November 27, 2002

Metroid Prime Sells a Quarter Million [ Coffee Talk ]
It seems as if Nintendo's efforts to push the GameCube as a more mature console has paid off. Today Nintendo announced that Metroid Prime has sold a quarter million copies in its first week. With the addition of Resident Evil 0, well over a half million gamers will have bought these mature titles by the end of the weekend. This boost in appeal to older gamers has pushed the GameCube to the number two console for the month of November. This is really good news giving last week's announcement of profit losses by Nintendo.
Matt Schraeder

GT Advance 3 Comes to GBA [ Coffee Talk ]
THQ has announced that they are publishing GT Advance 3: Pro Concept Racing for the GBA. The game is schedualed to ship spring 2003 and will allow gamers to get behind the wheels of 90 different cars on 46 street and pro circuits. Check out the official press release here.
Matt Schraeder

November 26, 2002

Acclaim Gets New Senior Management[Yahoo off-line]
Continuing to strengthen its senior management team with proven expertise and leadership, Acclaim Entertainment, Inc. (NASDAQ.SC: AKLM), a leading global video entertainment software developer and publisher, today announced that it has appointed Marc Metis to the position of Senior Vice President of Brand. Reporting directly to Edmond Sanctis, President and Chief Operating Officer of Acclaim North America, Metis will be responsible for managing the company's existing product franchises, as well the ongoing creation of new brands.
Matthew Silver

Lik-Sang to Fight Back [ Total Video Games ]
The fight between Microsoft, Sony, Nintendo and Lik-Sang looks to take on new proportions, as the online retailer today announced take-over plans to concentrate on the legal battle against the big three.

All three-console manufacturers joined forces to file a lawsuit against Lik-Sang, forcing the company to cease selling mod-chips and other back-up peripherals. However the retailer today sent a damning response, claiming that they are about to file a strong defense, for what is set to be a long and drawn out trial.
Matthew Silver

November 25, 2002

Enix and Square Merge [ GamePro.com ]
Enix announced earlier today that effective November 26th, they will begin to form a company called Square Enix to compete in the world gaming marketplace on the same level as America and Europe's large third parties. The two companies aim to complete the merger by April 1, 2003 and will aim to build a new firm that will produce 80 billion yen ($656 million) in sales and 15 billion yen ($123 million) in profit by fiscal 2005. As you know, both Square and Enix have made tremendous RPG's before their merger, like Squares Final Fantasy series and Enix's Dragon Warrior series.
Bryan Rose

Nintendo Buys Back 2.2 Million Stocks [ Bloomberg ]
Nintendo Co. said it spent 25.9 billion yen ($211 million) last month to buy back its own stock, part of a strategy by the world's second-largest video-game maker to prop up its share price.

The Kyoto-based maker of the GameCube video-game console repurchased 2.2 million of its own shares on 17 trading days between Oct. 2 and Oct. 31, Nintendo said in a filing to the Kanto Local Finance Bureau. The company cut its fiscal full-year sales forecast for the GameCube and its Game Boy Advance hand-held player on Oct. 1.
Matthew Silver

Famitsu Interviews Capcom [ Famitsu Magazine ]
Recently Famitsu had the privilege to sit down with Capcom producer Shinji Mikami and talk about the upcoming Capcom schedule that includes the five games that Capcom announced just a few weeks ago. To see the interview click here. The interview is quite interesting so you might want to take a look at it.
Matthew Silver

Hikaru No Go Screens [ Newtechnix ]
Konami has revealed the first images of Hikaru No Go for GameCube. Hikaru No Go is an anime series based on the board game Go, a game of strategy created in China several thousands of years ago. You can check out the first images of the game over at Newtechnix.
Matthew Silver

THQ's Holiday Lineup [ Yahoo! Finance ]
Leading videogame publisher THQ Inc. is delivering its most comprehensive lineup to date this holiday season. From core gamer content like "Red Faction II" and "WWE SmackDown! Shut Your Mouth" for the PlayStation 2 computer entertainment system to games that target the more mass market game playing audience like "SpongeBob SquarePants: Revenge of the Flying Dutchman" and "Hot Wheels Velocity X," THQ is offering great gameplay for every segment of the expanding videogame market.

"THQ has built a strong library of high-quality games based on original content and popular, high-profile licenses to satisfy every member of the increasingly diverse gaming audience," stated Alison Locke, executive vice president, North American Publishing, THQ. "With games in virtually every genre for every viable game system, our 2002 holiday lineup is the strongest in company history.
Matthew Silver

November 22, 2002

Bounty Hunter Trailer [ Starwars.com ]
I think today should be dubbed "Video Friday" instead of "Fatality Friday" because we here at the café have yet another movie for you to all watch. This time its the new Star Wars: Bounty Hunter commercial that will begin to air later next week. Bounty Hunter was released just released for PlayStation2 and it will be available for us Nintendo fans Decemeber 5th. Do yourself a favor and click the link to view the trailer.
Matthew Silver

Legend of Zelda GameCube Trailers [ Nintendo of Japan ]
This has got to be some of the coolest kickass news that I have ever had the privilege to put up on this site. At around 8 o’clock PM Japan time Nintendo of Japan put up some brand new videos on their site. What are these videos of? Can you say Zelda? They released two brand new commercials that will begin to air next week in Japan of the new Legend of Zelda: Takuto of the Wind. But why am I so ecstatic? During the first commericial they show what looks to be the master sword ten seconds in. Then during the second commercial twenty eight seconds in they show a clearer shot of it. It looks almost exactly like the master sword with a little more flare to it. But you guys don’t have to just take my word for it, watch the video and be sure to right-click and save because you'll definately want to see them again!
Zelda Commercial #1
Zelda Commercial #2
Matthew Silver

Screens from the Capcom 5 [ Coffee Talk ]
We got some direct feed screens from the latest Capcom 5 movies for all you 56kers out there who dont want to download them. Click the links below or head over to Coffee Talk to see them.
Resident Evil 4 Screens
Product Number 3 Screens
Killer 7 Screens
Viewtiful Joe Screens
Dead Phoenix Screens
Matt Schraeder

Super Bubble Pop to Arrive on Consoles [ Yahoo! Finance ]
Jaleco Entertainment announced today it will publish the super-active puzzler Super Bubble Pop on the Game Boy Advance, Nintendo GameCube, Xbox video game system from Microsoft, and PlayStation. Super Bubble Pop is a colorful, fast-action, pulse-pounding puzzle adventure, incorporating key elements of some of history's most classic games. Super Bubble Pop showcases stunning 3D graphics and light-sourced, environment mapped models that surpass anything available in the genre today.
Matthew Silver

The Capcom 5 Trailers [ Capcom Japan ]
Well for all of you aren’t willing to pay money to go to a certain site just to see movies I have a special little treat for you here today; all five game trailers for the new Capcom games. Capcom Japan has finally put them up on their site and the resolution is far better than that certain site you have to pay for. You can right click and save them to your hard drive or just click and watch away.
Biohazard 4
Viewtiful Joe
P.N.03
Dead Phoenix
Killer 7
Matthew Silver

Much Music and Nintendo Team up for Contest [ MuchMusic.com ]
MuchMusic.com and Nintendo Canada have teamed up to bring to the fans the coolest contest in a long while. The prizes are listed below and you can rock in this contest by clicking right here. Well it appears that we American folk can’t enter. But those that live in Canada have at it!

There will be one (1) Grand Prize winner and five (5) Secondary Winners in English and French Canada.

The Grand Prize consists of:
· One (1) leather chair
· One (1) DVD player
· One (1) speaker/ subwoofer set
· One (1) plasma screen television
· One (1) platinum Nintendo GameCube
· Five (5) games for the Nintendo GameCube system
· One (1) Nintendo game rack Five (5)

Secondary Prize winners will receive:
· One (1) GameCube
· Two (2) games for the Nintendo GameCube system
Matthew Silver

1 Million Pokémon Pre-orders [ Manichi/Nintendo ]
Nintendo has told the public late yesterday that Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire have each exceeded the one million mark for pre-orders. Nothing is official yet but when we get the sales charts for the week for Japan we will notify you immediately.
Matthew Silver

November 21, 2002

Nintendo Dominates NBC Today's Toy Test 2002 [ Yahoo! Finance ]
In the kingdom of fun, it's the subjects who speak the loudest. Today those subjects, America's youth, spoke with one voice, choosing exclusive Nintendo GameCube(TM) games as their holiday gift list favorites. In America's biggest toy test, NBC Today's Toy Test 2002, America's kids and teens played and ranked the following titles, available exclusively for Nintendo GameCube, as the hottest video games for the holidays:

1. Metroid® Prime
2. Super Mario Sunshine(TM)
5. Mario Party(TM) 4
6. Star Fox® Adventures
7. Star Wars: The Clone Wars (LucasArts)
9. Godzilla: Destroy All Monsters Melee (Infogrames)
14. Super Monkey Ball 2 (SEGA)

In addition to these seven exclusive Nintendo GameCube games, the Toy Test 2002 list includes five titles available on Nintendo GameCube and a competing system. This brings the total number of Nintendo GameCube games on the Toy Test list of 19 top games to 12.
Matthew Silver

Richard Roedel to be on Take-Two's Board of Directors [ Yahoo! Finance ]
Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc announced today the election of Richard Roedel to the Company's Board of Directors.

Mr. Roedel will serve as Chairman of Take-Two's Audit Committee, and is considered a "financial expert" under the Sarbanes-Oxley Act.

Mr. Roedel is a seasoned executive in the accounting field, with over 30 years of industry experience. His career includes 15 years with BDO Seidman LLC, an international accounting and consulting firm. During his tenure with BDO Seidman, Mr. Roedel progressed from Audit Partner to Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. He is a co-founder and principal of Pinnacle Ventures LLC, which provides funding and management expertise to privately held companies. Mr. Roedel has a B.S. degree in accounting and economics from Ohio State University and is a Certified Public Accountant.
Matthew Silver

THQ Clarifies Recalls of WWE Games [ Yahoo! Finance ]
THQ/JAKKS commented that holiday sales of its newly released "WWE SmackDown! Shut Your Mouth" for the PlayStation 2 computer entertainment system and "WWE Road to WrestleMania X8" for Nintendo Game Boy Advance would not be affected because they do not contain the use of the initials "WWF," which initials are the subject of litigation between World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. and the World Wide Fund for Nature.

All products currently on retail shelves containing the "WWF" initials, including "WWE Raw" for Xbox and PC, "WWE WrestleMania X8" for GameCube, as well as the Greatest Hits edition of last year's "WWE SmackDown! Just Bring It" for PlayStation 2, shipped to retail before November 10, 2002, are not subject to recall and will remain available to consumers.
Matthew Silver

Nintendo Losses Profits for First-Half [ Bloomberg.com ]
Nintendo Co.'s fiscal first- half profit almost halved because of declining sales and foreign currency losses at the world's No. 2 maker of video-game consoles.

Group net income of the maker of the GameCube video-game console fell 45 percent to 19 billion yen ($155 million), or 133.95 yen a share, in the six months ended Sept. 30, from 34.3 billion yen, or 242.47 yen, a year ago. Sales fell 7.8 percent to 208 billion yen.

Demand for video games in the U.S., the biggest market of the $20 billion industry, has waned as a slowing economy prompts consumers to hold off purchases. With the U.S. accounting for more than half of Nintendo's sales, the company has to push Christmas sales to fend off new entrant Microsoft Corp. from usurping its position, investors said.
Matthew Silver

New Mario Golf and Mario Tennis Screens [ Coffee Talk ]
Yet another new batch of screens for you, this time for Mario Golf and Mario Tennis. Head on over to Coffee Talk to see them.
Matt Schraeder

New Legend of Zelda Screens [ Coffee Talk ]
Straight from Nintendo come some new Legend of Zelda screens and character art. You may have seen one or two before, as they were in Famitsu Magazine a while back, but now they are a lot better quality. Head on over to Coffee Talk to see them.
Matt Schraeder

Tons of New Mario Party 4 Screens [ Coffee Talk ]
We've got a huge load of new Mario Party 4 screens for you to check out, 39 of them to be exact. Head on over to Coffee Talk to see them.
Matt Schraeder

November 20, 2002

Blockbuster Donates Games and Movies to the USO [ Yahoo! Finance ]
Blockbuster Inc. one of the world's leading providers of videos, DVDs and video games, is donating movies, video games and game systems to the USO to provide entertainment and boost morale for thousands of American troops who will spend this holiday season away from home. Blockbuster is donating 50 Nintendo GameCube video game systems, plus more than 3,000 video games and movies on DVD and VHS.

"This is the third year Blockbuster has partnered with the USO to donate movies and games to military personnel. We believe this is an excellent way to help lift the spirits of American military personnel who will spend the holidays away from home," said Galen Erickson, senior vice president of distribution for Blockbuster.
Matthew Silver

Pokémon's US Release Dates Announced [ Nintendo of America ]
The official US release date for Pokémon Ruby and Pokémon Sapphire is March 17, 2003! To date, Coro Coro Comics (the most popular million-selling monthly magazine in Japan with readers 12 and under) says that Pokémon Ruby and Pokémon Sapphire are the two most anticipated video games in the last 10 months.

This can only mean good things for the US launch since Pokémon fever is still strong here.

As for the three starting Pokémon, they are as varied as the three starters in each of the preceding games – Torchic (Fire type), Treecko (Grass type), and Mudkip (Water type).

In addition to these three starters, we have new artwork for the two Pokémon that will grace the covers of both versions – fearsome Groudon on the Pokémon Ruby box, and graceful Kyogre, which will star on the Pokémon Sapphire box. These two Pokémon feature prominently in the commercials debuting on Japanese TV right now.

To see the new artwork for the game please go to the American Official Pokémon site. The artwork definitely looks top notch and these games are sure to be instant classic the moment they hit the shelves early spring next year.
Matthew Silver

Japanese Pokémon Site Launched [ Nintendo of Japan ]
We told you a couple of weeks ago that the Japanese Pokémon site would launch in the near future and now that time has come. You can check out the new site but the whole lot of it is in Japanese even though we used Babelfish to translate it for you. If you explore the links you eventually get to English text. Have fun all you poke masters.
Matthew Silver

Jedi Knight II Screens [ Lucas Arts ]
LucasArts has today put out some news screenshots of Star Wars Jedi Knight: Jedi Outcast II which is due in stores later this week. The screens do look very good graphically and you can look at them here but if the console version is anything like the PC I will have my doubts about it. I would go with a rent first on this split first person/third person action adventure.
Matthew Silver

Take-Two Aquires Angel Studios [ Yahoo! Finance ]
Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc announced today the acquisition of Angel Studios, Inc., a leading developer of next generation interactive entertainment software. Take-Two acquired Angel Studios for an aggregate $28 million in cash and 235,679 shares of restricted Common Stock. The Company does not anticipate the acquisition of Angel Studios to have any effect on its previously issued fiscal 2003 financial guidance. Angel Studios will be renamed Rockstar San Diego effective immediately.
Matthew Silver

Win Game Boy Advance Systems and Games From Tony's Pizza [ Coffee Talk ]
Nintendo and Tony's Pizza are starting a sweepstakes with Game Boy Advance systems and games as prizes. The sweepstakes will begin on December 15th and there will be nearly 3,000 prizes given. Check out the official press release here.
Matt Schraeder

Sega Makes a Profit [ Yahoo! News ]
Sega Corp. returned to profitability in the first half of its fiscal year, posting 1.01 billion yen (US$8.3 million) in net profit, but acknowledged Wednesday its video games didn't sell as well as it had hoped. Sega, the creator of the Sonic the Hedgehog character, sold 810,000 games in Japan, falling short of the 1.14 million it had hoped to sell. U.S. sales totaled 2.56 million games, below its target of 3.6 million. They may have fallen short of expectations but they are finally on the plus side again, it’s nice to see they are here to stay for good.
Matthew Silver

Nintendo to Hold Gaming Event [ Famitsu Magazine ]
Some new additional information has been revealed by the famous Japanese magazines Famitsu and Dorimaga concerning the large advertisement Nintendo is planning for the month of December. It is supposedly about an upcoming event to be held in Japan that is comparable to Spaceworld. It is unknown whether it will be available to the public or not but since it is compared to Spaceworld it seems likely that it will be. At the new event there will be the unveiling of several new projects by Nintendo. The last thing it mentions a few other events of this type like the Jump Festival 2003 organized by Shueisha.
Matthew Silver

November 19, 2002

Resident Evil 4 Interview [ Gaming World-X ]
Joe from GamingWorld-X had the chance to interview Capcom about Resident Evil 4. The basic plot, the challenges of moving to full 3D, the new control scheme, and more are unveiled to us. There are some minor spoils and such in it but it is nothing you wouldn't be able to find out by reading the back of the RE4 box (which doesn't exist, yet). In the interview Capcom reveals that sixty percent of RE4 is completed. Perhaps we will be seeing this game a lot sooner than we all thought. It looks almost certain this will be featured at E3 2003.
Matthew Silver

Nintendo's Big Peripheral Announcement - Updated! [ Nintendo of Japan ]
Nintendo of Japan has just anounced just minutes ago that they will be selling a device that allows the gamer to play his GBA games on a full size TV with the use of the "game boy player" that you plug into the "high speed port" of your GameCube. The device will go on sale in Japan at the end of March and in North America sometime in May. The accessory is very light weight being only 370g (about 1 pound) and it will fit perfectly under your GameCube. A Game Boy player startup disk bundle will be included with the purchase because you will need to install the program into your Cube. 5000 yen is approximately 50 US Dollars. The official press release can be found here.

Matthew Silver

November 18, 2002

THQ Ships Two Game Boy Advance Games [ Coffee Talk ]
THQ announced today that they have shipped Rocket Power: Beach Bandits and Rugrats: I Gotta Go Party for the Game Boy Advance. If you would like to read the press releases, Rocket Power's is here and Rugrats' can be found here.
Matt Schraeder

November 16, 2002

New Legend of Zelda Screens [ Nintendo.com ]
With less than a month to go for the Japanese launch of Zelda Nintendo is releasing a ton of new screens for the game. Just click the source link above and it will take you directly to the screens page.
Matthew Silver

November 15, 2002

Samus Finally Returns [ Coffee Talk ]
It's been 8 long years, but Samus Aran is finally back. On Novmeber 18th Metroid Prime and Metroid Fusion will both ship to retailers, just in time for the holiday season. Check out the official press release over at Coffee Talk.
Matt Schraeder

November 14, 2002

Capcom Announces New Games [ Capcom Japan ]
Capcom has officially announced their new GameCube games. Along with Biohazard 4, they also announced Viewtiful Joe, Product Number 3, Dead Pheonix, and Killer 7. You can read the full descriptions here.
Matt Schraeder

November 13, 2002

WWE Sues Acclaim [ Rajah WWF ]
According to RajahWWF.com, World Wrestling Entertainment is suing Acclaim for tens of millions of dollars for violating terms that were agreed in May of 1999, that limited access from WWF (Now WWE) trademarks. It seems that Acclaim was making money from old WWF games (Such as WWF Attitude, WWF: In Your House, and WWF Warzone), and WWE wasnt seeing any money anywhere. More updates as they come.
Bryan Rose

THQ Ships Revenge of Shinobi and Wild Thornberrys [ Coffee Talk ]
THQ has announced today that they have shipped Revenge of Shinobi and The Wild Thornberrys Movie for the Game Boy Advance. The official press release for Revenge of Shinobi is available here and for the Wild Thornberrys you can read the press release here.
Matt Schraeder

Ocarina of Time on the GameCube [ Famitsu Magazine ]
According to the last issue of the Famitsu magazine, any reservation of new Zelda on GameCube which should release on the 13th of December in Japan, a disc containing the game Zelda: Ocarina of Time (in version + Ura DD64 supplements) for GameCube as well as videos of Biohazard 4 and F-Zero will be offered to you! Pre-orders will start being taken in Japan on November 28th. This information remains however at the stage of rumor in Famitsu. They fail to say if this offer will be available in the United States or any other region. In the meantime I will allow you to read this little number I had written up damn near nine months ago. Thanks to Planet GameCube for their scan of the magazine, which can be found here.
Matthew Silver

GameCube Luanch Dates for South Korea and Taiwan [ Newtechnix ]
Nintendo has announced that the official release of GameCube in South Korea will be on December 14, 2002 and in Taiwan on November 21. Three games that are the English versions should be available the very same day of the console is released, the prices were not revealed yet.
Matthew Silver

Lost Kingdoms 2 Confirmed for US Release [ Yahoo! Finance ]
The popular Rune has been confirmed to have a sequel in Japan and now it has been confirmed that Rune II will be coming to the North American region under the name Lost Kingdoms II. The story goes as follows; the fate of a kingdom at war against an evil conspiracy lies in the hands of a lone heroine ready to battle against an army of darkness. Lost Kingdoms II will be a great sequel for the highly acclaimed real-time action RPG Lost Kingdoms for the Nintendo GameCube. Propelled by a dramatic storyline, players take the role of a new young heroine with the ability to summon powerful creatures using magical Guardian Creature Cards. Like its predecessor, Lost Kingdoms II is being developed by FromSoftware, Inc. The game is expected to be available next spring and has not yet been rated by the ESRB.
Matthew Silver

BMX XXX Deemed Immoral by USA Today [ USA Today ]
BMX XXX which releases next week is seeming to get a ton of media coverage despite it being very risqué and inappropriate for anyone under seventeen years of age. In the USA today it was compared to the popular video series “Girls Gone Wild.” The article goes on to say how wrong and immoral it is for Acclaim to create such a game. Obviously the media is upset with the title but nonetheless they keep giving it tons of coverage. If they left it alone many people would not know about it. The game has virtually no paid advertisements by Acclaim; they are merely riding the free coverage by our country’s media. This game is sure to be among the top sellers when it releases. Hell, I have seen so much of it lately that I am even going to at least give it a rent.
Matthew Silver

November 12, 2002

Simon & Schuster Interactive Ship Darkened Skye [ Coffee Talk ]
Simon & Schuster Interactive have shipped the highly original GameCube game Darkened Skye, involving your favorite fruity candies, skittles. Check out the press release and our preview for more information on this great game.
Matt Schraeder

THQ Ships Fairly Oddparents: Enter the Cleft [ Coffee Talk ]
THQ has shipped the GameBoy Advanced game The Fairly Oddparents: Enter the Cleft, based on the TV show on Nickelodeon. Check out the official press release here.
Matt Schraeder

Eternal Darkness Soundtrack [ Nintendo Power ]
As you may have heard, Nintendo Power magazine has begun selling the Eternal Darkness Soundtrack. However, for those of you who don't subscribe to the magazine and don't fell like picking it up just to order a simple cd, I decided to put the phone number and item number right here for you. The CD costs $10 and with shipping and handling included it will run you about $15.94. Nintendo's store can be reached at 1-800-882-0053 and the CD is item number 300233. Expect a review of the soundtrack soon, as I have already put in my order.
Matt Schraeder

Bounty Hunter Video [ StarWars.com ]
You may have caught a pretty sly looking FMV cutscene from the soon to be released action trill ride Bounty Hunter (December 4th) about a week ago on the site but we now also have found an additional movie that was apparently overlooked by us. The movie includes the opening scene from Bounty Hunter with the classic Star Wars beginning explaining the on-goings in the universe. The FMV looks very nice but I think we all want to see the actual game in action. When LucasArts does release some game footage be sure to check back here because we will have it up for you as soon as it breaks. See the latest cutscene here and enjoy!
Matthew Silver

November 11, 2002

New Boxart and Release Dates [ EB Games ]
EB Games has updated their games list today with some interesting ship dates announced and some very beautiful boxart. Click here and you'll see new boxart and the ship date for the game.
Matthew Silver

Summon Night Craft Sword Story Screens [ Newtechnix ]
Banpresto reveals some new images of Summon Night Craft Sword Story on Game Boy Advance. This RPG resulting from the rather popular series Summon Night in Japan should release during next spring in Japan and in the North American region.
Swords just make Games more Fun
Is that Bluto?
I Think it is!
Look at those GBA Water Effects
The Village Square
Those Graphics Rule
Nice Cavern
I Want this Place
Matthew Silver

Chocobo Land Screens [ Newtechnix ]
Chocobo Land is moving along nicely in Japanese development and will be available for purchase in Japan the same day Zelda comes out, December 14th. The game is slated to come out in the states later next year but if you want to see some cool screens from the Japanese version head over to Newtechnix and check them out.
Matthew Silver

StarCraft Ghost Interview [ GamePort ]
GamePort had the chance to site down with Bill Roper, the vice-president of Blizzard North, about the highly anticipated console game StarCraft: Ghost. You can read the interview here but if you want to just look at some very cool StarCraft: Ghost screenshots then I advise you to click here. Mr. Roper seemed to have some very interesting things to say about the game so if you are a diehard StarCraft fan you might want to check it out.
Matthew Silver

BMX XXX Interview [ HomeLAN ]
While publisher Acclaim has developed and published "M" rated games in the past like the Turok series, they take their biggest plunge in the adult game genre this week when BMX XXX heads to stores for the Playstation 2, Xbox and GameCube. The sports title has already generated lots of press for its use of adult language, humor and situations as well as its use of female topless nudity and indeed some major retailers have already announced that despite the "M" rating they won't be selling BMX XXX in their stores. HomeLAN got a chance to interview Acclaim's PR director Alan Lewis to find out more about BMX XXX and how the company feels about the attention it has received from the game.
Matthew Silver

New Action-RPG in the Works [ Newtechnix ]
The Japanese developer Noise, which made the original Custom Robo on only Nintendo systems has announced today via its internet site that it is in the process of making a new action-RPG. They say the game is going to be fairly long and quite in depth with design and audio effects. The game is currently planned to be released in Japan, North America, and Europe during the summer of 2003.
Matthew Silver

BMX XXX Miniguide [ BMXXXX.com ]
BMX XXX is raunchy, it’s naughty, and it’s not for the weak at heart. The game being made by the Acclaim who is recently most known for its ridiculous antics than its stellar games. However, BMX XXX seems to have quite a few people intrigued enough to go out and buy it. I might give it a rent to see how good it is and I’ll let you know when I play what I think about it. A lot of the people playing it don’t know much about extreme sports games at all so Acclaim has decided to release a free mini-guide so we could enjoy the game a little more. The file is approximately 6mb and Acclaim isn’t letting anyone less than 12 years old download it.
Matthew Silver

Finding Nemo Announced for All Platforms [ Planet Nintendo ]
THQ and Disney/Pixar announced today that following its announcement on the Xbox, PlayStation 2 and GameCube versions of Finding Nemo, the upcoming film from Disney/Pixar, that a Game Boy Advance, as well as two games for PC/Mac platforms, will also be developed. The newly announced Game Boy Advance version will be developed by Vicarious Visions, while the PC/Mac versions will be handled by KnowWonder. While details on the Game Boy Advance are still sketchy at best, the PC/Mac versions will include an arcade-style game, with the second title being mini-game/puzzle based. Finding Nemo will be released on May 30th of 2003, coinciding with its theatrical debut.
Matthew Silver

New Air Combat Game [ Cube Europe ]
A new air combat game has been announced for the GameCube! The game is under development by Global A Entertainment and will be titled: Zero Fighter. After Top Gun we will now get a second air combat game for the GameCube, Zero Fighter. According to Global A Entertainment, the Japanese developer, the game will be released Spring 2003 in Japan. It is not sure yet whether the game will see the light of Europe and or the US.

In the game you will be able to replay some famous battles in military history. You will have to fight and victory will not be easy to accomplish. Global A Entertainment also said that the game will reproduce the romance of air combat like it has never been done before. You will be able to play as both Japanese and US pilots and the game will feature 33 playable aircraft models and 3 play modes: Mission, Training and Versus. You can see the first screenshots of the game here.
Matthew Silver

GameCube Outsells the Xbox [ Yahoo! Finance ]
A recent published article by Khanh T.L. Tran of San Francisco and Robert A. Guth of Tokyo has proven that Nintendo GameCube is in fact five hundred thousand units ahead of Microsoft’s Xbox in the North American region. The report was conducted by DFC Intelligence, a fairly large business who is respected very much all around the world. The report doesn’t talk much about GameCube but it was still interesting nonetheless to read. The official numbers that they came to were as follows.

Total U.S. sales* of video-game consoles, in millions of units:
Sony PlayStation 2 11.2
Microsoft Xbox 2.2
Nintendo GameCube 2.7
*From introduction through September 2002
Matthew Silver

3rd Annual Twin Galaxies Video Game Festival [ Twingalaxies.com ]
The Mall of America - America's largest enclosed shopping mall - has scheduled the dates for the 3rd Annual Twin Galaxies Video Game Festival. Taking up the entire weekend of July 18-20, 2003, the event plans four major gaming world championships in addition to a classics arcade and a midway of console and PC games open to the public on free play.

With thousands of dollars promised in prizes for contest winners, Twin Galaxies has scheduled these four championships: the 3rd Annual Console Video Game World Championship, the 1st Annual Classic Video Game World Championship, the 1st Annual Mall Pinball World Championship and the 1st Annual PC Games World Championship.
Matthew Silver

New Legend of Zelda Screens [ Newtechnix ]
Newtechnix got the handle on 10 new Legend of Zelda screens from Famitsu magazine. These are truly breathtaking as the show off some of the majestic colors that the game uses. In a few of the pictures it shows the moon high in the sky. I take it to mean that day and night pass just as Ocarina of Time passed.
Both Charging Up
Link Seems Faster
Steal his Rupee
Is Link Throwing his Sword?
Our Hero isn’t a klutz
Just Pretend it’s not there
Sailing after a Long Days Work
Does he never Sleep?!
Apparently Not
Listen!
Matthew Silver

Pokemon Ruby/Sapphire Information [ Famitsu.com ]
Pokemon Ruby and Sapphire isn’t scheduled to come out in the States until May of 2003 but if you’re a Pokemon extraordinaire and have to get your greasy paws on this hot ticket you can import it. The game releases the same day as Resident Evil 0 in Japan; November 21st. The Japanese site for Pokemon Ruby and Sapphire will launch this Friday. The site as of right now only shows a “Coming Soon” flash animation but you can be sure to get your Pokemon love soon enough.
Matthew Silver

November 10, 2002

Resident Evil 0 Release Date Set for Europe [ Capcom Europe ]
Just last week the date for Resident Evil 0 in Japan was released as being November 21st of this year. Today Capcom Europe has annouced that they will get the game a few months later on March 6 and 7. Some countries will get it the 6th and others will get it the 7th. The boxart for the PAL version has also been released and is available over at Newtechnix.
Matthew Silver

Metroid Fusion Site Launched [ Official Metroid Fusion Website ]
With the release of Metroid Fusion just over a little more than a week away Nintendo and Retro Studios have unveiled the Fusion website. There are wallpapers, screen shots, plenty of info, and you can also read up about the Prime/Fusion connectivity. There is also a good elaborate section that is dedicated to the history of Metroid. For those lucky enough to own a GBA and a hook up cable they also explain the connectivity of Prime and Fusion a little more. Make sure you pick up the already classic game on November 18th; you're sure to like it.
Matthew Silver

November 9, 2002

Japan to Get the Platinum Cube [ Nintendo of Japan ]
Nintendo of Japan has announced that the platinum GameCube which North Americans are already enjoying will be released in Japan on December 1st of this year. Four days later they will be releasing the platinum Wavebird to match the new Cube color as well as another "Emerald" colored controller to match the wackiness of the Spice controller. These two for sure hot items will most likely be available for purchase in the United States and other regions sometime early next year. Or if you cannot wait you can just import it.
Matthew Silver

GameCube Mr. Driller Screenshots [ Newtechnix ]
Here some new images for Mr. Driller: Drill Land on GameCube. Two new levels entitled Horror Night House and Drindy Adventure have been revealed to the public today. The game from Namco will have four player support and will have more than six different characters. Mr. Driller: DrillLand is scheduled to release on December 20th to Japan and sometime next year to the States.
The Horror Night House
The Horror Night House 2
Drindy Adventure
Drindy Adventure 2
Matthew Silver

New Klonoa Screenshots [ Newtechnix ]
We have found some screens of the new Klonoa game called “Legend of the Star Medal” which is for the Gameboy Advance. The game is an action RPG that is being developed by Namco. The game has a Japanese release the same day as Zelda; December 13th. The official release date for America is unknown but it will eventually make its way here. The screens are as follows.
Screenshot 1
Screenshot 2
Screenshot 3
Screenshot 4
Screenshot 5
Screenshot 6
Screenshot 7
Screenshot 8
Screenshot 9
Screenshot 10
Matthew Silver

November 8, 2002

New GameCube Controller Complete with LCD Screen? [ EB Games ]
New Innovation from Hip Gear! Play your GameCube with the Hip Gear Screen Pad, a GameCube controller with a built-in High Resolution LCD screen. No T.V or monitor needed. This is quite an interesting piece of hardware and may be a little confusing to understand so I will try and help you out. Basically it uses the same way to connect to the GameCube as the five inch LCD monitor except the screen it attached to the controller rather than Cube. The price is listed at 100 dollars and will be available on the 26th of November. Perhaps this makes taking your Cube portable a little easier. You can see what it looks like here. Thank you Jon Coley for the tip!
Matthew Silver

Metroid to Make it to Japan [ Newtechnix ]
Nintendo has just announced the release of the platinum GameCube for December 1, 2002 in Japan at the price of 19800 yen (about 165 United States dollars). Nintendo also announced that Metroid Prime on GameCube will be available in February 2003 to Japan. This comes to the relief of many Japanese gamers who were afraid that Nintendo and Retro Studios were not going to release Metroid Prime in Japan. Japan gets Zelda first and America gets Metroid Prime; it almost seems as if this was planned. While we enjoy Metroid Prime they enjoy Zelda and when we enjoy Zelda they get to enjoy Metroid Prime. Seems like a smart move on Nintendo’s part.
Matthew Silver

New GameCube RPG in Developement [ Newtechnix ]
Idea Factory has just announced the development of Generation of Chaos Exceed on GameCube, a RPG in which three heroes will have to unify the continent of Neverland. This game which is part of the series Spectral the Force, is announced for February 2003 in Japan at the price of 5800 yens, roughly forty eight United States Dollars. You can look at some of the character art in the meantime. It is not clear if this game is going to be coming out in any other regions as of yet. We will keep you informed when more news happens.
Matthew Silver

New High Resolution RE0 Screens [ Coffee Talk ]
If you have not noticed, lately the Café has had a lot of Resident Evil 0 news. Our theme for this month was obviously Resident Evil oriented. Each theme we have we will have a little extra news on that game. Resident Evil 0 is one of the biggest games of the year and we here at the Café are very excited about its release on Tuesday. I am sure we will have yet even more news for you before Tuesday but for now you can enjoy these awesome new screens that were provided to us by our good friends at Capcom. These are high resolution screens and they show just how beautiful this game has shaped up to be. I will have my impressions up for Resident Evil 0 at 5pm eastern time on Tuesday so if you are still weary of buying it you can read my impressions to get a better full understanding of the game. Also look for my full review within at least two weeks; depending on how long this game is it might even be longer.
Matthew Silver

Sir Spencer is Revealed to the World! [ Capcom Japan ]
Capcom Japan has announced today that Sir James Spencer will indeed be in Biohazard 0; the Japanese version of Resident Evil 0. They also show a very creepy looking painting of Sir Spencer on a wall as Billy walks by it. They also show an overhead view of Billy walking over the Umbrella logo as he enters the Umbrella Research Center. The research center was where the G-Virus was originally created by William Birkin. Resident Evil 0 seems to take place in quite a few different places which makes me think how long is this game? It could easily come in at thirty to forty plus hours. You can see the latest images here and here.
Matthew Silver

New Information on The Legend of Zelda [ Famitsu Magazine ]
The latest issue of Famitsu magazine shows off the Takuto, or the “Baton of the Wind,” the Deku leaf, and the Japanese logo for the Legend of Zelda title; which includes a boat and the Japanese title underneath the word “Zelda.” The magical baton looks like it is used to control the wind but Famitsu is not certain that is what it does. The pictures are quite interesting but since I do not have a scanner I was unable to load them to the site. Famitsu is a little clearer on the Deku leaf’s use. They show Link cornered on a cliff and he takes out the leaf and uses it as a hang glider to escape baddies. They also say that depending on the wind you may not always be able to glide down to safety. The game is truly starting to take shape with the fans.
Matthew Silver

THQ Gets New Senior VP of Human Resources [ Yahoo! Finance ]
THQ also announced today that it has named Bill Goodmen to the new position of senior vice president, human resources. Including a long tenure at ARCO, Mr. Goodmen brings more than 20 years of experience to his role including senior management level recruiting, global growth and integration programs, as well as the creation of human resources policies and practices.

In his position as Senior Vice President of Human Resources, Mr. Goodmen will be charged with directing THQ's human resources function through the Company's continued growth and will report directly to President and CEO Brian Farrell.

These two executive position changes at THQ Inc comes as quite a shock to the gaming industry but our friends at THQ seem to know what they are doing and we wish the best of luck to Mr. Lapin as he pursues his career in the industry. We will keep you informed as to where he ends up.
Matthew Silver

Vice Chairman and COO of THQ Retires [ Yahoo! Finance ]
THQ announced today announced that Vice Chairman and COO Jeffrey C. Lapin will be leaving the Company to pursue other opportunities.

"We appreciate the contributions Jeff has made to the company," said Brian Farrell, President and CEO, THQ. "His responsibilities will be absorbed by members of our deep and experienced management team."

The Company has shifted Mr. Lapin's product development responsibilities to Executive Vice President of Worldwide Studios, Jack Sorensen and the recently announced new Vice President of Product Development, Philip Holt. THQ will conduct an executive search for a senior-level manager to oversee Mr. Lapin's legal and business development responsibilities. In the interim, Mr. Sorensen and the Company's Vice President and Chief Legal Counsel, Leslie Brown, will manage THQ's business development and legal affairs, respectively. THQ will dissolve the position of COO.
Matthew Silver

November 7, 2002

Nokia to Sponsor Global Interactive Game Event [ Yahoo! News ]
A global interactive game event sponsored by Nokia isn't about selling new phones but about connecting creative people around the globe to play challenging interactive games. That's the official line at Nokia, which on Thursday closed the door to interested parties after one million people registered to participate in its second annual game event, to run from November 11 through November 29. "This isn't a phone-centric event because participants will play primarily on the Internet," said company spokesperson Damian Stathonikos. "It's about connecting people speaking different languages in different parts of the world. That's our business."
Matthew Silver

Sega's Expectations for First-Half 2003 Lower [ Yahoo! News ]
Japanese video game software maker Sega Corp. warned Thursday that it expected first-half net group profits to fall short of forecasts, and said slumping software sales worldwide and rising development and marketing costs would likely mean lower full-year profits. Sega said it now expects a net profit of 1 billion yen (US$8.19 million) for the first six months through Sept. 30, well below its original prediction of 4.5 billion yen (US$36.8 million).
Matthew Silver

First Disney Basketball Screens [ Newtechnix ]
The first screens of the new Disney Basketball game have been released to the public today. This actually looks like a basketball game I would actually want to play. It looks amazingly funny to see all the cool Disney characters playing some hoops on a basketball court. Goofy slams it home! In your face Kobe Bryant! The screens are listed below, check them out, they’re massively funny.
The Start Menu
This Mouse can Jump!
Mickey
Slammin’
Hot Cheerleaders
Goofy Run Over
Matthew Silver

GameCube to Get New Capcom Exclusives [ Newtechnix ]
According to Famitsu magazine the very much anticipated Biohazard 4, which is GameCube exclusive, will be revealed very soon by Capcom. In an Interview granted to the Japanese magazine Nintendo Dream, Atsushi Inaba (Tekki) of Capcom reaffirmed the promise to produce even more exclusive GameCube titles in the future. Five games for GameCube are currently in preparation in Capcom's development studios and some will be revealed soon. The magazine also said that within the next week Capcom will present several new games to the public that will be exclusive to GameCube.
Matthew Silver

Ms BMX XXX [ Yahoo! Finanace ]
The nationwide search is on for the woman worthy of the title Ms. BMX XXX, as AKA Acclaim, a division of Acclaim Entertainment Inc., today announced an online contest in support of its eagerly anticipated November release BMX XXX. To enter the contest, entrants must visit the game's official web site here and submit a digital picture of themselves, which will be voted on by the site's visitors. One lucky winner will be officially crowned Ms. BMX XXX and flown to New York City with a guest and escorted to the world famous Scores club by "Gary" and "K.C." of "The Howard Stern Show." For more details on the contest, consumers can tune into "The Howard Stern Show" beginning on Monday, November 11.
Matthew Silver

Some Random Resident Evil 0 News [ IGN Cube ]
Some random news about Resident Evil Zero; which comes out in less than a week! First off Biohazard 0 (the Japanese version) has been moved up. The release is now only nine days after the North American launch. Also as reported by our good friends the C type for controls has been strangely left out of Zero. Having already played the demo disc of Biohazard 0 I can say that they have tightened up the controls for type A. In REmake I just couldn’t handle it because it was very loose. It took maybe ten minutes of practice with the Biohazard demo disc and then I was on my way to zombie fest. The game also uses 9 blocks for saving.
Matthew Silver

Legend of Zelda Trailer Released [ Zelda.com ]
The Zelda trailer that will be shown in movie theaters not only in America but across the world has been unveiled by Zelda.com. It shows both cinematic and game footage. The game footage is not what interests me at all but the girl who speaks to the viewer. She says that Link has traveled through the lands to do one thing and that’s save her. Mysteriously enough they don’t tell us who she is. My bet is on either Link’s sister or possibly Zelda is in the game after all. It also says in the trailer that the game is due out in the Spring of 2003. Last time I checked the release date was February, and that’s definitely not Spring; did the date get changed again? We’ll look into it and keep you posted.
Matthew Silver

November 6, 2002

New 3rd Person Vehicular/Fighting Game Announced [ Yahoo! Finance ]
A new 3rd person Vehicular/Fighting game with robust features will be available on PS2 and GameCube winter 2003. Intrinsic Graphics®, Inc., the developer of the innovative Intrinsic Alchemy® game development platform, announced today that AWE Games is using Intrinsic Alchemy to create a 3rd person vehicular / fighting game that will be available on PS2 and GameCube consoles by winter 2003. THQ® Inc. will publish the as-of-yet undisclosed game. AWE Games is known for producing a wide variety of games including the well known SpongeBob SquarePants and Jimmy Neutron titles.
Matthew Silver

Gamers Grow Up? Can't Be! [ Yahoo! Finance ]
Jupiter Research, a division of Jupitermedia Corporation), today reported that the electronic game audience is going through a major paradigm shift, creating new revenue opportunities for game developers. This shift is defined along three axes: the average console user is already an adult, the number of high-intensity users is set to grow 40% by 2007, and low-intensity puzzle and board games dominate the favorite genre. The report as a whole is actually quite interesting. If you feel the need to read up more on this subject you can read it on Yahoo! Finance.
Matthew Silver

A Cute Little Hamster Causes a Sunflower Seed Shortage [ Coffee Talk ]
The Sunflower Seed Association of America is blaming Nintendo's Game Boy Color game Hamtaro for a sunflower seed shortage. The game has inexplicably given kids an obsession with sunflower seeds and the SSAA can't keep up. Kids are also attempting to speak the official Hamtaro language, Ham-Chat, bewildering parents. How one cute, seemingly innocent game can cause so much trouble is surprising and frightening at the same time.
Matt Schraeder

GameCube Demo Discs [ Games Asylum ]
Nintendo has stated many times since the launch of GameCube that they would not be releasing playable demo discs. Today they started distributing a playable demo disc in Japan with Super Monkey Ball 2, Mr. Driller: Drill Land and Eternal Darkness on it as well as new videos for Resident Evil 0, Mario Party 4, and The Legend of Zelda. Could this possibly mean that other regions could be getting their own playable demo discs soon? God, I hope so!
Matthew Silver

November 5, 2002

Resident Evil Trailers [ GamePro ]
Resident Evil 0 is just under the horizon, waiting for the sun to go down so it can come rising up unleashing the evil within. We managed to dig up some trailers of the game for you as well. Some of the footage you may have seen but the majority is new. Trailer 1 and Trailer 2
Matthew Silver

November 4, 2002

New Bounty Hunter Video [ Lucas Arts ]
LucasArts has put up a new movie on their website that shows just how magnificant Star Wars Bounty Hunter will actually be. Just click here, then click the word cutscene and you will have a nice little thrill ride.
Matthew Silver

Nintendo Speaks on Antitrust Fines [ Standard and Poor’s ]
Nintendo has issued a statement saying that the fine for breaking the Europe antitrust laws has not and will not impact them for this fiscal year. “However, Nintendo said that there will no impact on its business and financial performance this fiscal year, as it has already factored into the decision in its earnings projections.” That was a quote in a news publication by Noriko Mizuguchi, Senior Journalist with Standard and Poor’s, a leader in covering the world’s major markets.
Matthew Silver

November 3, 2002

Two New Sections
In order to give you, the fans, more Nintendo goodness we here at the Café had to create two new sections.

The first section which already has content in it is our “Coffee Talk” section. In this section you will find Interviews, press releases that companies send us, our new feature called “After Hours,” and anything else that really does not fit into any other category. “After Hours” is when a few Café staffers get together late on Saturday night and discuss a topic of choice. When you get up on Sunday morning and sigh because it’s “Slow Sunday” you can look forward to our new feature and drink your morning coffee (or whatever you drink!). Today’s “After Hours” is already up!

The Second new section is codenamed “The Menu.” This is where you can come to find the most accurate game release dates on the net and find out other information on games. That includes the game title, publisher, developer and release date. By clicking the game link on the game title it will bring you to a detailed page. On this page you will find a short description of the game including all media that is currently on the Café. When something new is put on the site for that game, its page will be updated. Games that have not been released yet will be the first thing on the page and after those you will see games that have been released, starting with the most recent release. If you want to check out the same stuff for GBA you can simply click the tab at the top of the page and you’re there. This section is not complete yet but it will be shortly. We will make the big announcement when its finally up.
Matthew Silver

November 2, 2002

Simon And Schuster Interview [ Coffee Talk ]
Recently we had the opportunity to sit down and chat with Mike Taramykin of Hypnotix, and Andy Wolfendon of Boston Animation. Both of these gentlemen work for Simon And Schuster, one of the worlds largest entertainment publishers around the globe. Our Editor In Chief, Kevin McGinnis, had the pleasure of getting to pick their brains a little about their two Gamecube titles, “Outlaw Golf” and “Darkened Skye.”
Kevin McGinnis

Star Fox Desktop Commander [ GameSpy ]
GameSpy and Nintendo have released an application that cycles through various Star Fox desktop wallpaper every ten minutes. GameCubes, WaveBirds, and games will be given away to anyone who spots secret codes that appear. Click the link above to download the application and find more out about the contest.
Matt Schraeder

Hitman 2 for GameCube [ Gamespot ]
Following the successful release of Hitman 2: Silent Assassin on the PC, PS2, and Xbox earlier this month, Eidos and IO Interactive have today announced that a GameCube version of the game is in development and scheduled for release in spring 2003. In Hitman 2, players assume the role of a genetically engineered assassin who goes by the name of Codename 47. Forced to resume the violent career he's been trying to forget when a Sicilian crime family kidnaps a friend of his, Codename 47 must leave the monastery he calls home and kill or be killed.
Matthew Silver

Resident Evil 0 Character Bios [ Capcom Japan ]
The Bravo team members have been identified in Resident Evil 0 by Capcom and we here at the Café have pictures of them and a short bio of each of them, along with how they were killed.

Enrico Marini
Enrico is Bravo Team's leader and second in command of the S.T.A.R.S. unit. Enrico was killed July 23, 1998 by a single gunshot wound. The murderer unknown; it may possibly be Barry Burton under the command of Albert Wesker.


Kenneth J. Sullivan
He had a brief role in Resident Evil. He was the guy who was being eaten by the first zombie you encounter. After finding the video room in the labs and watching his tape you find out that he is quite a pussy and is lousy at firing a gun.


Forest Speyer
He was killed on the outside balcony on the second floor of the mansion. He so willingly gave up his nice grenade launcher in Jill’s quest and decided he wanted to eat your brains in both Chris and Jill’s quest.


Edward Dewey
Bravo team’s very own helicopter pilot. Not much is known about him but it is presumed he is the one you see eaten in the helicopter in the woods during the opening sequence of Resident Evil. He doesn’t seem to have a very large role in Resident Evil 0.


Richard Aiken
He seemed to have the coolest death of any of the Bravo members. In Chris’s quest the giant shark decided to snack on him and in Jill’s quest the Yawn had a feast. He seems to stay alive the longest of the Bravo team except for Rebecca.

Matthew Silver