Nintendo revealed some brand new game screens from Mario Sunshine today. The new screens reveal, for the first time ever, Mario using his water backpack to clean up paint that has fallen from the sky. Additionally we see gameplay aspects of Super Mario World brought back in the screen of Mario holding onto the side of a fence.

Nintendo just released two new screens from Mario Sunshine and Metroid Prime. The screens were revealed in the latest issue of Nintendo.com's Newsletter. The images depict Mario running from a piranha plant and Metroid using a grappling hook. 

Additional rumors to report today from Japanese gaming site, The Magic Box. According to the site, "Nintendo will release 1080 Degree II for GameCube in Japan on May 16, the second installment of their popular snowboarding game. The GameCube version of Kuru Kuru Kirby 2 is also scheduled for a May 24 release, the game will have linkup feature with the Game Boy Advance version." If the information is correct, 1080° Snowboarding 2 would be a surprise title on Nintendo's 2002 game schedule and almost certainly see a holiday release in North America - we're still waiting for confirmation from Nintendo. The Magic Box continued to report, "Sega will release Eternal Arcadia (Skies of Arcadia in US) for GameCube and PlayStation 2 in Japan on May 10." Great news all around!

Long time Nintendo president, Hiroshi Yamauchi, has announced his intention to retire in June, 2002. Hiroshi Yamauchi became president of the family business in 1949 and during his term, developed the company from a playing card manufacturer into a massively successful multi-billion dollar international corporation.

Nintendo revealed some brand new game screens from Mario Sunshine, Metroid Prime, Eternal Darkness, and Star Fox Adventures to the European press today. Keep in mind that Mario Sunshine and Metroid Prime are far from completion...

We're finally getting some indication as to when the highly anticipated fighter Soul Calibur 2 will be released on GameCube. Namco has announced August as the game's release date in Japan. This would indicate a likely early fall release in North America. A Game Boy Advance version of Soul Calibur is also scheduled for release later this year and will feature linkup capabilities with the GameCube. Thanks to The Magic Box.

Long-time Nintendo second party, Left Field Productions has ended its exclusive relationship with Nintendo and is now an independent third party developer. According to IGN Cube, "Left Field Productions has ceased its ties with Nintendo and has begun work on multi-platform software. The company, which recently completed NBA Courtside 2002 for GameCube, is currently underway with a series of Backyard Sports kid games for the Humongous / Infogrames label. The titles will appear on next-generation consoles."

Nintendo made a donation to PAWS/LA (Pets Are Wonderful Support - Los Angeles) on February 16th in celebration of the first annual "Companion Animal Appreciation Day" and the release of Super Mario World: Super Mario Advance 2. PAWS/LA accepted the check from Mario and his favorite pet Yoshi, along with Beth Llewelyn, Director, Public Relations at Nintendo of America. According to an event release, Mario was on hand to welcome Search and Rescue dogs that worked at the World Trade Center site when they made a special appearance with their trainers. A pet psychic and Mario gave free pet readings. Pet therapists, celebrity dog trainers, obstacle courses, veterinarians and more were on hand as well. To this entire story, GameCubicle.com says, "Aww..."

Nintendo, Namco, and Sega have reached an agreement to jointly develop Triforce, a 3D computer graphic board for next-generation arcade machines applying the architecture of the Nintendo GameCube. The following details regarding the joint relationship and new arcade board were offered in the joint press release by these companies...

Collaboration on the board began in September of 2001 when Namco and Sega entered into an agreement to develop an amusement-based business. The companies agreed to collaborate on the development of a 3D computer graphics board for next-generation arcade machines. Nintendo's later involvement assured the plan's final success. The goals of this agreement are: to expand arcade video game market; to create a cost-effective environment for arcade video game development; and to establish a totally new game system that will bridge game play between the home and amusement facilities.

With the high computer graphics performance of GameCube, software developers will have a very cost effective development environment on the Triforce. In addition, the technology is user friendly and allows not only end users but also amusement facility operators to enjoy the advantages of the product. As a result, the companies expect to see more arcade software developed and increased investment efficiencies.

So far, the technical collaboration has been making good progress in terms of hardware design and the creation of software development environment under this agreement. The companies are planning to show a prototype with video output capability at upcoming AOU 2002 - Amusement Expo held at Makuhari Messe on February 22.

Sierra Entertainment today announced development of The Hobbit, a videogame based on J.R.R. Tolkien's worldwide best-selling novel. Sierra president Mike Ryder commented, "The Hobbit is one of the pre-eminent fantasy works of all time and is perfectly suited to be the inspiration for a great game... The book provides a tremendous amount of rich material from which we expect to make a fantasy game that lives up to the extremely high expectations of Tolkien's fans worldwide." The Hobbit is due to be released in 2003 for the Nintendo GameCube.

Developed by Austin-based Inevitable Entertainment, The Hobbit is a third-person action/adventure game set in the world of Middle-Earth. In the game, players take the persona of Bilbo Baggins, an unassuming hobbit who has been unwittingly thrust into an epic adventure. "Bringing the epic worlds described in Tolkien's works to life through a video game has been an amazing experience," said Russell Byrd, managing director at Inevitable Entertainment.

Shigeru Miyamoto shed some light on the gameplay of Mario Sunshine in a recent interview with European gaming journalist, Jurjen Tiersma. Miyamoto commented, "I don't want to say much about [Mario Sunshine] yet, only that that thing on [Mario's] back is indeed sort of a water gun. The controls are actually largely based on Super Mario 64's. I'm only really showing this to prove that Mario's ready to go; he'll definitely be launched in Europe this year."

These developments should quell arguments on video game sites and message boards regarding the purpose of Mario's backpack. Nintendo has affirmed a worldwide release of Mario Sunshine within 2002 for some weeks now but hearing this directly from Miyamoto should allow Nintendo fans to sleep easier tonight. Many thanks to GIA for the translation.

In his interview with Jurjen Tiersma, Miyamoto took time to comment on certain rumors circulated by a number of Nintendo fans and fan sites. With regard to the suggestion that Zelda may return to the realistic form it was presented in at Space World 2000, Miyamoto had this to say... "The rumors about a more realistic style of graphics on the internet are incorrect. The version that will be playable at E3 will be practically identical to the version we first showed you at Space World 2001. However, I have made some adjustments to Link's eyes... I find the discussions on the internet very interesting. You've actually started experiencing the game - talking about videogames is also part of the gameplay these days. I won't show any more of this game, because you can only truly understand it once you play it. At E3, everyone will be able to play it, and gamers will be able to decide for themselves if they do or don't like it. I see it this way: if the game is interesting, you might start to value the graphics as well." Many thanks to GIA for the translation.

The GameCube was first unveiled on August 24th, 2000 - the day before Nintendo's Spaceworld show in Japan. On this day Project Dolphin became "GAMECUBE" and the world got its first glimpse of Nintendo's new console. However, there was one problem. Nintendo did not own the rights to GameCube.com. 

Since Nintendo's announcement, GameCube.com has forwarded visitors to Xbox.com and other sites, taken visitor email addresses, undergone a variety of design changes, and was on the receiving end of Nintendo legal hawks. After many months, the dispute between Nintendo and the owner of GameCube.com has finally came to an end this week. Currently, the site forwards to NintendoGameCube.com but that will likely soon reverse. Having wasted millions marketing a lengthy URL to the public for months, Nintendo will be glad to have put this entire episode behind it.

Developer Take-Two issued its Q4 financial statements today. Within, Take-Two announced both Smuggler's Run 2: Hostile Territory by Rockstar and Serious Sam: The Second Encounter for Nintendo GameCube in 2002. Unfortunately, Duke Nukem Forever was missing in Take-Two's fiscal 2002 guidance.

Harry Potter fans will be glad to hear that the GameCube exclusive Harry Potter platformer from European developer Eurocom will be released on November 15th. The release will coincide with the release of the next Harry Potter movie.

The long awaited announcement revealing Nintendo's first-half release schedule has finally come. In a press release issued today, Nintendo revealed the full release details on StarFox Adventures, Eternal Darkness, and the Wavebird Controller...

Nintendo has released some sharp new media from Rare's StarFox Adventures. Included in the release were some sharp new screen shots [ IMAGES: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 ]. Also made available was a game trailer [ VIDEO: 1 ] that displays the game's many play elements.

The Top Gun: Combat Zones is coming to the Nintendo GameCube this summer courtesy of Titus developer Digital Integration. Eight different planes, including the F-14 Tomcat, F-18 Hornet and Osprey, are available for flight. A campaign editor allows for thousands of mission variations. Previously released on PS2, Combat Zones proved to be on the  lackluster end of flight combat games.

According to Nintendo, "Titus is currently adding the finishing touches to the Nintendo GameCube version of the popular high-flying arcade title. Top Gun - Combat Zones will take full advantage of the Nintendo GameCube's capabilities. The game has been redesigned to appeal to the core target audience, looking for a thrilling aerial adventure. All of the excitement of Top Gun - Combat Zones, combined with the magnificent graphics of the Nintendo GameCube and easier gameplay make for a direct hit this summer!"

In 3DO's most recent quarterly financial report, the company has announced eight games for the Nintendo GameCube. According to the report, "Revenue from certain older platforms declined as the industry moved towards completing the transition to new platforms that is expected to fuel significant industry growth in calendar 2002. As part of that transition, the company officially announced that it has a slate of eight new games in development for the recently-launched Nintendo GameCube, most of which will be released in the Company's upcoming fiscal year. Products in the Company's leading brands, including Army Men, CUBIX- Robots for Everyone, and Jonny Moseley Mad Trix, are expected to be released on the GameCube during the coming year."

"The hardware base of new platforms grew substantially over the holidays, and will account for the vast majority of our product releases and revenues going forward," said Trip Hawkins, CEO. "We are especially excited about the GameCube because of our strong brands for kids. In many respects, our brand mix struggled during the platform transition but market growth this year should expand the audience for both kids and casual-gamer adults where we have previously enjoyed notable success."

A legendary rivalry winds to an end this month. Throughout the 90's, the definition of "console war" could be conveyed by displaying just two characters... According to a 1990 survey, Mario was more recognizable among American youths than Mickey Mouse.

Capcom has stepped forward to refute the notion that the company has considered taking Resident Evil multi-platform pending GameCube's performance results in Japan. A message on Capcom's official web site reads, "A rumor that Biohazard may be supplied to platforms other than Nintendo GameCube has started on overseas web sites recently. This has no basis and is not true at all. Biohazard, Biohazard 0, Biohazard 2, Biohazard 3 - Last Escape, Biohazard Code :Veronica Complete and Biohazard 4 are due to be put on the market for Nintendo GameCube exclusively as we announced on September 13th, last year. Our plans have not changed."

NYKO Technologies, a leading manufacturer of portable game accessories, has released four new memory cards for GameCube. The memory cards are available in 64Mb, 16Mb, 8Mb and 4Mb formats. The memory storage case features an easy-to-grab rubber grip, shows-off a sleek design, and is available in a variety of colors (indigo, black, red and orange). The easy-to-grab rubber NYKO grip and ridged sides allow for simple, secure transfer in and out of the gaming system. In addition, the protective storage case keeps the memory cards clean and safe for reliable game saves. These products are now available at Best Buy, Target, GameStop, FuncoLand, Babbage’s, and Software Etc.

Nintendo fans in the United Kingdom looking to reserve their GameCube, get clicking. Amazon.co.uk is now offering individual consoles for pre-sale.  Currently, it looks as though all GameCube merchandise is still in stock but if North American pre-sales were any indication, don't expect this to last. GameCube will launch in Europe...

IBM capitalized in a big way on its Power processor architecture in 2001, gaining ground on a number of fronts, according to independent industry analyst reports from Andrew Allison and Cahners In-Stat MicroDesign Resources. Allison, a well-known computer industry consultant, said IBM contributed to growing the overall volume of PowerPC chips sold last year, an accomplishment he called "an exception to the rule" for the market in 2001. 

Allison noted that IBM's agreement to sell PowerPC chips to Nintendo turned out to be a winning combination contributing to this growth. Nintendo's GameCube launched worldwide last year to rave reviews and higher-than-expected sales. With the IBM PowerPC architecture as its foundation, the processor inside the entertainment system is extremely powerful and versatile, supporting vivid graphics and realistic action. "It was a significant year for the PowerPC architecture," Allison wrote.

Keiji Honda, President of Enix, recently discussed the firm's future with Core Magazine. In the interview, it was asked whether or not Enix had definitive plans to support either GameCube or Xbox. Honda responded, "As I mentioned before, we haven't decided whether or not to support Microsoft's Xbox. We plan to support the GameCube, specifically what titles and when they'll be released is being determined now. We're letting our producers and the will of the market dictate our development plans."

Previous Months

GameCubicle.com is an independent site and is in no way associated with Nintendo Co. Ltd. or NOA
Nintendo's official GameCube site can be found at http://www.nintendo.com

© 2000-2001 GamingFog.com - All Rights Reserved.