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news of the day
Mario Gets a Japanese Date March 28, 2002 - Nintendo has revealed the Japanese release date for its forthcoming macot platformer Mario Sunshine (Super Mario Sunshine, US) in Japan. The title will be available on July 19 in the homeland, according to Nintendo. This puts the release of the game in Japan more than a month ahead of its US debut on August 26. Mario Sunshine, Nintendo's most anticipated GameCube title since Super Smash Bros. Melee, follows the exploits of the popular platformer hero through an all-new adventure. Mario can now carry various gadgets atop his back that perform different necessary functions as he explores vast 3D worlds, and fights enemies The title will retail for approximately 6,800 yen, according to Nintendo. Expect the game to be fully playable at this year's coming Electronics Entertainment Expo, which kicks off in Los Angeles this May.
Nintendo Promises Big 2002 "This year is the year to make it, because the second year of sales is usually when they reach a peak,"' said Shigeru Miyamoto, general manager of Nintendo's Entertainment, Analysis and Development division. At the conference, the company reiterated its July 19 launch date of Mario Sunshine in Japan, and also said that the Legend of Zelda would be released sometime before the end of the year. Both titles will be playable at the Electronics Entertainment Expo, Miyamoto said. The firm also announced that Mario Party 4 is in development and will debut in 2002. Second-party offerings such as Eternal Darkness: Sanity's Requiem and Star Fox Adventures, meanwhile, will be available this fall in Japan. Metroid Prime and Koro Koro Kirby would likely see a Japanese release this fall too, according to the company. Nintendo's Satoru Iwata said that he believes it is the right year to release both Mario and Zelda, further proving that the company is dedicated to making the deadlines for both titles. 2002 is the biggest year for software sales because of the growing installed base of the GameCube hardware, according to Nintendo. Miyamoto noted that this is why the firm must deliver its most powerful software to gamers. He further stated that Nintendo will put several times the amount of software on the market than usual over the next year. In regards to yesterday's announcement of F-Zero GC by Nintendo and Sega and F-Zero AC for the Trifroce arcade hardware, Nintendo said that it has planned a partnership with the company, and Namco, since the summer of last year. Sega of America today told IGNcube that it is not planning to make any announcements regarding North American versions of F-Zero AC. In closing, Iwata touched once more upon a GameCube online network. The executive reiterated Nintendo's wait-and-see attitude, noting that while Nintendo sees online connectivity as a means for communication and believes it is important, it is not yet profitable and the company therefore will not prematurely jump into it. More as it develops.
Resident Evil Sales in Japan This figure, perhaps not mind-blowing in of itself, is made more impressive given that Capcom's survival horror update didn't release until March 22, giving it only three days of sell through. The title, which was listed on Japanese magazine Famitsu's Most Wanted list consistently before its release, was also the number-one selling game in Japan for the first several days after its release, according to Yahoo Daily Software Sales charts. A more revealing estimate of Biohazard's success in Japan should arrive with the results of next week's charts, as the game will have enjoyed a full week in release and been given ample time to make a greater sales impact. More as it becomes available.
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© Cube-zone 2002
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