| Gameboy Advance Software Debut |
GBA |
The complete listing of Gameboy Advance launch
titles was updated overnight to Japanese vendors. All of the upcoming
releases are priced at Y5800, the same as regular Dreamcast or
Playstation full priced releases. Despite accepting pre-orders for the
GBA software, vendors have yet to open up actual Gameboy Advance units
for pre-order. This is a sign that severe shortages are inevitable.
Here then is the complete launch listing of GBA software expected on
March 21. Konami dominates the scene:
| Gameboy
Advance Launch Lineup |
| Advance
GT-A |
MTO |
Racing |
| Akumajou
Dracula: Circle of the Moon |
Konami |
Action |
| Battle
Network Rockman Eguze |
Capcom |
Action |
| Fire Pro
Wrestling A |
Spike |
Sports |
| Golf
Master ~ Japan Tour Golf |
Konami |
Sports |
| J-League
Pocket |
Konami |
Sports |
| Mail de
Cute |
Konami |
RPG |
| Momotaro
Festival |
Hudson |
RPG |
| Monster
Guardians |
Konami |
RPG |
| Pinobi
Adventure |
Hudson |
RPG |
| Play
Novel ~ Silent Hill |
Konami |
Venture |
| Power Pro
Kun Pocket 3 |
Konami |
Sports |
| Wai Wai
Racing Advance |
Konami |
Racing |
| Winning
Post Advance |
Koei |
Strategy |
| Yu-gi-oh
Dungeon Dice Monsters |
Konami |
Board |
| In
conclusion, a healthy representation of gaming genres |
@ NCS |
|
NCS will update the
Gameboy Advance pre-order situation within the next couple of days.
Vendors are unwilling to commit the quantities that we require at this
time but we should have semi concrete numbers later in the week. Due
to the lack of information, NCS will begin confirming pre-orders for
the GBA when further details are known.
The Gameboy has enjoyed it's stranglehold on the handheld
market for over a decade. The original bulky black & white model
stormed the world in 1989 and millions were sold in the ensuing years.
Nintendo revived the technology in 1996 with Gameboy Pocket, a slim
version of the original. Pokemon was released in Japan around this
time and re-energized the handheld market. Evolution reared it's head
again in 1998 when the Gameboy Color was released, leading to yet
another resurgence of interest and trade. Pokemon in all colors and
stripes helped the handheld's cause immensely in 1999 and 2000. The GB bloodline continues
in March 2001.
|
| Playstation
2 March 2001 Append |
Additions |
|
A sprinkling of
additional items were added overnight to the Playstation 2 schedule
for March 2001. Kessen II joins the list to ship on March 8 at
Y7800 and a special package containing both Kessen and Kessen II will
also be made available at Y12800. Taito will re-release the Densha
de Go! train conductor's controller on March 8. This version is
the new lever type controller instead of the original swivel
controller on the Playstation. Finally, Konami has listed a game
called Super Gal Delight Hour which is based on a Japanese
television show. The Playstation, Playstation 2, and Dreamcast import
schedules will be finalized this week and NCS will post the results
accordingly both here and on the shop. |
Publishers
generally have to start accepting pre-orders months in advance of any
game's release and this week is the final cut for any products due in
March 2001. Pre-orders serve to guide production numbers and latent
demand since strong early interest usually portends good numbers
overall. |
| Neo
Geo MVS Nightmare in the Dark |
Scans |
Apple Photo Systems is running an advert
in the current issue of Replay Magazine for Nightmare in the Dark
on Neo Geo MVS. Replay reports on the coin-operated amusement industry
in a monthly trade publication that caters to distributors, operators,
and other arcade related businesses. SNK's official USA distributor for MVS
software happens to be Apple. Nightmare is slated for delivery during
the first week of February and pricing is set at US$550 for the
complete owner's kit.
The game appears to be a Snow Bros play-alike where you
control a wizard who leaps from platform to platform, firing off flaming spheres instead of the
snowballs found in Snow Bros. Armed with these billowing fiery blasts, your
task is to
capture various ghouls, goblins, and other Halloween inspired beasts
in order to dispatch them from the playfield. Various bosses attack
after a certain number of levels. Comparisons to Puzzle Bobble,
Chip Chan Kick, Rod Land, and other non-scrolling platform games of
this type would be apt to describe the latest MVS title. |
|
|
|
Nightmare
in the Dark |
|
| Week's
Outlook |
Postal
|
| Dreamcast
Fighting Vipers 2, Giga Wing 2, and Super Street
Fighter IIX are due on Wednesday of this week. Playstation Derby
Jockey 2001 and Fuulaiki are slated for Thursday. No new
PS2 imports are scheduled, except for Go to Find It which was
originally expected last week but is now due in on Tuesday. |
As mentioned last
week, the Postal Service is observing the Martin Luther King holiday
today and no shipments will be picked up or delivered.
|
