Stephanie Writes
Oooh I can post more often! TRUST ME. (Has anyone ever told y\'all to never trust anyone qui says that?) Tevor, glad to make you all warm and gushy on the inside. And Dan! Well...nevemind, I guess I\'m not offended. It\'s ALWAYS been too late. Donkey Kong Country for SNES wiped me dry of Nintendo playing talent 10 years ago. Ahhh the days of Sunnyside Park, too many hours playing that game and not enough time spent perfecting my flute playing skills. What is with males\' fascination with beautiful haired, busty women? Non capisco. But hey, I\'ve been told my hair\'s beautiful...and I am anything but small chested so...;) Hehehe...take care guys. Who is this Cubey person? Oh and WOOO! To good spelling! dictionary.com is my friend.

Trevor Replies:
Humm busty women are good, as well as beautiful haired. But to be honest, its not what's on the outside that matters, its what's on the inside. Plus they have to be incredibly hot. Donkey Kong yeah, I loved that game, and Cubey is our Janitor, a good one at that to. All hail Cubey.

Dan Replies:
: Hair is nice, busty, though? Not so much. I'll go ahead and say it, large breasts are not my thing. Cubey is Australian, and very, very, very fucking lazy, it seems.

Ryan Replies:
It's all eyes and smiles to this little guy over here. As for the Cubester, not updating as of late… he's had his "hands full" if you know what I mean. It's tough work trying to climb the corporate ladder.

Cubey Replies:
: Cubey is no person, he is a series of 10000 lines of C++. In defense of his lack of updates well I got 3 arguments. One, just finished school (yes source code does go to school), two, I came to nintopia to do programming/scripts to which I complete when asked, three, fuck you.

matt macneil Writes
im sorry for my past mean posts. i love you all. except cubey.

Trevor Replies:
hahahaha. Don't worry about it. we all hate cubey, i mean love yeah thats it. :)

Dan Replies:
I'd love you more if you had beautiful hair and were rather busty.

Ryan Replies:
And I'm sorry I photo shopped your face on to all that gay porn….

Cubey Replies:
That's okay you don't love me, I like it better when you try to run bitch.

Matt MacNeil Writes
hey whatsup. anyways i just wanted to say that your site is cool.

Trevor Replies:
indeed it is, indeed it is. Feel the Love.

Dan Replies:
I like to think of it as anything BUT cool. Anti-cool, even.

Ryan Replies:
I was thinking along the lines of "sack of shit" but cool works just fine.

Cubey Replies:
Thanks dude, I slaved over this website for ages, these other poofs don't update anything and leave it all up to me. All hail Cubey.

Joe Writes
Dear Nintopia, Why can't I find you at .ca? Aren't you Proud to be Canadian? You Cheap Bastards!

Trevor Replies:
ah shit our covers blown, Duck and Cover. Plus i am just the lonely code monkey, please love me.

Dan Replies:
the .ca costs more! Plus I'm not a flag waving motherfucker, so eat it, slut!

Ryan Replies:
The jig is up motherfuckers, every man for himself! Oh and why the hell would we be proud to be Canadian? Although it is better to be Canadian than a stupid yank, that's for sure.

Cubey Replies:
I come from Canada. People think I'm slow….aye.

Jon Writes
can I have a playstation2

Trevor Replies:
Only if you give the entire Staff here hand jobs.

Dan Replies:
agreed.

Ryan Replies:
Only no-good-punks and wankers play PS2. Kinda like this fella!

Cubey Replies:
*unzips*

Billy Writes
Hey guys site rox man but theres one problem not enough babes ... wheres is Christiania Aguliurea man shes hot well yeah.... and you should have a section wid nudity or something some pics just arent hot.

Trevor Replies:
Yeah we are lacking in the Babe department but rest assure, we will get some more up. Now where is this Ryan and Dan video, I want a copy. For educational purposes, yeah that's it.

Dan Replies:
She's not so hot, really. And I don't think we'll be having any nudity on the site. Not yet, anyway. Unless that video of Ryan and I last weekend somehow finds it's way online. Then you can see my manhood, how's that for hot?

Ryan Replies:
Oh lordy.

Cubey Replies:
Babe of the month for December is none other then Dan himself.

Stephanie Writes
You are all SO MALE. I mean..it's fine and all, but DAMN. That is all. Shall I make myself a pest like that Matt McNeil character this month? Why, yes. Yes, I shall

Trevor Replies:
: Damn proud of it to, babes and Video Games go hand in hand just like Salt and Pepper, Link and Zelda, Turkey and Stuffing you get the point, and on that note, I am spent.

Dan Replies:
Yeah, we like our babes and our games, and we like them hot, and possibly having sex with each other. We are manly men.

Ryan Replies:
*continuing Trevor's list* Yup, just like: Trevor and little boys, Cubey and handjobs, Ryan and nachos. All these things fit together perfectly.

Cubey Replies:
Get us another beer will ya. Cheers love. Whats for dinner?

Jock Writes
up·date tr.v. up·dat·ed, up·dat·ing, up·dates

To bring up to date: update a textbook; update the files.

n.

1. Information that updates something.

2. The act or an instance of bringing something up to date.

3. An updated version of something.

Trevor Replies:
*gets tough* We are all slackers, we update when we feel like it, if you cant handle that then go to your precious IGN!!! No no no, stay, I am sorry, ill update more often, I promise.

Dan Replies:
Just what are you trying to say!?

Ryan Replies:
We'll update when we damn well feel like it. PS. SKIDS RULE!!!!

Cubey Replies:
Thesaurus:: up·date = "work like a bitch"

Ron Rogers Writes
Hey Nintopia! I am currently looking for a job on another website. I will still keep my own site and update it from time to time. I am hoping for a job on your site. I don't really know HTML. So, my idea is Cheat codes. If possible I would like to be in charge of adding and updating a section of codes for the Nintendo systems and handhelds. (ie: Gameboy, Gameboy Color, Gameboy Advance, NES, SNES, Nintendo 64, and Gamecube. Plus any future system after the gamecube.) Of course with so many Nintendo systems it would be good to have 2 or 3 people working on the Cheat section. Please reply with an answer.

Dan Replies:
I don't think we really need a cheats section. It's hard to maintain, and ultimately useless, there are enough sites focused on those aspects already. We like to just not update altogether, you dig?

Trevor Replies:
Humm, if we did do something like cheats that would be a pretty big commitment, I mean you would have to cover pretty much every single game, to make us at least competition with other sites like IGN in the code business. I am backing Dan on this one, maybe if we get an opening for Review editor, or something we will give you a shout.

Ryan Replies:
Codes are for pussies.

Cubey Replies:
Left, right, up, a, left, R+B, down, down, L+R, start

Jock Writes
Sorry to give you guys a break from you're usual off-topic mail but here's a question I have to pose to you guys about Nintendo (also yeah, I know, it's kind of long, sorry in advance, but put this up as the truth needs to get out about this, unless of course I'm dead wrong on something here…). I was just wondering what you guys' take was on this online thing with Nintendo. Not on the merits of its importance but on the implementation.

As I understand it, the Sega Saturn was the very first console to go online using the Sega NetLink which almost no-one used and supported very little if any games. Then, the Sega Dreamcast came out with a 56k modem installed and usable from day one. You could surf the Internet and it took about a year or so for any games to come out to really use the service for game-play.

Then the PS2 came out and it had the ability to connect a broadband adapter to it for future use of Internet play. Which happened about 2 years later or something.

Next came the Xbox, which was fully equipped with a broadband adaptor all within itself without having to buy anything extra. And XBox Live launched about a year or so later and as we all know has been successful.

Then Gamecube I believe came out about a week after the XBox and came with the ability to connect to both a broadband adaptor and a modem adaptor for like 56/128Kers or whatever. And since then its online library has consisted of Phantasy Star Online Episodes I & II and Phantasy Star Online Episode III. As well as the unofficial Warp Pipe service that works with LAN-based multiplayer games.

So, XBox, by far has the best service where for $50 some odd dollars a year you can play ALL XBox Live games with all the XBox Live support that comes with it.

The PS2, GCN and DC as far as I can tell don't have any service plan that encompasses all games. The DC is better than both the PS2 and GCN in this area in that it had SegaNet which was Sega's online service plan which I believe gave you dial-up Internet for 1 month and access to play all SegaNet enabled games online for like $9.99 per month. However, SegaNet games were (as far as I know) only online games made by Sega or in cooperation with Sega's service/published by Sega, such as Phantasy Star Online, NFL 2K1 made by Sega, and Quake III Arena (which was developed by Raster Productions and published by Sega). However, other online games that did not require SegaNet were available with their own servers. An example being Unreal Tournament, which I played online on my DC for free (not involved with SegaNet).

Now on the GCN, Nintendo does not have an all encompassing service like XBox or even partial like the DC. So for every individual game, like Phantasy Star Online Episodes I & II you have to pay something like $9.99 or $14.99 per month, which admittedly, totally sucks. On the GCN, since Nintendo has no online service plan, the online servers for games are up to the developers to create and maintain on their own, and charge at their discretion to play online. Like non-SegaNet games on DC (if there were any that weren't free) and surprise, PS2!

Why is everyone bagging on GCN online game-play when Sony has no online plan either as far as I can tell? Some games on PS2 are free (I think Socom 2 is) while other games like Final Fantasy XI are like $14.99 per month. So, how exactly is it that companies are having a harder time making games online for the GCN than the PS2? Take Splinter Cell: Pandora Tomorrow for example, it was online for XBox and PS2 but not GCN. What the hell, why not? If anything it'd be easier to make it online for GCN than PS2 because GCN is much easier to program games for. Ubisoft still has to maintain the servers on the PS2 (unless they and other companies have worked out deals where Sony hosts the servers which I was unaware of).

So, as far as I can tell, companies have no easier time making games online for the PS2 than they do for GCN. I don't understand why no big-name gaming media outlets have brought this up before. I noticed this instantly and immediately, as it seemed very obvious. Unless I've gotten something wrong here, isn't this just another example of lazy-ass developers/publishers making up another bullshit excuse to turn the GCN into the console world's whipping boy (like cries of poor sales of outdated shoddy ports)?

-Jock Simm

Dan Replies:
: Holy shit, hire this guy.

You make some good points. Bottom line (if you want to get real technical) is this: The hardware (modem/broadband adapter) is readily available for the GCN, if any company wanted to create an online GCN game, or implement online features, it could be done. A smaller audience? Maybe, but I guarantee any other online title aside from Phantasy star would get people to actually buy a modem in order to play. Lazy developers? In a way. Lazy Nintendo, in a way, yes. But just because they aren't producing online games, doesn't really mean other companies cannot. They lack a plan such as X-box live…but hey, so does the PS2.

Trevor Replies:
Seconds the motion lets give this a guy a job here. Like Dan said you do raise some good points. Here is how I figure this entangled mess known as online gaming out.

What we need is a unified platform/developers online system or something like that. Set up a separate company, that just handles online play for any console. This way you pay your monthly dues to this unknown company, and any game on any platform should be able to play and interact with each other. Example Splinter cell, you should be able to play across consoles ie Gamecube à Xbox, just the visuals and what not would be a bit different. I don't see this really to hard to do. I mean it's essentially the same game. I just think, that Nintendo, Xbox, and Playstation are either to Lazy to implement that or just plain greedy in wanting to do things their own way. But we will se hopefully next generation hardware will have the online aspect of gaming figured out.

Ryan Replies:
That's a nifty idea Trevor! As for me….I dunno what to say.

Cubey Replies:
Online console gaming is still to take off in a big way in my opinion. Perhaps next-gen consoles will be what we are asking for. (Me also doubts PS2, Xbox and gamecube versions of ported games eg splinter cell would be compatable.)

Jock Writes
Have you guys seen the pictures of the newly designed Nintendo DS? Is it just me, or does that not only look as good as the PSP, but it's totally way more kick-ass looking than the PSP. People are already getting used to the nice lid design of the GBA SP and the Nintendo DS and the PSP doesn't have one at all which sucks (for Sony). Looks like it's just a thinner GameGear with a shinier screen (that looks to be easily scratch-able).

What pisses me off though is on forums and game sites people are saying, "Well oh, now it looks good. I'm glad Nintendo changed it, it looked like crap before." But at E3, Nintendo clearly said it wasn't their final design and they were just using it as something to run the DS in. Nintendo actually worked to put together a bunch of games/demos to play for the public. Whereas Sony had their design down pat but had NO games to play, just videos that probably weren't even running on the PSP. I guess we know where the two companies priorities are, only that Nintendo has the games and NOW has the design (which is even cooler than the PSP) so the PSP will need to play catch-up.

Speaking of priorities, people have flogged IGN for not having a DS site since other people (like GameSpot) have and they're (apparently to them) clearly obvious explanation was that DS had no, "name, focus or look." as well as their continued disbelief that Nintendo DS may be the "next successor to" GameBoy (as if that mattered) despite Nintendo's official statements to the contrary.

Really? I thought the focus was that it would be a portable system playing games on two-screens, with a touch-screen feature, voice recognition and LAN and Internet play. The name, hardly mattered, and was already widely called the Nintendo DS and it had a design that wasn't final, but neither was the PSP's design (such as the addition of the analog "nub").

So, having actual games and software running is not being focused on your platform but having your idea for the shell of it, a tacky name, and no games running (plus a questionable battery life) is having a focus? No, they're not another example of media bias against Nintendo or anything.

So yeah, anyway, the roundabout question is that the DS looks to be tightening squeeze on the PSP don't you think despite the media's agenda (not that I'm saying it will be an easy victory for Nintendo though.)?

Dan Replies:
I honestly enjoy the new and final DS design a lot more than I ever did the PSP. Like you said, the "flip top" style is just SO sexy, and smart. Aside from looks, the DS is just full of potential, in terms of unique play (touch screen and stylus) and possibly the online aspect (still a bit of a mystery).

The launch games look a little weak, but in a matter of months, some truly great games will be available. I don't think Nintendo is a straight shoe in for the new portable war, but they are definitely doing what they do best.

It's just that with the Sony name alone, the PSP stands to attract every casual gamer that lays eyes on it. That, and the surprise price of only $185 American.

We'll see

Trevor Replies:
For me anyways, I always stuck with Nintendo, from Day 1. So It wouldn't really bother me what they called the DS or what it looks like. For me its all about the game.

Yeah the launch line up does look a bit slim but, being that I know Nintendo give them a few months, and your going to have some killer titles. Another reason why I stick with Nintendo, you may have to wait a bit for a new game, but when you do get it will blow your expectations.

As for PSP like Dan said casual gamers, will buy it mainly for the Sony name. But the way I figure it, Nintendo has been in portable gaming for what 15 years now, and has surpassed, Sega's attempt at a portable gaming machine, and various other flawed shall we call them sub par gaming systems. So I have no fear, what the future will hold for the DS, and if Sony wants bring some competition on I say "Bring it on!!!", and let the games do the talking.

Ryan Replies:
What the fuck!? If I knew this mailbag was going to be twice the size of a novel I would have just stayed in bed!!

Cubey Replies:
Hands-on the DS next month for me.

Matt Macniel Writes
i recently went out and bought a n64, 2 controllers, goldeneye, mario 64, zelda oot and mm, and donkey 64 and i think that n64 really beats the shit out of gamecube

Trevor Replies:
Matt I would have to agree with you there. The 64 for me, was a real turning point, featuring superb games that really up the ante, and took you to places you could only dream of. While the Gamecube does have prettier visuals, it has done almost nothing to up to the innovation of Games, technically speaking its just visually better.

Examples: Seeing Mario in full 3d for the first time, honestly I was quite aroused. Staying up countless nights blasting baddies in perfect dark. The Legend Of Zelda Orcana of Time possibly the best game ever made.. no ifs and or buts, and all for the 64.

Maybe in a few years, we will be talking about the Gamecube like this. But I doubt it, I mean the Cube has been out for what coming on 3 years now, and the only real game that I can think that effected me the way so many 64 games did was Metroid Prime. But then when you think about it where does one go, the next step would be virtual reality, or something like that… Long live Nintendo.

Dan Replies:
That's a tough call. But I'll never forget my N64. Memories of Perfect Dark and Goldeneye multiplayer matches will forever be with me. God bless the little cartridge based bastard.

Ryan Replies:
I plugged in the Ol' 64 the other day while Dan was over, and actually I almost vomited all over myself in disgust. I'm on the other end of the spectrum. I could care less about the N64, and have no feelings of nostalgia whatsoever. PS. SKIDS RULE!!

Cubey Replies:
Sure pick out the best 5 games from any console and you will think the console kicks ass as well (which the 64 did). However it is true that gamecube games could be lacking in innovation there is still a lot of gameplay existing in the titles. Wait till the new Zelda. In reply to Trev about the next step being virtual reality, that's what you're a bankrupt teenager and Nintendo is Nintendo, they have crazy minds to think up of innovative ideas and new genres. Always places to explore and things to create.