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Thanks to GamerDad for their editorial lamenting the lack of standalone videogame soundtracks available in the U.S. The author suggests: "Given that gaming is currently enjoying a lot of popularity, it's surprising that more game soundtracks aren't starting to fill the racks at Best Buy and music specialty stores across the country", and points out that "In Japan, where many big games are created and sold, game soundtracks are as popular as those for movies." Would you, like the writer, "personally love to go pick up the soundtrack to F-Zero GX at a music store, or maybe the OST to Final Fantasy Tactics Advance", without resorting to pricy imports, or is the market still too much of a niche Stateside?

Thanks to GamerDad for their editorial lamenting the lack of standalone videogame soundtracks available in the U.S. The author suggests: "Given that gaming is currently enjoying a lot of popularity, it's surprising that more game soundtracks aren't starting to fill the racks at Best Buy and music specialty stores across the country", and points out that "In Japan, where many big games are created and sold, game soundtracks are as popular as those for movies." Would you, like the writer, "personally love to go pick up the soundtrack to F-Zero GX at a music store, or maybe the OST to Final Fantasy Tactics Advance", without resorting to pricy imports, or is the market still too much of a niche Stateside?

An anonymous reader writes "GamesIndustry.biz has the scoop that Datel will be launching an alternative GameBoy Advance player for the GameCube, an unofficial third-party device that plugs into the memory slot of the GameCube. The Advance Game Port will be smaller than the official GameBoy Player, and play GBA games only, but is cheaper (30 GBP) then the Nintendo version (40 GBP)." No word on US release, but it's interesting to speculate/dream that Datel could theoretically make devices to adapt other Nintendo systems to GameCube.

An anonymous reader writes "GamesIndustry.biz has the scoop that Datel will be launching an alternative GameBoy Advance player for the GameCube, an unofficial third-party device that plugs into the memory slot of the GameCube. The Advance Game Port will be smaller than the official GameBoy Player, and play GBA games only, but is cheaper (30 GBP) then the Nintendo version (40 GBP)." No word on US release, but it's interesting to speculate/dream that Datel could theoretically make devices to adapt other Nintendo systems to GameCube.

An anonymous reader writes "GamesIndustry.biz has the scoop that Datel will be launching an alternative GameBoy Advance player for the GameCube, an unofficial third-party device that plugs into the memory slot of the GameCube. The Advance Game Port will be smaller than the official GameBoy Player, and play GBA games only, but is cheaper (30 GBP) then the Nintendo version (40 GBP)." No word on US release, but it's interesting to speculate/dream that Datel could theoretically make devices to adapt other Nintendo systems to GameCube.

chadlnx writes "With the Stateside release of Kirby Air Ride, the first LAN-based game for the GameCube, the Warp Pipe Project is in the process of releasing source which allows users to play the game over a WAN on Linux. Development has slowed in recent weeks, but the team is working on porting to libPcap for maximum portablity. A basic stable release for both Windows and Linux is targeted for the release of the GameCube's second LAN-based game, Mario Kart: Double Dash, which ships on November 17th."

Thanks to 1UP for their interview with Denis Dyack of GameCube developers Silicon Knights, as he discusses former product Eternal Darkness and forthcoming conversion Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes. Dyack advances the theory that "...you'll see more collaborations, you're going to see a lot of mergers with developers... When they standardized the movie camera in, say, 1950, all the movie companies that told good stories became dominant, the major players that we know now... The same thing is going to happen in our industry." He further suggests that standardization of gaming hardware platform is "inevitable", saying "commoditization of technology" is coming to games, and comments: "Nintendo as a group has always emphasized the content of games, because that's where we think the value is, and we think that's what will become dominant."

Thanks to Reuters for the news that Nintendo have recaptured the top of the videogame software charts for the first half of the business year in Japan. According to the piece, "Konami, which shoved Nintendo aside in the April-September period last year thanks to its popular soccer game [the Winning Eleven series], slipped to No.2", as the two companies "sold a total 3.1 million and 2.9 million units respectively", with Super Mario Advance 4 and Wario Ware, Inc particular sales highlights for Nintendo. The story also notes: "As for hardware, sales of Microsoft's Xbox game console remained in a slump in Japan, selling only 28,656 units, well below Sony's PlayStation 2 at 1.1 million and Nintendo's GameCube at 319,037."

Thanks to Boomtown for completing their earlier article on the history of portable gaming with a second and third, final part, in which they check out the Sega Game Gear ("...one of the finest handhelds ever crafted, but also one of the most problematic") and Neo Geo Pocket Color ("caught by the same thing that killed the Lynx - lack of third-party support"), before moving on to the all-conquering, frontlit Game Boy Advance SP ("so much better, it's uncanny"), the GP32 ("...an amazing idea"), and into the future with Sony's "bulkier, multifunctional" PSP.

Thanks to IGN Cube for confirming that the GameCube hardware will soon be bundled with a Legend Of Zelda bonus disc, containing multiple classic Zelda titles. According to the piece, which comes with "recently released artwork to retailers" as proof of the (pre-Xmas?) bundle: "The disc will feature The Legend of Zelda, Zelda II: The Adventure of Link, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask, and a demo of The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker." It's currently unknown if the disc will be offered stand-alone, though IGN speculatively "...hope we'll also see it as a bonus for those who order The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords."

Thanks to Bloomberg for their story discussing Nintendo's announcement of a new console for China, apparently based on N64 technology. According to the article, "Nintendo will sell the console, called the 'iQue player' for 498 yuan ($60)... To prevent copying... users will download software onto a 64-megabyte flash-memory card at a local [retail] store, paying 48 yuan for each title" - a little like the Lawson partnership Nintendo had in Japan? The piece goes on to explain: "Nintendo will sell Chinese-language versions of software originally designed for the company's older-generation game players such as Nintendo 64."

Thanks to GameSpot for their list of their 10 favorite videogame boss fights ever. The article claims: "The bosses here qualify as memorable by excelling in a number of categories; difficulty, personality, and innovative fight mechanics all come into play", and goes on to name bosses such as Dark Falz from Phantasy Star ("...so terrifying, they couldn't even spell his name right"), Psycho Mantis from Metal Gear Solid ("more about figuring out the gimmicks behind his trickery than being skillful with your weaponry"), and Ganon from Zelda: The Ocarina Of Time ("the most dramatic and epic [boss battle] in Zelda history.")

Thanks to GameSpy for their opinion piece discussing why many videogame TV commercials sell the product short. They cite the Final Fantasy Tactics Advance spot, in which: "Three kids, pretending to be three characters from FFTA, were pretending to man phone lines, urging kids to call in to help them progress in their quest", and a recent Everquest PS2 commercial in which "a businessman, a slacker/skater, a punk girl, and some other stereotype get together to play EQ after the businessman makes a call on his cell phone, proclaiming, 'It's time to slay the dragon.'", suggesting that "If gaming is to truly grow up... then it really needs to get its act together with its commercials." Which game TV commercials work for you, and what do companies need to do to improve them?

Thanks to GamerDad for their editorial discussing why there should be more difficult-to-complete games out there. The piece takes difficulty complaints regarding F-Zero GX for GameCube as a starting point, saying "This isn't the first time a top quality, high profile game has kicked people in the butts with challenge and it won't be the last. This kind of challenge is good for gaming and we need more games like it." The article goes on: "Players have grown accustomed to difficulty levels that are far too easy and I think it's contributing to their boredom with many games", but also cites specifics: "The most important thing about challenge, and it's one that F-Zero GX gets right, is that the game must let the player know it was their fault that they lost."

jvm writes "Having been intrigued by heated discussions over licensed games and stagnant creativity in the videogame market, I did some investigation into just how many original titles can be found in the library of games for Nintendo's GameBoy Advance. Depressingly, out of the hundreds of games catalogued, only 9% are not licensed, not sequels, and not remakes of older games. That's fewer than three dozen games, and most of those fall into well-known categories. Graphs and downloadable data are provided for interested readers to do their own examination."

clu76 writes "An article at Business Wire indicates that Nintendo has sold 1.1 million Game Boy Advance SPs since hitting the shelves less than 10 weeks ago. The article goes on to say, 'The new model has sold at a rate of more than 10 per minute, non-stop, since launch.' Two new colors of the popular handheld have also been announced: Flame (red) and Onyx (black)." I'd attribute this to the SP being the first Game Boy to have a screen that's viewable in total darkness, as well as not requiring batteries. Anyone got ideas for what to do with an old GBA?

According to IGN.com, the word is that Star Fox Armada for Gamecube will debut at E3. This is a Namco-developed title packing "flight-based missions and action-packed dogfights", and will be shown on the Nintendo stand either as video or a multiplayer-only playable demo. Looks like it should have a more traditional Starfox feel than Rare's Starfox Adventures, which was an action-adventure at heart, and only rebranded to include Fox McCloud partway through development.

The list of games to be shown at the E3 Expo in Los Angeles next month is rapidly increasing, and this Eurogamer feature has a round-up of what's been announced so far. There's always plenty of new titles and surprises, and this year is no exception. A notable list comes from Sega, and includes the Sonic Team title Billy Hatcher And The Giant Egg for Gamecube, more spiky hedgehog action with Sonic Heroes for GC/PS2/XBox, as well as Phantasy Star Online Episode III: C.A.R.D Revolution, a card battle RPG for GC that continues the successful franchise. Another major company showcasing its line-up is Nintendo, who has an E3 preview page that includes the now two-seater Mario Kart: Double Dash for GC and the eagerly awaited Advance Wars 2 for Gameboy Advance, as well as several Nintendo-bound Final Fantasy titles in association with Square/Enix. More updates as we get them.

The list of games to be shown at the E3 Expo in Los Angeles next month is rapidly increasing, and this Eurogamer feature has a round-up of what's been announced so far. There's always plenty of new titles and surprises, and this year is no exception. A notable list comes from Sega, and includes the Sonic Team title Billy Hatcher And The Giant Egg for Gamecube, more spiky hedgehog action with Sonic Heroes for GC/PS2/XBox, as well as Phantasy Star Online Episode III: C.A.R.D Revolution, a card battle RPG for GC that continues the successful franchise. Another major company showcasing its line-up is Nintendo, who has an E3 preview page that includes the now two-seater Mario Kart: Double Dash for GC and the eagerly awaited Advance Wars 2 for Gameboy Advance, as well as several Nintendo-bound Final Fantasy titles in association with Square/Enix. More updates as we get them.

The list of games to be shown at the E3 Expo in Los Angeles next month is rapidly increasing, and this Eurogamer feature has a round-up of what's been announced so far. There's always plenty of new titles and surprises, and this year is no exception. A notable list comes from Sega, and includes the Sonic Team title Billy Hatcher And The Giant Egg for Gamecube, more spiky hedgehog action with Sonic Heroes for GC/PS2/XBox, as well as Phantasy Star Online Episode III: C.A.R.D Revolution, a card battle RPG for GC that continues the successful franchise. Another major company showcasing its line-up is Nintendo, who has an E3 preview page that includes the now two-seater Mario Kart: Double Dash for GC and the eagerly awaited Advance Wars 2 for Gameboy Advance, as well as several Nintendo-bound Final Fantasy titles in association with Square/Enix. More updates as we get them.

The list of games to be shown at the E3 Expo in Los Angeles next month is rapidly increasing, and this Eurogamer feature has a round-up of what's been announced so far. There's always plenty of new titles and surprises, and this year is no exception. A notable list comes from Sega, and includes the Sonic Team title Billy Hatcher And The Giant Egg for Gamecube, more spiky hedgehog action with Sonic Heroes for GC/PS2/XBox, as well as Phantasy Star Online Episode III: C.A.R.D Revolution, a card battle RPG for GC that continues the successful franchise. Another major company showcasing its line-up is Nintendo, who has an E3 preview page that includes the now two-seater Mario Kart: Double Dash for GC and the eagerly awaited Advance Wars 2 for Gameboy Advance, as well as several Nintendo-bound Final Fantasy titles in association with Square/Enix. More updates as we get them.

The list of games to be shown at the E3 Expo in Los Angeles next month is rapidly increasing, and this Eurogamer feature has a round-up of what's been announced so far. There's always plenty of new titles and surprises, and this year is no exception. A notable list comes from Sega, and includes the Sonic Team title Billy Hatcher And The Giant Egg for Gamecube, more spiky hedgehog action with Sonic Heroes for GC/PS2/XBox, as well as Phantasy Star Online Episode III: C.A.R.D Revolution, a card battle RPG for GC that continues the successful franchise. Another major company showcasing its line-up is Nintendo, who has an E3 preview page that includes the now two-seater Mario Kart: Double Dash for GC and the eagerly awaited Advance Wars 2 for Gameboy Advance, as well as several Nintendo-bound Final Fantasy titles in association with Square/Enix. More updates as we get them.

The list of games to be shown at the E3 Expo in Los Angeles next month is rapidly increasing, and this Eurogamer feature has a round-up of what's been announced so far. There's always plenty of new titles and surprises, and this year is no exception. A notable list comes from Sega, and includes the Sonic Team title Billy Hatcher And The Giant Egg for Gamecube, more spiky hedgehog action with Sonic Heroes for GC/PS2/XBox, as well as Phantasy Star Online Episode III: C.A.R.D Revolution, a card battle RPG for GC that continues the successful franchise. Another major company showcasing its line-up is Nintendo, who has an E3 preview page that includes the now two-seater Mario Kart: Double Dash for GC and the eagerly awaited Advance Wars 2 for Gameboy Advance, as well as several Nintendo-bound Final Fantasy titles in association with Square/Enix. More updates as we get them.

Aluminum Tuesday writes "During a raging internal debate over whether to fork out for the new Gameboy Advance SP, I came across the Korean GP32, a handheld console that looks superior to the GBA in every way. It's capable of emulating the GBA, Super Nintendo, Commodore 64, etc. plus there's a SCUMMVM engine for Monkey Island games and a Java VM. Seems to have a huge online following. It runs its own OS, and there are programs capable of playing divx/mp3 files, though there's also a Linux port on the way. Not too expensive either. (99UKP / 149USD) That's a UK supplier; they ship worldwide, though I found this more expensive American supplier too. (179USD)" Gotta catch 'em all!

Pink Daisy writes "When it comes to modern consumer electronics there are a lot of choices to be made. Choosing the right gadget for you can be difficult, but a good decision has tremendous rewards. A bad one can doom you to Boring and Uncool Gadget Hell until your wallet recharges. Today I will help you decide whether your next portable device should be a Nintendo Gameboy Advance SP or a Canon Powershot G3. Since I'm a scientist, I will make this review as objective as possible. Where subjective judgements are required I will make note so that you can evaluate the evidence for yourself." Read on, or you won't know where to open your wallet.

Colour: Both devices have a metallic silver colour that is typical of portable consumer electronics. Black would have been cooler. The Gameboy is also available in other colours, although I think they don't look as good as the silver. Win goes to Gameboy for choice, although it doesn't matter unless you prefer one of the cheesy colours.
Score: G3 7, SP 8

Construction quality: Although the colour is metallic, neither one is completely metal. The Gameboy Advance SP is made from slightly pliable plastic. It feels strong enough, but is probably susceptible to scratches and bumps. The G3 body is about half metal and half carbon reinforced plastic. It is definitely a piece of quality construction. The lens is a marvel as well. The thing is built like a brick.
Score G3 8, SP 4

Form Factor: The Powershot G3 is box shaped, with a grip protruding from an edge and a cylinder from the centre of one face. It has a twist out LCD display. The Gameboy is box shaped when closed, but opens up in clamshell fashion to expose the LCD. Both feel a bit small to me when being held in the intended manner. That's because I have large hands; most people would probably find both very comfortable. When closed the Gameboy is more compact and very easy to pocket. The G3 is too large for many pockets and difficult to fit in others because the lens cap has a tendency to come off.
Score: G3 7, SP 9

Controls: The small size of the devices doesn't hamper operation of the controls. Both have excellent control layout. The buttons on the G3 are logically laid out so that the important ones are easy to reach when you need them. The buttons on the Gameboy are easily accessible in the heat of the moment. Despite the G3's great menu system for complex controls, the Gameboy has it beat there. Metroid Fusion has an even simpler menu system and very intuitive controls. My only complaint is that the controls on the Gameboy look like cheap plastic, whereas the buttons on the Powershot G3 have an excellent high-quality appearance.
Score: G3 10, SP 9

LCD Display: The part of the device that you will look at the most is the LCD display. The G3 has a smaller display. It has the definite edge in graphical capability. As well as being higher resolution, it performs sub-pixel anti-aliasing, where the Gameboy does not. It also displays more colours.
Score G3 7, SP 6

Replayability: Quality means nothing if you don't want to look at it. The Gameboy has an excellent selection of games available, with more arriving regularly. Metroid Fusion is particularly good, and many others are also noted as being of quality. If you already have a collection of older Gameboy and Gameboy Colour games that you love, they are compatible with the Gameboy Advance SP. In comparison, the photograph of a garbage dumpster stored in my G3 is lacklustre.
Score G3 2, SP 9

Storage: The G3 is compatible with all CF2+ class storage devices, including type 1 and 2 compact flash memory cards and microdrives. These cards are available in capacities of up to four gigabytes. In comparison, the Gameboy uses proprietary cartridges with a 24-bit address bus and a 16-bit data bus for a maximum of 32 megabytes of data.
Score G3 9, SP 6

Totals: G3 50, SP 51
The Nintendo Gameboy Advance SP narrowly beats out the Canon Powershot G3 for the coveted Raymond's Choice Award. Your next portable electronic device should definitely be a Nintendo Gameboy Advance SP.

Slashdot welcomes reader features.

GweeDo writes "It is official. Nintendo will be releasing their next console right along side Sony's PS3 in 2005. The news was released here by cube.ign.com. They also went on to say that Retro Studies is working on a Prequel to Metroid Prime. The best quote to all you people that said Nintendo was leaving the console market is this: 'Iwata emphasized Nintendo's plans to stick in the console industry by saying, "When we withdraw from the home game console, that's when we withdraw from the video game business."'"

Magamo writes "Console Talk has the story on a settlement between Sony and Nintendo over the rights to the "PlayStation" name, which was originally a joint owned copywrite, given to a CD and Cartridge based system to play SNES games. The settlement is for 10% of Sony's proceeds, past and present on the "PlayStation" name, currently amounting to approximately $2.3 billion. Nintendo is allowing Sony to pay it off in installments over the next 20 years. Nintendo currently plans on using the money to create a new game studio comprised of members of some of the biggest in the japanese industry, in order to create titles exclusively for the GameCube. Hmm, my guess is that Sony's next console will be shying away from the PlayStation moniker..." CD: It seems that I might have fallen for a hoax. Doh!

Ian_Bailey writes "Wired writes Nintendo won't grow up, because of Shigeru Miyamoto. The creator of some of the most popular franchises, and the head of most of Nintendo's creative development, constantly aims his games at children. Many other devloppers admire his creativity, and believe that a mature-themed game would rock the entire industry. A very interesting read, and a bit of insight into the 'God of Games'."

tierra writes "Indiviuals writing their own games is one thing, but try building your own console. Russ Christensen, and his team put together in class, dive into the fun of using an old Nintendo system to house their customized XSA-50 Board. They also uses a XSA Extender to hook their personal console up to a monitor instead of a TV. They programmed Tetris and Space Invaders for their console using a system they call CASM."

WeekendKruzr writes "CommsDesign is running an article about how Motorola has partnered with Sony and Nintendo to work on bringing 2.4Ghz wireless LAN tech to the console gaming community. They're calling it an "isochronous network" and it is "intended for streaming, near-real-time traffic..." with production scheduled for later this year."

An Anonymous Coward asks: "Previously on Slashdot we have covered the hacking and programming of numerous consoles,- the Xbox, Dreamcast , and of course the Playstation 2. With Linux migrating to all of these platforms as fast as you can blink, why isn't it that I haven't heard anything about the Gamecube. These little beasts have been promoted by Nintendo as easy to develop for, so are there as yet any open source tools for Gamecube development? Are there any Initiatives to get an alternative OS on these systems? The feature of being able to plug a gameboy advance into one of these units makes them even more hack worthy." There was a Sourceforge project for this, but it's activity stats are fairly flat. What barriers are there in getting Linux to run on this piece of hardware, and how do they compare with the difficulties faced by similar projects on the X-Box?"

The Pi-Guy writes "It seems contradictory to Big N's massive anti-emulation stance to introduce the GBA as an emulator itself! An official N press release states that there will be "full classic NES games for download to the GBA"." Probably not so much Duck Hunt, but it sure would be sweet to get SMB3 on my GBA. Then I could go blind!

MonkeyBot writes "Nintendo has posted news from the E3 convention concerning big name titles and their release dates. The new Metroids for the Cube and GBA, Legend of Zelda for the Cube, and a new Mario Game for the Cube are just a few of the titles for which new information is available. It'll be just like I'm a kid again, but with better graphics (and beer)!"

MonkeyBot writes "Nintendo has posted news from the E3 convention concerning big name titles and their release dates. The new Metroids for the Cube and GBA, Legend of Zelda for the Cube, and a new Mario Game for the Cube are just a few of the titles for which new information is available. It'll be just like I'm a kid again, but with better graphics (and beer)!"

MonkeyBot writes "Nintendo has posted news from the E3 convention concerning big name titles and their release dates. The new Metroids for the Cube and GBA, Legend of Zelda for the Cube, and a new Mario Game for the Cube are just a few of the titles for which new information is available. It'll be just like I'm a kid again, but with better graphics (and beer)!"

MonkeyBot writes "Nintendo has posted news from the E3 convention concerning big name titles and their release dates. The new Metroids for the Cube and GBA, Legend of Zelda for the Cube, and a new Mario Game for the Cube are just a few of the titles for which new information is available. It'll be just like I'm a kid again, but with better graphics (and beer)!"

MonkeyBot writes "Nintendo has posted news from the E3 convention concerning big name titles and their release dates. The new Metroids for the Cube and GBA, Legend of Zelda for the Cube, and a new Mario Game for the Cube are just a few of the titles for which new information is available. It'll be just like I'm a kid again, but with better graphics (and beer)!"

MonkeyBot writes "Nintendo has posted news from the E3 convention concerning big name titles and their release dates. The new Metroids for the Cube and GBA, Legend of Zelda for the Cube, and a new Mario Game for the Cube are just a few of the titles for which new information is available. It'll be just like I'm a kid again, but with better graphics (and beer)!"

dereferenced writes: "For those of you that think the GameBoy Advance is too small, has this guy got something for you! Introducing the three-feet-tall GameMan. Created as an art design project, the GameMan is a fully working, life-size, replica of an original Nintendo GameBoy. It is made from the guts of an old computer and a new flat-panel monitor. The creator has detailed its creation both in pictures and in this development journal."

SamMichaels writes: "I just received a letter from Nintendo of America claiming that Flash Advance Linkers violate the DMCA...I'm to cease sale in my store, and surrender all remaining units to Nintendo. The letter is posted on the front page of Zophar's Domain. Any pro bono lawyers out there?"

An anonymous reader writes "It seems that Nintendo will have a competition in the handheld market soon. ZDnet has an article that says Microsoft's plan to introduce a 'Media Pad' which includes among other things 'serve as a portable game player in conjunction with Microsoft's Xbox video game console.' So I guess the news I heard regarding their interest in the portable industry will soon come true, the question is, can they take the crown from Nintendo?"

An anonymous reader writes "It seems that Nintendo will have a competition in the handheld market soon. ZDnet has an article that says Microsoft's plan to introduce a 'Media Pad' which includes among other things 'serve as a portable game player in conjunction with Microsoft's Xbox video game console.' So I guess the news I heard regarding their interest in the portable industry will soon come true, the question is, can they take the crown from Nintendo?"

PhReaKyDMoNKeY writes "According to IGNCube, Nintendo has declared GCN the fastest selling console ever. Additionally, Nintendo claims that Luigi's Mansion is the most popular launch title in history as well. I couldn't seem to find the actual press release, but here's a related news story from Nintendo's site. I don't know how valid the claim is, since it's in their best interest to exaggerate, clearly, but it seems like the console demand in general is pretty high. " Now mind you every store in town seems to have plenty of Gamecubes in stock, but if you want an X-Box, you have to kill for it. Fortunately most people in a video game store are like 12, so I can destroy them with my mind bullets.

PhReaKyDMoNKeY writes "According to IGNCube, Nintendo has declared GCN the fastest selling console ever. Additionally, Nintendo claims that Luigi's Mansion is the most popular launch title in history as well. I couldn't seem to find the actual press release, but here's a related news story from Nintendo's site. I don't know how valid the claim is, since it's in their best interest to exaggerate, clearly, but it seems like the console demand in general is pretty high. " Now mind you every store in town seems to have plenty of Gamecubes in stock, but if you want an X-Box, you have to kill for it. Fortunately most people in a video game store are like 12, so I can destroy them with my mind bullets.

flipper28 asks: "I recently purchased a Nintendo Gamecube with Luigi's Mansion for my wife's birthday. I thought with all the hype around the XBox crashing that I would be safe with the competition. As it turn's out, my system keeps crashing, and yes, I have exchanged the games (which IMHO only made Nintendo happy). I am interested if others have experienced the same problem. Is their a manufacturing problem, or did I just get a bad one." I've experienced crashing in the two days I've owned my GameCube, however this centers around replacing the disc with the power on and hitting reset...or something, but I've only had the cube crash at the power-on screen, so it's not been that big of an issue for me. Anyone else experiencing weird behavior on the GameCube?

Vegan Pagan asks: "We've heard plenty about RDRAM and DDR-SDRAM, but what about 1T-SRAM? According to conjecture, a fan report and a press release, it makes Gamecube efficient, but are there any tests that compare 1T-SRAM to RDRAM and DDR-SDRAM?" According to the fan-written report, 1T-SRAM uses a combination of a single transistor cell and "multibank" architecture to deliver low latency in a cheaper chip with less complex circuitry. Sounds good, but has anyone here put one of these things through it's paces? How well does it live up to the hype, especially in comparison with time-proven memory architectures?

transient0 writes: "According to this article from Reuters, Nintendo Corp. has pushed back the U.S. launch of the Gamecube console by two weeks from November 5 to November 18. This means that the X-Box will be hitting U.S. shelves before the Gamecube does." Alec Muzzy adds: "Does anyone remember this article where Nintendo Executive Vice President, Peter Main, said '...Microsoft has announced November 8th as their launch date, but I don't think that's final. The GameCube will definitely launch on schedule though...' In a related story, the GameCube will now feature a logo from IBM."

Gemini writes "Gamespot has an article on how Squaresoft is to go multiplatform, starting with Final Fantasy XI. This is good news for Nintendo." Well, good news for the Microsoft's X-Box as well, since they will release for it as well. But I'm sure Sony has happy to hear that it will be out for the PlayStation 2 first, since that will be key to their strategy for defeating the X-Box.

SmasKenS writes "So, not only did they get to make the CPU for Nintendo's GameCube, now they work for Sony too. Saw this on voodooextreme first, they also got a link to BBC News." Now, granted, this is several years away from actually happening, (projected date of 2004) but the costs (and profits) that are involved are staggering.

SmasKenS writes "So, not only did they get to make the CPU for Nintendo's GameCube, now they work for Sony too. Saw this on voodooextreme first, they also got a link to BBC News." Now, granted, this is several years away from actually happening, (projected date of 2004) but the costs (and profits) that are involved are staggering.