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September 1, 2000: Big, Bad Banjo Movie

August 31, 2000: The Perfect Combination
August 31, 2000: Mario Tennis Beatdown
August 30, 2000: Rare President to be Honored
August 30, 2000: Inside Mia Hamm
August 30, 2000: Turok 3 Time
August 29, 2000: Mario Tennis Ships
August 29, 2000: Pokémania Down Under
August 29, 2000: Ubi Soft Buys Red Storm
August 25, 2000: Una-Zelda Complete
August 21, 2000: Earthbound 64 Cancelled
August 21, 2000: Go Big or Go Home
August 21, 2000: 64DD Loses War
August 18, 2000: Hercules and Blues for Rent
August 15, 2000: Duck Dogers to the Rescue
August 15, 2000: Want To See Something Really Scary?
August 14, 2000: Nintendo Dominates Up North
August 14, 2000: One Point For Tokyo Game Show
August 11, 2000: More Darkness
August 11, 2000: Japan Gets N64 RPG
August 10, 2000: Game Boy Brings More To Mario Tennis
August 9, 2000: Mario Party 3 Details
August 9, 2000: Echo Delta Mystery Solved
August 3, 2000: Famitsu Likes Paper
August 3, 2000: Mario Tennis Takes Japan
August 3, 2000: More Exciting Footage
August 2, 2000: Activision Supports Dolphin
August 2, 2000: Nintendo's Rental Run
August 1, 2000: Readers Offer No Mercy

August 15, 2000

Can this be? A new third-party Nintendo 64 game shipping to (gulp) retailers? Believe it or not, it's true -- giant publisher Infogrames has decided to release Looney Tunes: Duck Dodgers to a retail outlet near you beginning today.

The game, which has already enjoyed a stay with selected Blockbuster Video outlets (for rental purposes only), stars the likes of Daffy Duck himself on an adventure to stop Marvin the Martian from destroying civilization as we know it. Dodgers hops through five gargantuan worlds with various gameplay modes that range from standard platform jumping and running to surfing and boss battles.

"Looney Tunes: Duck Dodgers Starring Daffy Duck gives players the feeling of actually being in a Looney Tunes cartoon by providing a truly living environment -- just about everything in the game is interactive," says Mike Markey, vice president of marketing for Infogrames' San Jose Label. "Daffy's hilarious witicisms and klutzy antics will keep children of all ages engaged for hours on end."

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August 15, 2000

Two months ago Nintendo of Japan announced that it would release a special edition Pikachu Nintendo 64 console with controller in the homeland for 14,000 yen (or approximately $132 US) beginning July 21.

Because Nintendo 64 Extreme is a glutton for punishment, we went ahead and imported the limited edition Pikachu N64 console and gave it a test run (below):

The Pikachu Nintendo 64 system arrives in a shiny, seemingly wholesome box (above) complete with all sorts of crazily rendered Pokemon critters and Japanese text. Note the Japanese wording in the bottom-left corner of the box, which reads, "Very Dangerous. Open at your own risk!" Text does not actually say that.
Upon opening the box you'll come into contact with the sickeningly cute console for the first time, along with blue Pikachu controller and the proper wire hookups. Simply piece it all together and plug everything in, just as you would a regular old Nintendo 64. But remember, do not look Pikachu directly in the eyes.

Behold! Your very own Pikachu-featured Nintendo 64 console, sure to impress every last pre-teenager on your block. Bear in mind, silly American residents, that you won't be able to play US based Nintendo 64 on this puppy no matter how hard you try to cram the cartridges down the console's newly Pikachu-ized slot. To do that you'll first have to modify the console.

As you can see, Nintendo has tweaked the shape of its regular 64-bit console considerably in order to squeeze the fat, yellow Pokemon onto the surface for this cash-cow special edition. Pikachu, bless him, takes up a good portion of the console's face now, and the cartridge slot has been nudged over to the left side in order to make way for the little sucker. Also, notice the Pokeball power button, which actually flips up and down. Sorry kids, you don't get to push it in. And if you've got a keen eye, you'll also be able to see that Pikachu's left foot is, in fact, now the reset button. Finally, pay particular attention to the US Mario Tennis and Japanese Majora's Mask cartridges, which we've purposefully placed in the article just to taunt you.

So what happens when you turn the power on? No, Pikachu does not come alive and try to kill you, though that's a very good guess. Actually, the yellow Pokemon's cheeks glow bright red -- first blinking on and off for roughly 10 seconds as if warming up, and then remaining a constant, demonic blood red for your enjoyment. Isn't that special?

You can hear the voice inside your head saying, "By God, who in the heck would buy such an atrocity?" You will. Don't even try to fight it. As ridiculous as you might think the concept of a Pikachu enhanced Nintendo 64 console, when it hits stateside -- and it will this holiday season -- you'll be all over it. Don't fight it. It's useless.

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August 14, 2000

Nintendo owns an 86% share of the Canadian videogame market and leads in all the major sales categories, according to a recent report by ACNielsen's Canadian Video Game Market Tracker. Based on the game sales of 32 leading Canadian retailers, Nintendo led in both hardware and software market share. More than 1.7 million households in Canada are N64-equipped; 1.1 million own a Game Boy Color.

Nintendo 64 leads console hardware sales, as well, with 50% of the dollar market share. Sony's PlayStation accounts for 33% of the hardware share, with Sega owning only 17%. 19 of the top 20 selling games in June were Nintendo platform products, too, led of course by "Perfect Dark." Yet, the GBC is even more popular in Canada than the N64, with a 72% market share. Thus, not surprisingly, five Pokemon games were among the top ten.

"Nintendo owns 86 per cent of the total Canadian video game market and we couldn't be more thrilled to have this validation of what we've known all along," says Peter MacDougall, president, Nintendo of Canada Ltd. "Through our internal research, we have long been aware that Nintendo is the number one gaming choice of Canadians, but it is rewarding to have our market position measured and confirmed by a reliable and credible external research company, such as ACNielsen Canada."

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August 14, 2000

A few surprises popped up at Nintendo's Space World show last year in Tokyo, Japan. Developer Noise showed off a playable version of Custom Robo, a multiplayer arcade-like battle experience that turned out to be quite a lot of fun. Kemco showed off the first hands-on of Daikatana 64, a game that we shall never speak of again. And publisher Sammy wheeled out Viewpoint 64, a 64-bit overhead shooter with visible inspiration from the classic title Zaxxon. The game was fun. The game was refreshing. And the game was cancelled not long after the show... or so we thought.

It looks as though Sammy has decided to keep Viewpoint 2064 alive after all, as the shooter is once again scheduled to be playable in the not-too-distant future -- this time at the upcoming Tokyo Game Show. Exactly what happened to Viewpoint since it vanished months and months ago is still uncertain; maybe it's been tweaked and polished, and is now ready to wow Nintendo 64 owners across the world. Or maybe not. What we do know, though, is that the title is firmly scheduled for release November 24 in Japan and we're certainly glad to hear that.

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August 11, 2000

Nintendo of America released a new, and impressive batch of screenshots highlighting Silicon Knights' anticipated "psychological thriller" Eternal Darkness on its website today. The game, formerly scheduled to hit store shelves this October, has since been delayed to early next year, most probably so that Nintendo could position its Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask to combat the launch of PS2 instead.

Silicon Knights' president Denis Dyack told Nintendo Power Source: "While we had initially hoped to complete our work to allow a release at the end of this year, we recently decided to spend more time polishing Eternal Darkness to make it the best game it can be. This means you can expect Eternal Darkness to become available very early in 2001." We'll be waiting to get our hands on this one whenever it finally debuts, Denis.

In the meantime, we've provided the recently posted Eternal Darkness screenshots below and we think you'll be very impressed.

August 11, 2000

Indeed -- an RPG, but probably not what you think. Nintendo shipped the Intelligent Systems developed Mario Story (or, in English, Paper Mario) in Japan today and by the time you read this lots of happy overseas Nintendo enthusiasts will be engulfed in it. The game, which retails for approximately 6,800 yen (or roughly $62 US), is actually described by Nintendo as an "action-RPG" similar to Zelda, but that's the only attribute, quite honestly, that Paper Mario has in common with Miyamoto's classic franchise.

The off-the-wall adventure pits Mario and friends, flattened to 2D sprites, travelling through colorful 3D environments and using RPG-like battle systems, item organization, and more. It's really quite surreal.

Meanwhile, Nintendo of America has "Paper Mario" scheduled for release December 26 of this year, which is the company's nice way of saying, "Don't expect this puppy to ship until next year, even though we can't formally announce it." Unfortunately, the same thing that makes importing the Japanese version of the game a no-no -- loads of Japanese text -- is probably also the cause of the RPG's delay in the US.

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August 10, 2000

Nintendo of America unveiled the Game Boy Color version of Mario Tennis on its website yesterday, and also explained how the title will interact with the soon-to-be-released Nintendo 64 game. The Game Boy title, set to hit store shelves in Japan in November and in the US early next year, will link up with Mario Tennis N64 via the Transfer Pak and in turn unlock a number of secret goodies.

Nintendo Power proved this point all the more by posting a batch of screenshots previewing never-before-seen Mario Tennis characters that can only be acquired through the link up. Check 'em out below:

And the Transfer Pak screen

We have no details on the characters unveiled other than the fact that they aren't traditional Nintendo mascots. However, we expect to have the full scoop when Space World kicks off in two weeks time. Stay tuned for that.

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August 9, 2000

Mario Party 3 Details

Nintendo divulges specifics and a first screen of the next installment in the Mario Party franchise.

Nintendo Power Source updated its website today with a ton of new details on some of the 64-bit products to be featured at the firm's upcoming Space World show, which is scheduled to kick off August 24 at a pre-event press briefing. One of the game's featured with the site's update was Mario Party 3, the (presumably) final sequel in the franchise for Nintendo 64. Hardly any specifics about the title were offered, but Nintendo did confirm that Mario Party 3 will feature an all-new "specifically designed one and two player modes" and 70 brand new mini-games.

For those of you who have never had the good fortune of playing one of the Mario Party games, the Hudson Soft developed series basically presents the roll-and-go fun of real-life board games like Monopoly, adds in classic Nintendo mascots, power-ups and mini-games, and brings it all together with a tight little engine and colorful graphics. Mario Party, perhaps against Nintendo's wishes, has evolved into a favorite group drinking game, as it's addictive four-player mode and chance play mechanics work well in such an environment.

Nintendo Power Source posted one screenshot of Mario Party 3, which we've provided below:

For more information on Mario Party 3 and other Nintendo 64 games, be sure to visit Nintendo's official website.

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August 9, 2000

Above: Echo Delta in action.

Nintendo Power Source has finally put an end to the mystery what type of game Echo Delta will be. Originally announced back in 1999, Echo Delta will in fact be one of the few real-time strategy games for the console.

While US gamers have already had the opportunity to play RTS games on N64 with Command and Conquer and StarCraft, Echo Delta will be the first true RTS to hit the Japanese Nintendo 64 market. Exact gameplay details are unknown at this time, but Nintendo has confirmed that the game will take players to the bottom of the sea. Marigul games analyst Hisakazu Hirabayashi confirmed last year that the game will prominently feature submarines, so we assume we'll see plenty of underwater pyrotechnics and hi-tech weaponry in action.

Echo Delta is being developed by the Nintendo-funded development studio Marigul in Japan. A US release has not yet been announced.

Thanks goes to Nintendo Power Source

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August 3, 2000

Famitsu Likes Paper

Japanese games magazine Famitsu rates Nintendo's Paper Mario favorably. Details here.

Last week Japan's Dengeki 64 reviewed Nintendo's Paper Mario (called Mario Story in the homeland), where it received a 9, 8 and 10. This week competitor Famitsu Weekly delivered its review of the game, and scored it equally as high. All of the publication's reviewers admitted that the title is aimed at younger gamers, but agreed that it is still a good RPG that's surprisingly fun for older audiences too. The magazine also liked the characters of Paper Mario (duh!) and said there is a decent amount of strategy to go along with an enjoyable story.

Paper Mario received an 8, 8, 8 and 9, earning it top score of the week with PS2's Gungriffen Blaze.

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August 3, 2000

Not surprisingly, Nintendo's Mario Tennis has raced to the top of the Japanese sales charts since it debuted in the country two weeks ago. The game has already sold more than 200,000 units and rests above former top seller Final Fantasy IX, which, to its credit, has sold an amazing 2,400,000 copies so far. Here's the list at a glance:

Famitsu Top Ten 7/17-7/23

•

1. Mario Tennis 64 N64 213,422 NEW

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2. Final Fantasy IX PS 123,827 2,406,653

•

3. Jikkyou Powerful Pro Baseball PS 80,982 NEW

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4. Medarot 3 Kabuto Version GB 80,243 NEW

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5. Yuugioh Dual Monsters III GB 79,262 406,948

•

6. Gekitotsu Tomararuku PS 41,493 NEW

•

7. Jikkyou Powerful Pro Baseball 7 PS2 34,059 220,254

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8. Pachisuro Aruze Ookoku 3 PS 31,687 NEW

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9. Tomb Raider IV: The Last Revelation PS 20,902 NEW

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10. From TV animation ONE PIECE- WS 19,799 NEW

August 3, 2000

Nintendo has updated its website with a new Excitebike 64 video that shows off another great shortcut to be found in the game. This week's footage previews a handy little route in the Gold Rush level, which offers a quick way past opponents by jumping over a few rooftops. Just your standard air action in the Left Field Productions developed dirt-bike racer. You can check out the video goodness by clicking on the movie link we've provided below. But beware, the download is approximately 17MBs in size.

Click here to checkout the latest shortcut

August 2, 2000

Activision Supports Dolphin

The publisher of Tony Hawk's Pro Skater and Spider Man signs up for Nintendo Dolphin.

Giant publisher Activision released its financial earnings reports today and also announced plans to support the launch of PlayStation 2 with a dozen different products, including another sequel in the Tony Hawk franchise. More relevant to Nintendo loyalists, though, the firm also confirmed plans to back the Big N's upcoming Game Boy Advance and Dolphin hardware platforms, which are both scheduled to launch in the US next year.

Activision offered no specifics as to what titles it would be developing for Nintendo's upcoming next-generation console. But it's safe to assume that Dolphin owners will probably receive the same big-name console franchises -- namely Tony Hawk, Spider Man and Quake (among others) -- that are coming to other platforms near you in the not too distant future.

More as it becomes available.

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August 2, 2000

Nintendo’s Rental Run

Joanna Dark and Kirby tear up the rental charts as Nintendo 64 dominates.

For the week ending July 30 Perfect Dark reigned supreme once again as the top rented game of the week. Kirby continues to make its run as a strong Nintendo franchise with a solid second place showing. Outside the Top Five, the Nintendo 64 performed pretty well with a total of 13 games in the Top 25 chart, beating out the PlayStation’s 12 games in the list.

1. Perfect Dark

2. Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards

3. Tony Hawk's Pro Skater

4. Pokemon Stadium

5. Excitebike 64

6. Mario Party 2

8. Super Smash Bros.

11. Army Men Sarge's Heroes

13. WWF Wrestlemania 2000

14. All-Star Baseball 2001

17. Army Men Air Combat

24. International Track & Field 2000

25. Rainbow Six: Tom Clancy's

August 1, 2000

You're interested in THQ's upcoming wrestling hit WWF No Mercy. You've got questions. You want answers. Nintendo 64 Extreme understands you're undying need to learn more about the forthcoming, highly anticipated wrestling game and it's with this in mind that we've contacted producer Sanders Keel ("The People's Producer") with some of the more commonly asked reader questions. Here's a quick update on the game below:

Question: Will the game feature back-room brawling?

Answer: Absolutely. Brawling everywhere!

Question: Will the Career mode be like the one in Wrestlemania 2000, in that it has a predefined end point, or will it be more like the Season mode in their PSX game, Smackdown, which can go on forever?

Answer: The career mode is totally different for No Mercy. Each belt has its own story. And how you choose to proceed will dictate the length of career mode.

Question: I need to know if The Rock is gonna take of that elbow pad before delivering the Most Electrifying Move In Sports Entertainment! Or at least tell me that they are working on it! Also, will you be able to come out with your tag team partner if you're created and/or choose tag music for you to come out to?

Answer: The Rock will not be removing the elbow pad. But, of course you can come out with your tag team partner and/or your music.

Question: Will DX, Undertaker, Saturn, Eddy Gurrero, and Chris Benoit have their new theme songs? And will undertaker come out with his motorcycle?

Answer: They'll come out to their theme songs. But no motorcycle for the Undertaker.

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August 18, 2000

Hercules and Blues for Rent

Titus ships the Player 1 developed Hercules and Blues Brothers to... Blockbuster.

Another publisher has hopped aboard the rental-only bandwagon. Titus has released "Hercules: The Legendary Journeys" and "Blues Brothers 2000" as Blockbuster exclusives. The two games are now available at the rental outlets, but will not be sold at retail stores.

Developer Player 1 created both games, which had been delayed for a while now and were expected to come out this holiday season. "Hercules: The Legendary Journeys" is an action game complete with plenty of puzzles, twelve 3D worlds, and a complex combat system. "Blues Brothers 2000" meanwhile, based on the movie of the same name, features platform gameplay and a Jetson-esque, cartoony feel.

The release of "Hercules" and "Blues Brothers" as rental exclusives are the latest in a trend: "International Track & Field 2000," "Duck Dodgers," and "Beast Wars" are among the other games to be released only for rental. If you possess an interest in either of these two latest games, head now to your neighborhood Blockbuster.

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August 21, 2000

In yet another sign that the 64DD is a definite failure in Japan, acclaimed strategy sim "Ultimate War" has shifted platforms to the Nintendo 64. "Gendai Dai-Senryaku," as it is known in Japan, was an impressive product when it appeared at Spaceworld 1999. However, developer Seta and publisher Media Factory have apparently realized that the game is simply better off on the N64, with its much larger consumer base and all. The N64 edition of "Ultimate War" will be playable at Spaceworld later this week.

"Ultimate War," in its 64DD state, was one of the best games of last year's Spaceworld show. It is a war simulation game that chronicles the conflict between Americans and Soviets, circa 1990's. As a US army commander, you have been deployed to start a counter offensive from Japan. The real-time battles look very well-done and realistic. A new waypoint troop movement system is included, to give players full control over the battles.

The 64DD version supported competitive network gaming via the Randnet service. We assume that this has bit the dust, seeing as how there is no N64 online gaming service. We'll give this new N64 version of "Ultimate War" a spin at Spaceworld, and let you know what's new then.

August 21, 2000

Go Big or Go Home

Shareholders are excited about Nintendo's future, but the company is going to have to generate buzz.

According to a Reuters, Nintendo is poised to see a boost for its share price if the company can capture stock holders attention. Analysts say the media briefing on Thursday, where Nintendo will unfold its next-generation products, will be play an important role in swaying company shareholders and developers-alike.

"The key to success in the game-player business is software,'' said UBS Warburg Analyst Masahiro Ono. "If Nintendo demonstrates fresh and unique game concepts, we may raise its share target price from the current 16,000 yen ($147) to 25,000 yen ($175."

Because of Nintendo's secrecy on Dolphin and overall conservative stance until now, analysts are mostly excited about the Game Boy Advance. This means Nintendo is going to have to completely impress shareholders, members of the press, and developers. Another mysterious presentation, or even half-mannered presentation of Dolphin will surely not bode well.

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August 21, 2000

Earthbound 64 (Mother 3 in Japan) has apparently been terminated for good. The title's designer, Shigesato Itoi, released a statement yesterday commenting that the game's development cycle was laced with problems and that he simply doesn't have the time to complete it in light of new projects he's working on for Nintendo's next-generation console.

Earthbound 64 was under development since the early days of Nintendo 64 and was scheduled to release in Japan later this year. However, it should be noted that Itoi had expressed frustrations with the project previously in several interviews with the Japanese press, explaining that the jump from 2D to 3D really put the development team at an unexpected disadvantage and that they had been scrambling to deal with it ever since.

Earthbound 64 has been removed from Nintendo's Japanese products list for Nintendo 64 and, according to Itoi, is not scheduled for release on the company's next-generation console either.

August 25, 2000

Ura-Zelda Complete

Nintendo's 64DD-only Zelda add-on is all wrapped up, says the company's Shigeru Miyamoto.

Wondering what ever happened to the 64DD-only Legend of Zelda add-on, "Ura-Zelda"? If you're like us (and the rest of the gaming world), you probably thought it was quietly cancelled after Nintendo realized that its Japan-only 64DD device does, in fact, suck. But that's not the case at all. Speaking to the press in an open forum held yesterday in Tokyo, Japan, Nintendo's Shigeru Miyamoto casually commented that "Ura-Zelda" (aka: Legend of Zelda DD) has been completed for some time now.

Ura-Zelda isn't so much a new game as it is an expansion to an existing one: Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (it is not compatible with Majora's Mask). The 64DD upgrade title offers new items, levels and characters for those who already own Ocarina of Time. Miyamoto dispelled rumors that Ura-Zelda would offer online play, saying that Nintendo had never intended to incorporate such a feature into the title.

Unfortunately, Miyamoto offered no specifics as to when Ura-Zelda would come out for 64DD, or even if it would.

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Ubi Soft Buys Red Storm

The ever-growing Ubi Soft giant acquires the publisher behind Rainbow Six N64.

Ubi Soft announced today that it has acquired Red Storm Entertainment, the publisher and developer behind the hit Rainbow Six franchise. Red Storm Entertainment, which brought Rainbow Six to N64 last year courtesy of software house Saffire, will continue to be operated as an independent company.

"The games published by Red Storm will complement Ubi Soft's product range and this acquisition will allow the group to reinforce its existing expertise in multiplayer action and strategy games. We are convinced that in the years to come this genre of game will undergo strong growth as witnessed by the dazzling success of Rainbow Six and Rogue Spear. Red Storm is indisputably the leader in multiplayer action and strategy games," said Yves Guillemot, President and CEO, Ubi Soft Entertainment. "This agreement also gives Ubi Soft access to world-renowned licensees such as Tom Clancy, which will be added to our already strong brand portfolio."

"This merger is good for Red Storm as consolidation is a natural and necessary phenomenon in any fast growing field," said Red Storm Entertainment President and CEO, Doug Littlejohns. "While Red Storm has been remarkably successful throughout its short life, the acquisition by Ubi Soft, a major player in this industry, will ensure that together we are capable of leaping to the next level of growth and profitability."

Red Storm Entertainment still holds strong ties to developer Saffire, which is believed to be working on at least one Gamecube title.

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Pokémania Down Under

Nintendo searches far and wide for the Pokémon Master. Could you be the one?

Are you the master of everything Pokémon related? Can nobody beat you in Stadium? Well then why not prove your skills in the ultimate Pokémon face-off? Nintendo is scouring the world for the very best Pokémon players from eight different countries to compete in a Pokémon 2000 World Championship, which will be held in Sydney, Australia September 20 through 22.

Players from Australia, Belgium, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Spain, the United Kingdom and United States will battle it out in Pokémon Stadium N64 using their Game Boy trained Pokémon from Red and Blue. One national champion from each country will be flown to Australia to compete for the grand title. And like Christopher Lambert says, "There can be only one." [add strange accent where necessary]

"The global Pokémon phenomenon transcends borders and cultures," says Minoru Arakawa, president of Nintendo of America Inc. "While all these children may not speak the same language, they all speak the exciting, universal language of Pokémon."

Details from Nintendo:
The championship is part of a twenty-two day Pokémon fun and entertainment festival, beginning September 12 at Pokémon Park. Located in Sydney University, Pokémon Park will be an interactive area where Pokémon fans of all ages and nationalities will compete in trading card tournaments and video game face-offs, enjoy food and much more including a Pokémon Team Rocket live show, a Pokémon disco and limited edition, first-in-the-world Pokémon products. Additional details about the Pokémon Park and the World Championship can be found at the international website, www.pokemon2000.com.

Each participating country currently is searching for a champion. To find the U.S. Pokémon Champion, Nintendo is conducting "The Thunder for Down Under" competition. Four regional competitions were held on August 12 at Wizards of the Coast stores in San Diego, Fort Worth, Seattle, and Garden City, N.Y. The regional winners will be flown to Nintendo of America Inc.'s "Pokémon Headquarters" in Redmond, Washington, for the opportunity to compete in the U.S. Championship, September 2. The winner will represent the U.S.A. in Australia.

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August 29, 2000

Great news! The Camelot Software Planning developed Mario Tennis has shipped to retailers across the US and that means you can run out and buy it after you're done reading this article. The title, which features more than a dozen of your favorite Nintendo mascot characters including the likes of Mario, Peach, Luigi, Wario, and Bowser to name just a few, combines a perfect mix of balanced play control and simplistic, fluid graphics. It also sports one of the best multiplayer experiences to be had on your 64-bit console.

"Tennis is such a traditional sport, but when Mario and friends get involved, you can forget about following the rules," says Peter Main, Nintendo's executive vice president, sales and marketing. "Mario Tennis is the ultimate four-player experience - it's more fun than an afternoon at Wimbledon."

•   Up to four players can enjoy practice sets, tournaments, challenge modes, special matches and more in either singles or doubles play

•   Experience simple yet realistic play control--mix your game up with long lobs, viscous volleys, backhand blasts and varying degrees and styles of spin

•   Play on a number of court surfaces including grass, clay and hard court, watching your tennis ball react on each surface in different ways

•   Meet a new character, Waluigi, Luigi's arch enemy and the latest addition to the Nintendo family

•   Compete with more than a dozen characters--all with unique attributes of power, speed, spin and control. Unlock game secrets by winning matches or completing modes with every one of the available characters

Mario Tennis comes with a MSRP of $59.95 and again, is available right now. So what are you waiting for?

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August 30, 2000

Good news for Nintendo 64 owners dying to get their hands on the next best multiplayer game -- Acclaim's Turok 3: Shadow of Oblivion has shipped to retailers across the US. The game should be ready for snapping up as early as today in select parts of the country, and you'll have no trouble whatsoever picking it up just in time for weekend fragging.

Turok 3, which retails for $59.95, features all of the following:

•   More than 20 levels spanning five dark and menacing environments, including the ruins of a futuristic city, an underwater military base, and a return to the wild jungles of the Lost Lands.

•   Gamers have the option of controlling two main characters while unlocking over 25 hidden game features.

•   Save Anywhere and Autosave functions

•   Fully interactive storyline to be portrayed through the use of both scripted in-game events and carefully detailed cinemas.

•   24 intricately modeled and animated weapons that are upgradable, including the Stealth Rifle, Eviscerator, and Inferno Cannon.

•   More than 40 wild and ferocious enemies to stand in the way of Turok.

•   Intense multiplayer action, featuring over 48 unique maps and 8 modes of play, including Blood Lust, Monkey Tag, Capture the Flag, and Color Tag.

•   Fully orchestrated musical score and extensive use of digital speech.

•   Turok 3 supports, but will not require use of the Expansion Pak.

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August 30, 2000

Inside Mia Hamm

IGN64 talks with Digital Creations about its forthcoming Mia Hamm Soccer for N64 (w/ pics).

The first ever women's soccer game on a console, development on "Mia Hamm Soccer 64" is now completed and the game is awaiting release. "The game has changed completely since E3," Digital Creations Studios President Mark Greenshields informs us. From the speed and response to the controls and graphics, the game has been polished all over.

The E3 demo featured only one mode of play; In the final version, there are 5 such modes: Quick Start, Exhibition, US League Season, World Cup, and practice mode. Add that to 10 different stadiums, new weather, field, and time of day conditions, commentary by ESPN commentator Wendy Gebauer, and Spanish-language text support. Mia Hamm even provides voice-overs featuring gameplay tips, for both the video-game and real-world soccer playing.

AI difficulty settings have been tweaked to make the game more suitable for younger ages. Coming off the Olympics in Sydney, South Peak hopes to attract avid fans of the sport to this game -- especially girls, of course. To attract young players, there are now two controller modes: A simple setting that is less advanced, and an expert setting which offers more moves.

We asked Mr. Greenshields about the motivation to develop a video game centered around a female soccer player. "There's a growing demand for video games that target women and girls, this market now makes up 51% of the game-buying market," he said. "Given the number of sports titles available and the number of girls and women involved in sports, SouthPeak felt that it was time someone addressed this market by creating a game that features a strong role model in women's sports like Mia Hamm."

"Mia Hamm Soccer 64" is now at Nintendo going through final check. "The final bugs are being worked out and we expect it to be in manufacturing soon," Mr. Greenshields says. The game is slated for release in October.

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August 30, 2000

On October 17 the Interactive Digital Software Association (IDSA), will hold the third annual "Nite to Unite for Kids" charity event. During the event Joel Hochberg, president of Rare, will be honored. Each year the IDSA names a Kids Champion award honoree, in recognition of his/her outstanding service and contributions to the industry, corporate devotion and ongoing commitment to children across America. This year Mr. Hochberg will be honored for being a 40-year veteran of the video and coin-op industry, who has been widely involved with youth and family services in his native land, Miami.

The fundraiser features a black-tie-optional dinner and auction, at the Westin St. Francis Hotel in San Francisco. Proceeds from the event will be donated to the Boys & Girls Clubs of America to support a new delinquency prevention program.

Year-on-year, nearly 800 executives from the interactive entertainment industry gather together for America's youth. Last year the gala event raised more than $640,000 for the Child Welfare League of America's "Protecting America's Children" 10-year campaign.

"The annual 'Nite to Unite for Kids' event provides an excellent opportunity for the IDSA and its members to come together for a common cause -- our kids," said IDSA president Douglas Lowenstein. "Each year we have broader involvement among industry leaders and more excitement building up to the event."
Companies or individuals interested in supporting the cause are invited to attend the event, donate an item to the auctions, and/or purchase an ad in the evening's Tribute Book. Tickets to the fundraiser are $500 for individuals; also, table sponsorships are available.

If you plan to attend, contact the event coordinator:
Pattie Tobias Renouard
Telephone: (503)241-9469
Email: prenouard@aol.com)

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August 31, 2000

You've been playing Mario Tennis for the past 48 hours straight. Surviving on nothing but leftover pizza and Mountain Dew, you've sent your opponents back to the locker room in shame match after brutal match. But you crave something more. You're tired of whooping on all your friends; you want to see who's really the best of the best.

Welcome to the Mario Tennis Ring Tournament. Starting today, you can test your court skills right at home and rank yourself nationwide against all the other hardcore players of the game. There are even prizes to be won, but seeing your name on top of the leaderboard will ultimately be prize enough.

Here's how it works: when Camelot created the game, it included a Special Game called Ring Tournament that operates via a password system. Nintendo will now release one password at a time, each unlocking a specific challenge for you to strut your stuff. When you complete the task, the game will give you a password that you can enter at the official Mario Tennis website. This password will then rank you according to the score you earned in the Ring Tournament. You are free to redo the challenge and resubmit as many times as you like, so keep that Mountain Dew stocked and ready.

The first password has been released today and will grant access to the Mario Cup. A new Cup will begin every two weeks with a new password being released on the following dates:

•   Sept 01-15: Mario Cup

•   Sept 16-30: Wario Cup

•   Oct 01-15: Luigi Cup

•   Oct 16-31: Waluigi Cup

•   Nov 01-15: Donkey Kong Cup

•   Nov 16-30: Peach Cup

•   Dec 01-15: Bowser Cup

•   Dec 16-30: MarioTennis.com Cup

The Current Challenge

Name: Mario Cup

Game: Singles

Player: Mario

Opponent: Birdo

Court: Hard Court

Password: A3W5KQA3C

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August 31, 2000

Good news Perfect Dark fanatics: Rare's Game Boy Color version of the franchise has now shipped to retailers across the US and can be snapped up for only $34.95. Why would Nintendo 64 owners care? Simple -- using the Transfer Pak, the Game Boy Color Perfect Dark actually works to unlock secrets in the 64-bit original. Not too shabby, huh? Here's how it's done.

•   Requirements:

•   Make sure you own both Perfect Dark N64 and Game Boy Color.

•   Make sure you own a Transfer Pak (which is sold with Pokemon Stadium or separately).

•   Now all you have to do is pop your copy of Perfect Dark into your Nintendo 64, slap your Game Boy Color cartridge into the Transfer Pak, boot up, and head on over to the Cheat Menu in the 64-bit game. It's that easy. Observe the results below:

Now you've got Hurricane Fists, R-Tracker and All Guns in Solo, just for playing with your Transfer Pak. Doesn't it make you happy?

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September 1, 2000

We've said it before and we'll say it again, Banjo-Kazooie is easily one of the best 3D platformers ever created. Spectacular graphics mixed with brilliant controls and off-the-wall humor set it apart from its biggest competitor, Super Mario 64, and ensure that it'll be favored by Nintendo 64 owners for years to come.

Later this year Rare plans to release the sequel, called Banjo-Tooie to the masses, and the big question is, can it one-up the original? IGN64 has only played brief portions of the title so w can't say for sure, but if the latest video to showcase Tooie is any example then the answer is most certainly yes. The UK based development house posted a giant-sized movie of Tooie in action earlier today and it's already spread across the Internet. In it you'll see everything from Banjo and Kazooie teaming up for a first-person shooter mode to a salivating dinosaur that eats the duo alive. Simply click below for the goodness.

Huge Banjo-Tooie Movie (22MBs)

If you'd like to download smaller versions of the video, you can head on over to Rare's official website and pick them up by clicking right here.

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