Games - News - What's Happening in the World of Video Gaming

Headhunter · 04-04-2004, 03:31 PM

Exciting Nintendo release info for the rest of 2004:

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Slew of New Nintendo Info

Game giant confirms rumored Paper Mario sequel, 2004 game line-up, and new hardware.
Many Nintendo-lovers' wishes were granted today when Nintendo released its 2004 calendar. The schedule confirmed one of the hottest bits of gossip--namely, that a GameCube sequel to the beloved N64 classic Paper Mario (due Q4 2004) is on the way.

The list also confirmed that Geist, Mario Tennis, Mario Party 6, Metroid Prime 2, and Star Fox 2 will touch down in time for the 2004 holiday season (i.e., in Q4). Spring will see WarioWare, Inc.: Mega Party Game$ (April 5) and Custom Robo (May 10), while summer will herald The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Adventures (June 7) and Pikmin 2 (August). GameCubin' bongo players will also be pleased to know that Donkey Konga's US release has been confirmed for September.

There were also surprises on the Game Boy Advance front, but not all of them were good. The roster was totally free of Intelligent Systems games like Fire Emblem and Advance Wars. As a consolation prize, GBA owners will be able to pick up Mario vs. Donkey Kong (May 2), Hamtaro (July) and F-Zero 2 (September). The ever-crowded fourth quarter will see Pinball, Donkey Kong Country 2, Mario Tennis, and a new Kirby game hit the portable.

On the hardware tip, 2004 will see the release of the Game Boy Advance Wireless Adapter, which will be packaged with Pok�mon Fire Red and Pok�mon Leaf Green's September release. GameCubers running out of memory will be pleased by Nintendo's higher-capacity 1019 memory card, which will also be released this year.

***Chris*** · 04-05-2004, 02:43 PM

Metroid Prime 2? Bet that will be on my son's Christmas wish list.

Joshua · 04-05-2004, 07:32 PM

Assembly bills would restrict sale of video games to minors

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(Sacramento-AP) -- A San Francisco assemblyman and the video industry are squaring off over his proposals to restrict want kinds of video games can be sold to young people.

Democrat Assemblyman Leland Yee has introduced two bills regulating the sale of videos to minors.

One bill would prohibit selling to minors any video game in which the player commits injury to human beings in what the bill describes as "especially heinous, atrocious, or cruel."

The second bill would require retailers to display any game with an "M" rating out of reach of children.

Video games are rated under a voluntary system, including age recommendations and content descriptions.

The entertainment and video game industry oppose the bills, saying they violate free speech and are unconsitutional..

Both bills face their first committee tests next week.

(AP Credit: San Francisco Chronicle)

(Copyright 2004 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

Headhunter · 04-07-2004, 08:31 AM

I'm cool with restrictions, as outlined; movie sales follow a similar system.

Not that it really helps, minors can always get friends and/or relatives to pick them up on their behalf... [img]smilies/look.gif[/img]

onionroach · 04-07-2004, 10:05 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Headhunter:
<STRONG>I'm cool with restrictions, as outlined; movie sales follow a similar system.

Not that it really helps, minors can always get friends and/or relatives to pick them up on their behalf... [img]smilies/look.gif[/img]</STRONG>

Like parents who buys their kids GTA and then get outraged at the violence in the game.

Headhunter · 04-08-2004, 07:10 PM

Absolutely.

Especially after watching Mortal Kombat for the umpteenth time, I had an eye out for the news that Metroid had been optioned by John Woo as a feature film.

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Woo Options Metroid

Face/Off and Paycheck director John Woo has optioned the popular Nintendo Metroid video-game franchise with an eye toward a big-screen adaptation, according to The Hollywood Reporter. The trade paper added that Metroid would focus on the origins of the game's lady protagonist, the bounty hunter Samus Aran, and chronicle her epic clashes with the life-sucking Metroids and their master, Mother Brain.

"We are very fortunate that there is such an extensive amount of material to draw upon for the film due to there being so many iterations of the game over the years," Woo told The Hollywood Reporter. Added Brad Foxhoven, who will co-produce the film, "We have to assume the mainstream audience is unfamiliar with the property. As for the rest of the film, we will stay true to the game and have Samus battling the Metroids and Mother Brain in a fight for control of the galaxy."

The trade paper went on to note that Woo is seriously committed to interactive properties, as he's currently developing three projects at his Tiger Hill video-game studio. The first game will be out in 2005, with the other two to follow in 2006, and Woo will direct the cinematics, oversee the voice talent and stories, manage the character designs and supervise the motion capture elements.

yossarin · 04-08-2004, 09:01 PM

Who do you see playing Samus Aran??

I think Samus should be a tall, athletic woman. I envision a younger Sigourney Weaver (Ripley from Aliens series).

Sarah Michelle Gellar or Jessica Alba would be great, but they are too short.

Shannon Elizabeth is great in the exterior, but I don't think she can pull it off.

The only person I can think of to play the role is Jennifer Garner or Lauren Graham. Jennifer already has the action chops, but I'm curious how Lauren would perform....and Lauren definitely has the body for it [img]smilies/drool.gif[/img] ... [img]smilies/lol.gif[/img]

Headhunter · 04-09-2004, 02:18 AM

Jen Garner's always a good choice, but between Alias/Elektra/Daredevil 2, probably not going to happen.

Could see someone like Claudia Black (Farscape) pulling it off, though she doesn't have the name recognition that other candidates do...

bowlnoodle · 04-09-2004, 12:30 PM

I think Jessica Alba would be a good Samus Aran. I like her better than Jennifer Garner. I hope it wouldn't be Sarah Michelle Geller, I loved BtVS but I can't stand her.

JediBlastoise · 04-09-2004, 04:07 PM

i'd like to see a lesser known actress play Samus, maybe Scarlett johanssen or someone like that.

Headhunter · 04-09-2004, 05:01 PM

Here is IGN's take on casting the role of Samus Aran, including a shot of Samus without her helmet from Metroid Prime.

Wow, really need to finish that game...

yossarin · 04-09-2004, 07:19 PM

I thought about Angelina Jolie, but Tomb Raider was so horrid that I don't her to mess up another franchise. I seriously doubt she wants to peg herself as the "video game actress". The only person on the IGN list that I thought was capable was Uma Thurman. Gwenyth Paltrow and Kelly Preston are a definite NO

After seeing some of those actresses, I think Julie Benz (Darla, Angel) would be a great choice too.

...regarding the story, I hope Samus keeps her helmet on the whole movie and then discover who the actress after she defeats Mother Brain, Ridley or Kraid. And it would be sweet if it was in First Person perspective the whole movie as well. It's never been done before and I'm sure it'll be more exciting.

Headhunter · 04-09-2004, 07:32 PM

When I looked at that list, 2 names that I hadn't previously though of in Naomi Watts and Maria Bello really got to me.

Great actresses, intelligent, and a great look; would be fantastic choices to do it.

Actually, I think that Samus has to be humanized; we need to see her out of the suit, and have her as a woman first and superhero second. Movies based on existing properties in another medium-to-film like Spider-man and more recently Hellboy have succeeded based on the humanity of their titular characters.

yossarin · 04-09-2004, 11:17 PM

The only thing I'm fearing about the "humanizing" of Samus is that she's mostly alone in all of the games. I don't recall ever talking to another human, so I don't want Samus to be a foot soldier among a batallion of other Metroid hunters. I see Samus like Bobba Fettm, an independent killing machine.

but then again, if it ends up being an Aliens clone, would it be such a bad thing?

Headhunter · 04-10-2004, 03:55 PM

Samus can be humanized without interacting with other people; how she reacts to being isolated as both a result of her work and the fear it inspires in others could be very powerful.

PlayStation 3 details leaked by Sony, which were quite interesting.