GameCube Mailbag - March 18, 2005

Matt responds: No, I have not forsaken you or the mailbag. The only thing that was forsaken yesterday was my desk, which cried out for my return. I was out for the first half of the day and incredibly engaged in a quest for a new IGN Los Angeles office. By next month, we're hoping to jump into a more accommodating location roughly 10 times the size of the one we have now, and I've been put in charge of building this thing's new demo room. Therefore, I go along with the suits -- also known as Peer -- whenever they check out our potential new digs. The good news is that we may have found our new office yesterday, and it's quite spiffy to be sure. Also intriguing is that it's located directly adjacent to a Best Buy, which means that we can walk over and geek out whenever we damned well feel like it. But as you pointed out, the downside was that I didn't get back to our current crapping hole in time to put together a noteworthy mailbag update.

That was a rather long and decidedly unnecessary explanation, wasn't it? Especially when you consider that I still update the GameCube mailbag more frequently than any other IGN site.

Also worth mentioning is that Juan is somehow to blame for everything.

Cooperate

On TimeSplitters Future Perfect. As the GameCube doesn't have online play (that really SUX!!1) does the game feature co-op mode?

Matt responds: It does indeed feature a two-player split-screen cooperative mode. You and a friend, assuming you have one, can together play through the entire story mode. I checked it out the other day and it functions nicely. The only drawback is that -- at least on GameCube, and I expect the same is true on the other versions, too -- there's a framerate hit. The two-player cooperative experience is still entirely playable, but it chugs a big more than the mostly smooth single-player game.

By the way, excellent usage of "1" for effect after your "SUX!!" You could be a seasoned message board poster with prose like that.

Hating on Haterz

Hey matt, after the last few mailbags it got me thinking: which are worse, anti-nintendo crusaders or diehard nintendo fanatics? You've had to deal with plenty of both, and I was just curious which group was more annoying/ incompetent/ harassing/ etc.

Matt responds: Nintendo fanatics are usually okay in my book. Except for the extremists. They tend to write me angry letters for anything I print that could possibly, somehow, in any universe, be deemed as a slant on Nintendo. For instance, watch this:

Hey Nintendo extremists. Why aren't publishers announcing Revolution support?

There. I can guarantee you that hundreds of people are sending me angry letters and most of them will 1) say that I am too "negetive" and 2) suggest that if I hate Nintendo so much, maybe I would prefer to work for the PlayStation 2/3 or Xbox/Xenon sites instead. Except most won't be able to articulate these sentiments in such an organized manner.

Crusaders against Nintendo, on the other hand, should buy real estate in the fiery pits of hell. Nintendo extremists usually have some clue, even if it is misguided. Anti-Nintendo-ists, though, generally hate the company just because. I can point to a couple of worthless IGN editors who feel this way, even if they won't officially admit it, and all I can do is cry a single tear for them. I cry for their ignorance and I cry because I am already planning their untimely, violent deaths.

Link the Barbarian

Thanks for your article on the New Zelda. Some interesting speculation in there. From what I imagine is old news the sound track of Zelda is being done by the guy who did the music for Conan the Barbarian, so there will be orchestrated music.

Matt responds: Actually, that's not true. Nintendo licensed a piece from composer Basil Poledouris -- the same popular song from the Conan the Barbarian movie -- for the original Ocarina of Time trailer. It reused the piece for the first new Legend of Zelda GameCube trailer. However, that piece was never included in the finished Ocarina of Time, nor do I expect it will be featured in the new Zelda. It's just a catchy and very epic song to unveil new Zelda trailers.

Conversely, the latest Zelda trailer features original orchestrated music, which is a much more promising sign of possible orchestrated music in the finished game.

High Definition

Hi Matt! Great job on the site! I enjoy reading your editorials and insight. I am one of your older readers(30 something), and I have a question regarding Nintendo and High Definition. Do you think they will be implementing this capability in the Revolution? I will probably be buying a plasma television this year, and the thought of not being able to have a console that has this capability bothers me. I am an avid Nintendo fan. The only consoles I have owned in the past 8 years are the N64 and the Gamecube. I am a father of 2 now and don't have time to own and play numerous consoles(PS2, Xbox). If Nintendo doesn't include this ability, they may be pushing individuals like myself over to the competition. Do you have any information or thoughts as to what they will do regarding HD? Thanks for you time!

Matt responds: I'd say that's a given. Developers are beginning to hear some concrete details about Revolution, and so far the console looks to be in line with Xenon in terms of power. Some have indicated that Revolution could be slightly less powerful, but still very capable. Even if that's true, high-definition support is in the bag. And besides, Nintendo itself has indicated that Revolution would be able to hook up to a computer monitor, which suggests a higher-end video output. I think that the next-generation battle will be fought in high-definition.

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