Nintendo has taken a major hit to its reputation in recent years. Once the champion of the video game world, it has slowly slipped into a hole of doom. After its victory with the NES, it lost a close battle with Sega and chugged along with the Nintendo 64. Many die-hard Nintendo fans refuse to hear it but the GameCube seems to be its biggest problem more than a blessing. Ever since it was released, it has been a marketing starved console that has received many second rate titles that fail to stand up to the increasing competition that the Playstation 2 and X- Box continuously present. Some people felt that Nintendo would pull a “Sega” on their fans, meaning that they would drop out of the next generation console race and simply develop games instead. Yet that is what makes Nintendo a defining corporation for our generation. Even with their losses they have been finding ways to increase sales little by little with innovative ideas both big and small. Their first attempt at boosting sales and popularity was to introduce the Game Boy Advance-GameCube link cable. This would allow a gamer to unlock secret features hidden in a Game Boy Advance or GameCube game. Unfortunately, up to now, it has rarely been used to its full potential, but it’s still a work in progress, that has many opportunities to shine. The next move by Nintendo was its release of games featuring their major mascot characters that have always been known to sell quite a few copies. Mario and Zelda both helped to raise the GameCube’s sales since their respective releases. To be honest, I don’t think its Nintendo’s mascot characters or even its link cable abilities that have given the GameCube its biggest boost in sales in this last year. I think it all comes down to the Game Boy Advance itself. It is currently the best selling portable system of all time and it carries the brand name of Nintendo. So much so that a kid will go into a store and say “Hey mom, look it’s a Nintendo system like my Game Boy!”. Well ok, that’s not how it really happens but I just don’t think it has simply been a result of releasing more games since certain Sony and Microsoft biased groups have all but given up on the console. So will Nintendo pull through in the end? I would have to say yes. With its newer emphasis on marketing and advertising and the release of bigger and better games, the GameCube is in for a smoother ride in the next few years, but the challenges that await are far from over. Now, I think they should move on to adding online capabilities in their games. Don’t you?

    Yes, I know what you must all be saying. “That game is so old!”. Well, no matter how old this game it, it never gets dull. It is the most popular online game of all time and it is by far the biggest innovation the gaming world has ever set eyes on. Plop thousands of gamers into a persistent role playing fantasy world filled with Dragons, Lions and Skunks. Yes, I said Skunks. The game has achieved a sense of population unity that no other game has been able to reach. Not even The Sims online can encourage communication more than EverQuest has. So why is it still buzzworthy after all this time? Well frankly I don’t know, because as of now I still stink at this game. Yet I have fun doing horrible in it. When a game can make you think things like that, you can’t help but wonder what else it can provide an adventure starved gamer. Another reason is that after all these years it still pulls in new users faster than most games. Even with the upcoming release of its true sequel, people are flocking to the gates of Norrath. Its five expansion packs (including one of the first to be fully downloaded off of the web) have sold millions of copies and have drawn thousands of gamers to them. What is also intriguing about this game is that it evolves so seamlessly over time. There are usually weekly updates that tweak gameplay elements and even add small quests and areas. Even the graphics engine was revamped at least once. If after all of this time, you don’t have EverQuest, then you need to get it. One of its best draws is that even people on a 56k modem can enjoy the game simply because it isn’t heavily reliant on quick actions or brisk movements and lag is usually only evident from person to person and not the whole group. At $9.99 (for the original game) this is a must buy for all role playing game fans and even people who just like to hang out and talk with friends. It’s the most innovative way to do it, ever. I name EverQuest for the PC, as my first “BuzzWorthy Game of The Week”. Tune in at the end of the month to vote for your favorite BuzzWorthy game on the Video Game City forums.

    3DO is my first loser of the week. It seems that after years of countless financial losses from poorly received games has put the company bankrupt. I can’t say I am surprised even though there are a few companies that deserved it even more than them. I guess it’s mainly because they put their money in the wrong places. There wasn’t any indication that Army Men was much of a hit when the first edition of the strategy franchise was released, yet they developed a sequel anyway. The sequel didn’t get any more fan fare than the first, so they took it upon themselves to believe that they had a marketable franchise in their hands. Boy, were they so wrong. The Army Men franchise turned into a series of laughable titles that were only good for use as paperweights. Games like Sarge’s Heroes and Portal Runner were usually so bad that certain publications used the titles as bases for cruel jokes. So now we are in 2003 and the tastes of gamers have changed once again. Army Men no longer sits in the minds of gamers (if it ever actually did) and not much has come out of the company to speak of aside from several works in progress that may or may not be picked up by other developers. 3DO has said its goodbyes to the gaming world and hopefully the Army Men franchise has too, but it seems that certain companies might actually wish to resurrect it. I only hope they turn it into something profitable so that they do not share the fate of the once beloved 3DO. If that were to happen, the only blame to be found would be in them. Rest in Peace, 3DO.