[Cyrax9]

The D-pad would be fine if it was slighlty larhger, liek the PS2 Size, but still "Jined' like it is on the GCN, the best idea there is to use an SNES Style D-Pad, that was, is and always will be my favorite.

As for Nintendo being out of Touch, yes they are! That's why Yamuchi stepped dwon, eh realized he was a "Cenile old fool" and chose ot give his position to Iwata who is pushing the GCN II aggressivly, to ensure it doesnt suck in any way shape or fomr, and ISN"T the next Dreamcast or N64!

As for Online gaming, here's the problem, which Sony and Microsoft will learn about the Hard way:

#1. Online Gaming Costs a Monthly Fee, no matter how it's done on "Xbox Live!", and requires a Credit Card. The LARGEST Potnetial Online Demographic (5-17) Deosnt' HAVE a Credit card.

#2. People simply Do NOT WANT to pay $30.00 a month for an Online-Only game, when they COULD pay $50.00 for an Offline game ONCE, and NEVER AGAIN! It's that simple, some people don't want ot pay the outrageous fees per game.

#3. People CAN NOT AFFORD Online-Only Games, and thus, will not buy them. I fall under this catagory, I'd LOVE to play "The Sims Online" for the PC, PSO I & II on the GCN and so on, but I CAN NOT AFFORD a monthluy fee of $10.00 a month per game, it's not worth it, and most people would avoid online gaming for this reason.

#4. Some people DO NOT WANT their credit card # In Nintendo's hands, they do not WANT a bill they don't know about "Automatiucally Entered" for an "Extra Fee" on exclusive Content, the way you can get things with XBox Live. These people do NOT WANT to play a game and discoer hidden charges.

#5. Online Gaming, for the most part, requires a Boradband Connection, 5% of the World is Boradband, 95% is still on 56k Dial-UP, the "Kiddies' wouldn't be able to afford broadband, and the fees for games, nor wouold they have a credit card to PAY with, you lose customers this way.

Here's what will happen ebcause of these "problems" with online Gaming: The fad will take off, Poke'mon style, it'll last for a year or so, and then it'll die off, and only a few Online Games will be fit for the Console, unless you're going to give it a Keyboard and Mouse, wihc would make it a Computer, not a console anymore. Because of this Sony and Microsoft will suffer. I for one will NOT play online games due ot rip-oof prices and oiutrageous ISP fees as well as the "need" for another ISP in most cases. Also some areas don't offer DSL, and have poor cable Modems, rather than decent ones, until this problem is Fixed, Online gaming is going to suffer.

As for Pikmin, this was a stupid idea that faded away as quickly as it came, Iwata saw this, and will probably aask for a "new" genre of gaming similar to pikmin in terms of a "different' idea, but it won't be another "Save the weird creratures" game or a POkemon clone, just an average game with a new "Twist", this fad will last for one console war, then dissipate awaitinganother new genre.

As far as Windwaker's cell-shaing goes, I only liked it after I saw the OFFICAL Screenshots that make it look more like an NES Game and as a PREQUEL it SHOULD look somewhat "Dated" to an extent, and it DOES!

The more "mature" and "Darker' Zelda, is a re-relase of TOoT a d its' unrelased 64DD counterpart that was canned with the 64DD, these "games' are avaiable as a "POre-Order Bonus" at EBGames.com and other stores spre-selling "Windwaker", not only was this an intellgient move, but people will now BUY "Windwaker' just for the Bonus Material, and NOT the game, thus selling essentially 3 Zelda gaems for the price of one.

Also, I think this will be a one-time idea, IWata is planning for a Console War in 2005, even though MOST Companies aren't gearing up until 2006! This is something Yamauchi would NEVER have done! He'd study SOny and Microsoft, THAN mkae his move! Iwata sees that you need to be first, and not last, to mkae the biggest impact, and he's been polling NP Readers for an aggressive marketing campaign, he WANTS to know what works and what doesn't so no more Disasters occur and he allowed the "Bonus games" for pre-order in the USA because FANS asked for them with "Windwaker", an idea that was originally a Japanese-Exculsive! Yamauchi wuld ahe ignored this, and we'd have NEVER seen TOoT and it's 64DD Version for the GCN had he still been in charge.

Nintendo is listening now, not a lot, but they are, Iwata has started trying to target thew people Yamauchi had back in the 80's, and it's working.

The GCN will probably be as successful as the SNES once the GCN II makes it's debut because of reforms Iwata inacts.

I can see many changes in Nintendo and new Ideas brought about by Iwata now running the company, Nintendo will be ptu back on Track, yamuchi nearly ruined the company with the N64, the GCN will ahves ome Transitional" probelms switching CEO's but in the end the GCN II will be like the SNES was witht the GCN I being like the NES.

I belive Nintendo is changing, but not fast enough. Had Iwata done a poll on Zelda gaems befor it was too late, the Cell-project would have beeen canned. Now windwaker is coming out, I have it pre-rodered because I want ot play the game, screw grpahics, it's the plot that mkaes Zelda good, if THAT sucks, than we have a problem. I belive we WILL See the "Mature" Zelda again, but it may take some time, and think how cool it would be as a GCN II Launch title?

Yeah we'd ahve waited 5 years but it wouldbe better than getting it as a rushed game with no Quality Control.

I belvie 3rd Party games can be rushed crap if they sell, but not Nitendo 1st Party games, which Sony and Microsoft are doing fine without, if Nitendo makes the 1st party games as good as rushed 3rd party stuff, we may see soem interesting thgns come out of NCL in the future, in short, let's see this one thorugh, The company is beong revamped for todays audiance, give it a chance.