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[Wario64]

http://www.gamespot.com/news/2005/04/15/news_6122382.html

TOKYO--Gamers in Japan waiting for Namco's two major arcade titles of the year will have to wait a bit longer. At its private dealer show, the company explained that MarioKart Arcade GP has been rescheduled from a fall release to December. Also rescheduled is Cobra the Arcade, which was originally planned for release this spring. The game will instead be released this November. Namco is taking preorders for both games.


MarioKart Arcade GP is an arcade version of Nintendo's popular Mario Kart racing game series. The game is being developed on the Triforce, which is an arcade board co-developed by Nintendo, Namco, and Sega in 2002, and based on the Nintendo GameCube's architecture.

Cobra the Arcade is a light-gun game based on the classic 1980's sci-fi manga series, Cobra. It plays on the same arcade cabinet as Namco's Time Crisis series, and features a foot pedal that allows gamers to dodge enemy attacks. The cabinet also comes with a light-gun that's shaped just like the futuristic Psycho Gun from the original manga. As a new implementation, Cobra the Arcade's gameplay features a unique Psycho Shot system, which lets players lock onto multiple enemies and fire shots that home in on them.

 

[soundwave05]

Hmmm ... I wonder if that means Mario Kart Arcade GP won't be a go on the GameCube until 2006 ... ?

 

[Memles]

Hmmm ... I wonder if that means Mario Kart Arcade GP won't be a go on the GameCube until 2006 ... ?

Ya think? I doubt it will see GameCube release period; I'm still not sure why everyone was so damn convinced of it.

 

[Amir0x]

Hmmm ... I wonder if that means Mario Kart Arcade GP won't be a go on the GameCube until 2006 ... ?

why do people keep sayin' this

what indication do you have that this is even being considered for GC release? Why not Revolution?

I'm just wonderin' because I've seen nothing like that.

 

[soundwave05]

Mario Kart on the GameCube would still sell a million copies, which is why I'd say its a no brainer, since it would take all of 2 weeks to port over (if that). The TRIFORCE board is the GCN chipset, just with a little more RAM.

A Revolution version ... who even knows at this point. They'd have to redo the graphics for sure because that would be very weak by 2006 for a next-gen release.

 

[Amir0x]

Mario Kart on the GameCube would still sell a million copies, which is why I'd say its a no brainer, since it would take all of 2 weeks to port over (if that).

A Revolution version ... who even knows at this point. They'd have to redo the graphics for sure because that would be very weak by 2006 for a next-gen release.

ok so it's just pointless speculation with no real indication that it'll come to GC

gotcha. just making sure because you actually had it on one of your "GC Releases you're anticipating" list which was ridiculous.

 

[soundwave05]

ok so it's just pointless speculation with no real indication that it'll come to GC

gotcha. just making sure because you actually had it on one of your "GC Releases you're anticipating" list which was ridiculous.

Well common business sense, plus I believe Reggie also mentioned that the GameCube had another Mario Kart coming.

If Nintendo/Namco let this lanquish in arcades when its running on same bloody chipset, they're fucking retarded, given the GCN has a pretty crap release list as is and this could be (sales wise) almost as popular as the new Zelda.

The Mario Kart series is still a crowd pleaser.

 

[Memles]

Mario Kart on the GameCube would still sell a million copies, which is why I'd say its a no brainer, since it would take all of 2 weeks to port over (if that).

If they do release a GameCube port, it will include the camera and extend the GameCube's life with a new peripheral that only Nintendo will use and new, exciting games using it will bomb hard sellling only 39,000 copies in their first month.

As it stands, the game offers no real incentive of release. All signs point to it be nothing more than an Arcade game, and it appears to be relatively void of anything distinguishing it from MKDD outside of single carts and different graphics. With Adventure titles, Nintendo releases two different titles (See: Wind Waker and New Zelda), but I don't see them doing it here. And if they do, it will likely be Spring of 2006.

Well common business sense, plus I believe Reggie also mentioned that the GameCube had another Mario Kart coming.

This was a misquote on the part of IGN; I made the thread, I should know. Reggie has said nothing of the sort.

They wouldn't be stupid to let it "languish in the arcades", they would be smart. The GameCube will be all but dead at that point; it will not boost console sales releasing in 2006, and it won't sell anyone new on the console. I really think that wishful thinking is great, and all, but the video game industry doesn't work on "It'll sell". It works on "Is it advantageous to waste a Mario Kart release, considered an event, on a dying system with a new system launch only 6 months away and an important launch period?

 

[Amir0x]

Well common business sense, plus I believe Reggie also mentioned that the GameCube had another Mario Kart coming.

If you can find me that Reggie quote then it'll be a much better leg to stand on.

If Nintendo/Namco let this lanquish in arcades, they're fucking retarded, given the GCN has a pretty crap release list as is and this could be (sales wise) almost as popular as the new Zelda.

The Mario Kart series is still a crowd pleaser.

There's so many strategies we can classify as retarded using your logic. So it's best not to speculate baselessly unless you have some real indication because if we all anticipated games that SHOULD come out instead of what WILL come out then we wouldn't have many games we anticipated at all.

 

[soundwave05]

No real incentive?

So having it earn a few thousand dollars on the arcade when it would take little to no effort to port the game and earn the extra revune from 1-2 million units in sales is no incentive?

:lol

I mean Revolution isn't coming until fall 2006 in the US in all likelyhood anyway, WTF are they planning to do with the GCN after Zelda?

Nintendo is in no position to throw a game like this into a niche corner of the market, they need every single GameCube title they can get from here on out until Revolution launches because third parties are not going to help them out.

 

[Mama Smurf]

Look, Mario Kart is one of Nintendo's strongest franchises. It's right up there with normal Mario games, Zelda, even almost as high as Pokemon. Yet we get one game per system. One SNES game, one N64 game, one GBA game, and I'd be willing to bet one DS game. For that reason alone I'd say that it staying arcade exclusive (and that would be the one arcade game) is a decent possibility, whether it makes business sense or not.

Nintendo don't always do what makes sense, I think we all know that. Where's the SSB Melee sequel? I don't think any other company in the world wouldn't make a sequel to their best seller of the generation.

 

[Memles]

No real incentive?

So having it earn a few thousand dollars on the arcade when it would take little to no effort to port the game and earn the extra revune from 1-2 million units in sales is no incentive?

:lol

I mean Revolution isn't coming until fall 2006 in the US in all likelyhood anyway, WTF are they planning to do with the GCN after Zelda?

Nintendo is in no position to throw a game like this into a niche corner of the market, they need every single GameCube title they can get from here on out until Revolution launches because third parties are not going to help them out.

You're missing the point of game development; the Arcade game is being developed...for the arcades. It is designed to be fast, simple, and include a camera for ultimate embarassment. I know that I wouldn't really jump out and purchase the new Mario Kart in Spring of 2006. I barely play Double Dash!! now, as it is, and having another one doesn't make any sense. Sure, MKDD would be 2 1/2 years old by then, but I honestly don't think there are enough changes in this title to warrant porting it for the sake of cash. It's wasting a Mario Kart release, not taking advantage of one.

 

[soundwave05]

You're missing the point of game development; the Arcade game is being developed...for the arcades. It is designed to be fast, simple, and include a camera for ultimate embarassment. I know that I wouldn't really jump out and purchase the new Mario Kart in Spring of 2006. I barely play Double Dash!! now, as it is, and having another one doesn't make any sense. Sure, MKDD would be 2 1/2 years old by then, but I honestly don't think there are enough changes in this title to warrant porting it for the sake of cash. It's wasting a Mario Kart release, not taking advantage of one.

No one cares if you or I would be interested in the game.

Its an easy 1-2 million in worldwide sales for Nintendo because the Mario Kart franchise sells no matter what.

I mean unless Nintendo is planning to release the Revolution in January 2006, they still will have to support the GameCube with *something* after Zelda, this is a pretty easy fix and since all the programming is already done, it costs them next to nothing to port.

Even if it was only going to sell 250,000 copies, it'd still likely be worth it.

 

[Defensor]

The cabinet also comes with a light-gun that's shaped just like the futuristic Psycho Gun from the original manga.

Whoa, didn't know about this.

 

[Jeff-DSA]

The GameCube doesn't need another Mario Kart. Whoever would be responsible for developing it should be getting one ready for the Revolution with online play fully supported.

I think the DS version looks great, and it's one of my most wanted titles on any platform.

 

[Baron Aloha]

I think this delay (for Mario Kart) was sorta planned all along. 8-12 months seems like a good window for an arcade-> home port which would put it exactly in line with the Revolution launch. Perhaps Nintendo is going to let Namco do what they did with TTT and Soul Calibur and release an enhanced version for the Revolution launch. I sure as hell wouldn't complain and heck, it might actually get me to buy a Rev at launch. It would sell a couple of million units in the states easily (launch titles typically fair well and its Mario Kart).

 

[Kobun Heat]

...all of which does not change the fact that they will almost definitely do a home release.

 

[soundwave05]

I'm all for focusing development on the Revolution, but you also have to be smart.

Nintendo can't just flush perfectly good, already developed titles down the toliet, especailly with the position they are in the market place.

What is the GameCube release schedule like for 2006 anyway at this point? :crickets:

At least the XBox has an excuse, MS is pulling the plug because the system is still bleeding them money and they have XBox 2 coming this year.

 

[Mama Smurf]

We're like a month before E3. Not even 4 months into the year. We don't know specifically when Revolution comes out in 2006. And you think we should know what's coming out on the GC next year already?

Don't get me wrong here, I really hope it's coming to a home console, whichever one. I just see as much for it as against at the moment.

There's not much point in this argument of course, I'd be surprised if we didn't get our answer at E3.

 

[Baron Aloha]

I'm all for focusing development on the Revolution, but you also have to be smart.

Nintendo can't just flush perfectly good, already developed titles down the toliet, especailly with the position they are in the market place.

What is the GameCube release schedule like for 2006 anyway at this point? :crickets:

At least the XBox has an excuse, MS is pulling the plug because the system is still bleeding them money and they have XBox 2 coming this year.

Dude... what do the PS2 and Xbox release schedules look like for 2006? It's not as if there are a litany of 2006 titles that you can name right now for those systems either. That's too far off.

Face it, the cube's fate is sealed. Truth is, it was sealed in 2001/2002. Once the public has made its mind up that's pretty much it. The best thing Nintendo can do now is make sure that the Revolution has everything that the Gamecube didn't have and that includes a stellar launch lineup.

 

[mj1108]

Giving Revolution an online Mario Kart title at launch = smart way of launching a system.

 

[soundwave05]

Nintendo will be release this on a home console. Whether that's GameCube or Revolution who knows. Knowing Nintendo it'll be GameCube.

Too much money to throw away though otherwise.

 

[Kobun Heat]

The Cube's fate is sealed. It's fated to, uh... continue making money for Nintendo. They have every reason to continue supporting it with more software through 2006 and beyond, provided they can keep budgets reasonable.

Now, I agree that Mario Kart Arcade GP at Revolution launch would be pretty cool, but you have to remember that it's developed on GameCube hardware. It doesn't look like a next-generation game. It looks like a GameCube game.

In any case, we'll know in a month.

 

[Baron Aloha]

The Cube's fate is sealed. It's fated to, uh... continue making money for Nintendo. They have every reason to continue supporting it with more software through 2006 and beyond, provided they can keep budgets reasonable.

Now, I agree that Mario Kart Arcade GP at Revolution launch would be pretty cool, but you have to remember that it's developed on GameCube hardware. It doesn't look like a next-generation game. It looks like a GameCube game.

Obviously when I said it's fate what sealed I was referring to it's marketshare (at least I thought it was obvious). Everyone knows the GC makes Nintendo money. No one here was arguing that.

However... Namco are the ones developing this game not Nintendo and given their history and the slowing down of the Gamecube's lifecycle I would not be at all surprised to see it moved to the Revolution. In fact, I'm pretty much expecting them to do it. It would not be the first, nor the second time they would have done something similar.

Tekken Tag Tournament and Soul Calibur were developed on beefed up Playstation hardware the same way Mario Kart Arcade is on slightly exhanced GC hardware and those games both ended up being ported to consoles with radically different architecture (PS2 and DC) and when they were finished neither of them looked like their original arcade counterparts.

 

[Kobun Heat]

True, but even though Namco's developing, it's Nintendo who's calling the shots. If they decide it would better serve as a GameCube latter-day title -- and it's easy to imagine a situation in which they would -- it could be on GC in '06.

It would be quite a launch title if they took it back and retooled it for Revolution, though. Especially if Revolution has a built-in camera.

 

[soundwave05]

I'm pretty sure Nintendo is the one that also funds development on the title in the case of these cross-collaborations.

It's no different from them working with a 2nd party like when Rare did the DKC games.

If its going to be on Revolution though, those graphics better get a pretty friggin' significant boost.

 

[drohne]

who cares about mario kart? the moment consoles could do proper racing games like ridge racer and daytona, there stopped being any point to mario kart. enough about mario kart already. let's talk COBRA THE ARCADE. time crisis is awesome. best lightgun shooters ever. i think i've gotten more enjoyment out of the three time crisis games and their console ports than, oh, the entire gamecube library. i don't know anything about cobra beyond that old matthew sweet video that used clips of a cobra movie or tv series or something, but cobra seems pretty awesome too. i hope i stumble across the arcade cab someday. and i certainly hope they do a ps2 port.

 

[Amir0x]

who cares about mario kart? the moment consoles could do proper racing games like ridge racer and daytona, there stopped being any point to mario kart. enough about mario kart already.

what the fuck are you talkin' about?

 

[drohne]

all the inexplicable mario kart discussion in this COBRA THE ARCADE thread?

 

[Amir0x]

all the inexplicable mario kart discussion in this COBRA THE ARCADE thread?

"Mario Kart Arcade GP & Cobra delayed"

Seems like it's a thread for both!

But mostly I was commenting on the whole "the moment consoles could do proper racing games like ridge racer and daytona, there stopped being any point to mario kart" bullshittery.

 

[drohne]

i'm not interested in discussing a game there isn't any point to anymore. i mean, you don't seem much discussion of galaxian or wolfenstein 3d around here. so, amirox: how do you feel about the tragic delay of COBRA THE ARCADE, and what do you think its prospects are for a console port? do you think namco should release a special edition of the guncon 2 shaped like cobra's psycho gun? that would be pretty awesome!

 

[Mama Smurf]

Wow. You don't even try to hide it anymore.

 

[Amir0x]

i'm not interested in discussing a game there isn't any point to anymore. i mean, you don't seem much discussion of galaxian or wolfenstein 3d around here.

:lol :lol You drawin' me in like a blackhole, mang. I'm totally tryin' to resist a super long essay about the ways you're wrong, though. I mean the mere fact that you tried to compare a subset of the racing genre like Mario Kart to something like why we don't still see super technically outdated FPS is just funny stuff and hard to resist!

how do you feel about the tragic delay of COBRA THE ARCADE, and what do you think its prospects are for a console port? do you think namco should release a special edition of the guncon 2 shaped like cobra's psycho gun? that would be pretty awesome!

i don't know man, to tell you the truth I'm really more interested in that game there's no point to! I mean COBRA sounds cool and all, but damn... I don't know what my problem is!

 

[jarrod]

The TRIFORCE board is the GCN chipset, just with a little more RAM.

Correction, it's the GCN chipset with twice the RAM.

who cares about mario kart?

Roughly about 10 times the amount of people who care about Ridge Racer.

Ridge Racer V~ 184,398
Mario Kart: Double Dash!!~ 1,817,460

 

[evilromero]

i'm not interested in discussing a game there isn't any point to anymore. i mean, you don't seem much discussion of galaxian or wolfenstein 3d around here. so, amirox: how do you feel about the tragic delay of COBRA THE ARCADE, and what do you think its prospects are for a console port? do you think namco should release a special edition of the guncon 2 shaped like cobra's psycho gun? that would be pretty awesome!

I'd like to take a nice hot porno piss all over cobra. In its coin slot. And on its light guns. Instead, give me my "no point" Mario Kart GP.

 

[Jeff-DSA]

Roughly about 10 times the amount of people who care about Ridge Racer.

Ridge Racer V~ 184,398
Mario Kart: Double Dash!!~ 1,817,460

Heh, that almost makes me want to say "owned" or one of its annoying variables.

 

[drohne]

the implied answer to the rhetorical question "who cares about mario kart?" is not "no one" but "people who don't know any better." er, and also apparently undinists. it's none of my business what gets you off, guy, but don't expect a general audience to understand when you describe a piss as "porno."

 

[Amir0x]

the implied answer to the rhetorical question "who cares about mario kart?" is not "no one" but "people who don't know any better." er, and also apparently undinists. it's none of my business what gets you off, guy, but don't expect a general audience to understand when you describe a piss as "porno."

People who don't know any better?

Are you fucking tripping on acid?

 

[evilromero]

Eh, it's really no use trying to reason with this fella. It's like when I tried to convince you that RRDS was actually a decent game. Those were the days.

 

[Amir0x]

Eh, it's really no use trying to reason with this fella. It's like when I tried to convince you that RRDS was actually a decent game. Those were the days.

Those were indeed the days...

 

[drohne]

if blithering about piss is your idea of reason, i'd hate to see your idea of force. but i digress: here are some nice screenshots of COBRA THE ARCADE, which we are gathered here to discuss:

BOY I CAN'T WAIT!!!

 

[evilromero]

Max Steel am back!

 

[Kobun Heat]

 

[Amir0x]

Thumbs up! :lol

 

[drohne]

and i was trying to steer this thread away from your aberrant sexual preferences and towards healthy amusements like COBRA THE ARCADE! here's a thought: maybe morbid nintendo fandom and sexual deviance are not merely correlated but connected. and maybe the first step to recovery is accepting that there isn't any point to mario kart anymore. think about it.

 

[Kobun Heat]

then why does fennec fox hate nintendo?

 

[drohne]

fennec fox is probably in what pavlov described as the "ultraparadoxical" stage, in which the absence of a stimulus produces a response. he doesn't play nintendo games, but nontheless commits unnatural acts with small rodents, openly advocates whiplash, etc. it's all very complicated, but basically it's still nintendo's fault.

 

[Wario64]

if blithering about piss is your idea of reason, i'd hate to see your idea of force. but i digress: here are some nice screenshots of COBRA THE ARCADE, which we are gathered here to discuss:

BOY I CAN'T WAIT!!!

wtf, why are they showing CG/FMV shots? I don't even watch cutscenes in light gun games. To hell with them

 

[drohne]

there are proper screenshots towards the end of that gallery, but i got tired of copying and pasting.

 

[Wario64]

Weak. It's easy to post images that are in sequential order in file names

Eh, Namco's shooters always have crappy graphics :|