Galactic complaints, Phantom releases, and… DS Next? Hah, you wish.
Developer Command
Hello I heard Star Fox Command was not developed by Nintendo. Can you confirm this to me? If it is, when will we finally play another Nintendo developed Star Fox game? Enough with the lame sequels done by poor developers.
Stig (Stephen) says:
Sorry to break it to you, but Q-Games is tasked with the development of Star Fox Command for the Nintendo DS. Q-Games is relatively new to the gaming scene, but the company is made up of several veterans from the gaming industry.
Now I don’t know if you know this, but Nintendo has let several outside companies handle development of some of their most prized franchises. Capcom for one has handled the portable Zelda games, with great critical acclaim. Sega’s Amusement Vision helped develop F-zero GX, and AX as well. Though you do have the occurrences when the project just turns out all wrong, despite handing the reigns off to a great developer.
I can understand your fear after previous Star Fox games turned out to be average at best. But Star Fox Command is different. I had a chance to play it at E3, and let me say it is truly a return to form for the Fox team. The control, and game design seems to be right on par with the first two Star Fox games, and you can battle other players locally, or online. Trust me; this game will remind people how good the Star Fox games can be.
Jig (Jeff) says:
Does it really matter who is developing the game as long as it turns out to be good? Before making your buying decision based on the developer, wait for some reviews or for an opportunity to get a chance to play it yourself. Once in a while even the worst developers (based on track record) manage to put out a good title. While I’m sure one of the other guys will give you the answer you need, I urge you to focus more on the reviews or personal experience with the game before making any sort of judgment.
Mig (Miguel) says:
While I understand your fears, I also agree with Jeff. Who cares about the developer if the game turns out to be good in the end? Just wait for the game to come out, and experience it for yourself. It’s true that we tend to trust experienced developers more, but give the new guys a chance. Sometimes they surprise us.
Play It Loud?
Is the play-yan coming to the US? I want mp3 playback on my nice DS Lite.
Mig says:
I think it was Reggie Fils-Aime who said that they were “looking into†bringing the Play-Yan to the US. That’s pretty encouraging if I say so myself. The recent announcement of the Play-Yan coming to Europe is pretty encouraging too –- it just leaves American and Australian gamers to go. Come on, you can do it, Nintendo.
Jig says:
It doesn’t look like it at this point. Nintendo doesn’t really care much about supporting media capabilities for the DS. It doesn’t mean it won’t ever come to the US, but I would just plan on not seeing it make its way here. There are some 3rd party releases that you can check out that have similar functions, or you can import the play-yan itself from either Lik-sang or Play-Asia.
Stig says:
There have been several rumors that Nintendo might be in the process of bringing the Play-Yan in some form to America. Even Reggie commented on it during a couple interviews. As of late these rumblings have died down quite a bit, and I feel that maybe Nintendo has other plans. So I wouldn’t count on seeing the Play-Yan anytime soon. But who knows, this is Nintendo we are talking about.
Phantom Release
Is it true that Phantom Hourglass has been pushed to 2007? What about Four Swords for DS? Is that still coming to the DS?
Stig says:
Nintendo’s official site states that it is set for a forth quarter release. But other sites have it set for a first quarter 2007 release. So, right now officially according to our friends at Nintendo, Zelda: Phantom Hourglass will arrive in a couple of months. But I must admit that I believe it will be next year before we see Link on the DS.
Mig says:
It has not be confirmed, but it’s pretty much a given. It doesn’t bother me, though, as I’ll be too busy playing Twilight Princess to care about a second Zelda game. It will also prevent people who can only buy one game from having to make a split decision when it comes to picking up a Zelda title. Additionally, it will give Nintendo more room to strongly market each of these titles without fear of taking attention from the other. So the way I see it, having a 2007 release date may not be such a bad idea for Phantom Hourglass.
Jig says:
It sounds like Phantom Hourglass is indeed going to be pushed to ’07, but I haven’t heard any official confirmation. It might not be a bad idea for the game to get pushed back though. With the launch of the Wii and several other high profile releases, it might be best to save Zelda for an early Spring launch. From a marketing standpoint it makes much more sense and would allow the game to be polished up even more before release. As for Four Swords, it appears to still be in development but we haven’t heard much about it in quite some time. It’s possible it was put on hold to focus efforts on Phantom Hourglass, but I would imagine we’ll hear something about it soon enough.
Boycott Friend Codes!
Do you think Nintendo will change their strategy regarding the Nintendo WiFi connection? I hate friend codes! There I said it. I don’t want Wii codes for the Nintendo Wii! Do you know if they have plans to change them?
Jig says:
Not much is known about Wii’s online services. I won’t be too surprised if it’s similar to the DS friend codes though. I personally would like to something closer to what is offered on Xbox Live, but knowing how Nintendo is extremely family friendly and “kid safe,” I think we’ll see the return of friend codes or something very close to them.
Mig says:
I think everyone is hoping that the friend code system is not used in the upcoming Wii console, but the semi-official word is that it will indeed make a comeback on Nintendo’s home system. But until an official announcement is made, I wouldn’t worry because even though it may not seem like it, Nintendo is paying attention to our complaints. So we’ll see.
Stig says:
As far as I know don’t expect Nintendo to do away with friend codes. Online gaming is a tricky business, and Nintendo doesn’t want parents worrying about just who there children are talking to or playing with. Even thought the friend code don’t exactly accomplish much of anything, Nintendo still seems to fancy the design.
Dude, That’s a New System
Are there plans to redesign the Nintendo DS Lite? I want bigger screens and dual analog sticks to play better games. I want a more powerful processor too. I want to use GameCube discs too. I heard it was underway when can I expect it?
Jig says:
Well we won’t be seeing any of that until Nintendo’s next handheld. Don’t expect to see any future DS upgrades to offer anything besides aesthetic changes. You will never see a DS with analog sticks, more power, or the capability to play GameCube discs. For any of that to happen you’ll have to wait for either the next Game Boy or DS successor. With the success of the DS, however, I wouldn’t expect one for at least a few years.
Mig says:
Haha, is that a re-design? Sounds like a new system to me. Anyway, to answer your question, I don’t see any of the things you want happening with the next (assuming there is a next) Nintendo DS design. I can see it happening with a Game Boy next, though, especially after hearing rumors that Nintendo is looking into shrinking the GameCube. In the meantime, just enjoy the latest redesign: the Nintendo DS Lite. It just came out, you know.
Stig says:
Let me get this straight, you want a portable Nintendo GameCube. If you answered yes, then I will have to tell you that it is going to be a long wait, if it comes out at all.
I know some sites have speculated that a portable GameCube is in the works, but I don’t see it happening anytime soon for a variety of reasons:
1. The GameCube game’s weren’t designed around portability. Thus when you reduce the screen size, some objects will be very difficult to see.
2. Nintendo could make more money by porting software from the Cube to the next gen portable.
3. GameCube support in retail is dwindling, most retailers wouldn’t want to invest in a software that is losing marketshare, even thought it works with a new portable.
4. Other companies have tried making a console a portable with no real success for all the reasons listed above. Namely Sega with their Nomad game system.
Mig says:
Or that, too.
Strategy Heaven? We Wish.
When the DS was announced, the industry said it would have the best strategy games, because of the input method. After two years, it has only one good strategy game: Advance Wars. And it doesn’t even need the dual screen/touch screen, it’s just a good game. Where are the strategy games? What upcoming strategy games, if there are any, would you recommend? I love the site keep the specials coming.
Jig says:
I’m a bit confused why we haven’t seen a lot of strategy titles for the DS, but there are a few coming. Star Trek: Tactical Assault is looking pretty cool, and Panzer Tactics has some potential, so keep an eye on those. Hopefully we see an increased emphasis on the strategy genre as DS support continues to grow.
Stig says:
Thanks for the compliments, now onto your letter. There have been a few strategy games so far for the Nintendo DS, but I can only recommend two. The one you mentioned, Advance Wars: Dual Strike is one of the best strategy games available on any platform. The other I would recommend trying is Age of Empires: Age of Kings. Don’t expect it to be just like the PC original, its not. They removed the real time battles, for a more balanced turn based approach, and it really works. The design and implication are outstanding.
As far as the future is concerned, Fire Emblem and another Advance Wars game are rumored to be on the way, but no official word. Also Panzer Tactics is shaping up to be a more traditional venture into the strategy genre, and definitely one to watch out for.
Mig says:
With Advance Wars: Dual Strike as the best strategy game on the DS, do we really need any more strategy games? Who am I kidding, of course we do. It really baffles the mind why, as you say, Advance Wars is only one of the few good strategy games on a system that’s supposed to be made for the genre. I’m still waiting for Fire Emblem to come out for DS, so that’s painful enough as it is.
Boo.
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