Both Japanese Ranking and Planning have been updated. November of this year will be the quietest November since the gameCube was released in Japan 3 years ago, only three titles are announced (one from Nintendo and, that sucks, two from EA).
The good news is that a release date has finally been set for Battalion Wars, it will release at the same time as Zoids Full Metal Crash, that is on October 27. We also know its final Japanese name, which had been kept under wrap (or perhaps not yet created !) until now, it is: 突撃！！ファミコンウォーズ , "Totsugi!! Famicom Wars", translated as "Charge!! Famicom Wars"
» See the updated planning
» See this week ranking
» Fact sheet preview for Battalion Wars
A new Zoids game is scheduled for this October in Japan, it's the fourth Zoids game on GameCube ! There have been as many Zoids games as Mario Party games on this console. Quite shocking.
» Fact sheet preview for Zoids Full Metal Crash
A quick glance at some various GameCube news from the recent days, from sneak peeks at new games to mysterious rumours:
Mario Snowboard. Nope, rest assured, it's not a new Mario Sports title, but one of these wacky agreements between EA and Nintendo. According to reports from the Games Convention which closed its doors last week, Mario and friends were seen going down the slopes in the new SSX 4 game, SSX On Tour. Nintendo characters will probably be unlockable like in NBA Street V3.
Smash Pak. It's a strange thing that an official GameCube pack with the most popular and best-selling title of the console is only coming out now. Nevertheless, it is the case and this Super Smash Bros. Melee GC bundle set is just out in the US including the game and a platinum GameCube and controller.
Arcade. Two new titles for the Triforce hardware for arcade machines are rumoured to be on exhibition at the next Jamma show this September: Mario Kart Arcade GP by Namco and Donkey Kong Jungle Fever by Spike Lee Capcom. I highly suspect ports are on the way, for GameCube or the next generation though ?
Zelda delayed. This is old news, but worth repeating in case you haven't been in our forums (or anywhere else for that matter): The Legend of Zelda - Twilight Princess release has been postponed from winter 2005 to sometime in 2006, in order to polish it and improve the experience. A decision anyone who cares about the game should support.
New game comments have been added to Dance Dance Revolution Mario Mix, Final Fasntasy Crystal Chronicles, Geist, WWE Day of Reckoning and Mutsu to Nohohon.
Good news for the GameCube, more of a desperate announcement actually: there will be one title release in October in Japan ! Yippee, time to celebrate ! There was some concern not a single game would be released, which would be a first for the console during what generally are the three busiest months of the year (october to december, the "Christmas months"). But fortunately, one game will come out, and surprise, it's a third-party title, surprise again, it's a new Zoids title, and final surprise, it's not a Zoids VS IV, but a whole new Zoids Full Metal Jacket, huh, sorry, Crash.
» See the updated planning
» See this week ranking
Not much happening this week, we keep comparing XD and Colosseum sales and give a glance at the Nintendo DS game number 1 this week.
» See this week ranking
One of the biggest fiascos of the GameCube has to be Pokemon Channel, the game seems to be available in every shop in large quantity at discount prices even though it's been available for almost 2 years now. Simply put: it did not sell. And it's unlikely the following review will help to change its carreer. Pokemon Channel is a boring game and a sincere failure, but it's not all that terrible, if you just realize there is a target audience, which most people don't belong to and which is: very young children and Pikachu fans. Too bad Nintendo didn't have higher ambitions.
» Review of Pokemon Channel
Last year, Samurai Nintendo had about six new games at the same time: Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles, Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes, Pokemon Channel, Star Wars Rogue Squadron III: Rebel Strike, Tony Hawk's Underground and Pitfall: The Lost Expedition. To my utmost astonishment, the game I ended up liking the best was Pitfall. When I had first glanced at the back of the box I had thought this one would be the worst of the lot...
But I'm not ashamed to admit it, Pitfall was the best and for two reasons mostly: because the gameplay was simple and because it was fun. It's not a master-piece, but it gets the job done. And this, in a nutshell, is what Nintendo humbly needs to learn again. They keep telling games need to be more simple but can't abide by their own precept with games using complex controls such as Super Mario Sunshine. Or when they try too hard, they end up with something as ridiculously simple (and not fun) as Kirby's Air Ride.
The simple and direct fun of old 8 and 16-bit games can still be reproduced in 3D games, Pitfall is the proof of it. Nintendo could of course do so much better, they just need to try learning instead of lecturing and losing their merit and our time with games in the vein of Donkey Konga.
» Review of Pitfall: The Lost Expedition
A little surprise this week, agains all odds, Pokemon XD: Yami no Kaze Dark Lugia achieves similar sales results to Pokemon Colosseum.
» See this week ranking
Previews for Mario Superstar Baseball (aka Super Mario Stadium: Miracle Baseball in Japan, I'll never say it enough) and a preview for the adorable Hello Kitty Roller Rescue have been added with a few pictures.
» Mario Superstar Baseball
» Hello Kitty Roller Rescue
The herculean task to transfer the 2003 ranking from the old version to the current version of our site has finally been completed. You can now access again the GameCube data of the Japanese ranking from the very first time we started to record it, in early March 2003, please consult the archives:
» Japanese GC Ranking (check the archives links at the top)
The GameCube keeps a low profile this week in the Japanese ranking, the charts are overwhelmed with PS2 games while GC games fall fast. We take the time to reflect on what could be Pokemon XD's next week results. We should have also updated the Japanese planning, but the truth is, there's nothing to update: no game is announced so far in the month of October.
» See this week ranking
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Updates and Battalion Wars in Japan
Zoids Full Metal Crash
GC Round-up
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