Mention games and what company will always crop up? Nintendo. The company is quite simply the greatest games company ever, always pushing the industry forward and delivering the best games of all time. Games like Ocarina of Time, A Link to the Past, Mario Bros. 3, Super Mario World and Mario 64 to name a few. They are as innovative as they are brilliant, coming up with the new ideas the industry needs. The D-Pad, the Analogue Stick, the Rumble function, the RF controller and countless others have all been the product of the wonderfully original and innovative Nintendo. They rose the industry from ashes with the release of the NES, and you can be sure they'll be around as long as games are. So what better developer to start Industry Giants with?

Background Check
Believe it or not, Nintendo have been around since 1889, established by Hiroshi Yamauchis grandfather Fosajiro Yamauchi. Athough computer games weren't their business (not surprising, as games wouldn't start for another 80 years or so). Back then they made Hanafuda cards (playing cards) and by 1929, they were the biggest in the business. Then in 1949, Hiroshi Yamauchi became the firms head and introduced major changes in the company. 1965 saw it being renamed Nintendo Company Ltd. and the drop of cards in favour of toys.

An employee named Gunpei Yokoi, who would go on to become one of the companys greatest innovators invented the Ultrahand which was released in 1970, and then the first ever lightgun in 1971. Electronic entertainment began when Yokoi-san pitched the idea of recreating clay pigeon (something which was quite popular at the time), and after several shrewd business moves Nintendo unveiled their Laser Clay Pigeon Shooting Game.

As excitement about home computer game technology grew, Nintendo took their first steps towards the market with the Color TV Game 6. It was released in 1977 to lower-than-expected enthusiasm, this prompted the company to hire a young games designer to come up with new ideas. I don't think I need to tell you that that was Shigeru Miyamoto, the father of Mario, creator of Zelda, the man we have to thank for the games we love.

A game based on the cartoon character Popeye was on the cards, but the loss of the license
meant the characters had to be changed. Brutus became Monkey Kong (which became Donkey Kong due to a translation error) and Popeye became the moustache-wearing Jumpman, who later was named Mario after a Nintendo employee. The face of gaming was born and the game was a huge success, cementing Nintendos plans to continue in the industry.

Yamauchi-san decided the company had to advance the whole concept of home gaming and so set Nintendos engineers the task of designing a console more powerful than the Color TV Game 6, that was affordable and played cartridge-based games. This was the NES (or Famicom in Japan) which debuted in 1983 and went to sell over 30 million units. It was Nintendos first home console, but 3 years earlier they released their first handheld console, the Game & Watch. It was designed by Gunpei Yokoi and was alarmingly innovative, introducing the "D-Pad" to gaming.

Nintendos answer to Segas Magadrive, the successor to the NES the SNES (Super Famicom)
was released in 1990 and was a storming success world-over. It holds a very special place
in Nintendo fans' hearts. But in between the NES and SNES was the most successful console in history, the Game Boy. The handheld was released in 1989 and has since evolved into the Game Boy Color, Game Boy Pocket and the Game Boy Advance.

When the Nintendo 64 arrived in 1995, Sonys ultra-stellar Playstation had its grip firmly on the market and combined with expensive cartridges that shyed away 3rd-parties resulting in a lack of games, the N64 wasn't as successful as Nintendo had hoped. But problems learned with the N64 allowed Nintendo to really get things right with the Gamecube, released at the end of 2001. And with sales going strong you can be sure Nintendo will be around as long as games are. Quite a history, eh?

Track record
Where do I start? Ever since Jumpman arrived in arcades, Nintendo have been the masters of
gaming. The Mario games are the greatest platformers in history, the Zelda games are the best
series of games in history and multiplayer games like Mario Kart, Mario Party and Smash Bros are
the best reason out there for 4 controllers.

The Mario Bros series has been around since the launch of the NES and no platformer has ever bettered it. Such is the quality of them, the title of Best 2D Platformer cannot be given to a single game, as Mario Bros. 3, Super Mario World and Super Mario World 2 all deserve to be called it. Each of these games perfected the genre, and left every developer copying them, trying in vain to better them. God, why oh why did I sell my SNES? And then, when the Mario 64 was unveiled, the gaming world collectively gasped in awe. The game revolutionised gaming as we knew it, showing just how platformers, and indeed the next generation of games, had to be. The freedom offered was so great, that most games spent their first couple of minutes with the game just jumping around the courtyard, performing sidejumps and backflips. Gamings greatest moment? Could well be.

Nintendos other premiere series, the Legend of Zelda series is widely regarded as the greatest
game series in existance. The NES and SNES Zeldas were pure magic, setting the standard for
adventure games, and indeed, games in general. They were some of the best games ever made, but then Ocarina of Time came along and all of a sudden, no other game mattered. That game is, without question, the greatest game ever made. Inside that cartridge was an inspiring world of magic, of emotional relationships, of great evil, of perfectly designed dungeons. It was 4 years in the making of worth every second. Majoras Mask was another tour de force for the series, offering a darker surreal take on the series. Final Fantasy doesn't even come close.

And being the first console maker to provide 4 controller ports on a console you'd think Nintendo
would being producing great multiplayer games to justify the extra controllers. And you know what?
You'd be right. Super Mario Kart on the SNES was the greatest multiplayer game of that generation
and the N64 (with its two extra ports) top it even further. Mario Kart 64, Super Smash Bros and
F-Zero X offered the best fun to be had with three mates, resulting in nights of cheering, laughing
and more often then not, cursing. Oh, and there's the matter of a certain Bond game.

But it doesn't end there. Metroid 1, 2 and 3, Starwing, Super Mario Kart, Mario Kart 64, Pilotwings, Pokemon, Paper Mario, Wave Race, F-Zero and its sequel, Smash Bros, Duck Hunt, Wario Land and many more have all come from the geniuses at Kyoto, each sporting that Nintendo magic in its own special way. No other developer can claim to match a library of games of such vast richness and quality. Gaming just wouldn't be the same without Nintendo.

Development Teams

EAD (Entertainment & Analysis Division) - This is Nintendos chief team, based in Kyoto,
Japan. This is the team you have to thank for Mario, Zelda and most of Nintendos other top games. When people talk about games being developed "in-house", this is the development team they're talking about it. It's headed by gaming god Shigeru Miyamoto, who is influencing some of the most talented developers in the team.

NST (Nintendo Software Technology) - This is the team behind Ridge Racer 64 on the N64.
Nintendo were so impressed with them they made them a 2nd-party. These American developers brought us the excellent Wave Race: Blue Storm and have 1080: White Storm on the cards.

Rare - This Twycross 2nd-party was extremely important to Nintendo during the N64 days and produced some cracking games, rivaling even Nintendo themselves. Once hailed the pride of Europe, you can't be sure what's going on with them nowadays. Starfox Adentures is going to be a glorious game, that you can be sure, but who knows what's going on with Kameo and Donkey Kong Racing.

Silicon Knights - Two words. Eternal Darkness. Based in Canada, Silicon Knights have been brewing a storm for the last few years. Only just released in America, the game has received a warm reception. Too Human appeared a while ago, but nothing has been heard of it since . Maybe with ED out of the way, they'll be moving back onto that.

Retro Studios - The latest member of the Nintendo family with them being made a 1st-party
a few months ago. The once troubled company has got back on track with Metroid Prime, a game that's looking to be one of the best of the year. Or maybe even the best.

Gamecube Releases
Being Nintendos console, Nintendo are backing it up with a fine set of games. Although us Europeans have yet to get that Mario or Zelda which will set Gamecube gaming as a divine inspiration the console is still young. What we've got is still pretty examplary of Nintendo though.

Luigis Mansion
Right from the NES, to the SNES, N64 and yes, even the GBA, a Nintendo console had always launched with a Mario platformer. But Gamecube broke the tradition with Luigi taking the starring role in anything but a platformer. Best described as Nintendos take on Ghostbusters, the game saw you take control of everyones second-favourite plumber on a quest to save Mario from a haunted mansion. How? By clearing it of the many ghosts that inhabit it with his, ahem, Pultergust 3000. The game may have been short by in true Nintendo-style, every minute of it was pure, unfiltered joy. Animation to rival Disney, a tune as memorable as any Mario games, simple game mechanics and something that is missing from too many games; FUN, made this one joyous and memorable game. Not Mario, but great all the same.

Wave Race: Blue Storm
Wave Race on the N64 was a great game, but slightly hindered by technical limitations. But with the power of Gamecube at their disposal, Nintendo took the game and souped it up by all accounts. No other game could capture the feeling of bouncing along water as much, with splashes flying up at the screen and your jetski responding accurately to every bump and knock from the waves. And the whole thing was a feast to watch, the water shimmered, reflecting gorgeous light, and you could make out every little thing crawling on the sea floor. Sometimes it was glorious sunshine, while sometimes it was pounding rain and lightning that lit up the whole track. The game was develishly difficult, requiring you to really get good to get good. Wave Race 1 1/2 maybe, but spectacular all the same.

Super Smash Bros Melee
The Gamecube launch was great and all, but lacked that "killer app". That one game that showed why Gamecube should be your console of choice. But on May 24th, that game came. Smash Bros on the N64 was a superb multiplayer game, but Nintendo took it and added to, polished and perfected everything about it. Visuals were given a major boost, the fighters all looked solid and more realistic with sublime animation, more fighters and arenas were added, the multiplayer became fully customable while retaining its glory from the N64 version, and the single player was now a significant part of the game. With cracker new modes, Adventure, All-Star and Event Matches and a packed library of 290 trophies that spanned Nintendos entire history, it gave two fingers to all the beat-em-ups that sported on the traditional "Versus" singleplayer. As NGC put it, "A joyous, endlessly exciting celebration of all things Nintendo." Unmissable.

Smash Bros. You gotta love it.

Nintendo have a knack for taking traditional genres and presenting a whole new take on them. They did it with Super Mario Kart, they did it with Smash Bros, and now they've done it with Pikmin. Taking the normally complex Real-time Strategy genre, they stripped it down to its bare bones and built it up again Nintendo-style. Taking control of Captain Olimar, whos been stranded on a a strange plant, you must take control of the weird little creatures you find, Pikmin, to rebuild your ship. The whole thing is simple to engage in, and the Pikmin soon become instantly lovable little guys. The game took a "Honey I Shrunk the Kids" approach to the planet, it seems as if you're in an oversized garden (Miyamoto-san claimed he got the idea from his garden). The whole ting is fresh, fun and the Pikmin have so much character, you'll soon become over-attached to them. Absolutely nothing like it.

Not Released in Europe

Doshin the Giant
Waaaaaaay back when the 64DD was released, Doshin the Giant came out on it. It was a God Sim that beared more than resemblance to the PC's Black & White. You controlled big yellow giant as he dealed with the everyday lives of the villagers on his island. The game offered great freedom, you could be good to the villagers, getting trees for them, building bridges for them, raising land to shelter them. But, with the quick press of a button, you could become evil, uprooting their trees, destroying their homes and chucking them to the fishes. Everything was up to you, a truly non-linear and creative experience. Thanks the powers that be that it got a Gamecube update so all non-64DD owners could sample its wonder. Yep, even us Europenas, it's getting a release this September.

Animal Crossing
A "communication" game? Yes, you're seeing right. Because a game like Animal Crossing cannot be neatly pigeonholed into any labelled genre we have, it's something totally different that only Nintendo could come up with. You live the life of a little guy who has moved to a new house with little money. You talk to people, they remember you later on, they give your presents if you're nice to them, they get angry if you insult them, they each have their own personality. And thanks to Gamecubes internal clock, when it's Winter here, your house will be covered with snow, or when it's New Years, fireworks will be going off. No levels, no goals, no objectives. Work hard and get money to spend on your house or laze about, fishing and playing games. It's your choice, you can live your life as you wish, with no restrictions. Don't base your opinion on some screenshots, this game isn't about looks, it's about giving you something new, something that you will love.

Animal Leader
Strange. Weird. Downright scary. This is Animal Leader. The first thing that will strike you about this game is its bizarre graphical design, but don't let that put you off. The world of AL is made up of squares, cubes and 90-degree angles all around, making it something totally different to look at. But this isn't limited to the graphics. Name another game that had climbing up the evolutionary scale as a goal. I thought so. You start off as a little pig-like creature, but through eating, fighting and surviving you grow bigger, better and more complex. Oh, and there's some mating too. A game where you can produce offspring? That's Nintendo folks. The game feels alive as you travel around, seeing all the other animals going about their lives in this surreal world. Despite being slightly repetitive, it is a thoroughly compelling world. Not an essential title, but as original, innovative and odd as they come.

Eternal Darkness
Three things this game has in common with Zelda: OoT (the greatest game ever): 1, its four year development time. 2, an engaging story. And 3, it's one damn fine game. After all the anticipation, Eternal Darkness was finally released in the US a few weeks ago. And if initial reviews are anything to go by, it's been worth the wait. An ancient evil has awakened and it's up to 13 people (one being you), from different times and parts of the world to save the day. This is the game for all those that complained about Gamecubes short games, you have to play for a while, listen to the story, think it all out, and do the game again, and again. If you thought Resi Evil was scary, you ain't seen anything yet. ED gets deep inside your head, your thoughts, your mind. You can't be sure of what you see and hear in the game, it could all be fake, driven by your insanity. As if waiting until October for this dark, mature, compelling killer game wouldn't drive you insane enough.

Super Mario Sunshine
This is a series that needs no introduction. The first (proper) Mario game hits Japanese stores in two days, so I thought it may as well be released. Mario is in the middle of a long-deserved vacation when trouble arrises and as usual it is him who has to sort things out. Though it is by no means a revolution, it promises all the fun any other Mario game displayed. The levels seen are outstanding, stretching far into the distance bustling with activity and colour. The controls are lovingly tight, making controlling Mario an absolute joy. Mario can slip and slide through mud (that remains on him until he washes it off), bounce off elastic tightropes, surf along the water Koopashell-style, jetpack into the air and swing on ropes. the sky's the limit. Oh, and Yoshi is pesent, rideable and all. The whole thing is instantly appealable and playable, and just so enjoyable you'll be grinning the whole way through. The man's back and as good as ever, essential stuff.

Mario's looking as good as ever

Nintendo have a glorious future line-up for Gamecube, with many more titles surely secretly in developement. The best games on the horizon are right here.

Legend of Zelda
We can't wait for Mario. And we're looking forward to Metroid as much as the next guy. But if there's one game that we want, right now, it's this. Despite the game only been shown at one event, E3 this year, we are sure, beyond any doubt that this is going to be pure Nintendo brilliance. The cel-shaded style is stunning, showcasing some of the most gorgeous seen in a game. And this isn't just Zelda with cel-shading slapped on, the game has been built up from scratch to trully give it a cartoon feel. The world of the game feels alive , Links facial expressions change accordingly, bridges can be cut with your swords, the people have real character. The template set down by Ocarina of Time has been left largely unchanged (hey, if it ain't broke don't fix it), but taken slightly further. The visuals may be new, but Zelda fans will instantly feel at home with this, it bears a resemblance to the brill older Zelda games. We're counting the days.

Metroid Prime
If, this time last year, you had told us Metroid prime would shape up to one of, if not the, best game of this year, we would've laughed. But now, wow. Taking the 1st-person shooter mould already set down, Retro have spiced it up for the classic franchise. Things your visor (through which all the action is viewed) and the ability to roll up into a ball to speed past nasties make this not your average FPS. Or rather, FPA. Because rather than spending all your time shooting enemies (although there's still a fair bit of that), there is a heavy adventure and exploring influence. Like the way you can lock-on to an enemy to shoot it, something from the N64 Zelda games, and not seen in another shoot-em-up. That's not to say the basics have been ignored, Metroid looks and sounds amazing. Huge, varied landscapes, gorgeous lighting, all-out action that doesn't drop the frame rate once . Rest assured, FPS or not, Metroid Prime is going to blow you away.

We should've had faith in Retro

Rares first console game for years finally gets released later on this year, we've certainly been waiting long enough. It began life as Dinosaur Planet on the N64, then after numerous delays was shifted to the Gamecube with a new guise, the Starfox team. Take control of Fox on an epic adventure to thwart the evil ruler of a planet, assisted by Peppy, Rob and Slippy. It's very similar to Zelda: OoT, an huge, long adventure with a combat "lock-on" system directly lifted from it. The game looks just so good too. The amount of detail lavished on the worlds and characters is unbelievable, it really is the stuff of dreams. The environments, the enemies, the effects, the water and even the fur on Fox has to be seen to be believed, Rares talent hasn't dwindled with time anyway. Promises loads of exploring and adventuring, broken up by classic Arwing levels. A must-have.

1080: White Storm
1080 Snowboarding on the N64 was a superb game. The courses and riders brought new levels of realism to the snowboarding genre, combining wonderfully suited controls and realistic rider physics. At first it was slightly daunting but once you took time to get used to it all, things became much more easier and enjoyable. Riders would respond to every little twitch of the control stick and tap of a button just right . White Storm is set to take the strong formula set down by it and take it further. Expect all the wonderful realism to stay, but with souped up courses and gameplay options. Real-time weather will be present, ranging from light snowfall to blizzards to storming rain. Expect the basics of the tricks in the N64 game to remain, but with new and improved tricks. The snow in the game looks incredibly real, NST have really gone all-out, especially with the awe-inspiring avalanches that come storming after you. It's going to be great, but don't expect it anytime soon.

Mario Tennis
After proving they could produce cracking games with Mario Golf, Camelot was set the task of developing a tennis game with Mario and co. When Mario Tennis arrived, it was blooming great fun. It simplified all the moves to just two buttons, making it easy to get into and simple to play. It had the rules, and the physics of any other good tennis game but was like none of them, bettering them easily. The multiplayer was tops too, especially in doubles. Now Gamecube is getting a next-gen update, and it is sure to be top fun. It takes the basic formula set down by the N64 version but adds to it, touching it up. The in-game models of Mario and Bowser look great, we're sure all the others will too. Lovely graphical effects are present, powerful shots will be accompanied by blurring, shadows and flashes of light while the game will boast real-time lighting and shadowing. A brilliant multiplayer mode will be on the cards too, we're very excited about this.

Look at the fur effect!

Little has been divolged of it, but we all know what to expect with experience with the N64 version. Mario Golf bears a great resemblance to its brother Mario Tennis. In fact, you could go as far as saying it's just the same game with a different sport. But that's certainly no bad thing. All the rules, clubs, and spot-on physics will be present but like its N64 predecessor it does things a little different to the other golf games out. It's not boring, it's actually going to be a fun game. The appearance of Mario, Bowser, Peach and the rest of the gang gives the game character and a personality. Expect a simplified version of the sport that still requires thought and skill but is ultimately enjoyable to play. Like Mario Tennis, a neat range of graphical tricks will undoubtedly be on show. Mini-games in the N64 version were great, like Crazy Golf and the Ring Challenges, so a host of new ones should be added. Despite having only a handful of screens to go on, you just know this is going to be good.

Mario Party 4
Developed by Hudson, the Mario Party series has always had a special place in every Nintendo fans heart, despite not being quite as good some other Nintendos titles. Nintendos take on the board game genre had many other companies copying it and trying, in vain, to better it. Crash Bandicoot, Sonic and Xboxs Fusion Frenzy have all fallen below the mark set by Mario Party and its sequels. Not a lot has changed for the Gamecube update, but many more (better) mini-games are on the way. As one would expect, the game has been given a graphical facelift, displaying lovely improvements and effects. But Mario Party isn't about graphics, it's about the swear-inducing, laungh-a-minute, stay-up-all-night-with-your-mates multiplayer and you can be sure it'll be as good as ever on the Gamecube. The simple, addictive style of the mini-games has remained untouched, but new twists have been added, making this one a refinement of previous versions. Out at the end of the year in Japan and America, but expect it early next year here. 4 is the magic number.

Wario World
After a long absence from home consoles, Marios nemesis is back. His gold in his castle has been turned into monsters and his parts of his castle have been turned into strange other worlds. So it's up to the yellow and purple clothed character to sort things out. The game is very much the Game Boy games fleshed out in glorious Gamecube-o-vision. The camera is fixed at a side-on perspective and is quite simple compared to the Marios of the world, but in that lies its charm. A spice of WWE has beeen added, in that as well as punching and jumping on enemies in traditional platformer style, Wario has a batch of more violent moves at his disposal. The visuals are quite good too. Nothing world-beating mind you, but just enough to give it that Nintendo look, with exaggerated moves and enemies and colourful worlds. Certainly not Nintendos greatest game, but shows huge promise and will delight all round.

Roll-o-Rama
At Spaceworld 2001 a game appeared to show off the connectivity between the Gamecube and it's little brother, the GBA. Entitled Flippin Kirby, the game had you using your GBA as a controller for the game. You held your GBA flat and tilted it back, forward, left, right and the course on the GC game moved accordingly. In a similar guise to Super Monkey Ball, Kirby would get rolled around the course by the tilts. And, and this was a great idea, he could fall down through the course in to your GBA when you would have to control him and find a way up back onto the course. But after the show, the game disappeared only to reappear at this years E3 under a new name and absent of the pink floating man. But everything else remains intact, a ball just replaces Kirby. Your ball can absorb objects in the courses (the whole reason Kirby was originally in it) that change its shape, forcing you to adapt. And the GBAs use remains the same. Roll-o-Rama looks like one cracking game, we love the GBA connectivity.

Mario Kart
All we've seen of Mario Kart as been a low-tech blink-and-you'll-miss-it video clip of Mario and Luigi driving on a raceway. No background, no weapons, no other racers, no nothing. But even the most cynical gamer knows that this is going to be cracking stuff. Super Mario Kart on the SNES left all the nay-sayers about Nintendo cheaply exploiting its beloved characters for sales eating their words. Mario Kart 64 showed just what those four little ports on the front of the N64 were all about, its multiplayer proved to be one of the greatest ever. Mario Kart: Super Circuit on the GBA combined the stellar singleplayer of the SNES version with the hilarious multiplayer of the N64 one. So what can we expect from the Gamecube update? I'd wager we'll be seeing more racers and tracks, in the same way as SSB Melee improved on the N64 Smash Bros. Graphically intense, busy tracks? A track editor? Random track genator? Online play? Character-specific weapons? Who knows. But we're very excited about this one.

F-Zero GC *Tentative title
The next in the bewildering, gum-flappingly fast F-Zero series done by the people behind the Daytona series? Oh yes. Thanks to the ever-broadening attitude towards 3rd-parties of Nintendo Segas Amusement Vision will be developing the Gamecube and arcade F-Zero games with Nintendo. Sega have always come trumps and this will certainly be no exception. Only one video has escaped the clutches of Nintendo and Sega but it had us drooling all over our keyboards with anticipation. In previous F-Zero games, graphical detail had to be sacrificed for speed, the very core of the games, but with the power of Gamecube at disposal this is set to change. The racing crafts looked incredible, displaying detail not seen in the previous games. They seem to dirty and bruise with every bump they make, F-Zero has truly grown up. It just looks so cool . And with the link-up with the arcade game sounding so promising, this should be on everyones list.

Starfox flying shooter *Tentative title
Nintendo like Namco. In fact, they like them so much that they've given their Starfox series to them to make a Gamecube and arcade Starfox game. But unlikely the adventure-based Starfox Adventures from Rare, this one will be pure flying and shooting, and the guys behind it made the excellent Ace Combat. So it's in good hands. We've only got scraps to go by, them being a single teaser poster that offers no ideas to what the game will actually involve. A comment that really got us excited about the game, made at it's announcement, was the desciption of the action as "dogfighting". So it looks like the on-rails style of Lylatwars (or Starfox 64) is being ditched for an all-out free-roaming heart-pumping experience. No complaints here. OK, maybe we're reading a little into that comment but we've little else to go by. But suffice to say, none of us are going to be dissapointed.

Verdict
Nintendo have always pumped out top-qualty games for their systems, and Gamecube will be no exception. The games we've got over here are just a taste of what's to come. Mario, Zelda, Metriod, Starfox and Eternal Darkness are all AAA titles that better what PS2 and Xbox have to offer and thanks to a friendly 3rd-party attitude from Nintendo, key franchises like Starfox and F-Zero are being handled well, allowing Nintendo to concentrate on their own cracking line-up. The company has been around for 113 years, suffice to say, they're here to stay. Giants in every sense of the word.