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The specs are much nicer, and the games will obviously be more advanced because of it. But graphically, it looks like they're still finding new tricks with the current Gameboy. Check out these shots of the upcoming Alone in the Dark:

http://pocket.ign.com/news/23128.html

The specs are much nicer, and the games will obviously be more advanced because of it. But graphically, it looks like they're still finding new tricks with the current Gameboy. Check out these shots of the upcoming Alone in the Dark:

(is there a Z80 in the machine then, or is it software emulation on the ARM?)

No, there doesn't appear to be either. This story at IGNPocket says that they shrunk the whole original Gameboy into a single chip that plays old games. The relevant passage:

Built into the Game Boy Advance's circuitry is a single chip - engineers have shrunk the Game Boy Color chipset into a single chip. When you plug an original Game Boy or Game Boy Color cartridge into the Game Boy Advance, the Game Boy Advance will check to see what type of game it is. If it recognizes the cartridge as a Game Boy or Game Boy Color title, the system will boot up as a Game Boy Color.

(is there a Z80 in the machine then, or is it software emulation on the ARM?)

No, there doesn't appear to be either. This story at IGNPocket says that they shrunk the whole original Gameboy into a single chip that plays old games. The relevant passage:

Built into the Game Boy Advance's circuitry is a single chip - engineers have shrunk the Game Boy Color chipset into a single chip. When you plug an original Game Boy or Game Boy Color cartridge into the Game Boy Advance, the Game Boy Advance will check to see what type of game it is. If it recognizes the cartridge as a Game Boy or Game Boy Color title, the system will boot up as a Game Boy Color.

The GBA Specs:

• 32bit ARM (rumored 206 Mhz?)
• 2.9" TFT reflective screen
• 240x160 resolution
• 511 simultaneous colors in character mode; 32,768 simultaneous colors in bitmap mode
• 8-way digital pad, two action buttons (A and B), two shoulder buttons (L and R), and a start and select button. In total, a D-pad and six buttons, four of which will be used for normal action.
• 135w x 80h x 25d
• Price: Unknown (under $150?)

From Compaq and Handhelds.org:

The iPAQ Specs:

• StrongARM 206 Mhz processor
• 2.26 x 3.02 inches backlit screen
• 240 x 320 resolution
• Color (4096 colors (12 bit)
• 5 way pad, four programmable buttons (2 left, 2 right)
• 5.11" x 3.28" x .62"
• Price: $445 from Pricewatch, MSRP higher

Okay... the same processor helps emulation, and the difference in resolution/bitdepth is addressable (unlikely, but possibly even in hardware) by dithering - which can be coded blazingly fast in ASM.

A and B on the right two buttons, shoulder buttons on the left two, remappable for various games and left-handed users. The 5 way pad on the iPaq is (I assume) a "click + 4 directions". I'm just wondering if that's 4 directions true, or if you can combine up and left for "upperleft". Map Start and Select to a key combo - maybe far left + both right for Start and inner left + both right for Select. For fighting games that use combos, you'd need to rework that, but IANAFGP... RPGs and sims are the only things I play.

The really neat thing would be if somebody packaged the emulator with a iPaq accessory sleeve that allowed you to pop in GB carts. Bleem vs. Sony seems to indicate that it could be done legally.

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Evan

I hate to break it to you, but Nintendo is changing; they have to. They lost this generation in part because of the public's perception that they're a "kiddie" company. Hence they're trying to change that image slightly. They're still making regular good family games like Mario and Zelda, but they're also allowing some more "adult-oriented" games too. They recenting announced Sin and Punishment for Japan, and they're allowing several risque games to come out from Rare (second party) like Conkers Bad Fur Day, which might be one the raunchiest videogame ever released, and Perfect Dark. The days when they ban blood in the games for their system are long gone.

I hate to break it to you, but Nintendo is changing; they have to. They lost this generation in part because of the public's perception that they're a "kiddie" company. Hence they're trying to change that image slightly. They're still making regular good family games like Mario and Zelda, but they're also allowing some more "adult-oriented" games too. They recenting announced Sin and Punishment for Japan, and they're allowing several risque games to come out from Rare (second party) like Conkers Bad Fur Day, which might be one the raunchiest videogame ever released, and Perfect Dark. The days when they ban blood in the games for their system are long gone.

I'm not up to speed on the specs myself, so I'll happily accept those as true, since they do seem to make sense. It makes me wonder, though, what's up with e.g. this shot (the first from the linked-to page), since it's four times as large (at 480x320 pixels). Weird? Also, can I take this opportunity to think negative things about companies that publish screenshots from a fairly low-res console as JPEGs? They're dithered all to hell...

Game Boy Advance

CPU: 32-Bit ARM with embedded memory

Screen: 2.9" TFT reflective screen, 240x160 resolution, 65,535 possible colors, 511 simultaneous colors in character mode; 32,768 simultaneous colors in bitmap mode

Size (mm): 135w x 80h x 25d

Weight: 140g

Power: 2 AA batteries

Battery Life: 20 hours

Software: Cartridge format, GB Color compatible, Game Boy compatible

"Clearly there was a huge opportunity to do that and clearly you're going to see an interface between the Game Boy Advance and Dolphin that is more than happenstance and doesn't require a mechanical device, and probably uses the modem and our online capabilities. And having those two pieces of gear grow software -- growing software on one, trading data, raising the level of performance, will make Dolphin a very different kind of dedicated gaming machine."

His entire speech can be found here.

The specs for the GBA have been known for some time now, and a couple of sites even have some mock-ups of what it might look like. IGN Pocket's FAQ on the GBA should answer most of your questions. Also it's heavily rumored that the Dolphin/Star Cube will intereact heavily with the GBA and there will be built in ports so that you can plug your GBA into your Dolphin.

Full details and a real mock-up will be announced during Space World which is from August 24-26 (I think). It's a Japanese Nintendo trade show when Nintendo will tell all about the Dolphin/Star Cube and the GBA: Including having several GBA playable games. And expect a Slashdot article on the Dolphin specs on August 23rd when Nintendo holds a press conference at 3 PM Japanese time to unveil the Dolphin/Star Cube.

So having people pirate even the older games is causing problems with their current products.

. . . . . . . . . . . . .

--

You're right, this is an age of epic length games.

But there's hope: I bought Chu Chu Rocket and Bust a Move 4 for the Dreamcast, and they have the classic arcade feel to them. Simple, addictive, non-story gameplay that is just plain fun. And they're only $30 each!

You're right, this is an age of epic length games.

But there's hope: I bought Chu Chu Rocket and Bust a Move 4 for the Dreamcast, and they have the classic arcade feel to them. Simple, addictive, non-story gameplay that is just plain fun. And they're only $30 each!

If you ever played D&D, this downloadable movie is a riot.

Download here.

Related to D&D, Mountain Dew, etc. [grin] It is Blink format in EXE. :(

However, fuel efficiency does have something to do with the Durango having a large displacement, long travel engine. When comparing two cars, one with a high-displacement engine and one with high RPMs, the car with the large displacement engine will have a fuel economy hit from square one because it's lugging around the enormous engine block! So there. ;) I shouldn't have talked out of my ass earlier.

My original post was pointing out that Honda's engineering has improved since the 1973 CVCC car. The fact that they can build a normally aspirated production car that makes 240 horses from 2 litres of displacement seems to me to be an engineering feat.

In my mind, any carmaker can make a powerful engine. Just make it bigger! There's no replacement for displacement. It takes engineering and manufacturing skill to get power-to-weight. And that's admirable, just as a compact bit of code that replaces bloated cruft is admirable.

This is way late! Car MP3 players are already here. Check out the following: Aiwa CDC-MP3 and reviews can be found here and here and here and buy it here Kenwood eXcelon Z919 read about that here I can't wait to get that Aiwa one so I can listen to tons of my CD's without taking them with me on those longs trips! Kirch

This is way late! Car MP3 players are already here. Check out the following: Aiwa CDC-MP3 and reviews can be found here and here and here and buy it here Kenwood eXcelon Z919 read about that here I can't wait to get that Aiwa one so I can listen to tons of my CD's without taking them with me on those longs trips! Kirch

Check out reviews (well, previews, technically) of the Aiwa and the Kenwood in-dash players at IGN.com as well.

Check out reviews (well, previews, technically) of the Aiwa and the Kenwood in-dash players at IGN.com as well.

No, that would be Conker's Bad Fur Day, an upcoming N-64 game by Rare. I kid you not, inebreation and subsequent urination are a gameplay feature.

!!!

gribbly.

In the latest issue of Official Dreamcast Magazine. http://dreamcast.ign.com/news/20232.html

There's a bit more info available at IGN:
http://psx.ign.com/news/20603.html

Everybody loves Daikatana! Look at all these great reviews:

• Sharky sez it rawks! yeah right
• FiringSquad: "It is absolutely inferior in almost every conceivable way."
• Damage Gaming say: "I gave it a 3 out of 5, and that's generous"
• CTNews: "in the end all I got was frustration"
• GameSpot gives it a 4.6 out of 10
• DailyRadar: "Ultimate Gas Hands. Need we say more?"
• GameProWorld damns with faint praise: "It's not that bad."
• Computer Games Online gives it 1.5 stars - "amateurish epic lands with a spectacular thud"
• PC.IGN: "It's finally here. And we reviewed it. What? What else do you want us to say?"
• Honest3D - "You all know that I didn't enjoy Soldier of Fortune - well I liked it a lot more than Daikatana."
• GameCenter gives it a 3 out of 10: "Daikatana is a waste of your time and money. Go play Half-Life again instead."
• Happy Puppy: "It'll make you wish it never came out at all"
• GameZone actually seemed to kind of like it
• GameSeek really did like it! "f I had to describe this game in a word or two I would say that it is most entertaining!"
• Ingava didn't hate it all that much
• Game Revolution: "[A]lthough the game is nowhere near as good as it was promoted to be, ... it is not the worst game released this year. It is, however, stunningly outdated and mediocre."
• Maximum PC: "Four years for this?... It sucks. It sucks big-time. In fact, it sucks so bad, we have to wonder what kind of curious monstrosity the developers could have created with an eight-year product cycle.
• GameFan: "It's not as bad as you think."
• PCGamers.Net: "Final Score: 70 out of 100, and I'm disappointed. Sigh."
• GamePig: "Daikatana isn't a bad game, and was often fun to play. However, it's got several flaws that kept me from really enjoying it."

If you're at all curious about how the hell this happened, GameSpot has a great article called "Knee Deep in a Dream: The Story of Daikatana" that gives all the gorey details. They also have a complete walk-through, though the concept kinda makes me shudder...

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Anonymous cowards are looking forward to the DVD letterboxed release of Ishtar

Was I the only one to notice that? Look closely on the book in that image An NT server 4 book as a desk toy!

According to the IGN PS2 FAQ:

"Will it be backward compatible with all older PlayStation games?

-- snip --

Answers to questions as to whether or not the PlayStation 2 will "enhance" original games with effects like a high-resolution mode and texture filtering have been answered. Sony has actually changed its earlier stance, and the games will indeed be enhanced or altered, depending on the game. Also, depending on the game, original PlayStation games also may be slightly altered in speed and playability, too."

And there ya go.

J

Bobo takes screenshot.
Bobo loads screenshot into Photoshop to add IGN logo.
Bobo saves screenshot from photoshop to put on web.
Slashdot Reader loads screenshot into Hex Editor, sees "Photoshop," and thinks "conspiracy."

I believe the word you're looking for is "DUH."

Look here instead, for some videos. But don't be surprised if you see "Quicktime" near the beginning of the binary stream.

OK, so the XBox might not have the most hardware available. However, as any console gamer will tell you: it's not about having the most impressive hardware, but about having the most impressive games.

And, if you listen to people like Peter Molyneux speak, it sounds very likely that developer support for the pc will be less and less.

If you want to check out some movies, go Here

Also, there is the Afro Thunder speech about XBox.

__________________________________________________ ___

I'd like to see some demos with actual charachters making poses or doing whatever.

You mean like this, this, or this? Come to think of it, the third one is labeled "Striking poses"...

I'd like to see some demos with actual charachters making poses or doing whatever.

You mean like this, this, or this? Come to think of it, the third one is labeled "Striking poses"...

I'd like to see some demos with actual charachters making poses or doing whatever.

You mean like this, this, or this? Come to think of it, the third one is labeled "Striking poses"...

http://xbox.ign.com/news/18793.html

Quicktime format. Not Sorenson codec, but Xanim still won't play it. I booted to Windows...

picture

is that a younger sexier bill in the loewer left corner? it looks like a picture of the founding members of ms from the 70's. thats a trip.

john

Go to http://xbox.ign.com/news/18793.html and you can see some movies also :)

These have been around for a few weeks now actually.

------
IanO

This image looks suprisingly like a 3D version of the MSBob desktop. ;)
___

It certainly has some of the best software out there -- The best console game ever, I believe, is Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. Plus, Goldeneye is an amazing console shooter and Perfect Dark is lining up to succeed it. There are a lot of other impressive games, even though the library is rather small ("Quality over quanity" being Nintendo's motto.)

Plus for the Dolphin, with second-party studios like Rare and Silicon Knights (who's coming out with the amazing looking Eternal Darkness) lined up, I'm holding out.

And to those who think Nintendo's a kiddie-console, check out the footage/screenshots of Conker's Bad Fur Day on IGN64. This is pretty much one of the most twisted games I've seen. Nothing compares to the violence done to a cute squirrel.

I guess I feel like I've almost never been disappointed by a Nintendo game, but a lot of the PSX games I've played around with haven't been all too impressive to me. Truth be told, though, I haven't played that much with the Dreamcast, so I can't say much about that.

If it plays PSX games, then it'll be able to play the Namco museum titles, the first disc of which contains pac man. This is a bit interesting as the Namco Museum games are run under emulation on the PSX. So to play these titles on the DreamCast will represent two layers of emulation. I'm sure it'll work fine, but it's a little funny to see time marked by layers of emulation... something like rings in the trunk of a tree.

There's also the 20th anniversary pac man title.. but I like the emulated original better.

If it plays PSX games, then it'll be able to play the Namco museum titles, the first disc of which contains pac man. This is a bit interesting as the Namco Museum games are run under emulation on the PSX. So to play these titles on the DreamCast will represent two layers of emulation. I'm sure it'll work fine, but it's a little funny to see time marked by layers of emulation... something like rings in the trunk of a tree.

There's also the 20th anniversary pac man title.. but I like the emulated original better.

there was a time when i turned of images, so pages would load faster, too. it was useful at the time. very nice. but now... i haven't used that feature in years. i'm not even sure if it still exists. heh. (okay, i use lynx fairly regularly still, but that's a different story.)

turning off images to foreign sites would be really handy in a couple of instances... for example, in mid-afternoon the IGN network's adserver inevitably gets bogged down (try http://pc.ign.com/) and this makes it seem like the page is still loading. hitting "stop" causes the page to appear, sans ad banner. good. having a browser that could do this automatically if i chose would be a Good Thing.

i'd like to see it.

In case anyone is wondering, he's not making this up.

- Michael Cohn

Yes, but will Circuit City be carrying the original Apex model that can do what you say? Because, according to this article, the Apex 600A has been modified so this cannot be done. So I'm guessing that, if Circuit City just got these back in stock, they will be moded models, and therefore not worth it.

==

Get a good Hi-Fi 4 head VCR and you'll be as happy as a clown (they sell for under 100$ now)

http://scifi.ign.com/tv/4151.html
Be afraid. It looks horrible, and I can't remember where I was reading it, but there's a rumor floating around that there won't be any variable fighters, which just ain't right... Of course, I'm a Macross fan, not a Robotech fan, but it still offends me =)

Here are direct links to all four versions of the trailer