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News 
Big Nintendo News Round-Up
- Posted By Lander
Clinton, 04.25.2003
Nintendo's official E3 2003 page just went up with some interesting information on upcoming games for every genre.
First is Mario Kart: Double Dash, the fourth entry in the oft-copied series, which looks to change the dynamic of the perfect party game. In multiplayer modes players will now be able to team up with a partner, so one person drives the kart while the other uses items. The players can switch positions at will which should add a lot of strategy, since the 16 announced characters will have their own unique items. Right now there seems to be several Koopa characters, but no mention of the wizard ones that shoot UPN logos at Mario in Super Mario World. It would be fun to have one character use different magic spells. There is also no mention of how the game works in single-player mode- for those of us who like to play with ourselves...
Next up is confirmation that the arcade F-Zero will be coming stateside. By using a memory card with a GameCube F-Zero save, players will be able to use custom vehicles on the arcade tracks, as well as download upgrades and possibly new characters for their home versions.
Also on Nintendo's E3 page are some nice new shots of Pikmin 2, which uses cooperative play. Hopefully it will also feature counter-op modes like I suggested in an editorial a few months ago.
Elsewhere in Nintendo land, NOA will be publishing three Square-Enix games: Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles for GameCube and Final Fantasy Tactics Advance and Sword of Mana for GBA. There is no mention of the originally-planned Crystal Chronicles for GBA, nor has there been for some time. The link cable options may require no game in the GBA.
Mortal Kombat 6 has been announced for "multiple systems" and will feature online play. The team is working from the ground-up to offer a different style than the highly-praised Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance. Personally, I'm hoping for Friendships, Babalities, and over-the-top cartoonish Fatalities that will surely make fans cheer....
Finally, the game that's shot right to the top of my most-wanted list, is Rogue Squadron III. This month's EGM magazine has revealed the first pictures and info on the game, and it looks to add much more depth to the series than the last one, and believe it or not, improved graphics. The game will allow multiplayer co-op modes that let you play through the levels from Rogue Leader: Rogue Squadron 2. The game will also let players leave their vehicles on planetary missions (let's hope space too, just for the hell of it,) to change vehicles or even go inside compounds. It looks like much of Return of the Jedi will be in the game, from Speeder Bike chases to piloting an AT-ST to going inside the shield generator on Endor. One shot showed Luke in the Hoth battle from Empire Strikes Back using a grappling hook and Light Saber to take down an AT-AT Walker, which is a great way to draw players into the movie they remember. The game is very promising.
Look for more on these and other titles in the coming weeks as game companies are forced to show their hands at E3.
Source: NOAE32K3
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