Nintendo Revolution : A Look at the Future
We all remember the NES, the SNES, the N64. Next it was the Gamecube that had a nice look to it, and power inside that allowed games like Metroid Prime and Zelda Wind Waker to be played. Now Nintendo is digging deeper, and wants there next generation console to be a powerhouse. Normally Nintendo likes to appeal to a younger generation, but this next generation console looks like a toy a 18 + year old would buy. Don’t get me wrong, games like Mario, and Donkey Kong will still be on it, but I am sure the game database will be much older now. Nintendo released a lot of information about there next generation gaming console, and from the looks of it, the hype is going to be very huge once it reaches stores. At the Pre E3 conference, Nintendo made a huge eruption about the Revolution, and was the top article at the conference. Nintendo said the look of the Revolution is designed to strategically attract more kinds of gamers to more kinds of games.
There is so much to discuss, so I am going to make it as brief as I can. Nintendo has a lot of competition when releasing the Revolution. Microsoft’s 2nd Generation Console is going to make a move, and of course the PS3, which is getting everyone hyped as well. When the Gamecube came out XBox was it’s nemisis. It was a pretty close battle, but the age difference was what differed both of the consoles. Now it’s a different story. People of all ages are going to hype up about the Revolution, just by it’s looks. Some key points about the Nintendo Revolution were revealed and here they are.
1. All Access Gaming
Nintendo released that they will allow games from the past 20 years to be accessible. How? We’re not sure yet, but Nintendo said something about “Download”, so maybe a download feature will allow people to play older games on the Revolution. There isn’t much known about this feature, but we do know the games will go as far back as the NES days. So expect NES, SNES, and N64 to be playable on the Revolution. The Price structure is yet to be determined, but I am sure it won’t be that pricey as the amount of games will be quite large. As for the All Access Gaming, Gamecube discs will be playable on this machine instead of being down-loadable, or however they decide to do it, so that is a nice feature as well.
2. DS Compatibility
Like the Nintendo Gamecube, the Nintendo DS will be a part of the System itself. Like the Game Boy Advance, the Nintendo Gamecube could use the GBA to access special features within certain games. Now the Revolution is going to use the Nintendo DS wirelessly, to access special features within certain games, and possibly even do more. That wasn’t discussed as of yet.
3. DVD Playback
YES! What we have all been waiting for. We hoped to see DVD playback on the US version of the Gamecube, but they didn’t allow for it. Now Nintendo wants to add more features to there next generation console, by adding DVD playback. We do know that the discs are going to be DVD formed discs, and not mini discs or cartridges, so that is a huge Nintendo change. People should like the DVD compatibility though, as Nintendo has never had this on any of there US systems. The Qube in Japan though which was never released in the USA used DVD playback, but that doesn’t help any of us. Just thought I would get that out.
4. WiFi (Wireless) Compatibility
Now this is some cool stuff here. Nintendo really hasn’t had a huge reputation for using multiplayer compatibility, so this time they decided to go all out, and use wireless WiFi compatibility for there games. Not only did they mention this, but they also added it would be free, so wouldn’t that be something! They are calling there service “Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection”.
5. Huge Gaming Library
Now we all know Nintendo’s game library is what makes Nintendo what they are today. They did say they were going to bring back Mario, and Zelda, but also to name some others… Donkey Kong, and Metroid are going to be appearing on the Revolution as well. The Legend of Zelda Twilight Princess, which is Nintendo’s new Zelda game, is scheduled to appear on the Nintendo Gamecube, so with that being said, you can expect Zelda to continue on. There haven’t been many Mario surprises yet, so I am sure a true Mario 64 sequel will appear on the Revolution. A true Donkey Kong game has yet to appear on a Nintendo Console in a while, so expect that to make an appearance on the Revolution too. Metroid of course has been noted to be one of the best games made for the Nintendo Gamecube, but it was also stated to be on the Revolution. I cannot wait until this system is launched, and I know a lot of people that are the same way!
6. Any Extras
Now that I have explained most of the cool features the Revolution will feature there are still extras that will be adapted onto the Revolution. USB will be supported on this system, as 2 will be accessible. There wasn’t much on the controllers, but we do know that they will be wireless. Flash Memory of up to 512 MB will be accessible as well, which helps with saved games, etc. There are memory card slots near the controller slots, so whether a hard drive will be installed is not known at this time, but I am sure Nintendo will take care of that. Of course the information everyone has been waiting for… The Release! You can expect the Nintendo Revolution to be launched sometime early 2006. So remember Early 2006! This is just an estimate. I am sure Nintendo will try to get it launched towards Christmas, so I am assuming late 2005, or a late 2006 appearance but that is just my 2 cents.
