Much to my surprise, Nintendo sent me an invitation to the local press-only Nintendo Preview Day. I say "to my surprise" since I had been less then flattering towards Nintendo in my E3 editorial - that, and the Preview Day is intended for local journalists who didn't have the opportunity to attend E3. Props to Nintendo for inviting me despite my negative E3 impressions and for giving me the opportunity to check some of the upcoming titles some more.

The venue was an old, small, but cozy art theatre called Le Palace (formerly known as Kladaradatsch - you can't get more artsy than that). Parking, drinks, and snacks were free and plentiful and the staff on hand were friendly and helpful.

For me, the event held no surprises. The games present I had either played at E3 or even prior to that on several occasions. Still, it would have been insane not to grab the opportunity to spend some more quality time with F-Zero (a game I am glad to say received a lot of attention from attendees), Mario Kart Double Dash with four-player LAN mode, and Pac-Man.

For me, F-Zero was the best game available, due to Sonic Heroes not having a presence on the show floor. Fast, exhilarating gameplay and excellent controls overall made this a game worth the long wait. And Nintendo couldn't have chosen a better partner than Toshiro Nagoshi for this game. His pedigree speaks for itself, with his track record including games like Daytona USA, Spikeout, and Scud Race (Super GT in the U.S.) in the arcades and Super Monkey Ball for the GameCube - a launch game that should be part of everyone's game collection.

Another game I am anticipating is Pac-Man, a game that I feel defines what connectivity is all about. Unlike games like Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles, which uses GC/GBA connectivity as a gimmick and a way to raise more revenue, Pac-Man defines connectivity by building the core gameplay around the link-up between GC and GBA. Three players play as ghosts on the TV screen and the fourth plays as Pac-Man on the connected GBA. To make the job for the ghosts harder, their view is limited to their immediate surroundings while Pac-Man gets to see almost the entire playscreen on the GBA. The players controlling the ghosts have to strategically work together to see as much of the playfield as possible. It’s a nice touch that works surprisingly well. Eat a Power Pill and the hunter becomes the hunted. It’s an excellent party game which wont cost an arm and a leg like other connectivity titles (i.e. the new Zelda: Four Swords and FF Crystal Chronicles). My only gripe with the game for now is the play speed. It plays slower than the Pac-Man of old. Here’s hoping Nintendo adjusts the speed and adds extra play modes to the game before release; if it does, this will become a party game second to none.

Other notables for me were games like Billy Hatcher and the Giant Egg (a game I hated at E3, but started to like the more I played it), Sonic Pinball, Mario Kart DD, and Super Mario Advance 4. Some games that should have been there were absent, though. There was no sign of Sonic Heroes (understandable, since it’s a multiplatform title), Sonic Adventure DX, Boktai, and a few others.

Something that surprised me was the lack of attention the invitees were giving to the GBA selection of games. The stations with GBA games were deserted for the better part of the event. It wasn't because of a lack of quality games, since Nintendo has that covered. Yet games like Final Fantasy Tactics, Mario and Luigi, and Pokemon Pinball seemed unable to lure attendees away from the free booze. In any event, it's their loss and if you ask me (which you didn't, but I'll say it regardless) people who prefer a free beer over the mind-altering brilliance of Wario Ware on GBA shouldn't be in this industry to begin with.

After the Nintendo event, I decided to check out what little remained of Belgium's once booming arcade industry. It was a pathetic sight. In three months only a single new machine (Tokyo Cop) had shown up, and even the Alto PC arcade system (with hundreds of older arcade games) was not seeing much play.

All in all, despite its size (or rather, because of its small size), it was an event worth attending. While there weren't any surprises to be had at this show, it's always nice to play through these early builds again without the noise and discomfort that E3 brings with it.

Feel free to send feedback, flames, or questions to ali@the-nextlevel.com.

· · · Ali