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Matt.

I was wondering if you could confirm if Fire Emblem GCN is indeed coming to America. And if it is, could you possibly pinpoint a projected release date for it? Thanks.

Matt responds: Sure thing. It's definitely coming to the US, but not until 2005, according to officially released information from Nintendo of America. No firm date set yet.

I remember hearing something about the apple G5 being in the next Nintendo system. Or having something to do with it. Is this at all true?

Matt responds: Not really, no. PowerPC based hardware is the foundation for the new Xbox console, which is why developers creating early software for the system have been sent Apple G5 systems as early dev kits. The exact hardware spec for Revolution remains unknown, but we do know some of the confirmed hardware partners include NEC and ATI. IBM is according to sources designing the main CPU for the system, which means that it could also be PowerPC based, but we don't yet know the specifics.

As always, check out our Revolution FAQ for more.

Hi, Matt. I was just thinking, I seem to recall that when Nintendo was making Metroid Prime, they showed an updated build to the press a few months after the E3 demo. Do you think Nintendo will do so with MP2, and if so, when? Thanks.

Matt responds: There hasn't been a real Nintendo event in awhile, which means the company is about due. Actually, according to inside sources, Retro Studios has been so busy putting the finishing polish on the expanded levels in the game that it has been unable to deliver a new build. That's supposed to change in the next month or so, and I imagine that as soon as it does Nintendo will have us out for a Prime 2 love fest. Naturally, we'll have a big update on the site as soon as we get our hands on a deeper version, so fret not.

Whatever happened to Cory and Fran? Do you still talk to them?

Matt responds: They're still around. Cory's in public relations nowadays and he's taking names and kicking ass. Meanwhile, Fran runs our Insider channel, which means that he spends most of his days doing video-based content and month-late head-to-head comparisons while cursing under his breath. I actually talk to them both quite a lot. Cory lives near me in Los Angles and we hang out on a regular basis. Fran's in my wedding party, actually.

Here is a random IM conversation between Fran and I, taken from this afternoon. The names of the IMers have been changed in order to protect the innocent, but I assure you that the following conversation is entirely real:

MattyCubed: Shut up, a$$@a!

FranInsider: I really wish you'd die.

MattyCubed: You talk to me, you die.

FranInsider: Less thinking for you, more dying.

MattyCubed: That WWE DoR trailer is old as hell, you incompetent hack. Do some research before you create extra work for me.

FranInsider: You don't have it in your media section.

FranInsider: All the trailers were old, unfortunately.

MattyCubed: %#D@!

FranInsider: DEATH.

MattyCubed: "I like lettuce, tomato, salami on rye! All this cheese gonna make me cry. Gorgonzola, provolone -- don't even get me started on this microphone!"

FranInsider: Haha.
FranInsider: Beastie Boys?

MattyCubed: Of course.

FranInsider: Touching, really.

MattyCubed: "Bam! Super-sonic goddamn!" -- Beastie Boys, 2004

FranInsider: It's a subtle message about the impact of a nuclear holocaust, which is knocking at all our doors, no matter what country you live in.

MattyCubed: Yep. Very thoughtful stuff.

FranInsider: Let's not forget their past messages:
"Intergalactic planetary, planetary intergalactic." -- Beastie Boys, 1998.
FranInsider: Also a broad, profound statement.

MattyCubed: I think what they were saying with that is that we're all part of the same planetary family, even if we're divided by galactic continents. It's a message of peace.

FranInsider: Exactly. It's not that they don't have a message for the people. Clearly they're lyrics are thought-provoking, but you have to really listen closely. For instance, the world is your sandwich; it's up to you what toppings go into it.

MattyCubed: Haha.
MattyCubed: Yep.
MattyCubed: What about...
MattyCubed: "Sharp, cheddar, my rhymes are better." -- Beastie Boys, 2004.

FranInsider: Hahaha. No way that's actually in there.

MattyCubed: Yes, it is.

FranInsider: Wow.

MattyCubed: They are amazing.

FranInsider: Only took them six years to meld thought-provoking lyricisms with addictive beats.
FranInsider: That's the truly amazing part.

MattyCubed: Yep.

I have reason to believe that the new zelda is a direct sequel to the Ocarina of Time. Go to http://www.zelda-infinite.com/files/wallpapers/1024x768/sunlight.jpg and do you see the two figures standing behind Link by the tree? Does that not look like..say...Saria and some Kokiri? And there is another one near the far left side of the pic. Plus its in a forest. Do you think im right?

Please post this, you never post any letters i send in, despite how much i bash the fran goat.

Matt responds: Well, that's certainly an interesting wallpaper. But sadly it's a fan-made artwork and nothing more. It's not official. Therefore we can't really base anything on it. I could just as easily make my own Zelda-like setting, drop Fran Goat into the setting, and argue that the hideous creature is one of Ganon's minions.

Matt, you said that Samus gets another suit. Do you have any details on what kind of suit it is? Is it the Phazon?

Matt responds: No idea. But the game's producer Kensuke Tanabe hinted that there would be another suit in the game that might allow Samus to exist in the Dark World. See an excerpt from an interview we did with the man at the Electronics Entertainment Expo 2004:

Q: Samus currently takes damage in the Dark World whenever she ventures outside of shielded bubbles that protect her from the environment. Will the character gain a new suit that lets her exist in the Dark World?

Kensuke Tanabe: [Smiles] That's a good question. I guess my response is that you're probably on the right track.

And that's as close to a confirmation as we've come.

Lately I've been wondering if, in fact, we might be able to actually play as Dark Samus. The entity is, after all, made out of Phazon, and is fully able to traverse the Dark World without taking any damage whatsoever. It would be a very interesting gameplay dynamic were we able to switch back and forth between the characters to accomplish certain tasks.