Welcome to the fourth edition of my beloved column, the adequately labelled BitchZone. This week I'll be dealing with a topic close to my heart, I'll be asking the question; Have Nintendo lost their touch?

Nintendo are renown for having a certain magic- a presence featured in most of their games that gives the game a sense of spirit- a sense that enthrals and delights the player. It's hard to describe- it is the much marketed "Nintendo Difference", in a sense- but it is that special something that makes Nintendo games great. Take your Zelda's and your Mario's for instance, they have that feeling of love, emotion and community that absorb you into their respective worlds and won't let you go. This "special something" is mainly the reason for the company's hugely dedicated fan base which are happy to lap up Nintendo's latest fantasy title rather than go for the more violent, monotonous identikit titles on the other next generation platforms. Lately, Nintendo have strived for mainstream acceptance to a certain extent, and due to this, that "Nintendo Difference" has started to disappear. This may seem a little controversial, but the latest Zelda and Mario instalments seemed to lack that "special something". Yes, they were still both epic adventures well worthy of their places in their respective series, but I just couldn't feel that spirit to the same extent as I did with Super Mario 64 and Ocarina of Time.

The reason for this loss of spirit is partly down to Nintendo's new stance, changing their direction to appeal to the more casual, mainstream gamer, as I mentioned earlier. They acquired the Resident Evil license; they produced more violent and mature games such as Eternal Darkness and Hitman 2. And this has worked to a certain extent, GameCube sales are rising, but during this process, the spirit of Nintendo is being lost. No longer am I experiencing Ocarina of Time-style masterpieces, but titles with a similar sense of awe; yet they seemed to have been toned down in the spirit area. They just don't have that same "wow" factor. Fun titles they may be, and they keep me entertained while I wait for a proper magic-filled experience of the same scale as their predecessors; but they're just not as good. I may be a bit picky; but I miss the "old skool" titles, when I used to be taken aback, when my chin used to hit the floor every time I played the game. I just don't feel that anymore. This is not just down to Nintendo's quest for mainstream acceptance, but there are other influential factors.

When the Big "N" released Super Mario Bros 4, when they released Ocarina Of Time, the over-whelming nature of their appearance was partly down to the new technology, and the advances that could be made due to that technology. No that the industry is reaching it's technological peak, the latest instalments of long running series don't have that sense of awe that their predecessors did, because they haven't advanced technically since their last incarnations. Now this shouldn't really matter- if a game is good, it should be good in other aspects than the way it takes advantage of new technology- but it does. Miyamoto had a good crack at innovating with cel- shading, but strip that appearance away and you have Ocarina of Time, ladies and gentlemen. As I said before, these technological advances shouldn't affect the way you enjoy a game; but unfortunately, it does.

Also, the franchises we all know and love, unfortunately, are reaching their peaks. They no longer sweep us of our feet like they used too, they are past their sell by date, dare I say it. We need to see innovation, you may have read that new franchises are being developed, and this can only be a good thing. Nintendo's latest attempts at innovating (READ: Pikmin) have been enjoyable affairs, but again, they just don't have that Nintendo magic to an extent that I would have liked. Ideally a mix between old and new franchises would be present, with the new franchises showing that sparkle which made games such as Zelda and Mario so great in their heyday.

Now reading though my own article, I seem to have been a little harsh. I still love Zelda and Mario to bits, and I eagerly anticipate the latest incarnations, I'm not saying I don't like the games, I'm just saying they don't have that Nintendo magic to the extent I would have liked it to be. I don't know, maybe it's just nostalgia getting the best of me, it is a dangerous thing, but I just think that Nintendo aren't what they used to be. They aren't the formidable company that they were in the past. They're losing their magic.

Well, that's my rant for this week over and done with. I'm thinking of changing BitchZone into a monthly affair, therefore I can create more beefy, longer articles that will enhance your viewing pleasure, rather than the short pieces you read each week. I appreciate your feedback, please use the comment system or email me to indicate whether you'd like BitchZone to be weekly or monthly. Thanks.

I just wanted to comment on the situation regarding the high pricing of GameCube titles that I mentioned in last week's BitchZone, and let me say, things have been a lot better this month. I picked up Luigi's Mansion, Pikmin, Rogue Leader, Spiderman and Tony Hawks Pro Skater 4 for �50. That's �9.99 each fact fans! And they're all brand new. Booya. Indeed. Tony Hawks is surprising enjoyable considering the fact that I have played all the previous titles, but it still has it's very own magic, and the RPG elements are very tasty indeed. Also I delved into the "Create-a-Player" mode with "hilarious" consequences. How lovely.

Before I bring this week's BitchZone to a tidy end, It's my duty to inform you I'll be packing my bags and heading off into the sun on my well-deserved vacation. This means you'll notice a lack of bitching on my part for a whole 3 weeks. But, don't worry; I'll be back with my batteries fully recharged ready for some more bitching in "da zone". See you then.

By Ben Havercroft, Cube-Europe's resident Bitcher.
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