Now that Europe's line-up for 2003 is defined, we can look at a complete list of the games that will be released this year (and there's some great ones!). All we can currently do is start saving money for the dates that will see the release of our favourite games, alas some of these dates are somewhat distant from now, like The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker, which will be on shelves May 3rd. Are the dates too distant? Let's hear what our board members had to say.

Special thanks goes to Sip, the editor of this Board Roundtable and also to the following participants: qbas, Nic4321, colinvandam, mattcube, Artic_phoenix, Lokk, testify_before_god, well_chuffed, spikeydude, NickUKGC, The Enigma (Gamecubegod), ERaZer, and Dk_jr.

--------------------------------------

qbas: Well personally I think March and May are going to be the greatest because then Metroid Prime and Zelda: the Wind Waker are released and there are coming many great games so that I will be broke most of 2003.

To me it seems that Nintendo is concentrating more on GameBoy Advance than GameCube, well can you blame them? GameBoy is selling very well and GameCube is losing ground to X-Box. Nintendo should start making some changes in their marketing strategy.

Nic4321: I think it's looking great. That list didn't include every release on the GameCube for 2003 either. We're definitely getting Metroid Prime, Zelda, Splinter Cell, Burnout 2, XIII, Mario Kart, F-Zero, Pikmin 2, Mario Golf, Phantasy Star Online, Super Monkey Ball 2, Resident Evil Zero, 1080: Avalanche for starters, and that is an excellent line-up. Add to that PN03 and possibly some other Capcom games, third party announcements and anything else Nintendo has planned for 2003 that we may well hear about at E3, and 2003 will have an incredibleline-up. I'm more than happy.

colinvandam: The first few months alone are going to be great for GameCube owners. Who cannot be impressed with Metroid Prime, Legend of Zelda: the Wind Waker, the launch of the broadband adapter and modem, Phantasy Star Online, Super Monkey Ball 2 and loads more? Then we've got Mario Kart (Online?), Mario Golf/Tennis, Wario World, 1080: Avalanche and Pikmin 2 to look forward to in the later part of the year. The launch of the GameBoy Advance SP, Legend of Zelda GBA and Super Monkey Ball Jr. make the GBA (And GBA SP) a great piece of hardware to own as well as the Nintendo GameCube.

mattcube: In general I thought that the news was so-so. There were a lot of good AAA titles to get enthusiastic about and they were generally well spread out over the year and that should boost the GameCubes line-up but it did look a bit thin. Those are just the confirmed release dates and so there will obviously be more but not that many - the only games that could come out and not be on the list are ports and I think we've had enough of them thank-you- very-much. The X-Box is starting to get in the flow with some great titles out and many scheduled to come, so Nintendo needs to do a lot more. To begin with, GameCube seemed to have much better support but now the tide it turning. Eighty games in one year just isn't good enough - just look at the volume of PlayStation 2 games - that sort ofback catalogue makes people overlook the GameCube. March looks a good time though, and I believe this is to combat X-Box Live. With big titles like Metroid Prime and Nintendo's own online service in the form of Phantasy Star Online I think Nintendo are putting up a good fight. However, Nintendo still needs more big third party names and dry patched cannot be tolerated if GameCube is to be seen as a force to be reckoned with. On a personal note the thing that really bugs me is Zelda?s date. Do Nintendo HATE students or what? They released the GameCube when my exams began and now Zelda - ARGH!!! Couldn't they have waited ?till June?! GRRR! I could have got it for my birthday now I've got to decide whether to wait or not.

Artic_phoenix: For some reason, I'm not that happy about the huge release list anymore. Of course it is great that you have a huge library of games to choose from. This will be realized by the announcement of eighty games for the GameCube (eighty wasn't it?). But when you're not an adult, or still in college, it's frustrating to be a Nintendo fan who isn't able to buy all the 'must-have' games. Because, if I've done my homework correctly, the coming months will have Metroid Prime, The legend of Zelda: the Wind Waker and Phantasy Star Online. And that is just the beginning, not only will there be new games, but an entirely new GameBoy Advance is coming out, and it's still unknown what the online costs will be. Even when online gaming will probably be available at Phantasy Star Online release. I know adults say teens have a lot of money to spend, but this is getting ridiculous. I think I'll start growing money on my back.

Lokk: Well, Metroid Prime is the first BIG exclusive adults can talk about when mentioning Splinter Cell etcetera. Splinter Cell is coming anyway but last on GameCube. I want to see Nintendo do more new stuff, like racers, a fighting game, first person shooters etcetera. Microsoft have done a good job creating libraries for these types of games and Nintendo need to stop ignoring them.

testify_before_god: March is the strongest month with three or four big games (Zelda: the Wind Waker, Metroid Prime, Resident Evil Zero, Phantasy Star Online).

well_chuffed: Personally, at the moment, I think the bigger news is behind the scenes. It's not what games are coming out this year, but what games are going to follow. By that I mean that quite a few of the companies have a lot of strong rumours going around them at the moment; who they are developing for, whether they are going to be bought out or merged, or completely disappear. Once the dust has settled we could be in for a lot better, more original games. I'm looking forward to the games that are out in Japan and America already, such as Zelda: the Wind Waker, Metroid Prime and Super Monkey Ball 2. I'd be interested in Mario Kart, though we, at least in Europe, probably won't get it until 2004. Just like most of the games we hear about and are getting us excited. In Europe we have until 2004 to wait.

Spikeydude: I think that there are too many GameBoy Advance titles being released in March - I think they will get more sales if they bump the release of Sonic Advance 2 up into February (because most people will buy Zelda: a Link to the Past on the same day as the GameBoy Advance SP comes out). As for GameCube I think the releases are well thought out and I am pleased we are getting Zelda so early.

NickUKGC: In my opinion the GameCube has the best release line-up of all the consoles! Zelda, Metroid Prime, Super Monkey Ball 2, 1080: Avalanche, Splinter Cell, Pro Evolution Soccer 2003, F-Zero GC, XIII, Galleon (if ever this game comes out!!!), PN03, Resident Evil Zero and that?s just for starters! If GameCube had Grand Theft Auto then I think the GameCube would be the most popular out of all the consoles out there! Pro Evolution Soccer and GTA are the games that sell PlayStations! As Konami doesn't seem to be making a Pro Evolution for X-Box but are making one for GameCube, it's very promising! I really hope Rockstar realise that the GameCube is a big seller and releasing GTA on the GameCube would be a wise and profitable move! Nintendo, you have money, give it to Rockstar!

The Enigma: Hmm, why does Metroid Prime have to be so late? And why does Zelda: the Wind Waker have to be even later? Yeah, multi-lingual translation. Why can't everyone just speak English? We'd get our games a lot quicker. Still, I look forward to these two games greatly.

EraZer: I think all these AAA releases in March are great, and all the other games too. But the thing(s) that will sell GameCubes loads more are yet to come, because I think that the people that want these games (Zelda, Metroid etc.) have already bought their GameCube. I think that more and more third party announcements will come, and some of them will be big (Square making the new Final Fantasy for GameCube or something that big) and this will sell GameCubes (the games will, not the announcements).

Dk_jr: I think the list is great, as the big titles are just on two different sides of my birthday, but the problem is that, me being in the UK, I have my G.C.S.E. mock exams in March and more standardised tests in May, that's also not including my exhibitions for the 'Duke of Edinburgh'-award. So I won't have much time to play my AAA titles till later on, this is something Nintendo needs to look into as I assume that others share my problem.

--------------------------------------

That covers it for this issue of Board Roundtable. Once again, thank you to the 14 participating members. I hope to see you all take part in edition number 13, just visit our forums, go to GameCube Discussion, and finally "Board Roundtable #13". Game on!