Nintendo, Miyamoto Preview 2004 Releases

Thanks to Cube Europe for its article discussing forthcoming Nintendo products for 2004, including insight from Shigeru Miyamoto on his in-progress games. The information, sourced from Official Nintendo Magazine in the UK, "states that Metroid Prime 2, Geist, Pokemon Fire Red and Leaf Green will all be released in Europe before the end of the year", meaning a U.S. release for these games are also likely during 2004. Miyamoto is fairly guarded about his current projects, which also include Pikmin 2, and comments on the continued mystery behind the next Mario title: "With Mario 128 I have been challenging many unprecedented things, not found in existing video games... [and] prone to lose their freshness or to be imitated once they go public." Which Nintendo products are you most looking forward to this year?

Comments

Re:Sounds cranky

[aweraw]

Think about it:
...
Geist (Halo clone)

You should reserve judgement on a game until you've seen more than just a couple of screenshots... From my understanding, this game will be a bit more like Messiah, in that you are infact a ghost of sorts, and the object of the game is to complete certain objectives by possesing the in game inhabitants.. the difference lies in the fact the in Geist, you have to scare the bejezus out of your potential flesh vessel before you can take them over...

Halo clone? I think not... except maybe that they're both from a first person perspective... but if that were case, wouldn't HL2 just be a Catacombs3D clone?

I know it's one of the games I'm looking for, and it's certainly not because it's a Halo clone (if it was, I prolly wouldn't even know it's name)

I want Mario 128 to be great!

[krazykong]

Otherwise, I fear the worst for our beloved Miyamoto. I also fear for the industry as a whole. Shigeru has this god like image. It's as if whatever he touches becomes a gold factory for Nintendo. He could sneeze on the most irrelevant Nintendo product and make it an instant success. I'm not even saying he stumbled onto a good idea and ran with it. He really is that good. This week a couple of articles about Eugine Jarvis appeared on slashdot. "Who is he?" "Why just about the greatest video game designer that ever lived....... well besides Miyamoto." What's funny, is that I don't even think that Myamoto even knows how to code. But for the past 22 years, he's done nothing short of being ABSOLUTELY BRILLIANT.

He is a god. I worship him. I have sacrificed my dignity (as I am approaching 30 years old with a Game Cube instead of a PS2 or XBox) for him. I know, I place him on a high pedestal. But look at all he has done.

• Donkey Kong He made a little known playing card company, a bit player in the video game industry, a household name.
• Super Mario Bros He single handedly brought us out of the 80's video game crash.
• The Legend of Zelda He brought computer role playing games, a delicacy, enjoyed only by the nerdy elite, to "joe console".
• StarFox He laid the groundwork for the 3D Poly revolution a generation early.
• Super Mario 64 He confirmed that a 3D platform game, based off preexisting 2D elements can still be among the best games ever to be played.

I am a Miyamoto groupie. If I was good looking and female, I'd follow him around begging to have his baby.
But I'm scared...
This past generation of Miyamoto products leave something to be desired. They aren't bad. They aren't complete idol crushing abominations like Episodes I and II. They just aren't as good as they used to be, and I hope this isn't the beginning of a very depressing downward trend.
I really want more than Mario 128 to be good. I want it to be great. I'm running out of heroes.