"Wow." That pretty much sums up my reaction to what Nintendo showed off at Space World, I think many were anticipating a very minimal Game Cube presence at Space World; it was. Still, it was significant. I was really surprised as to what Nintendo showed off and what they didn't. Overall, (and I think I speak for Nintendophiles worldwide,) I'm damn impressed, totally amazed and giddy all over again. That's good, because I've been really prepared to be disappointed. Considering what was shown, I don't think there's much for people to complain about. In fact, I'm sure many of us are left speechless by what was shown. After seeing what the Game Cube is capable of, how could anyone not be?

I remember grinning ear-to-ear the first time I saw Sonic Adventures on Dreamcast & also was pretty taken with some of the initial Playstation 2 demos. The Game Cube demos on the other hand were lightyears beyond both of these though; not only in terms of quality but in the level of excitement it caused within myself. Remember, I said "wow' only describes my total reactions "pretty much." I don't know what words could encompass my complete slack-jawed awe, the drool, the tears…

Most of what I have to say pertains to the Game Cube and those oh-so-amazing demos. Still, I have to admit that everything shown Gameboy Advance-wise has me totally stoked too. This will be the system to have and at $90, who won't want it? Especially with games like Mario Kart Advance!!! I'm also pretty interested in Konami's "all star" wacky ass racer. Let's hope they bring it to the U.S.! Not to mention the Gameboy Advance should see the initiation of the online Nintendo network that the Game Cube will later utilize. And speaking of Game Cube, let's talk about those demos!

One of Nintendo's biggest strengths lies in its franchises and it has many popular ones. Using several of them to showcase the Gamecube's capabilities in numerous demos was sheer genius. Practically all the usual suspects and then some (hey, Luigi!) were there. Much to our delight we saw Waverace, Metroid, all of those Pokemon going buckwild?!? HOT DAMN! The demos evoked emotional reactions and also ones of amazement. Nintendophiles almost universally want one thing: lotsa great games with the characters they've loved for years. We're going to get it in spades.

The first demo, Meowth's Party undoubtedly pleased many a Pokemaniac. It's easy to see why - the demo is swarming with Pokemon! Many different types of Pokemon whoop it up as Meowth plays the rock guitar like a masochist. What's amazing is that each & every Pokemon are doing distinctive dances, all at an incredibly smooth framerate. It's a very stunning indication of what the Game Cube can do.

Luigi's Mansion is probably my favorite demo. First off, it's Luigi. Hell yes! Then there's the fact that it's arguably on par with Disney animation. The fluidity of the animation, & the massive amount of detail throughout, it's unbelievable. The chandelier crashing down at the end is perhaps the most spectacular, where several glass globes break into numerous shards. I also thought the constantly changing facial expressions of Luigi were hilarious.

Hopes were running high for a Zelda demo and we got something really fantastic with Link & Gannon crossing swords. The intensity of the battle was unreal, almost like a Star Wars light saber duel. The expressions on Link's face were quite telling! You can see the anger, shock, courage and determination ans Link jumps back, before tossing his shield aside and running at Gannon all out. Pretty dramatic stuff indeed!

Wave Race made my heart skip many a happy beat. The water effects, the speed, the detail, the dolphin (grin) swimming alongside… Someone pinch me, this game will be unbelievable! Just please let there be 'Net play!

Then of course there's Metroid. I didn't flip out like some folks at the news the game was coming (we knew it was) or that Retro would be developing it. However, upons seeing the screens & the demo; Samus looked wonderful and it was great to see her again. The aliens swarming behind her is just totally cool, really freaky looking & another testament to what GC can do. Congrats to Retro on getting the license, I'm confident they'll do the series justice. I'm also quite anxious to see how/if the story picks up after Super Metroid! Will Mother Brain come back? Is the Metroid race really wiped out? Or will we see an exciting new bounty? I don't care! Gimmie both! Metroid forever! Yow!

I'm really stoked about the footage of Star Wars: Rogue Squadron too. I'm really kicking myself for not seeing this one coming. It was obvious. At any rate, what I've seen blows me away, simply because it looks so much like the movies. The details of planet surface's are immaculate and with Factor 5 at the helm, it will play (and sound) fantastic. There's a good chance the Death Star trench run will be in the game, and looking this good, "Rogue Squadron 2" will certainly be a popular game and undoubtedly look to cash in on the ever rising SW: Episode 2 mania.

Then there's some other cool things, like the "forest" demo and cameos by Rare "celebs" Banjo & Joanna that are also great reasons to get excited. What's more exciting is that these are all just demos, all just suggestions of what final GameCube software will look like. The end products will likely be even more stellar.

Nintendo is making its own "Dream Team" this time around, this is a very good thing. Licensing popular franchises to its ever growing roster of second-party developers has produced a fantastic number of games featuring Nintendo characters. Metroid, Mario, Wave Race, Zelda and Pokemon could all be launch titles. A GC version of Mario Golf seems to be underway too. It looks like we're going to get a lot of our favorite games sooner, which allows plenty of time for new projects and sequels. That is awesome.

Speaking of favorite Nintendo franchises, word to almighty Shiggy: BRING BACK KID ICARUS! (Hey Mikey! Let's do "Demand Kid Icarus!")

Along with great first- and second-party games with recognizable characters, the capabilities of the Game Cube should be attracting many developers. Lets hope that some of the big guns like Square, Namco, Enix and EA are among them. Regardless, with reports of Game Cube being very easy to develop for (and who wouldn't want to develop for this baby?) Nintendo is bound to amass a virtual army of developer support.

Name wise, I liked "Star Cube" better (and I'm sure there are other complainers who wish they kept their mouths shut). Still, the "Game Cube" name is just fine-I promise it will grow on all of us. Plus, it overtly emphasizes what's really important in a video game console, games. Through various upgrades, GC will be able to play DVD movies & connect to the Internet. Straight outta the box, it'll be "just" a game machine, albeit a mighty one. Nintendo is constantly reminding the public, its emphasis is on games, so no surprise. Still, the "naked" Gamecube will be able to be priced pretty cheaply, maybe even a bit below $199. An affordable system with an affordable "must have" software line-up will sell like hotcakes. This matters, especially considering the cost of the competition.

The other night, my neighbor told me his PS2 would cost him $417; that's the system, 3 year warranty (my PSX broke down, so I'd want this too) and tax. No games. Ouch. I reminded him he'd at least be able to play his old PSX games until he could save up some more cash. ;)

The cube shape. I dig it. Maybe some of the colors are a little tacky (the recent pictures Billy put up have purple growing on me, dunno about pink) but I'm glad they're offering a variety. I don't know why people are complaining about the handle. Nintendo wants the machine to be easy to move around the house, so the whole family can get in on the action. It's a good idea. Games like Mario Kart 64, Star Fox 64, Goldeneye, Mario Party, Smash Bros. (& now) Mario Tennis have motivated me to take my system & four controllers to wherever I'd be chilling out for the evening. 9 times out of 10 this proved to be a great idea. Multiplayer games have traditionally been one of the N64's biggest strengths and Game Cube looks to keep this tradition going strong. We've four controller ports, GBA connectivity, online gaming-there's a lotta possibilities here! So, portability is definitely a good thing.

I like what I see of the "Wave Bird" controller too. It's cool they'll be wireless. It may look odd, though all "hands on" (pun intended) impressions indicate it feels quite comfortable and is cleverly designed. Remember, Miyamoto made it & we all trust him, don't we? It's Shiggy! I'm happy to see the D-Pad is alive & well, though those participating in our Planet Talkback forums seem bummed there are no triggers underneath the controllers. I'm sure it will work great either way…Keep in mind too that the controller isn't completely done yet, there's still stuff coming. Communication ports, perhaps?

October, 2001? Hmm, so much for Game Cube for Easter. This is the worst part of it all. With Dreamcast running strong and PS2 set to explode, can Nintendo manage a successful launch over a year from now? It's frustrating, though I believe this is the last time the date will be pushed back. With the right price, the right launch titles and good developer support they should be just fine. The GBA will be there to stem the tide and really, there's some really great N64 on the way that'll help too.

Luckily, Nintendo seems to already anticipate Sony's PS2 being successful and seem to carry the attitude that the GC will be a system people will want in addition to their PS2. This has proved true in the past, with PSX owners buying N64s just for games like Goldeneye and Zelda.

One of the biggest things I've thought about since Space World is how all of the hype around the PS2 is completely deflated now. I've been intrigued by the PS2 and even entertained thoughts of getting one but don't think it's anything I'll be budgeting for anytime soon (besides, my neighbor will have one). course, it's definitely beyond my budget. Gamecube is worth waiting for & something I should probably start saving up for. Maybe I'll even import. Would it be worth it? I think so. Then there's the GBA - I want that too. OK, I'm letting my train of thought run wild… But it's an example of how excited I am. I've talked to a few people who have already started saving for the imports. For me, I'm sure to it'll boil down to my financial situation come July (Japanese GC release). If I can afford to import, I'll do it. This is me though and I'm probably digressing.

Overall, Nintendo seems to be on the right track and it's encouraging to see the "Big N" has been listening to what their customers want and expect from its next-generation console. Game Cube and GBA look fantastic, will be affordable, will be easy to develop for and feature some of the best video games on the planet. What more could you ask for? I don't care about you, I just know I want them both and will buy 'em as soon as possible.