Nintendo Will Crush Rivals This Year
Written by Josh-April 5th, 2004

Nintendo has always been my favorite company for video game development. I still stick with them because they continue
to make quality games. Now I'll admit that PS2 and Xbox have their share of great games, but Nintendo has a bunch
more. I really felt like I was getting a lot more for my money with the GCN versus the other two consoles. Recently
though, sales have been down for consoles. This probably amounts to the fact that there are no stellar games recently.
Metroid Prime and Wind Waker came out within 4 months of each other, probably being the GCN's best period. There
were plenty more excellent games since them, but none as good as them. 2004 will change that.
Nintendo has been planning so much for its customers this year, it's almost too much! Sure, 1/4 of the year has already
gone by, and there really isn't too much new this year yet. I mean Pokemon Colosseum was decent, but not up to my
expectations. Wario Ware's GCN version is out today, but as I've seen, it's not much more than a port from GBA. Now
GBA did get one good treat, Metroid: Zero Mission. And let's not forget about two Nintendo games, Final Fantasy: Crystal
Chronicles and Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes. But people who haven't heard what's in store for the rest of the year
should know this isn't an ordinary year for Nintendo. The games planned this year will rock both your GCN and GBA.
The entertainment industry generally saves the best games until the end of the year. Think about when The Lord of the
Rings trilogy was released. And what about the new TV series. The same goes for video games. There are always
exceptions, like Wind Waker (released at the end of the year in Japan). But think about Super Mario 64, Ocarina of Time,
Metroid Prime, Majora's Mask, Banjo-Tooie, etc. These were all released in the last half of the year. That's why the best
games aren't out yet this year. After Christmas, all industries take a short plummet because they start off the year with
the not-so-great games. But leading up to that big holiday are must-have games usually.
With that out of the way, here's a list of all the GCN games you should be excited for later this year! (These are listed in
order of their current release dates.
Zelda: Four Swords
Release: June 7th
This game will utilize GBA connectivity, supposedly. I don't care, though; this is the first Zelda
game that isn't the full-fledged adventure that we're used to!
Tales of Symphonia
Release: July 12th
GBA has got its load of RPGs, so why not another one for Nintendo Gamecube. I am not
familiar with this game, but I am hearing great things about it, so it lands a spot on this list.
Pikmin 2
Release: Aug. 30th
We've all been eagerly awaiting for this sequel of an amazing GCN game released near the
console launch. The multiplayer mode is a big perk!
Killer 7
Release: September
This may be violent, but it will have an incredible storyline, possibly multiplayer, 'killer'
graphics and some of the best gameplay around!
Donkey Konga
Release: October
Looking to be one of the most innovative GCN games, Donkey Konga will utilize a pair of
drums as controls to complete tasks. Not much more is known, but it should be fun!
Metroid Prime 2
Release: Nov. 15th
This is Nintendo's answer to Halo 2 and dying fans! As if another intense one-player mode isn't
enough, Retro Studios will be adding a multiplayer mode. This will be Metroid at its best!
Star Fox Armada
Release: Nov. 29th
I will probably faint when I finally boot up this one. I have been waiting for a true Star Fox
sequel since Star Fox 64 came out! It will be out by the end of the year, thank goodness.
Resident Evil 4
Release: December
Another M-rated game, but this is supposed to be the best Resident Evil ever. Sporting
stunning realistic graphics, and a deep and scary storyline, it's no wonder the wait is this long
There are many more games, but of course some are tentative like Mario Tennis, and Mario Party 6 (although Mario
Party 6 is expected). And there will be other great games planned that aren't mentioned, so be sure to look out for those.
We shouldn't forget about GBA, so once again here's a list in order of proposed release dates.
Mario Vs. Donkey K
Release: May 24th
I don't know much about this game, but Mario and DK are in it...so it must be good. It appears
to be a spin-off of the two series so be prepared for some crazy stuff!
Mario Golf: Adv.
Release: June 21st
Mario Golf for GBC was one of the best games there was for GBC. Not only will Mario Golf
Advance Tour feature GCN connectivity, it will be the first game to support wireless gaming.
Sonic Advance 3
Release: May 24th
Both Sonic Advance 1 and 2 are excellent games featuring fun multiplayer modes. Sonic
Advance 3 should be just as fun or better!
Pokemon Red/Green
Release: Sep. 7th
This is one of my most anticipated releases for GBA. Besides Mario Golf, This update of two
classic games will not only have new mini-games and graphics, but wireless support.
So we have only half the amount of GBA games as we do for GCN, but I still think both systems will do great this year. I
can't believe everything that's coming out. If you are thinking about spending your money on a new CD player or
something like that, don't Save it. Save as much as you can so you can get all these great games! And then write some on
your Christmas list.
As if all this wasn't enough, for those of you who are saving lots of money, you can buy the new Nintendo DS. This will be
a dual-screen GBA, still portable, but allows for better gameplay. Like Virtual Boy, Nintendo DS will be separate from the
distribution of GBA products. Unlike Virtual Boy, this should last longer. There is no word on games or GCN connectivity,
but we'll keep you posted in the updates! For now, try to hold in all the excitement, and since there are so many games
coming out, even if a couple aren't as good, there will be plenty of others, so don't add any worry to your anticipation!
You'll be glad that you bought your GCN and GBA at the end of this year!