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 GBA AM3 Adapter |
| A new Toshiba-funded startup called am3
has plans in store to launch a GBA movie player by the end of May in Japan. Today, at a
press conference in Tokyo, president Nozomu Yoshida gave the media their first look at the
am3 adapter in action—and, from first impressions, the SmartMedia-compatible adapter
appears to do everything Yoshida's company claims it can do. The am3 adapter plugs into
your Game Boy Advance like any other cartridge and accepts special 32-megabyte SmartMedia
cards, which will be sold at toy and electronic shops nationwide. (You can't use regular
SmartMedia cards with this adapter—only the ones am3 sells.) These cards can hold
around 24 minutes of video or 5 hours of am3-compressed sound, and they'll initially be
sold pre-encoded with anime episodes, movie trailers, and music. Later on, am3 plans to
sell blank SmartMedia cards that users can upload media to via in-store kiosks; if that
goes well, the company also has Internet file distribution in the works.
At the press conference, am3 had demo units available showing an episode of Pokémon
running both on standard GBAs and the new GBA SP, due out February 14 in Japan. From what
was visible at the conference, the video quality was very high, with a smooth framerate
and zero artifacting on the GBA screen. The demo units didn't allow any control over the
running video, but the retail adapter will have the usual rewind and fast-forward
functions, along with an index allowing you to choose the audio or video you want to play.
(This doesn't mean that games can use this technology—according to president Yoshida,
am3-adapter game support was not part of the agreement they signed with Nintendo. Oh
well.)
The adapter itself is slated to cost 2800 yen (about $23) in Japan, with 32MB cards
costing anywhere from 2000 to 2300 yen. Individual anime episodes and music will cost
between 200 and 500 yen ($1.67 to $4.12), and am3 is considering the idea of publishing
entire seasons of anime shows (26 episodes) on a single CD-ROM for 6000 yen in the future.
"The main target of the GBA is children," Yoshida said at the conference,
"but more than half of all owners are high-school age or older. As a result, we will
try to distribute as wide a range of content as possible." We'll get to see what they
have in mind this May, when the am3 adapter is released in test-market quantities." |
Saturday, February 08, 2003 |
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 Future Episode MQ30 |
Beauty
Is Skin Deep
Finally reaching the outskirts of Blackthorn City, Ash pushes to quickly seek out
the gym where he hopes to earn his final Johto badge. Before he has the opportunity, he
chances into a Dratini and learns that its eager trainer, Clair, is in fact the Blackthorn
Gym leader.
Airs May 31, 2003
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| Future Episode MQ40 |
Fangs For Nothin!
Team Rocket steal the Dragon Fang as Ash begins his battle for the final Johto
badge with Clair. Then TR get Dragonite on their side to help them escape.
Airs May 07, 2003
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| Future Episode MQ41 |
Great Bowls Of Fire
Ash's Charizard flys in and lands on Ash. Leeza also lands in on Charla who is in
love with Charizard. Rocket find a bowl in a Dragon Shrine which upsets Dragonite and
causes a fire in a field. So Ash, Leeza and Clair set to put out the fire to save wild
Pokemon. After the fire is put out, TR is greatful that they were saved from the fire.
Dragonite is under an attack rage and starts attacking Clair, Ash and the gang. This leads
to a battle between Dragonair and Charizard versus Dragonite which ends his attack rage.
Airs March 14, 2003
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| Future Episode MQ42 |
Better Eight Than Nothin
Ash's battle with Claire begins right away and Ash uses Snorlax, Pikachu and
Charizard. Meanwhile, Team Rocket dig underground to get back the Dragon Fang but end up
meeting Charla. Ash wins his 8th gym badge and is allowed to enter the Johto League as
Leeza, Charla and Ash's Charizard fly off.
Airs March 21, 2003
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Future Release
Dates |
 GC GB Player June 17
Pokemon Collosseum ???
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Yahoo Top 10 |
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