N-Sider Q&A Mailbag
Column by Jeff Van Camp, Travis Woodside
Edition: 05-23-2005
Its been a while. Id like to apologize for the month long absence of the mailbag. With College finals taking place, moving back home for the summer, adjusting to life with a full time job, and E3 coming along, the month flew by. Travis and I will try and make it up to you guys though. N-Sider will have some stellar E3 content popping up in the next few weeks. It should be our best Post-E3 coverage yet. Well do our very best to get the mailbag back on track and regular from here on in though. Tomorrow I will post a special Zelda edition of the mailbag, since I have had a few Zelda questions pop up (and got one 4000 word letter about it). Ive also withheld one recent Revolution letter, which will be published next week. Anyway, be sure to send your send your questions, criticisms, commentary, feedback, praise, or rants to qa@n-sider.com.
In this edition, everyone has issues with batteries, Brandon gets drunk and makes a fool of us, I finally answer a TimeSpitters: Future Perfect letter, we comment on the Xbox 360 unveiling, I decide that Id like to play Genesis games on my Revolution, and more.
Sega Games on my Revolution?
Dear Jeff and Travis,
As a SEGA and Nintendo old console fanboy, I was thinking about the truly excellent announcement at E3 about the Revolution having the ability to download old NES, SNES, N64 and possibly Gamecube games to it. Do you think there's a chance that SEGA would also allow (or pehaps be allowed by Nintendo) Master System, Mega Drive/Genesis, Saturn and Dreamcast games to be downloaded onto the Revolution too, or am I being mildly insane?
Thanks,
- Geoffrey Williams
Jeff: I think youre being mildly insane, but thats okay. Though Im positive the Revolution could easily emulate the games and it would be awesome for everyone, I dont foresee that happening. Still, stranger things have happened. That could be one of the coolest things ever though. It would only really work for Master System and Genesis games though. Saturn and Dreamcast games would be too large in size to fit on a SD card or the 512 MB of internal Flash Memory that the Revolution will have. I mean, you could by an SD card big enough, but no one is going to buy a new card for each game they have. It just isnt feasible.
TimeSplitters: Future Perfect
Hello N-Sider! I'm going to buy some games for GCN, but I don't know exactly wich ones, so I request your opinion:
I have never played a TimeSplitters before, but I'm going to buy one because I liked very much GoldenEye and Perfect Dark, and I'm very interested in the Map Maker feature.Should I buy Future Perfect or the cheap TimeSplitters 2?
And speaking of the Map Maker feature, can you tell me what are the differences betwen both versions of the Map Maker?
Thank you very much!!
- Dr. Doak
Jeff: Hah, well its been a few weeks, but I actually have played TimeSplitters: Future Perfect now. To be honest, I liked it a lot more than the second one. Free Radical has really pulled their unique art style together into a very cohesive whole for the first time. In my opinion, the game isnt nearly as washed out and bland looking as TimeSplitters 2. Though I havent beaten it yet, the single player adventure is proving more fun and the multiplayer component is finally on a high enough level that it reminds me of GoldenEye 007. At times, not being able to jump feels hindering, but I really feel that the end result is a much more frantic and fun multiplayer game. Im also happy to report that, unlike almost all multiplayer first-person shooters since Perfect Dark, Future Perfect has impressive bot support, a plethora of characters to choose from, a ton of maps, and player stat tracking. Its definitely not the best first-person shooter Ive ever played, but its fun. And thats all that really matters. I recommend renting before buying.
Replacing SNES Game Batteries
Hello,
I have an enormous collection of old Super Nintendo games. When the battery goes dead in the games is there a way to replace it. I don't want to lose Secret of Mana and other classics to a dead battery. If there is a way, is it possible to do it yourself.
Thank you,
- Scott
Glen: If you're brave and want to take apart your cartridge, go for it I suppose (I'm too technically inept to ever try such a thing so please do me a favor and be careful to Secret of Mana). You will need a special screw driver to open up the cartridge (if you don't have one that will be your first purchase) and a CR2032 lithium battery, which will be your second purchase and cost around $4.00. Unfortunately, the battery that currently resides in your cartridge is firmly connected to metal mounting clips. Although you might find batteries sold in this manner on eBay, don't expect to find any at say, Best Buy. So either you can carefully retain the connector and weld it to the new battery or you can find/purchase a new battery holder which might allow future CR2032 battery replacements to be done with ease. Whatever the case, do be careful. And even search around the internet for a better explanation.
Revolution MTV Special / SpaceWorld?
I was looking around at IGN and found a roundtable discussion that focused on Microsoft showing off its next console on MTV. Interesting marketing decision. I don't watch MTV so I won't be seeing it but many of the editors in the discussion figure that it will be "fluff" anyway. I am not really concerned about Microsoft but I am wondering how this will affect Nintendo's marketing campaign (that hasn't started yet, for good reason).
Depending on the results, do you think Nintendo may look at this stunt and think about doing something similar closer to their launch next year? Do they need to?
Personally, I am hoping for something a little different, but familiar territory for Nintendo: Spaceworld 2005, baby!
I would love to see Nintendo hold a Spaceworld event this year (having a conference similar to that which they held four years ago for Gamecube). Not only would it put the Revolution in the spotlight, but it may just turn a few gamers' heads toward Nintendo and curtail some of the "Let's buy the Xbox 2 because it's new" sales into "Let's wait for the Revolution" sales.
What are your thoughts? Do you think Nintendo will hold a Spaceworld conference in 2005 or 2006? Will Nintendo hold one at all?
I hope so, it could be the shot-in-the-arm that Nintendo (and non-Nintendo) fans need to get hyped up about the Revolution coming to gaming next year.
- Laure Anttila
Jeff: This is an older letter, but after seeing the Xbox 360 MTV special, I dont think Nintendo should even ponder the thought of doing something similar. At least not in anywhere near the format Microsoft did. The unveiling left much to be desired and felt like it was more about celebrities and The Killers than the console itself. None of the technical demos (most prerendered) impressed me much either. Overall, it was just a very lame unveiling and took a lot of the steam out of the companys E3 Pre-Show.
Will Nintendo put together a SpaceWorld this year? I doubt it, though I wouldnt mind being surprised. Nintendo hasnt had a SpaceWorld since the GameCubes infancy. While this could point to a Revolution unveiling SpaceWorld, much like how the GCN was unveiled there, I dont think it will happen. The event is too Japanese centered, which can no longer be the core focus of Nintendos business and it knows that. I think the company lost a lot of steam by not fully unveiling Revolution at its E3 Pre-Show, but I understand its reasons for being hesitant. However, with everyone worrying about the systems graphical capabilities, it would have been easy to put together some movies (prerendered or not) that represented what the system was capable of. Im sure that would have put a lot of skepticism to rest, but Nintendo didnt to that. So it is definitely going to have to find a way to get the Revolution out there in the mainstream consciousness later this year and early next. Waiting until next E3 to unveil everything will be too late, as far as Im concerned.
In summary, yes I think an event like SpaceWorld 2005 would be cool, but it should have more of a worldwide reach.
E3 DVD and Backward Compatibility
Figured I'd help you guys out with your malnourished mailbag. I have a few questions:
1) Will you guys be doing an E3 DVD this year? It just doesn't seem like E3 now without an N-Sider E3 DVD coming out. (and the funny thing is, I was at E3 last year (thanks to you guys, many, many thanks again. From me and my team)... and I still had to get the DVD)
2) As much as I hate to jump on the bandwagon, I have to ask a NRev question. Do you think it's possible that, given the backwards compatability, Nintendo might release a few GC games that when played on the NRev will have special features or something along those lines? Would be a great way to ease the transition betwen the systems imho.
3) Are you guys totally psyched over Zelda as well, or am I just a raving fanboy? I think I'm a raving fanboy... but how can anyone not be stoked based on the info we're getting from Hobby Cosolas, EGM, and NP?
Anyway, that's all I got for now... if I think up anything else I'll ask away :)
- Greg Szemiot
Lead Game Designer
http://www.crossbeamstudios.com
Jeff: Yes! A numbered letter! I love these.
1. No, unfortunately we arent doing an N-Sider E3 DVD this year. Dean just didnt have enough time to do one this year. However, we are going to be posting several movies of the event up for N-Forum members entitled Hitchhikers Guide to E3. Ill have to ask Dean about specifics, but Im sure they will be pretty entertaining to watch. Here is a link to the trailer.
2. Thats a neat idea, but I doubt it. It just doesnt sound like something that would pay off enough to be worth the time and effort. One thing I would like out of the Revolution is to play Perfect Dark (N64) with a solid framerate. If that can be accomplished, Id buy the system on a dime.
3. I have to say after seeing footage from E3 I have never been more excited about a Zelda game. The level of polish I see is just amazing and it reaffirms just why I love the series so much. Im not going to proclaim that the game is some masterpiece before Ive played it, but it is looking like it will be a very very fun title, come this fall.
A Wavebird Retort
I'm neither "teasing," nor did I pull those from the Wavebird manual. Reading about people having problems with their controllers was simply becoming tiresome, so I put together a comprehensive list for people to reference and be like "oh, yea, I guess I shouldn't have punted my Wavebird when I got frustrated playing Metroid.. maybe that's why the buttons don't work." Nintendo's products are impeccable. So while I may be Captain Obvious, I'm not a captain of too many people, because I've seen how people treat their stuff and it's pretty ridiculous to hear them complain later that it doesn't work. "You mean I shouldn't lick my GameCube discs? How weird."
- Matt Sosnowski
Jeff: Haha, thanks for the clarification. You just came off a little abrasive, which is why I poked fun at you, thats all.
For those who dont know what is going on, please read the second letter in the last mailbag (April 24th edition), entitled All Possible Wavebird Problems. That should bring you up to speed.
Crazy Mikami Theories
Yeah, apparently to this day Mikami hasn't spoken to the senior management of CAPCOM concerning the port. He REALLY wanted it to be exclusive to Nintendo GameCube. Especially with all the advice he recieved from Miyamoto on where to take the franchise.
Miyamoto has always stressed that Nintendo does NOT want "kiddy" games but "innovative" ones. Mikami understood this that is why........
> P.N.03- Was a BIG difference from other Action/Adventure games.
> Viewtiful Joe- Was a BIG difference from other Platform games.
> Killer 7- Will be a BIG diffeence from other Action/Shooters.
> Resident Evil 4- Is a BIG difference from other Survival Horror games.
The "CAPCOM 5" was NOT exclusive because CAPCOM liked Ninty but because they were all innovative games that would belong on a Nintendo console.
This is why Mikami is soo upset about the port. He respects Miyamoto's view on gaming and that's why he put soo much effort into making Resi 4 different and unique. He enjoyed the challenge of recreating the Biohazard franchise and is himself amazed at what he has managed to produce. He knows that if he initially developed Resi 4 for the PS2, it would probably still be pre-rendered. Innovative games it not a requirement by SONY. Thus the Resi 4 would probably play like the previous titles. Heck, it would be the old version of Resi 4 shown at E3 2003!
The port was merely because CAPCOM's executives wanted more money for the game. They didn't care about the fact that the game was MADE for a Nintendo machine, not just coz that's the platform they were developing it on, but because it was an innovative and unique take on the Survival Horror genre. Innovation that equals Nintendo.
I truely respect you Mikami! You looked into the eyes of Miyamoto and you saw something beautiful and it is what you saw that you put with extreme effort developing Resi 4.
- Galvin Okoye
Jeff: While I think you may be overanalyzing things quite a bit, you have a fun little theory there. Have fun with it. Though I doubt its going to provide much comfort for us when RE4 hits PlayStation 2 shelves later this year.
Zoonami and Stowing Away
Boy do I have a surprise for you, and well that surprise is...... a question. Now aren't you happy? So hello to the few here and always Waaaaaaazzzzzzzzzz uuuuuuuuuuuuup. So my question is would it be at all possible for you guys to get hold of Zoonami and figure out what they have been up to lately. They have to be doing something more then Funkydilla for the past four years that they have been in business. So please oh please put a potato and Martin Hollis tail pipe of his car then drug him up and beat him till he gives you info, or maybe ask him nicely. I prefere the tail pipe thing but hey whatever floats your boat. One last thing when you go to E3 can you guys bring me along? I'm not that big and I can fit into trunk of a car nicely and I will if need be lose a couple lims just so I can go down there and look at that Bungie company in the face and say wow what an overated game then procede to take a number two on there table. Of course though after I faint watching the new Zelda trailer.
Sincerely. Your local Super Hero in hot pants
- Jeremy Tafoya
Jeff: Oh crap. I knew we were forgetting something. If anyone out there has seen a large tan suitcase sitting in a Los Angeles airport, please pick it up, take it home, and feed it. Do not open near tables!
As for Zoonami, we havent heard much yet, but Im sure we will soon enough.
Pac n Roll Multiplayer?
Will the multi-player elements of Pac 'N Roll include a multiplayer co-op mode like in Mrs. Pac Pan for the SNES? Also, is there any chance of getting a Pac Man Vs game for the NDS, even if it is just as an addition to another game? That would be nice. Thank you.
- Warren Scurry
Jeff: I, myself, havent yet played Pac n Roll, but I dont believe it will have any form of multiplayer. I may be wrong though. In any case, we will have full impressions of the games E3 presence very soon, along with coverage of nearly every game that graced Nintendos booth at E3.
Yoursktop Returns
Hi guys!
I'm sure it's just a crazy gag I didn't get, maybe I'm stupid, maybe I'm living under some kind of rock, but please, please, PLEASE: What is a yoursktop?! (Q&A, 19.04.)
Thank you... *puzzled*
- Markus Pfeffer
Jeff: Oh man, some people just dont get it. In order to read a mailbag correctly, you have to read the letter and then the response. Skipping one or both of those parts leads to much confusion.
Markus read over the Mountain Dew or Dr. Pepper letter again in the April 19th mailbag. I think youll find we use the term only as a means of belittling poor Jeremy Tafoya, who cant seem to spell your desktop without melding the words together.
Square Enix and Camelot on Revolution
Simple and short. =P
Know anything if SquareEnix will release a title or titles for the Revolution? And what's up with Camelot? These guys are so quite.
Thanks!
- Sion
Travis: Well, Sion, it's a safe bet that Square Enix will release a title for the Nintendo Revolution. Their relationship with Nintendo has significantly improved as of late so I'd be surprised if they shunned the system. We may not get Final Fantasy XIII, but Nintendo has confirmed that a Crystal Chronicles sequel is in development and I strongly believe that it will be online. However, this is all speculation on my part so if I see you going around message boards telling people that N-Sider has confirmed that Crystal Chronicles will be online for the Revolutionwell, I'll have to kill you.
Unfortunately we don't know much about Camelot either. They are, indeed, quiet. What we do know is that they have a Revolution title in development. What we don't know is what the title is, but there's a very high probability it is an RPG. Though I'll tell you right now that an RPG from Camelot doesn't necessarily mean it's a sequel to Golden Sun.
Mistwalker Nintendo Bound?
Hello, again! Can you clear something up. Please. I wanna know if Mistwaker will ever make games for the Nintendo console? I know they announced a DS title before. Don't know what happened to it though.. guess it was canned?
They aren't Microsoft exclusive are they?
- Sion
Travis: I'm going to assume you mean Mistwalker, the company founded by the creater of the Final Fantasy franchise, Hironobu Sakaguchi. The company is indeed working on a DS title currently only known as a "simulation RPG." Not being very versed in the ways of the RPG I am not entirely sure what that means. Since the company is interested in the DS I'd say there's a good possibility they'll make something for the Revolution as well, but this is pure speculation. Right now the only next generation system they are known to be developing for is the Xbox 360, which releases later this year.
Replacing a GCN Clock Battery
Dear N-Sider:
Do you have any information about replacing the clock battery in gamecube systems? I've seen several systems that consistently require system settings to be re-entered on startup, and I'm sure the battery is to blame, but I'm unable to find any information online regarding replacement of that battery. Do you know if there's a commercially available replacement?
- Robert
Travis: Im afraid that there is no commercially available replacement for the GameCubes clock battery. Even if there was youd have to crack open the system to replace it, thus voiding any warranty you may have. Luckily Nintendo will most likely replace it for you if you send the broken system to them. If its still under warranty theyll do this for free. If not then theyll still do it, but for a price! Id advise finding a tech support number at www.nintendo.com and seeing what they have to say.
Jeff: Heres a link you might find helpful. The repair prices are pretty steep though.
F.L.U.D.D. Water: Hot or Cold?
Dear Jeff, Travis and whomever is invited to the mailbag this week,
Well with all the rumors flying around about Nintendo's next-gen console and controller (most recently those being a pressure-system and 3D projection) gamers must flock to theorizing and assumptions built off of anonymous comments. Because of the recent rise in puzzlement relating to the Nintendo Revolution, I have begun my quest to seek the ultimate question, the one solitary question that drives all gamers to their knees in hopes of being blessed with the graceful answer. I am proud to say that I have found that question, yes, that ultimate question. And I am bestowing you with the task of answering it! That question is...
Is the water in the F.L.U.D.D. in Super Mario Sunshine hot or cold?
See, if you really look, when Mario sprays water there seems to be some kind of steam coming out of it. But when you spray the characters they seem to respond in a way that says, "AHH! COLD!" What's your take on this? Yes, I am serious about this question.
- Carlito C.
P.S. Can I send more than one question a week?
Travis: 42.
Jeff: Travis, 42 is your answer to everything. However, your answer is actually right in this case. The water in Marios FLUDD water pack is of varying temperature. The device doesnt appear to have any sort of heating or cooling element to it, so if you fill it with warm water, it will be warm. If you fill it with cold, youll be cleaning paint with cold water. If you fill the water pack up in a puddle, it might be warm. If you fill it in the ocean, its probably coldand salty.
The real question here is: How does paint never dry in a hot and sunny environment?
(For you Carlito, Id answer a thousand letters.)
Letter of the Week
Exactly how tight do tie Brandon up at night?
Brandon: HELO ALAN
Alan: HI
Brandon: I AM HERE TO TELL YOU IMPORETAT INFORMATION
Alan: UR GAY????
Brandon: PX CUVN
Brandon: hey i gotta imrpitiasn
Brandon: i wqn t to tell you that alcohohtnk i s bad or you
Brandon: and when you are comsumeing it you aought not to to message ppeople
Alan: ...wait...wait...no, not doing it for me. Can you roleplay a cheerleader this time?
Brandon: i out oibn my robe and wiazard har
Brandon: hat
Alan: sexy!
Brandon: YEHA BTICH
Alan: Man, I hope you really are drunk, because then I'm gonna send this convo into Q&A!
Brandon: tha's absoultely illegal you duck nuts
Alan: teehee
Brandon: i'll tell jeffy to not print yuor eviul blashpehemt
Brandon: u
Alan: It'll be the front page foreeeeever!
Brandon: TOCK SIDE~!
Alan: WEEEE
Brandon: HEH!~
Alan: you can't get kicked off the site for that, right?
Brandon: welli already said it to dean
Brandon: i don't jklow what you're talking about
Alan: el oh el
Alan: Man, hearts containers would be awesome if you updated it now
Brandon: i don't have the morot silikos
Brandon: to move my colums program
Alan: c'mooooon...it'll be fun!
Brandon: i physically can
Brandon: 't
Brandon: program the voclum
Alan: I can hold your hand
Alan: besides, you probably only have like three letters
Brandon: dear? aalkanb u gu haev lke ten lettters
Brandon: it's rcrazy shit how many legter si have
Alan: how crazy?
Brandon: like ten you nuts
Alan: I wanna see!
Brandon: Hey Brandon. Love the site--I would've been sending stuff in, but I didn't know about the feature until now"
Kid Icarus would be awesome in Smash Brothers.
Actually, how about Perrin Kaplin, Iwata or the Regginator? Wouldn't they look hilarious caricatured?? Iwata could use the DS touchscreen like a voodoo doll!
- Nick
Brandon: als there are others
Alan: BRILLIANT! That's his favorite letter ever?
Brandon: i have not isda
Brandon: idea
Brandon: everyone is a fucking deliquinent
Alan: sinners!
Brandon: yeah!
Brandon: dyeah!
Alan: a/s/l
Brandon: 24.f.super FUDKCIN HOT WITH HIUGE TITTIES
Alan: YES
Alan: r u a virgin???????
Brandon: OMG NO WAY
Brandon: I FUCJK SEXY GIURLS every day\
Alan: >') quack
Brandon: BAWK BARK
Alan: are you undrunk yet?
- Not Alan
PS: I still like Heart Containers better.
Jeff: And this proves, yet again, why the Q&A mailbag is more respectable than Heart Containers.
For those who dont know, Brandon uses every opportunity he can to drink. In this instance, he used the Mexican holiday Cinco de Mayo (May 5th) as his excuse to get ha-trashed and IM everyone he knows.
Since I feel the need to say something educational, El Cinco de Mayo ( the fifth of May in Spanish) is a Mexican national holiday. It commemorates the victory of Mexican forces led by General Ignacio Zaragoza over the French expeditionary forces in the Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862.