA games to be enhanced to take advantage of the GameCube hardware.

Source EA / EGM magazine