QA: 11-11-2003

Hi there,
I've got a quick question which probably isn't really important but I'm still curious anyway. Why is the GameCube version of Gladius being shipped on November 3rd while the PS2 and X-Box versions shipped on October 29th (as planned). Any ideas? Thanks for your help.
-Terry

Josh: It could've been any number of factors -- a slight delay in the actual physical production of the GCN discs of Gladius (since the GCN uses a customized disc while the PS2 and XBox use normal DVDs), a few days' more of development time, etc.

Busted Cubes.

I think my Cube is busted! For some reason when I put a DVD into it, it doesn't work. Dude, you just have to help me. No way am I going to shell out another hundred bucks. Thanks. Take it easy.
-Mr. Smarty Pants

Josh: Unless you've got a Q, your GameCube will never work if you put a DVD into it, as it cannot play DVDs. If you're talking about a normal game, I would recommend giving Nintendo's excellent customer service a ring at 1-800-255-3700.

Mario Kart secret charcters.

Hey guys,
From recent news releases I've heard about the upcoming Mario Kart game, I've gathered that there are 11 new characters in the game that were absent from Mario Kart 64. In the 64 version there were 8 racers meaning Double Dash has an incredible number of 19 drivers. So... in addition to Mario, Luigi, Peach, Toad, Yoshi, Bowser, DK and Wario ( the original cast). There are eleven more...[snip for spoilers...ed] But who is the final unlockable character??? The strange thing is that every character seems to have a given partner, but if the mysterious 11th new character is real who would be his/her ideal partner? This announcement just about squashes rumors that BOTH Sonic and Tails are to appear in the game and why would Nintendo bring one of the Sega characters into the game as a driver but not the other? If the driver ends up being a Boo or a Shy Guy I'm gonna be a tad disappointed, I'm hoping for a huge surprise. So I'd like to know if you all have any clue who the last character is or if maybe there is only a total of 18 drivers and Electronic Gaming Monthly made a typo in their review of the game. Thanks,
-Jason

Josh: First off, I censored your letter a bit in case there are those who do not want to know the secret characters yet. I will tell you that you named all of the characters I've heard of, and to my knowledge there aren't any more. If there is an elusive 19th character, I'd bet just about any amount of money that it isn't Sonic or Tails. This is Mario Kart, which takes place in the Mario universe. Sonic, Tails, or even Nintendo's own Link would just feel out of place.

NINTENDO IS TEH D00meD!

A few months ago, everywhere I went, I always heard, " Oh, Nintendo is stupid, they are kiddy and dont have online games." Sure Nintendo did have alot of kid games, and only a few online games, but it was only on a slump, and recently the sales of Gamecubes have gone far upward since the price change. I do not know why Nintendo is so disliked still. I think that Nintendo should quit its 1st party role and go on to a 2nd party role. From what I learned by a poll, I did, most people like Nintendo for its games only. Playstation is liked for how many games its platform has, and its online play. X-box is liked for its great graphics. What is your opinion?
-Brad Mason

Josh: I'm not sure what you're asking here. Yes, there is a misconception from many people that Nintendo is "kiddy", stupid, etc. There are also plenty of people -- young and old -- who quite enjoy Nintendo, and who appreciate the company for its consistently high-quality first and second party games, and well-designed, solid pieces of hardware. Does that answer your question?

Online once more.

Can you give us a list of the online games to come to Gamecube besides PSO1&2 Also I was wondering if Mario Kart:DD would be online?
-Brad Mason

Josh: There are currently no other GameCube games that can be taken online besides Phantasy Star Online...at least, officially. Using a program like Warp Pipe, however, you can get your Cube online with a LAN-enabled game, such as Kirby's Air Ride and the upcoming Mario Kart: Double Dash and 1080 Snowboarding sequel. Keep in mind that this technology is still in its infancy, and may not be completely fine-tuned. That being said, I expect that in time, anyone with a nice broadband connection, a LAN Cube game, and the proper equipment will be able to take their GameCube online smoothly, if not unofficially.

Q&A By: Josh Righter.

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