Nintendo's Revolution Revealed
As 2005’s Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) begins its week with press
conferences galore, Nintendo officially throws their red plumber’s cap
into the mix, the final of The Big 3 to come to the table with next-gen
news.
Codenamed Revolution the console is due in stores spring 2006 and the
key-phrase joining it is “All-Access Gaming”. The system is very thin
and will be Nintendo’s first to sit on it’s side (and slightly at an
angle). It will come in a variety of colors and include a silver stand
to prop it up.
Probably the most impressive about the unit,
besides its promise of wireless gaming and (finally) online components
is a backwards compatibility like no other….way backwards. 20 years
worth of gaming, titles for the 8 bit NES, SNES and N64 will be at the
fingertips of gamers, available for download to the unit. Looking to
play the original Zelda? No problem. Hungering for a little Starfox 64?
Here ya go! The promise of such a massive library opens the idea of
gaming to such a huge audience, it’s easy to see even the most casual
of gamers hopping on board the Revolution.
Hardware includes
an SD memmry card slot to expand on board drive space to store those
old games. Nintendo, like the new PS3, will use a self-loading disc
mechanism to load the smaller 12cm optical discs as well as standard
DVD and CD mediums. Other stats: 512 megs of internal memory, wireless
controllers, two USB ports, the IBM “Broadway” processor and the ATI
“Hollywood” graphics chip.
A few of the titles mentioned during the press conference are:
- Smash Bros
- Mario
- Metroid
- Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles
So far we’ve yet to see the controllers themselves or a price point to expect.
