Collectible Consoles: The Panasonic Q - GameCube Part II

Although I am still very sick from the...black death (or whatever I caught), I feel the need to write. However, my brain isn't all here, so I want to keep this short but interesting. I owe you guys at least one blog for missing all of last week, so here is an early one! Full disclosure:  Keep in mind that I'm on all the medication. If I write sillier than normal...well, I'm not sorry.

Look at it...LOOK AT IT! It is a beautiful monster. It screams early 2000s. I love it. 

This was released exclusively for Japan in December 2001. The first question you are asking is probably "why?". That is pretty simple actually. Nintendo was feeling a bit of pressure from the PS2's ability to play CDs and DVDs. It wanted to make up for the GameCube's lack of being a media powerhouse by developing this along side Panasonic.
So what all did it have? Here is the list:
- All the original GameCube features of course
- Optical out port (allowing for 5.1 true surround sound)
- A front loading tray that loaded like a DVD player
- An LCD panel at the top of the console
- A subwoofer output
- A polished glass front and stainless steel chassis
- DVD, CD, and MP3 file support

There are a LOT of articles on the web that state the following, including a Nintendo Wikia (which should know better!!): There were two of these released. One that was the standard that cost ¥41,000 and a modified one that cost ¥46,000. The standard cost is right (at the time it was roughly $440-50 in US money). Oh, the extra bit about the "modified" one? It would play region free games. Now come on. Nintendo almost prides itself on region locking. This would simply NEVER happen. Making my Wii region free was a downright PAINFUL process. To this day, Nintendo is the only company not allowing for some sort of region freedom. For people like me who play Japanese and American games, it makes me distance myself a bit from Nintendo. Well, enough of my rant. What I am attempting to say it that this is BS pure and simple. Like any other system of theirs, you will need to do some stupid, time consuming stuff to make it region free. There are videos out there that will show you how if you are so inclined. Personally, if you are collecting, I would recommend against it. Just buy an American or Japanese console if you have the money.

The Panasonic Q never caught on in Japan and were discontinued in mid December 2003. However, in recent years, as one can imagine, they have become quite the collectors item! They now sell for anywhere in between $300-700. Lucky for you collectors out there, and for the future me that has money, these systems are pretty easy to find. They are readily available on Amazon and eBay.

That is a sad story of the Panasonic Q. I had seen this thing off and on in the early 2000s in gaming magazines, but never paid much attention. Now...I kind of want one. It is nice to see that it has made a come back and that it is getting some much needed and overdue love.

Thanks for reading! I hope that made sense. I will double check it when I am not sick and make corrections if necessary.

Sources: 
http://kotaku.com/5803323/my-favourite-nintendo-console-wasnt-even-made-by-nintendo
http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/news/9283/panasonic-q-discontinued
http://nintendo.wikia.com/wiki/Panasonic_Q
http://www.ign.com/articles/2002/04/09/panasonic-q-review
http://www.bordersdown.net/threads/114579-Panasonic-Q-officially-regionfree-version
http://www.videogameconsolelibrary.com/pg00-q.htm#page=reviews

Collectible Consoles - The GameCube's Development (Part I)

Because I am feeling extra generous this week, I am getting started on the GameCube blogs. I may not post another until I am done with the PS3 blogs, but since that is pretty soon I wanted to give some background to the GameCube. This blog is only going to cover the development process and the unveiling at the Nintendo Press Conference in Japan in 2000 and in North America during E3 2001. The reason I am going over this stuff is because, honestly, I have a lot of nostalgia attached to these events. I remember when it was called the "Dolphin" and "GameStar" and everyone was speculating about what it would look like. Fun times those. So let's jump right in!

In 1998 a company called ArtX, composed mainly of former Silicon Graphics Inc. employees, partnered with Nintendo to develop the graphics processor, which was codenamed "Flipper" at the time. During this time the GameCube was going by an early name of "N2000". In May of 1999 Nintendo formed an alliance with IBM to create the processor, codenamed "Gekko". Also during this time they released a statement that they were changing the name of the system, for the time being, to "Project Dolphin". The plan during that time was for the console to run off of DVDs, but they never confirmed that it would in the long run. As a side note, ATI acquired ArtX in 2000, but I could find no major changes to the project as ArtX had done most of the work already.

In August of 2000, during a Nintendo Press Conference in Japan, they unveiled the GameCube and the GameBoy Advance. I could not find any pictures from this conference and one article said the official unveiling would be at the 2001 E3. I assume they were not allowed to take pictures. They were however allowed to describe what it looked like and were told the final name of the console for the first time. Although the rumor mill about it still being called the "GameStar" was still going around. I will try to find some old gaming magazines that called talked about this for next time.

GameCubes being shown off at E3 2001

During E3 2001, Nintendo revealed the titles that would be available at launch, which was September 14 2001. They were: Pikmin, Luigi's Mansion, Super Smash Bros. Melee, Stars Wars Rogue Leader: Rogue Squadron II, Raven Blade, Wave Race Blue Storm, NBA Courtside 2002, Disney's Mickey (working title), Donkey Kong Racing, Animal Forest, Metroid Prime, Mamokia, Eternal Darkness, Kameo: Elements of Power, Star Fox Adventures: Dinosaur Planet, and Zelda (working title). Notice the lack of a proper Mario game, which was a first for a Nintendo launch. I will go through these one by one as most did not release at launch. In addition, I am going through these because I have found no other site that has done so.

Pikmin: released about a month after lanuch.
Luigi's Mansion: This did release alongside the console.
Super Smash Bros. Melee: Well...this series never releases a game on time. November 2001 for this title.
Star Wars Rogue Squadron II: Rogue Leader: This also didn't release until the end of November.
Raven Blade: This game was sadly canceled by July 2001 so that the team could focus on Metroid Prime.
Wave Race Blue Storm: This game released on time for the launch.
NBA Courtside 2002: This actually didn't get released until January of 2002.
Disney's Magical Mirror Starring Mickey Mouse: Although the article only mentioned a working title, finding the game was pretty easy as this was pretty much the only title with Mickey in the name. It did not release until mid 2002.
Donkey Kong Racing: Although it was announced at E3 2001, no gameplay was shown. In the end the game was canceled.
Animal Forest/Crossing: In Japan Animal Crossing is called Doubutsu no Mori (Animal Forest), which is why it was called this during the first Japanese press release. They changed the name for American and European audiences. The first Animal Crossing game was actually a Japan exclusive for the Nintendo 64 and was released in July 2001. The GameCube version, however, did not make the launch. It wasn't released until December.
Metroid Prime: Even with the extra effort, this didn't release until November 17.
Mamokia: I could not find a THING on this game. I am assuming it got canceled early in development.
Eternal Darkness: This didn't release until June of 2002. Play it. Do it. It is amazing.
Kameo: Elements of Power: This ended up with an Xbox 360 release in 2005, but never got a GameCube release. Rare Ltd. was going through some financial problems during this time, which is also most likely why Donkey Kong Racing was canceled.
Star Fox Adventures: I will just go ahead and say this one made launch, at least in Japan and North America. It was only a week or so late.
The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker: This sadly wasn't released until December of 2002.

Shigeru Miyamoto during E3 2001 - Look how happy he is! :)

So yeah...the launch lineup was not spectacular. However, the system itself is. I personally love it. I will be going over a little bit more of its history next time and will cover early models.
Thanks for reading!

Sources: 
http://www.ign.com/articles/2001/10/30/ati-discusses-gamecube-graphics
http://www.zdnet.com/article/nintendo-tweaks-gamecubes-specs/
http://www.ign.com/articles/1999/05/05/say-hello-to-project-dolphin
http://www.ign.com/articles/2000/02/17/ati-snags-dolphin-graphics-chip-designer
http://www.gamespot.com/articles/nintendos-gamecube-unveiled/1100-2619269/
http://www.nintendo.co.jp/ir/en/library/events/090731qa/index.html
http://www.gamespot.com/articles/e3-2001-nintendo-unleashes-gamecube-software-a-new-miyamoto-game-and-more/1100-2761390/
http://www.ign.com/articles/2011/05/10/nintendos-history-at-e3-2001?page=2
PICTURES:
http://www.gamesradar.com/e3-the-good-stuff/?page=7
http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/guide/1782/gamecube-faq-the-nintendo-gamecube
https://en.wikipedia.org (for release dates. I double checked, but didn't want to put all here. Email me if you want all the sources for release dates.) 

Collectible Games - The Beginnings of Harvest Moon

In this blog I will be talking about the first four Harvest Moon games: Havest Moon (duh), Harvest Moon GB, Harvest Moon 64, and Harvest Moon GBC. While most information can be found on each Wikipedia page, as usual I like to go a step beyond. I will explain basic gameplay, release dates, how rare the games are, and other random trivia. I ran into some additional development information that is also not on the English wikipedia pages for those who like a bit of trivia.

For more information on the series as a whole please check out my first blog.

Harvest Moon (North American SNES cover)

Harvest Moon/Bokujou Monogatari
The original Harvest Moon is known in Japan as Bokujou Monogatari (牧場物語), which means Farm Story/Tale. It was released there in August 1996, North America in 1997, and Europe the following January of 1998.
Although I explained at length in my previous blog that Harvest Moon was developed by Pack-in-Video/Victor Interactive (later Marvelous Entertainment), the first game was actually developed by Amccus. The only thing I could find out about them was that they produced one other game called Monstania. I am assuming that this company had something to do with Pack-in-Video, which was bought by Victor Interactive in 1996...although I know nothing for sure. Since no credit has ever been given to anyone else but Pack-in-Video/Victor Interactive for the creation of the series, this is the only guess I have.

Those of you who have played Harvest Moon games before already know the formula for the gameplay. However, for those who have not played the games I will quickly summarize. In this game you are a boy given a farm...because all small children should be given large plots of land and living animals to take care of. It is an adorable game. Do not question it. Anyways, the farm is failing and it is your job to fix it up! Your character has between 6am and 6pm to allocate time to different tasks on the farm. These tasks include planting and watering crops, buying seeds, talking to other villagers/NPCs, and feeding animals. There are even weather patterns and seasons to worry about. You sell what your animals and crops produce in town for an income. This money is used to upgrade different things around your farm, including your tools. You can also get married...I will resist rural jokes about underage marriage because it is an adorable game. 

I have seen many complaints about the gameplay not evolving as the series goes on, but I would like to inject my opinion here. It is a farm simulator. An adorable farm simulator. Simulators do not make major changes to their gameplay and that is pretty typical of the genre. Changes, however, ARE made from game to game, and they often mean a good deal to fans of the series. The makers know keeping a fanbase is like walking a very fine line. That is all I will say on the matter. 

Harvest Moon GB(GBC)/Bokujou Monogatari GB(GBC)
This is the second Harvest Moon game and the first for a handheld. It was produced by developed by Pack-in-Video/Victor Interactive and released in 1997/1998 (Japan/the rest of the world). A GameBoy Color version was released in 1998 as well. It was called Harvest Moon GBC. 

Because of the limitations of the GameBoy, crops are the main source of income. There are, however, two types of livestock: cows and chickens. In addition, you can choose a cat or dog for a pet and you get a horse for shipping items and farm work. Just like in the original, you can also upgrade your tools.
Unlike the original Harvest Moon for the SNES and the upcoming Harvest Moon 64, you can actually choose your gender. 

Harvest Moon 64/Bokujou Monogatari 2
While this game was known as Harvest Moon 64 in North America because almost every N64 game had to have that "64" attached to it, it was known as Bokujou Monogatari 2 in Japan and therefore the sequel to the original. The game was released in 1999. According to Wikipedia, it was developed by Toy Box Studios and Victor Interactive. When I clicked on the link to Toy Box Studios it sent me to Marvelous' page...
So I got a bit confused. The researcher in me got angry at the English Wikipedia page and suddenly I didn't want to waste the five years I spent learning Japanese in college. To Japanese websites I went! 
That cleared pretty much everything up. I have links up at the bottom of the page for any Japanese readers. I couldn't find any direct relation or mention of Toy Box Studios on the Japanese websites but I found a ton of copyright material for Marvelous. So I believe that clears that up pretty well. The two companies clearly worked closely on the game with both having hands in the development process. Pack-in-Video (owned by Victor Interactive) was the publisher in Japan while Natsume published and localized the game for the North American audience, as per the usual. 

The the persistent Harvest Moon development confusion out of the way, now to the gameplay.  Once again, the player is given a farm, this time by your in-game grandfather. Although feeling very much like the first game in that you need to raise crops and animals to turn a profit, there are some more RPG elements this time around. Not only is there a limited amount of time in the day to work, but your character has limited stamina. It reminds me a bit of HP in RPGs and forces the player to make more critical choices. There are also side quests this time around as well as the chance to raise a family for the first time. Once again, you have your pick of the ladies in town. However, they all have their own personalities so there needs to be a bit of strategy in the wooing process. Besides all of this there are more crops, tools, and animals.

Harvest Moon 2 GBC/Bokujou Monogatri GB2
This cute little handheld Harvest Moon was released in 1999 for Japan, 2000 for North America, and 2001 for PAL regions. Its development process was easier to track down. It was developed and produced by Pack-in-Video (Victor Interactive) in Japan with Natsume localizing it in the states.

I have not actually played this one, but if you watch let's plays it seems to be less sim like and focuses more on RPG elements such as story and getting to know towns people. The gameplay seems a bit more linear as well. Just like the previous handheld Harvest Moon, you do get the choice of gender, which is nice. The storyline is a nice change of pace too. You are given a farm to fix up and if you fail to do so the place will get turned into an amusement park by the mayor. As with all the games, you are given a limited amount of time to repair the farm. 

Rarity:
Harvest Moon - The American version goes for hundreds. If you have a PAL SNES you can find it for $50. I sadly could not find the Japanese version of the game, which is a real shame because I have a Super Famicom.
Harvest Moon GB(GBC) - This one was far more reasonable! I found the American/Japanese/PAL versions all ranging from $6-30 depending on condition. If you want new...it will cost a bit more ($1000-2000) but that is typical. Keep in mind that nearly no kid kept the boxes for GB/GBC games, so that really jacks up the prices of a new game. 
Harvest Moon 64 - This goes for about $50 used. If you get the Japanese version it is about $20-30 and that included the box. As a side note, it is almost always cheaper to get the Japanese version of an older game (with exceptions). New, the game runs about $150-300 for the North American release.
Harvest Moon GBC - This game was about $20 used and $150-300 new. However, once again if you are willing to buy the Japanese version and have a Japanese GB you can buy it nearly new with a box for about $20.

That about wraps that up! This blog ended up being far longer than I thought it would but I had a ton of fun researching for it. :) Check the bottom of the page tomorrow for my full list of sources. I wanted to get this up at the promised time, but my sources are out of order and the HTML doesn't want to accept the Japanese...so I need to fiddle with the page a bit.
Thanks for reading!

Nintendo CEO Satoru Iwata Passes Away at 55

Reuters/Toru Hanai

This past Monday the gaming community lost an innovative and determined mind. I want to take this moment to share my thoughts on this man and his impact on not only Nintendo, but gaming as a whole. I want to do this with honesty, because I know he would have appreciated it.

Sataru Iwata came into Nintendo during a rough time in its history. It was 2002 and things were not on the up and up. The GameCube was doing poorly in comparison with its competitors, the PlayStation 2 (Sony) and the Xbox (Microsoft). Right out of the gate he warned investors they were loosing money. He never missed an opportunity to be honest about the company, which is what made him so popular, especially when he made bold decisions...

As popular as they are now, the Nintendo DS, 3DS, Wii, and Wii U were seen as downright insanity when they were revealed. The DS was not the simple handheld that everyone was used to...and him walking on stage with a controller that looked like a stick that you just kind of fling around...let's just say you could have heard a pin drop during those conferences. People didn't know what to think! All we gamers knew was this was not what we were used to. However, Iwata never seemed doubtful of the moves he made. I was working at GameStop during the time the DS and Wii became popular. It was overnight. I mean that almost literally. Nintendo became fun again for a new generation and we couldn't keep either product on the shelf.
At the same time, there have been long term issues with not following the same route as Sony and Microsoft. A lot of "hardcore" gamers felt abandoned and not everyone was keen on motion controls. Still, this man pulled Nintendo up once when it was down, I am sure he could have done it again.

No matter where your opinion lies with how Nintendo is handling its affairs currently, one thing was for sure. This man was a force and should be admired not only for his ability to think outside the box, but to follow through with his actions. It is a shame he is gone so soon.

We will miss you Iwata-san!