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Comments on Nintendo's Q1 2012 Release List

by Neal Ronaghan - December 13, 2011, 1:43 pm EST
Total comments: 19

Three Wii games, a 3DS game, and oh man, look at that eShop list!

Nintendo released their Q1 2012 release line-up, and as is tradition, we'll all endlessly analyze it and complain about how Animal Crossing and Paper Mario aren't out yet. I'll go system by system and run down what's cool, odd, and awful.

3DS

Kid Icarus: Uprising, revealed at the same E3 press conference that the 3DS was unveiled, will be out just shy of a year after the system came out. It's about time. Sadly, that's the only Nintendo-published game hitting retail in Q1 2012.

Luckily, Resident Evil: Revelations (Capcom), Tales of the Abyss (Namco Bandai), Metal Gear Solid 3D (Konami), Funky Barn (Ubisoft), and Crush 3D (Sega) are coming out in this window, too. Especially curious is the fact that the Circle Pad Pro, which just came out in Japan and is being bundled with Resident Evil in Europe, is coming out as a GameStop exclusive on February 7, which is the same day that Resident Evil: Revelations hits North America.

Nintendo neglected to mention anything about the Circle Pad Pro being compatible with Kid Icarus: Uprising, though, which makes me increasingly worried that the game will be very difficult to play for lefties. Skyward Sword was still easily playable for lefties in the right-handed mode. Kid Icarus, on the other hand, isn't.

On the eShop, shit is about to get real. Nicalis should be gracing us with VVVVVV and NightSky. Nintendo is bringing out Sakura Samurai: Art of the Sword, Dillon's Rolling Western, and Kirby's Block Ball. Two of my most anticipated 3DS games period, Renegade Kid's Mutant Mudds and WayForward's Mighty Switch Force, are due out in this period, too. Oh yea, and stalwart Nintendo download developer Shin'en is putting out a mini-golf game and what appears to be a Jett Rocket game in the style of Wave Race or something. The eShop should be an embarrassment of riches in Q1, which is good considering that appears to be where Nintendo is putting their eggs in.

Wii

We've reached the end game with Wii, which some would argue happened in late 2010. Skyward Sword just gave the system a pardon for most of 2011's awfulness, and Nintendo appears to be seizing that opportunity and putting out three games in a month span. Beginning with Rhythm Heaven Fever (at a bargain $29.99 price!) on February 13, Nintendo has a new Wii game coming out every two weeks (Poképark 2: Wonders Beyond on February 27 and Mario Party 9 on March 11). Those games aren't at the same level as Zelda, but all three appear to be solid sequels in mostly niche franchises.

Elsewhere on Wii, people dance and sing while playing baseball.

On WiiWare, La Mulana might finally come out. I'll believe it when I can see the game on the Shop Channel.

DS

The DS isn't fully dead yet. It's like Westley in The Princess Bride. The DS is mostly dead.

Still, the only game worth giving a crap about is Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Survivor 2, which is due out in February thanks to Atlus. 

Talkback

ejamerDecember 13, 2011

Is there no mention of Xenoblade because of the timing on that decision? They do mention the Circle Pad Pro accessory being released as a GameStop exclusive, so I assume the limited release isn't reason for dropping it from the list.

Mop it upDecember 13, 2011

Quote:

Skyward Sword just gave the system a pardon for most of 2010's awfulness,

Did you mean to say 2011? Because 2010 was one of the best years for the Wii.

Oops! Yes I did. Thanks for the catch!

Quote from: ejamer

Is there no mention of Xenoblade because of the timing on that decision? They do mention the Circle Pad Pro accessory being released as a GameStop exclusive, so I assume the limited release isn't reason for dropping it from the list.

Xenoblade is coming in April, and therefore a Q2 release, so it technically doesn't belong on this list.

That really is a damned impressive eShop list. Q1 is looking really good for the 3DS, which is good for me because that's basically the only platform I care about right now.

Also, if the Circle Pad Pro being GameStop exclusive means what I think it does, that Nintendo doesn't intend for it to be a major thing going forward, I wouldn't count on Kid Icarus supporting it.

Unless Sakurai pushes for a support-everything approach like he did with Brawl.

That is a good point that I hadn't considered.

Then the game will require lefties to become ambidextrous, which would be total bullshit.

Coming soon only on 3DS: Ambidexterity Training.

CericDecember 13, 2011

Quote from: MegaByte

Coming soon only on 3DS: Ambidexterity Training.

20% off if you can prove you are a lefty.

Who else would buy it? Everyone fortunate enough to be born in the proper, right handed mode doesn't need special training to function correctly.

Tim Tebow is left-handed, so by virtue of that, we should all strive to be left-handed.

Given the site we're on I think Shigeru Miyamoto would have been a more effective argument, and certainly more applicable in the long term.

Shorty McNostrilDecember 13, 2011

Left handed=Homo Superior

Yea, but Miyamoto allowed Link to become a righty. He's betrayed his kind.

MonteblancoDecember 14, 2011

It seems Nintendo will again succeed in make me save money with my Wii. I am glad I brought a 3DS yesterday to keep me busy during the summer.

SilverQuilavaDecember 14, 2011

uh... Neal? What exactly in Mutant Mudds appeals to you? It just looks so friggin lame! Like a desperate attempt to make a platformer. And failing at it. ..unless it's in 3d or something, I don't see it. It seems more annoying than fun.

Quote from: SilverQuilava

uh... Neal? What exactly in Mutant Mudds appeals to you? It just looks so friggin lame! Like a desperate attempt to make a platformer. And failing at it. ..unless it's in 3d or something, I don't see it. It seems more annoying than fun.

You know why people like Wario Land on Virtual Boy? Yea, that. You do jump between the foreground and the background, so 3D is used in fun ways.

From what I played back at E3, it's a fun, nostalgic platformer. Do I think it's going to be Super Meat Boy? No, but I expect to have a ton of fun with it.

I also love platformers. I don't really have any idea what looks lame about this game...

SilverQuilavaDecember 14, 2011

Quote from: NWR_Neal

Quote from: SilverQuilava

uh... Neal? What exactly in Mutant Mudds appeals to you? It just looks so friggin lame! Like a desperate attempt to make a platformer. And failing at it. ..unless it's in 3d or something, I don't see it. It seems more annoying than fun.

You know why people like Wario Land on Virtual Boy? Yea, that. You do jump between the foreground and the background, so 3D is used in fun ways.

From what I played back at E3, it's a fun, nostalgic platformer. Do I think it's going to be Super Meat Boy? No, but I expect to have a ton of fun with it.

I also love platformers. I don't really have any idea what looks lame about this game...

I dunno. Sometimes I just nit pick at games. But I have kinda made it a habit. I hope that maybe I'll design a game in the future. I have alot of different ideas iv'e saved up over time.

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