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Nintendo promises good holiday lineup

by: Sean Colleli -
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Well well, Nintendo bragging again? Try to act surprised. This time they're touting the supposedly hefty holiday lineup for the DS and Wii. In my opinion you should only brag when you have a good hand, and Nintendo's first party offering is admittedly weak this year. The New Super Mario Bros. sequel is wasted on the Wii when it should be on the DS, and it doesn't even have online co-op. Wii Fit Plus is essentially a remake of last year's game, with a few more minigames and a price tag that's $10 more. Oh, and what's this, more Pokemon Mystery Dungeon and Zelda Spirit Tracks? Is anyone excited for Spirit Tracks?

Thankfully the third party list is massive, but you have to wonder how much of it is shovelware. There are some great games in that list--Ubisoft has a good lineup, Spyborgs looks amazing and there's some stuff for the Square fans, but many others are just watered-down ports of 360/PS3 games. The jury's still out on Dead Space Extraction (I'm supposed to sit in on a conference call for that this Thursday) and the epic Scribblenauts is hitting now. There's even some good Wii/DSiWare games like the new Shantae, Castlevania Adventure Rebirth and Cave Story,  but since when did Nintendo care about third parties, much less list all their games in their braggy press releases?

To me it looks like Nintendo is padding their anemic holiday launch list, but this might actually be a good thing--Sony and Microsoft grew their consoles on talented third parties, and with the attention off Nintendo for a change, maybe the notoriously fickle Nintendo fans will look to other publishers for their Christmas games. Maybe a little arrogant slacking on Nintendo's part is just what smaller studios need to get the attention they deserve, and this year is different with so many quality games showing up amid the me-too partygame shovelware. I just hope the good stuff outshines the mediocre.

Nintendo’s Holiday Lineup Has Something for Everyone

Find Great Gifts for Everyone on Your Shopping List

NOTE:  Multimedia available here

REDMOND, Wash.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- As summer draws to a close, the air begins to chill and people begin to turn their thoughts to holiday gift lists. Whether the people on your list have been playing since the 1980s or only since last week, Nintendo has you covered. The Wii, Nintendo DS and Nintendo DSi systems have a huge selection of games for everyone on your list, including many that you won’t find anywhere else.

“This extensive lineup will keep players busy throughout the fall and into 2010,” said Cammie Dunaway, Nintendo of America’s executive vice president of Sales & Marketing. “Shoppers know that Nintendo offers fun for everyone in the household.”

Upcoming Nintendo-published games for the Wii console include Wii Fit Plus (Oct. 4) and New Super Mario Bros. Wii (holiday 2009). These games will join the current hot seller, Wii Sports Resort, which comes with the new precision-control Wii MotionPlus accessory. Fans of portable games will enjoy Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Sky (Oct. 12), Style Savvy (Nov. 2) and The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks (Dec. 7) in addition to the just-released Mario & Luigi: Bowser’s Inside Story, all playable on both Nintendo DS and Nintendo DSi systems.

The changing autumn leaves will be in good company with some new colors for the Nintendo DSi system and the Wii Remote and Nunchuk controllers. New White and Pink Nintendo DSi systems made their debut on Sept. 13, while a Black Wii Remote controller and Wii MotionPlus accessory package will be available this holiday season. A Black version of the Nunchuk controller will be sold separately as well.

Third-party publishers are supporting Nintendo platforms with impressive quality and wide-ranging titles. Wii exclusives like Dead Space Extraction from Electronic Arts and FINAL FANTASY® CRYSTAL CHRONICLES®: THE CRYSTAL BEARERS® from Square Enix will provide thrills that can’t be found elsewhere. At the same time, Nintendo DS owners are anxiously awaiting another powerhouse release: KINGDOM HEARTS 358/2 DAYS from Square Enix. And Activision’s Band Hero, available on both Wii and Nintendo DS, features compelling interactivity between the two hardware systems through wireless connectivity.

Below is a partial list of upcoming games for Wii, the WiiWare service, Nintendo DS and the Nintendo DSiWareservice. Note that game titles and launch dates are subject to change.

Wii

         

Publisher

  Game   Available
2K Sports   NHL® 2K10   Sept. 15
  Baseball Blast!   Sept. 28
  NBA 2K10   Oct. 6
2K Play   Dora the Explorer: Dora Saves the Crystal Kingdom   Fall
  Ni Hao, Kai-Lan: Super Game Day   Fall
  Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus   Fall
505 Games   My Ballet Studio   November
  Baby and Me   November
Activision Publishing, Inc.   Animal Planet Vet Life   Sept. 15
  Marvel: Ultimate Alliance 2   Sept. 15
  Cabela’s Big Game Hunter 2010   Sept. 22
  Rapala We Fish   Sept. 22
  Bakugan® Battle Brawlers   Oct. 20
  iCarly   Oct. 20
  Madagascar Kartz   Oct. 20
  Mountain Sports   Oct. 20
  Hidden Mysteries Titanic   Oct. 27
  Barbie and the Three Musketeers   Oct. 27
  Jurassic Hunter   Oct. 27
  DJ Hero   Oct. 27
  Chaotic: Shadow Warriors   Nov. 10
  Hot Wheels Battle Force 5   Nov. 10
  Call of Duty®: Modern Warfare®: Reflex   Nov. 10
  Tony Hawk®: RIDE   Nov. 17
  Band Hero   November
  Guitar Hero® Van Halen®   Dec. 22
Aspyr Media   My Baby and Me   Nov. 17
Atlus U.S.A., Inc.   101-in-1 Party Megamix   Oct. 27
  Trauma Team   Spring
  Shiren the Wanderer   Spring
Capcom® Entertainment, Inc.   Spyborgs   Sept. 22
  Resident Evil®: The Darkside Chronicles   Nov. 17
City Interactive USA, Inc.   Chicken Riot   November
  Combat Wings: The Great Battles of WWII   January
  Art of Murder   March
D3Publisher   Family Party: 30 Great Games Outdoor Fun   Sept. 22
  Astro Boy®: The Video Game   Oct. 20
  THE SECRET SATURDAYS: BEASTS OF THE 5TH SUN   Oct. 20
  BEN 10 ALIEN FORCE: Vilgax Attacks   Oct. 27
  Kamen Rider Dragon Knight   Winter
Destineer   We Wish You A Merry Christmas   Oct. 13
  Buck Fever   Oct. 20
  Alien Monster Bowling League   Oct. 27
  Marines: Modern Urban Combat   Nov. 3
  Satisfashion   Nov. 17
  Rec Room   Nov. 17
Disney Interactive Studios   Disney Sing It: Pop Hits   October
  Princess and the Frog   November
Electronic Arts   MySims Agents   Sept. 22
  Dead Space Extraction   Sept. 29
  Spore Hero   Oct. 6
  CHARM GIRLS CLUB Pajama Party   Oct. 20
  SimAnimals Africa   Oct. 26
  LITTLEST PET SHOP FRIENDS   October
  NERF 2: “N-Strike” Elite   October
  HASBRO FAMILY GAME NIGHT 2   October
  FIFA 10   October
  Need for Speed Nitro   Nov. 17
  EA SPORTS Active More Workouts   November
Knowledge Adventure   JumpStart® Escape from Adventure Island   Nov. 1
Konami Digital Entertainment, Inc.   Walk It Out!   October
  Silent Hill: Shattered Memories   November
  Storybook Workshop   November
  Karaoke Revolution   November
  Ultimate Party Challenge   November
  DanceDanceRevolution Hottest Party 3   November
  pop’n music   November
  Pro Evolution Soccer 2010   Q4
LucasArts   Star Wars® The Clone Wars: Republic Heroes   Oct. 6
  LEGO® Indiana Jones 2: The Adventure Continues   Fall
Majesco Entertainment   Our House: Party!   Sept. 22
  A Boy and His Blob   Oct. 13
  Jillian Michaels Fitness Ultimatum 2010   Oct. 20
  Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel   Dec. 1
  The Daring Game for Girls   Holiday
Mastiff   Shimano Xtreme Fishing   Sept. 29
  Remington Great American Bird Hunt   Oct. 27
NAMCO BANDAI Games America Inc   Dragon Ball®: Revenge of King Piccolo   October
  Food Network: Cook or Be Cooked   November
  We Cheer 2   November
Nintendo   Wii Fit Plus   Oct. 4
  New Super Mario Bros. Wii   Holiday
Playlogic   Sudoku Ball Detective   Sept. 22
SEGA®   Wacky World of Sports   Sept. 22
  Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games   Oct. 13
  Planet 51   Nov. 17
  Jambo! Safari: Animal Rescue   Q4
  Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing   Feb. 10
  Super Monkey Ball Step & Roll   Early 2010
SouthPeak Games   My Baby First Steps   Holiday
  Sushi Go Round   Holiday
Square Enix   FINAL FANTASY® CRYSTAL CHRONICLES®: THE CRYSTAL BEARERS®   Dec. 26
Storm City Games   The Island of Dr. Frankenstein   Oct. 6
  Vegas Party   Oct. 27
  Bermuda Triangle: Saving the Coral   Nov. 9
Tecmo   Family Fun Football   Sept. 29
THQ   The Biggest Loser   Oct. 6
  Cars Race O Rama   Oct. 13
  Marvel® Super Hero Squad   Oct. 20
  WWE® SmackDown® vs. Raw® 2010   Oct. 20
  SpongeBob Truth or Square   Oct. 26
  Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader: Game Time   Oct. 26
  World of Zoo   Oct. 26
  All Star Cheer Squad 2   Oct. 27
  Drawn to Life: The Next Chapter   Oct. 27
  Daniel X   Jan. 12
  World of Outlaws: Sprint Cars   Feb. 2
TOMY Corporation   NARUTO Shippuden: Clash of Ninja® Revolution 3   Nov. 17
Ubisoft   Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs   Sept. 15
  Where’s Waldo®: The Fantastic Journey   Sept. 22
  Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Smash-up   Sept. 22
  The Price is Right ® 2010 Edition   Sept. 22
  Family Feud® 2010 Edition   Sept. 29
  CSI: Deadly Intent   Oct. 20
  Monster 4x4 Stunt Racer   Oct. 27
  Rabbids Go Home   Nov. 3
  Academy of Champions   Nov. 3
  Shaun White Snowboarding: World Stage   Nov. 8
  Just Dance   Nov. 17
  James Cameron’s Avatar The Game   Nov. 24
  Your Shape Featuring Jenny McCarthy   Nov. 24
UFO Interactive Games, Inc.   Army Rescue   Sept. 29
  Rock Blast   Oct. 20
  Arcade Shooter: Ilvelo   Oct. 27
  Geon Cube   Oct. 27
  Smart Series Presents: JaJa’ Adventure   Nov. 10
Vir2L® Studios   Medieval Games   Oct. 20
Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment   Scooby-Doo! First Frights   Sept. 22
  Where the Wild Things Are   Oct. 13
  Game Party® 3   October
  LEGO® Rock Band   Holiday
  SCENE IT?® BRIGHT LIGHTS! BIG SCREEN!   Holiday
XSEED Games   JU-ON: The Grudge   Oct. 13
  Valhalla Knights: Eldar Saga   Fall
         

WiiWare

         
Publisher   Game   Available
Aksys Games   BIT.TRIP VOID   Q3
  BIT.TRIP series (3 additional titles)   Q4, Q1
Broken Rules   And Yet It Moves   Q4
Frontier   LostWinds: Winter of the Melodias   Q4
Gameloft   Ghost Mansion Party   Q3
  The Oregon Trail   Q4
Ghostfire Games   Rage of the Gladiator   Q1
Incredible Technologies   Carnival King   Q3
Konami   Castlevania: The Adventure Rebirth   Q3
  Frogger Returns   Q4
Nabi Studios   Toribash   Q4
Natsume   Moki Moki   Q3
  Harvest Moon: My Little Shop   Q4
Nicalis   Cave Story   Q3
  Night Game   Q1
  La Mulana   Q1
NinjaBee   The Amazing Brain Train   Q4
Nintendo   You, Me, and the Cubes   Q3
  Eco Shooter: Plant 530   Q4
Nintendo/TPC   Pokémon Rumble   Q4
Press Play   Max & the Magic Marker   Q4
React Games   Archon: Classic   Q1
Taito   Arkanoid Plus!   Q3
Team Meat   Super Meat Boy   Q1
Telltale Games   Tales of Monkey Island: Lair of the Leviathan   Q3
  Tales of Monkey Island: The Trial and Execution of Guybrush Threepwood   Q4
  Tales of Monkey Island: Rise of the Pirate God   Q4
         

Nintendo DS/Nintendo DSi

         
Publisher   Game   Available
2K Play   Dora the Explorer: Dora Puppy   Oct. 26
  Ni Hao, Kai-Lan: New Year’s Celebration   Oct. 26
  The Backyardigans   Oct. 26
  Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus   Fall
505 Games   My Ballet Studio   November
  Discovery Kids SpiderQuest   November
  Dream Diary   November
  Picture Perfect Hair Salon   November
505 Games   IL2 Sturmovik: Birds of Prey   Sept. 15
Activision Publishing, Inc.   Marvel: Ultimate Alliance 2   Sept. 15
  Animal Planet Vet Life   Sept. 15
  Bakugan ® Battle Brawlers   Oct. 20
  iCarly   Oct. 20
  Madagascar Kartz   Oct. 20
  Barbie and the Three Musketeers   Oct. 27
  Call of Duty®: Modern Warfare®: Mobilized   Nov. 10
  Chaotic: Shadow Warriors   Nov. 10
  Hot Wheels Battle Force 5   Nov. 10
  Band Hero   November
Aspyr Media   Fighting Fantasy: The Warlock of Firetop Mountain   Oct. 26
City Interactive USA, Inc.   Sushi Academy   Oct. 13
  Chronicles of Mystery: Curse of the Ancient Temple   Oct. 27
  Animal Country: Life on the Farm   November
  Party Designer   November
  Art of Murder   February
  Jewels of Sahara   March
D3Publisher   Astro Boy®: The Video Game   Oct. 20
  THE SECRET SATURDAYS: BEASTS OF THE 5TH SUN   Oct. 20
  BEN 10 ALIEN FORCE: Vilgax Attacks   Oct. 27
  Kamen Rider Dragon Knight   Winter
Destineer   Satisfashion   Nov. 17
Disney Interactive Studios   Disney Fairies: Tinker Bell and the Lost Treasure   October
  Disney’s A Christmas Carol   November
  JONAS   November
  Princess and the Frog   November
Electronic Arts   MySims Agents   Sept. 22
  Spore Hero Arena   Oct. 6
  CHARM GIRLS CLUB My Fashion Show   Oct. 20
  CHARM GIRLS CLUB My Fashion Mall   Oct. 20
  CHARM GIRLS CLUB My Perfect Prom   Oct. 20
  SimAnimals Africa   Oct. 26
  LITTLEST PET SHOP CITY FRIENDS   October
  LITTLEST PET SHOP COUNTRY FRIENDS   October
  LITTLEST PET SHOP BEACH FRIENDS   October
  HASBRO FAMILY GAME NIGHT 2   October
  FIFA 10   October
Ignition Entertainment   Nostalgia   Oct. 20
Konami Digital Entertainment, Inc.   WireWay   November
LucasArts   Star Wars® The Clone Wars: Republic Heroes   Oct. 6
  Star Wars Battlefront: Elite Squadron   Nov. 3
  LEGO® Indiana Jones 2: The Adventure Continues   Fall
Majesco Entertainment   Our House   Sept. 22
  Sideswiped   Sept. 29
  Cake Mania® 3   Oct. 13
  Jillian Michaels Fitness Ultimatum 2010   Oct. 20
  Cooking Mama 3: Shop and Chop   Oct. 27
  My Hero: Astronaut   Nov. 3
  Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel   Dec. 1
  Dawn of Heroes   Dec. 1
  My Hero: Firefighter   December
  The Daring Game for Girls   Holiday
NAMCO BANDAI Games America Inc   Dragon Ball® Z: Attack of the Saiyans   November
Nintendo   Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Sky   Oct. 12
  Style Savvy   Nov. 2
  The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks   Dec. 7
NIS America   A Witch’s Tale   Oct. 6
  Atelier Annie: Alchemists of Sera Island   Oct. 27
PopCap Games, Inc.   Bookworm   Dec. 1
SEGA®   Bleach: The 3rd Phantom   Sept. 15
  Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games   Oct. 13
  Phantasy Star Zero   Nov. 10
  Planet 51   Nov. 17
  Jambo! Safari: Animal Rescue   Q4
  Sands of Destruction   January
  Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing   February
  Infinite Space   Spring
SouthPeak Games   Montessori Music   Oct. 20
  My Baby First Steps   Holiday
  Sushi Go Round   Holiday
  Crime Scene   Holiday
Square Enix   KINGDOM HEARTS 358/2 DAYS   Sept. 29
  SPACE INVADERS EXTREME 2   Oct. 20
Storm City Games   Hands On! Tangrams   Oct. 13
  Jewel Master Egypt   Oct. 20
  Flaw   Oct. 27
  Foto Frenzy   Nov. 2
  Bermuda Triangle: Saving the Coral   Nov. 9
THQ   James Patterson Women’s Murder Club: Games of Passion   Sept. 15
  Fabulous Finds   Sept. 21
  Just in Time Translations   Sept. 21
  The Biggest Loser   Oct. 6
  Cars Race O Rama   Oct. 13
  Marvel® Super Hero Squad   Oct. 20
  WWE® SmackDown® vs. Raw® 2010   Oct. 20
  Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader: Game Time   Oct. 26
  World of Zoo   Oct. 26
  SpongeBob Truth or Square   Oct. 26
  Drawn to Life: The Next Chapter   Oct. 27
  MX vs. ATV Reflex   Holiday
TOMY Corporation   NARUTO Shippuden: Ninja Destiny 2   Sept. 15

Ubisoft

  Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs   Sept. 15
  Where’s Waldo®: The Fantastic Journey   Sept. 22
  The Price is Right® 2010 Edition   Sept. 22
  Family Feud® 2010 Edition   Sept. 29
  Battle of Giants: Dragons   Sept. 29
  Imagine® Salon Stylist   Sept. 29
  Imagine® Sweet 16   Oct. 4
  Imagine® Zookeeper   Oct. 6
  PETZ® PONY BEAUTY PAGEANT   Oct. 13
  Imagine® Fashion Designer World Tour   Oct. 20
  CSI: Deadly Intent - The Hidden Cases   Oct. 20
  Jam Sessions 2   Oct. 20
  PETZ® DOLPHINZ ENCOUNTER   Oct. 27
  Might and Magic® Clash of Heroes®   Oct. 27
  Imagine® Artist   Oct. 27
  C.O.P. The Recruit   Nov. 3
  Rabbids Go Home   Nov. 3
  Imagine® Babyz Fashion   Nov. 3
  Fairyland Melody Magic   Nov. 8
  Style Lab Jewelry Design   Nov. 10
  Style Lab Makeover   Nov. 10
  PETZ® NURSERY   Nov. 10
  PETZ® DOGZ® TALENT SHOW   Nov. 17
  PETZ® HAMSTERZ® SUPERSTARZ   Nov. 24
  James Cameron’s Avatar The Game   Nov. 24
Virtual Play Games   Junior Brain Trainer   Nov. 10
  Junior Classic Games   Nov. 10
UFO Interactive Games, Inc.   Smart Boy’s Gameroom 2®   Sept. 29
  Smart Girl’s Playhouse 2®   Sept. 29
  Smart Kid’s Mega Game Mix   Sept. 29
  Reversal Challenge   Oct. 13
  Balloon Pop   Nov. 12
Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment   Scribblenauts   Sept. 15
  Scooby-Doo! First Frights   Sept. 22
  LEGO® Rock Band   Holiday
  Where the Wild Things Are   Oct. 13
  TouchMaster® 3   Oct. 27
XSEED Games   THE WIZARD OF OZ: Beyond the Yellow Brick Road   Sept. 29
         

Nintendo DSiWare

         
Publisher   Game   Available
Gameloft   Uno   Q4
Hudson Entertainment   Bomberman Blitz   Q4
Nintendo   Art Academy: Second Semester   Sept. 28
  Art Style: DIGIDRIVE   Q4
  Electroplankton (10 titles total)   Q4
  Picturebook Games: The Royal Bluff   Q4
  Pinball Pulse: The Ancients Beckon   Q4
  Sparkle Snapshots   Q4
Subatomic Studios   Fieldrunners   Q4
WayForward Technologies   Shantae: Risky’s Revenge   Q4
         

Remember that Wii and the Nintendo DS systems feature parental controls that let adults manage some of the content their children can access. For more information about these and other features, visit Wii.com, www.NintendoDS.com and www.NintendoDSi.com.

For more information about Nintendo, visit www.Nintendo.com.

About Nintendo: The worldwide pioneer in the creation of interactive entertainment, Nintendo Co., Ltd., of Kyoto, Japan, manufactures and markets hardware and software for its Wii, Nintendo DS and Nintendo DSi systems. Since 1983, when it launched the Nintendo Entertainment System, Nintendo has sold more than 3.1 billion video games and more than 526 million hardware units globally, including the current-generation Wii, Nintendo DS and Nintendo DSi, as well as the Game Boy, Game Boy Advance, Super NES, Nintendo 64 and Nintendo GameCubesystems. It has also created industry icons that have become well-known, household names such as Mario, Donkey Kong, Metroid, Zelda and Pokémon. A wholly owned subsidiary, Nintendo of America Inc., based in Redmond, Wash., serves as headquarters for Nintendo’s operations in the Western Hemisphere. For more information about Nintendo, visit the company’s Web site at www.Nintendo.com.