With the money earned from Rare's departure, could Nintendo be on the up? More than just pure speculation, I promise.

Nintendo earned in the region of US$190 million for the sale of its stake in acclaimed developer Rare. Such a large wod of lolly could be the key to the Gamecube's success, and we expect to see the fruits of the acquisition soon. Very soon.

$190 million (or �190 million if you prefer) roughly equates to �125 million. That's a serious amount of readies for anyone to deal with. Let's apply the value into friendlier terms: �125 million would buy us 416 million Kit Kats, pay off the majority debt of Yugoslavia's gas to Russia, and dish out half for Stansted's latest expansion plan. But enough about that - what can it provide for Gamecube devotees?

Personally I'd love Nintendo to develop some genre-busting title � la Shenmue. Most of you would scream 'waste of money' and in the real world it would be. Nintendo is meant to be ploughing the cash into new affiliates and third party exclusives. Third party exclusives did I say? I most certainly did.

Konami seems a little 'too' amourous with the Cube as of late. All we get for months is generic Disney titles and lacklustre (bar ISS2) sporting games. Low and behold Konami shift focus - and announce ten new games for the Cube. Their identities speculated but not confirmed - yet. Could this be the product of an elaborate back hander?

As much as I loved Rare, I'm a fickle fellow. Lot's of nicker is far more important than admittedly a few superb yet overlooked games. The 'Rare' money will prove far more beneficial and cost-effective with more Cube titles on the horizon from mystery sources.

I guess that the list posted on Cube Europe will provide some answers (check news - 15/01). But until the real confirmation, lets get down to the ninty gritty. The bread and butter. The killer titles.

Megaton came and departed with much hype and little substance. On the surface it seems like Megaton was more like a milligram - it hardly made a splash. But there could be more truth in it than at first glance. Megaton is more likely to stem from the big name announcements in the future (and recent weeks).

Sometimes I wonder just what Nintendo are playing at. They continue to throw money at the Gameboy Advance and its ill-needed revamp, when the Cube needs improved support. The Rare money should be put to use where it's needed most - development for GameCube titles and more advertising. We can all see what was achieved by Microsoft's festive advertising of the Xbox. Sales more than tripled - taking into account the price-drop and bundle offers.

Zelda proved not to be the tonic Nintendo were hoping for. Japanese gamers took to Wind Waker like a bull to a pond � and where it has been a moderate success, its sales have dwarfed those of previous Zelda titles. Zelda: WW is not the epitome of what Japanese gamers think Zelda should be. The cell shading is inspired yet does not meet well with the majority crowd. Lets see how it fares to westerner audiences before writing off its chances completely. Personally I think it's as gorgeous as a shih-tzu in a dress.

Where are the massive blockbuster titles? Pilotwings 128? Earthbound? Mario Kart has taken this long for a firm date. This should no longer be the case. The Rare money should be sourced to fund new games and I surely hope this is what Nintendo are doing. I'm seriously anticipating a 'mega' announcement soon with more on these secret titles. If this announcement proves non-existent I'll cry myself to sleep. Every night until I forget who Nintendo are and what they mean to the gaming society. I only hope they don't head to Sega Valley and halt hardware production for eternity. What a waste � this industry is in need of decent innovators.

Second parties Silicon Nights and the superlative Retro Studios should feel the benefits of Rare's cash and we can expect more distinguished efforts from them in the future. The Kyoto giant need to determine how they can attract the mass market with added definition and the weightier bank balance should aid this. Spend your money wisely, Nintendo.

Keep 'em peeled for my follow-up in recent weeks. These words should not be taken lightly . . .