About time, hm? Today we revive the mailbag feature (after nearly three months!) with quite a hefty mailbag! Seriously, it’s long. This time, we talk about great games that will be overshadowed this fall by the “Big Three,” the console wars, moderators on The Tanooki Forums, reviving old SEGA franchises, band camp, and yes, Metroid Prime 3. Grab a few snacks and hit the link to read the mailbag after the break.

There’s been a whole lot of hype about the big Wii games coming out in the next few months (Metroid, Brawl, Galaxy, etc.), but what semi-obscure titles are you guys most excited about?
- drktrpr1

Christian: Obviously I can’t speak for the rest of our staff, but the brightest star shining for me this fall is Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn, coming November 5th. Fire Emblem is my favorite Nintendo property of all time, and since Path of Radiance was so great, I fully expect Radiant Dawn to deliver a stellar game. The reviews say it’s a massive game and substantially more difficult (a staple of the Fire Emblem series), which I just cannot wait for. Unfortunately, for the game’s publicity from Nintendo, it will be overshadowed by Super Mario Galaxy’s release the following week. I’ll be plugging that game pretty much all of October.

That, and High School Musical: Sing It! Everyone writes off licensed games from Disney Interactive, and everyone writes off High School Musical. Disney Interactive’s games, licensed or not, have gotten significantly better these days, and early reports say that Sing It! is shaping up to be a solid karaoke game. If this is the case, gaming critics will give the game credit where it’s due, and I’m hoping I’ll be among them. High School Musical: Sing It! comes out at the same time as Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn.

Definitely looking forward to other titles from Nintendo as well, from Flash Focus: Vision Training in Minutes a Day on the DS (October 15) and Endless Ocean (October 29) on the Wii. I’ll be squeezing those in between my time with the “Big Three” as well as NiGHTS, Mario & Sonic, Zack & Wiki, and DDR.

Matthew: *sigh* I thought we could get through this mailbag day without a High School Musical reference. Oh well, I guess I’ll look forward to that game also. After all, Christian needs somebody to play the game with.

As for me, I think it’s pretty safe to assume that I am most excited about Guitar Hero III:: Legends of Rock this fall. The playlist for this year’s version is shaping up to be my favorite in the series with some stellar song choices from Queens of the Stone Age, Smashing Pumpkins, Pearl Jam, The Rolling Stones, and friggin’ Metallica with One.

As for other games, I would add Resident Evil Umbrella Chronicles to the list, but after a poor E3 showing, I will sit politely on the fence with this game.

Mike: There’s definitely some solid lesser titles coming out for the Wii in the next few months. Some of them would be getting a lot more hype if they weren’t being overshadowed by Super Mario Galaxy, Super Smash Bros. Brawl, and Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock among other games.

Dewy’s Adventure is hitting the Wii in less than a month actually (9/25). Anyone who has played Elebits knows that the team behind Dewy’s Adventure is very capable and knows how to get the most out of the Wiimote. The way the game controls should be interesting, and the Wii is kind of short on platformers right now.

Zack and Wiki: Quest for Barbaros’ Treasure should be an interesting game as well. It has been creating a lot of buzz as of late, and it introduces unique puzzle-solving gameplay that you don’t often see on a console.

Joey: Although there hasn’t been an official announcement for this, I am anxiously waiting for a fun, solid dance game for the Wii. (I know that Boogie is out, but from what I have seen of that game, I’m not really interested.) What I want is for someone to develop a game that is similar to the butt-smacking dance boss stage from Wario Ware Smooth Moves. Out of all of my Wii titles, this one mini game is probably the most fun to bring out at parties; it’s simple to play, and it’s absolutely hysterical to watch your friends dance around the room with the Wii remote.

Out of the confirmed titles that are coming out soon, I am excited to try Resident Evil Umb-er-ella-ella-ella-eh-eh-eh Chronicles. True, the game may end up not being very good, but from what I can tell Capcom is putting a lot of hard work into developing this game. Hopefully, this will show in the final result. I also am interested in Cranium Kabookii that Ubisoft is scheduled to release in the first quarter of 2007. Personally, I love the board game version of Cranium, and I am interested to see if it translates well on the Wii console.

Finally, I am stoked to play Phoenix Wright: Trials and Tribulations on the DS. Out of all of my DS titles, the Phoenix Wright games are probably my favorites, and the third and final game is shaping up to be the best in the trilogy.

This isn’t REALLY a question. I just wanted to let you know that i, kami, use your website on a daily basis to get all the Nintendo news for my show. I always make sure to mention your URL of course. Just thought i’d let you know and ask you to check out the CoMutiny Podcast over at comutiny.com
- kami

Christian: Thanks, Kami! We’re pleased that you find our site so useful!

It seems that Nintendo is doing fairly well in the “Console Wars” despite the negative prognostications before launch. What are your opinions about what Nintendo can do to further their success and to reclaim their stake in the video gaming world?
- puwayt5

Matthew: I thought Nintendo was doing an excellent job with getting the word out on the Wii until I went to work yesterday. Sometime last night, my manager came up to me and asked when “Nintendo will get their head out of their (butt) and release a system that has all the old Nintendo games on it.” Before that moment, I thought Nintendo was doing an excellent job with promoting the Virtual Console… I guess not. After a conversation about the joys of the virtual console, I think I sold yet another Wii for Nintendo.

Mike: Well, Nintendo has repeatedly stated that they do not see themselves as a direct competitor with the other consoles. I don’t believe this to be the case. If I had not bought a Wii, I would have bought an Xbox 360. So Nintendo is definitely taking marketshare away from the PS3 and the 360.

To further their success they need to look long and hard at Microsoft’s online offerings. Nintendo has their Virtual Console, Microsoft has Live Arcade. Nintendo has friend-codes, Microsoft has gamer-tags. The VC is definitely the better of the two in terms of downloadable games, but Microsoft’s easy to use online system easily trumps Nintendo’s offering so far. Nintendo must co-operate with developers like Red Octane in regards to Guitar Hero III, or else potential customers are going to buy Xbox 360’s or PS3’s instead.

My advice to Nintendo would be to use a player’s Mii as their profile, attaching a universal friend code to it. If that person is causing trouble, they can ban them from online play. (Or the entire Wii) Otherwise, Wii owners are going to be missing out on some terrific online action. As well as downloadable content most likely.

Joey: Since the Wii launched back in November last year, the momentum just hasn’t stopped. It really is quite unlike anything the gaming industry has ever seen before. Even though the console was released almost a full year ago, the “holiday rush” for the Wii is still going strong. I honestly can not think of any product, let alone gaming system that has ever had this kind of demand before.

Obviously, Nintendo has done a lot of things right with the Wii, but that does not mean it is the perfect console. Above all else, the Wii is incredibly weak when it comes to online support for games. Despite the fact that friend codes on the DS are despised by Nintendo’s fans, astonishingly the codes have made the jump to the Wii. Presumably, the codes are in place as a “child safety lock” on the console in order to keep the family-friendly image that Nintendo is known for. While I have no problem with Nintendo trying to uphold this image, I strongly feel that by including friend codes on the Wii Nintendo has indirectly admitted that they have no intention of even trying to compete with the top-notch online service Microsoft offers on the XBox 360.

Above all else, Nintendo desperately needs to do something to improve its online services.

Christian: Nintendo’s done a lot of things right as well. I think they need to play on their strengths. They’ve got these Mii avatars that people absolutely love. I’ve said it before, Nintendo needs to allow more customization and interaction with the Miis. Maybe make a Mii Shop Channel. Allow people to buy houses for their Miis. Furnish it. Give their Miis jobs (or a salary for playing Wii Sports as a pro athlete). Allow them to make money and buy a new car. Sound familiar? There’s a reason so many people were glued to their computer monitors when The Sims was at its prime.

Are there going to be any opportunities to become a Moderator in the forums? I know you guys are hiring writers, but I haven’t heard anything about the Forums.
- drktrpr1

Christian: Yes, but not right now. At this time, there isn’t enough activity on the forums to justify needing someone else to keep an eye on things. I may not be logged in all the time, but I check in every now and then and read the latest posts (usually totaling around 15 or 20 each time), just to make sure things are running smoothly.

When we need moderators, we’ll add them. Moderators probably won’t be added by open application when the time comes - for now I anticipate simply approaching those that we feel would best fill the position(s). I’ll describe the process in the future more when I need to.

Mike: The Forums are doing pretty well right now anyway. Adding moderators would be like adding a police force to keep a church service in order.

How was band camp?
- Val

Christian: Band camp was great this year! For those wondering, I work both marching and music aspects with the Stagg High School Marching Chargers from Palos Hills, IL. As usual, camp was located at Allerton Memorial Park in Monticello, IL. It was insanely hot, and I still have a nasty tan from the whole ordeal, but the band worked hard, stayed cooperative, and got a lot done. If your around the area next month, I suggest checking out their show, Jekyll & Hyde, when they compete at events in Memorial Stadium at the University of Illinois on October 13 or at Illinois State University on October 20.

Matthew: It was awesome. Oh wait.

What does the Tanooki think the chances are we’ll see another installment in the Jet Set Radio series? It’s been nearly 5 years since the last installment, and the Wiimote as a can of spray paint would be perfect for the game!
- Matt

Christian: Lately, SEGA’s been going in different directions from their Dreamcast days, when their property lineup was probably at its peak. We’re seeing games like The Golden Compass and Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games for non-gamers, Alien Syndrome and Ghost Squad for arcade fans…but if NiGHTS: Journey of Dreams, Super Monkey Ball: Banana Blitz, and the entire Sonic franchise are any indication, SEGA likes to revisit old properties.

I don’t doubt that we’ll see the Jet Set Radio franchise again. However, the developer of the first two games, Smilebit, was affected by the reorganization of all SEGA studios following SEGA’s merger with Sammy Corp., and Smilebit’s former team members are currently contributing to Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games. Once that’s out of the way, we’ll have to wait and see what’s next on their platter. I’m sure you’ll see revivals of some of the best franchises that appeared during the hey-day of the Dreamcast again, but don’t hold your breath for one right away.

What do you think of videogame sites for games that haven’t come out yet? Specifically sites that release information about the game as teasers (like Brawl or Starcraft 2). Should we be teased into getting excited for the game at the expense of there being no great surprise anymore?
- earliodookie

Joey: I have to say, I am really impressed with what Nintendo has done with the Smash Bros. Dojo site thus far. Every weekday morning, I find myself excited to find out another tidbit of information about Brawl, and I continually find myself getting more and more excited for the game as time goes on. Although websites like this and traditional trailers do technically “spoil” some aspects of the game, I think that developers need to do this, to a certain extent, in order to build up hype for their game. Just like with trailers for movies, there is a delicate balance between revealing too much or too little content in game previews.

As far as Super Smash Bros. Brawl goes, I have a strong feeling that Nintendo hasn’t even scratched the surface on how much content is in that game. I have no doubt in my mind that we still have plenty of surprises in store for us come this December.

Mike: I don’t think that theres anything wrong with it. It would be foolish to allow your game to slip below the radar just because you want to preserve the first impressions for fans. I personally don’t care, as long as they don’t spoil anything (storywise). So in the case of Super Smash Bros Brawl, it doesn’t really matter. All it does is gets you more excited for the game.

What percent are you all on Metroid Prime 3?
- Zak

Christian: 0%. I could start it, but I’m still settling in to all my classes. In fact, I still need to schedule some observation time in the local schools for this coming week. These days, all I’m able to fit into my gaming schedule is a few minutes of more brain training each day. Things should start to open up in the next week or two. Until then, I’ve got two roommates enjoying Corruption for hours up into double digits on a daily basis and a third roommate who likes to sit and watch them.

Joey: As of right now I am about eight and a half hours into the game, and have 43% of of the hidden power-ups. Even though this has been a crazy week for me, I found myself staying up later than I should specifically to play Prime 3. If you haven’t picked up this game yet, do yourself a favor and buy it. Now.

Mike: I’m currently 37%. Its an incredible game.

Well, that’s it for the fifth mailbag. Whew! Maybe next time we’ll work it out somehow so it’s not so lengthy, which can happen when your staff just about doubles. Keep sending in those mailbag questions and we’ll keep answering them. Catch you all next time!

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