Dear Future Gamer

Am I the only one who's more then a little concerned about Nintendo switching to DVDs? Can you imagine how much money Nintendo will need to invest in new DVD manufacturing plants, and also the closure of all those cartridge manufacturers? I'm also concerned that Nintendo know nothing (I'd imagine) about DVDs. Nintendo's staff are more experienced with cartridges - they know the pros and cons of cartridges like the back of their hands. Lots of expensive R&D of the new format is needed before anything approaching Zelda: Ocarina of Time can be had. I'd be much more happier if the new Nintendo was a cartridge system and a DVD system combined because then Nintendo could make games on cartridge and the other cheapskates could make their games on DVD, but that obviously won't happen.

Don't you think it's going to be quite odd playing the next Super Mario game on a disc rather then a cartridge? Shigeru Miyamoto is right when he says that Nintendo games are better on cartridges. Carts may not offer unlimited storage space or stunning full motion video, but Nintendo and friends have managed to impress me with just how much of a game can be crammed into such a small memory chip. I'm not sure what to expect from the new Nintendo, but at least I'll be able to compare the two most recent Super Mario games and see which one is better. Then we'll know whether Mr Miyamoto was right all along.

Changing the subject... Maybe all these concerns about too many PlayStation sequels are wrong. There's a shred of truth in what's being said - not every game should have a sequel, which is what the current situation is - but maybe the best and most successful deserve one. I don't mind loads of Zelda games, so long as the quality is as high as Ocarina of Time, nor do I mind buying several Mario Karts, so long as they offer different ways to play with each instalment. I'd love to buy the sequels of Diddy Kong Racing or Yoshi's Story, but I don't think they'll ever be released. Maybe having 'one hit wonders' isn't such a good thing after all.

Neil Clowrey

FG: Nintendo will have plenty of willing partners in their switch to DVD, be in no doubt about that. It's not as if Nintendo will have to invest in their own DVD plants. Technology moves apace and the time has come for our beloved cart to bite the big one. Nintendo know what they're doing. Sony might have sold more PlayStations but the N64 still has the best games, and that's what counts.