March 10, 2003 - According to the official Nintendo website, the company has decided to spread out its GameCube release calendar by delaying two of its biggest 2003 titles: F-Zero and Wario World.

F-Zero is being set back two months, from June 24th to August 25th, while Wario World has slipped only one month from May 26th to June 23rd. F-Zero is Nintendo's highly anticipated third sequel to its high-speed, futuristic hovercraft racing franchise. Wario World is perhaps less anxiously awaited, if only because Nintendo has not yet revealed many gameplay details on the project.

The company has not officially commented on the delays, though it's likely that the new dates better accommodate its marketing schedule throughout the remainder of the year, in addition to allowing for brief last-minute quality tunings. Although the news is sure to come as a disappointment to most Nintendo fans who were looking forward to the titles as early summer treats, four to eight weeks is certainly not the worst delay that we've been forced to endure. And besides, GameCube owners should be sufficiently busy during the foreseeable future.

IGNcube still expects to see both F-Zero and Wario World featured prominently at Nintendo's booth during this year's upcoming E3 Expo in May. Stay tuned for more news on each title as it breaks, and look forward to our in-depth E3 reports later this spring.