Oh my god

Maybe all of Carl Lewis's Olympic Gold's should be taken away...just like Ben Johnson's? My oh my how corrupt the Olympics were...(and still are, in some cases)

See-throug (not-cel-shaded) lakes...and giant rooms full of numbers...this is pretty strange; take a look at it:

http://www.planetgamecube.com/news.cfm?a...em&id=4244

...here are the codes for Action Replay; this is where you can see descriptions of the other weird test areas to explore:

http://www.codejunkies.com/article.asp?c...l=1&i=5466

At least that's what CNN said. :D



The Smoking Gun

From CVG:

Quote:SECRET RARE RACER REVEALED!

More retro grave-robbing from the UK developer as Xbox is set for a reworked version of Donkey Kong Racing - we've got the hot details inside!

18:47 Rare is currently working on an Xbox racing game called Sabre Man Stampede, we can reveal. The last piece of the Rare puzzle? For now, possibly, but after months of speculation it would appear the last major in-development Rare title has been unearthed.
After Perfect Dark Zero, Kameo, Ghoulies and Conkers Online, there was of course one title left of the five which Rare and Microsoft promised for the end of 2004. The obvious absentee from this line-up is a racing game, but, as everyone knows, Rare was working on a racing title for GameCube before its acquisition by Microsoft - Donkey Kong Racing, sequel to the brilliant Diddy Kong Racing on N64.

While Nintendo owns the rights to Donkey Kong, it was fairly obvious the game would resurface in a different guise. But who exactly is this Sabre Man guy? The dude out of 8-bit classic Sabre Wulf, a fully reworked version of which is already in the concept stages for Xbox.

It's likely Rare will have simply switched IPs, retaining the core of Donkey Kong Racing for its Xbox racer. Whether Sabre Man Stampede will appear at E3 is uncertain, since the developer has several other key titles to exploit. But we'll keep you posted on all the latest Rare news in the run up to the show.

Johnny Minkley

From CVG:

Quote:NINTENDO REVEALS GAMECUBE STRATEGY

Anti-online focus reconfirmed, bundling issues and more as NOA's George Harrison speaks

16:30 Nintendo of America senior vice president of marketing ("top brass," if you will) George Harrison has revealed some intriguing details regarding Nintendo's future strategy, in an interview with CNN.
One of the most promising revelations was that Nintendo is seriously looking at introducing a bundle later this year featuring GameCube and Game Boy Player. The add-on, of course, gives access to hundreds of handheld titles, dramatically increasing the range of software available to potential owners.

Furthermore, Harrison reaffirmed Nintendo's stance regarding online gaming, stating that he believed it was still "probably a few years away" as far as GameCube is concerned. Boo! But Harrison was keen to emphasise that this E3 would be a huge year for third-party development for the console, as opposed to in-house software, and it's widely expected that link-up software - both GBA/GC and GC via LAN - will form the backbone of Nintendo's E3 line-up.

In potentially more disturbing news, Harrison revealed that, in response to complaints over the difficulty of Mario Sunshine, "Shigeru Miyamoto agreed with criticism that the game was too hard. The word has since come from up high to make games less challenging," writes CNN. "We're trying to go back and make sure we don't let technology alienate players," said Harrison. "We want to make games that are accessible to everyone."

In other Nintendo news, the company has announced it is establishing a new R&D unit in Japan to "develop unique games for Nintendo's hardware platforms, adding to the depth and breadth of Nintendo's first-party game library.

More when we have it.

Johnny Minkley

From CVG:

Quote:MARIO KART PASSES FINISH LINE?

You want eight players? Yes you do, you know you do...

15:38 According to various reports and sources, Mario Kart GC is complete. So where is it? We're just waiting for the chequered flag to drop for us all to drool at the speeding Cooper's, Kong's and Princess Daisy's; we can't wait!
Mario Kart GC is being kept under wraps until the E3 games show in May where Nintendo is said to unveil it. And not before time: Mario Kart GC is easily one of the most eagerly anticipated games for the 'Cube.

Mario Kart GC, as we previously stated from our Shigeru Miyamoto interview, will not feature online play - which is a shameful travesty - but it will have the expected four-player split-screen race and battle modes.

However, according to reports, just add another GameCube and copy of Mario Kart GC, and you'll be able to link the two together for 8-player Mario Kart shenanigans. This system works in a similar style to the PlayStation 2 I-Link, but you'll also need two TVs as well. The 8-Player works via two four-player split-screens...

Why Nintendo canned the Internet link is still a mystery to us - look, it still drives us potty wondering why - but we're excited by the prospect of LAN play, expected to be revealed at E3. Afterall, the GameCube has a carry handle so people can bring their own, then link them together. Then you could have loads of Mario Kart fanatics taking each other on with their own personal full-screen TV rather than splitting into four.

The game is said to be finished, but until we can substantiate this, take it with a pinch of salt. However, the game is still expected to release in Japan later this year, so show us the green light Nintendo, we're having withdrawal symptoms!

Nick Walkland

From IGN:

Quote:April 16, 2003 - Reports today from Japanese online news publication Nikkei indicate that Namco has approached Sega Corp. with a proposal for a merger between the two companies.
Looking to the future, Namco allegedly believes that joining forces with Sega would allow it to remain competitive in the videogame industry, according to the publication. Both Namco and Sega have a strong focus on home and arcade videogame development as well as amusement facility businesses. Additionally, intellectual assets would be combined between the two companies, meaning that such a deal could very well result in seeing our favorite Sega characters as guest stars in a future Soul Calibur title.

In its proposal, Namco reportedly has calculated estimated sales of nearly three billion dollars when combined with Sega, which would boost it to the number one position in Japan over Konami's current $2 billion sales total. According to Nikkei, the proposal also states that Sega would remain as the surviving entity, thus the Namco label would most likely disappear under the Sega brand. The entire deal could, if approved, be carried out as soon as 2004.

Today's news, though unconfirmed, could mark the second entity interested in merging with Sega, the first being Sammy Corp. of Japan in an announcement made last February. A possible third company has also recently expressed interest in joining forces with Sega, but in a more limited scope. U.S.-based publisher Electronic Arts is reportedly interested in taking a stake in Sega's software development operations and playing a financial role on the marketing side of things.

In response to this latest Namco proposal, Sega has called a board meeting for next Wednesday to discuss its options in merging with either Sammy or Namco, or in partnering with Electronic Arts in some capacity. A decision is said to be coming as early as the end of this month.

IGN will have more news on the current state of Sega and its ever-growing list of merger possibilities as it breaks.

Name=Weltall
System=Game Boy Color
Game= FaceBall 2000
Released: 1991

This quirky game came out amid the early days of First Person Shooters. FaceBall 2000 is a nice, long, difficult pseudo-FPS game that wonderfully utilized the pokey innards of the old bulky GameBoy to create a shooter with huge levels and tons of secrets. The game features 70 main levels, 5 secret levels, and a 2 player deathmatch mode with a slew of maps and settings. This game was far ahead of it's time based on these options alone. One-player mode is like any other FPS game, get to the exit, shoot whatever gets in your way. 2 Player mode, of course, has you against your opponent, plus up to 8 (!) computer-controlled drones, to make things interesting. You can of course try your hand at the deathmatch alone, against the drones, but squaring off against a friend is so much sweeter in the end.

GRAPHICS
For it's time the graphics of this game were very good. The game utilizes a pseudo-3D engine like most 3D games of the period did, which means that the framerate is somewhat slow. For the most part this will not matter, only in heavy deathmatches will this be a problem. The only real problems lie in the lack of variety: Each of the 75 levels has the exact same plain look. While you do have to keep in mind that the old GameBoy could not handle detail in a game like this, it still gets to you after you play through 30 or 40 levels. Your hippie-smiley enemies have different styles, which helps you determine which enemy it is and how threatening it is. Of course, the screen tells you this, but you'll be too busy wiping the smile off those faces to see.

Each level also has it's own map, which is revealed more and more as you explore. This is an invaluable asset, as it not only tells you where you are in these huge levels, it also reveals enemy positions. Note that the action does not halt while you check your map, so make sure you're in a safe area when you do so.

SOUND AND MUSIC
There's only one song, and you better get used to it, because you'll be hearing it a lot! Sound effects are bare, just your basic GameBoy blips and bloops. Nothing special.

GAMEPLAY
The game has aged remarkably well. Early levels have you facing harmless, inanimate enemies (shootme!). As you progress, enemies gain the ability to move (ShootMe2), then to shoot (IShootU), then shoot and move (IShootU2), in the first 15 levels. You can almost certainly make it through the first 15 levels without ever taking a hit, because even the shooting enemies seem to try to miss you. After level 15, enemies with brains begin to appear, starting with the timid Turkeys, who wander aimlessly until they spot you, to the wall-hugging Wallys, to the immobile-but-fast-shooting Scanners to the fast Bouncers and all the way up to the deadly Ninjas. Though each enemy is merely visually recycled from the four basic shapes, each enemy has their own little quirks. The aptly named Vampire does not shoot, but rather comes right on you and bites repeatedly. Sharks, if you are healthy, will ignore you. Get injured however, and they will swarm you (and they usually hunt in packs). Crosseyes are blind. If you stand still, they will ignore you. But if they hear you move, you are attacked fiercely. The variety in enemies is one of the game's strongest points.

When you begin the game, you are slow, you are physically weak, and your rate of fire is slow. As you progress through the levels, you will find powerups, such as Speed Boosts, AutoMag (quickens your fire rate), and Armor, which gives you an extra hit. All of these are permanent. There are other non-permanent items such as Freeze, which freezes your opponents, and Camo, which makes enemies ignore you. You also have your standard Extra Lives and Health bonuses.

The mazes themselves get progressively larger, and most are loaded with secrets (especially level 1). There are certain methods to breaking secret walls. Sometimes you ram them, sometimes you shoot them. Later levels also feature invisible walls, multicolored keys, buttons, and warps to complicate matters. All this adds up to a wonderful old-school FPS game that's well worth a trip through.

Multiplayer Arena mode features roughly 16 levels from the game. You can change certain settings, and you can determine what opponents you want to face, up to 8. You can choose any combination from Turkeys, Rovers, Gremlins, and the mighty Bouncers. Some levels are intricate mazes, where ambushes are key, and some are wide open free-for-alls where speed and dodging are key.

PURCHASE PRICE
Unknown.

Synopsis=While not very pretty, this game will make you awe at what BulletProof Software was able to do with some very limited hardware.

Score=7.5

From IGN Cube:

Quote:April 16, 2003 - Last week IGNcube reported that in May Nintendo would release a GameCube demo disc with several sneak-peek looks at unreleased games -- in playable form. Today, via a promotional advertisement for the deal, the company may have inadvertently unveiled which titles would be included on the disc, and it looks to be a strong lineup.
Playables on the disc, according to the promo:


Splinter Cell
Viewtiful Joe
Billy Hatcher and the Giant Egg
Sonic Adventure DX
IGNcube has also learned that a playable of the US Soul Calibur II will be on the disc.

There could be more playable titles on the disc in addition to these, and though Nintendo hasn't confirmed it, there will likely be a handful of video previews too.

The demo disc will be free of charge.



We'll have more on the disc in the near future. Stay tuned.

From Games Are Fun:

Quote:Vectorman and Altered Beast on PS2
Gamers.com is reporting that two development studios are working on new installments in two classic Sega series for the PlayStation 2. The latest magazines will be hitting newsstands in a few days, and they'll have the scoop on Vectorman from Pseudo Interactive (Cel Damage) and Altered Beast from Sega's own WOW Entertainment. There's also speculation that the games will be unveiled in video or playable form at E3 in May, so you can expect full coverage from GAF.
Source: Gamers.com

Posted by Soul4ger on 4.15.2003