Good article from Nintendojo

[OB1]

OB1... how about my first reply up there, or DJ's long reply? You didn't say anything at all about either one...

I'm only replying to the stuff that I disagree with.

No, its not a pure gimmick! Is it expensive? Yeah. But just a gimmick? No way. Oh, sure, they could do a "NES Archives" thing for GBA... that'd probably be better, honestly. But just because they are doing it differently doesn't mean its gimmicky... the E-REader may be expensive, but the cards aren't hugely so. As I said, eventually the cost makes sense... I don't have one, but I'd consider it if I had the money. Its definitely unique, and uniqueness is something Nintendo likes. You clearly hate the E-Reader... not sure why. It really doesn't look that bad... sure its inconvenient and there could be better ways of doing what it does, but its sure different. Which is what Nintendo was going for, more than its profit value, I'm sure...

It's an expensive device that doesn't offer anything that could be done by other means.

gim·mick

1.An innovative stratagem or scheme employed especially to promote a project: an advertising gimmick.

2.A significant feature that is obscured, misrepresented, or not readily evident; a catch.

Mario 3... okay that stuff probably should have been in the cart. But still... its still nice to know that they'll be able to add more levels in the future, you know! Its not like the set of Mario 3 cards out right now will be the only one... sure, they just use the current tilesets. But they are new levels. Should some have been included, and some of the training stuff? Yeah, probably. But I see absolutely nothing wrong with using the only real way the game could have added something on... it really is an innovative use for the E-Reader and it'll be interesting to see if they put the feature in any other games.

Would getting it on an online service via the GC be better? Of course. But we just have to accept that for the time being Nintendo is moronic about online play.

My point is that the E-Reader is not the only real way to add something to a game like Mario 3, it's just the most expensive way to do it. It shouldn't cost over twice as much as the game itself to get extra remixed levels and power-ups!

Probably not, since I don't have many friends, much less friends with GBAs. Well, maybe I'll try to get the Pac-Man disc somehow, I don't know... though I probably will get FF:CC. That one looks like something I'd like...

Right, and I only know two other people with a Gamecube and a GBA.

Funny how there are a lot of other Nintendo fans here who aren't nearly as cynical as you are...

They're just not as vocal, or don't have as good of a memory as I do. :)

And most of the time you're just as critical of Nintendo as I am! You just change your stance every five seconds.

And its not like I wasn't a Nintendo fan before '99 or anything! I've always been a Nintendo fan... I just only had the GB. And that had delays and everything too. I certainly know what you are talking about... I just haven't completelyy given up on Nintendo.

There is no other Nintendo system that can compare to the kinds of delays and game shortages that we had to face with the N64. Not even close.

And of course I haven't given up on Nintendo, as that George Harrison interview gave me a lot of hope for their future. But that's not going to stop me from discussing their strengths and weaknesses at a NINTENDO board.

"Dozens" of games don't use the feature. Not even close.

Oh really?? Here's a list of all the GBA and GC games that use the connectivity feature:

Current and near-future games:

1. All-Star Baseball 2004
2. Animal Crossing
3. Crash Bandicoot: Wrath of Cortex
4. Disney's Magical Mirror
5. Disney Sports Basketball
6. Disney Sports Soccer
7. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
8. Legend of Zelda WW
9. Madden NFL 2003
10. Madden NFL 2004
11. Metroid Prime
12. Phantasy Star Online Ver. 1 & 2
13. Rayman 3 Hoodlum Havoc
14. Sonic Adventure 2: Battle
15. Splinter Cell
16. Wario World
17. Billy Hatcher and the Giant Egg
18. Choro Q!
19. Crash Nitro Kart
20. Donkey Kong Plus
21. FIFA Soccer 2004
22. Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles
23. Harvest Moon: A Wonderful Life
24. Legend of Zelda: Four Swords
26. Legend of Zelda: Tetra's Trackers
27. Medabots: Infinity
28. Metal Gear Solid: Twin Snakes
29. Nintendo Puzzle Collection
30. Pokemon Box
31. Pokemon Colosseum
32. Roll-a-Rama
33. Stage Debut
34. Sonic Adventure DX
35. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
36. The Sims: Bustin' Out
37. Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2004
38. Pacman Vs.

38... that's what, just over three dozen games! Yeah, I am totally off the mark on that one! Not even close, as you put it!

Hmm... how about the Tingle Tuner in Zelda? Or some third-party games... Splinter Cell, if I remember, had a minimap...

The Tingle Tuner was pretty much useless, but it was kind of neat. The SC map is helpful but way too cheap.

Given how we know NOTHING about the N5 why give up so soon?

Nintendo is pretty predictable. :) I think they'll be too cheap to include a HDD.

Oh yeah, and I wouldn't say that this is an either/or with 'either connectivity OR online'. I see no reason they can't have both! Your arguements are mostly about 'it costs too much' (a legitimate complaint about some of these things, certainly (the pointless ones), but not all of them...) or 'that'd be better online'.

In various interviews Miyamoto and other Nintendo heads specially talked about how connectivity is the better alternative to online gaming.

Well of course GC games online would be better, and Pac-Man and Four Swords...

Though, you know, Pac-Man and Four Swords really wouldn't work online either. Those games are the perfect use of the GC-GBA link -- they rely on all the players being able to see one screen and their personal one at the same time. Unless it was those games online while you used a GBA as the controller instead of a normal controller, which kind of is against the point of 'online wouldn't need a GBA'...

Of course for FF:CC online would probably be perfect, and some other games that use it... but for the few that use that connectivity to its potential... it really is a unique form of gameplay.

Oh yeah, and of course the online would be better than the E-Reader for adding levels. I hope that when Nintendo finally goes online they'll do that.

No no, I'm talking about playing online with the GBA as a controller. This whole connectivity could be incredible if you could play these games online.