May is set to be a big month for Nintendo, as Punch-Out!! for Wii and Rhythm Paradise (a.k.a. Rhythm Heaven/Rhythm Tengoku Gold, May 1) join the already scheduled Pokémon Platinum (May 22) on the first party launch list. Walk with me! Do you know your walking routine? for DS, having originally been slotted for release in Q1, will finally arrive on June 5.
The NEW PLAY CONTROL! series will expand further in Q2, first with Pikmin 2 on April 24, and then again in June with the release of Donkey Kong Jungle Beat. Also on Wii, the tentatively titled Another Code: R is named as a June title, while the recently announced Excitebots: Trick Racing is entirely absent from the list. A number of prominent third party Wii titles are present, but without specific dates; The Conduit is a spring release, Let's Tap is on course for the summer, and Overlord: Dark Legend is expected to arrive in June.
In preparation for the DSi launch on April 3, Wii Points will be officially rebranded as Nintendo Points. New denominations of retail cards (1000 and 3000 points) will become available alongside the DSi itself, which can be redeemed at the Wii Shop Channel and Nintendo DSi Shop to purchase downloadable games and other content.
On the software side, the handheld list contains one particularly notable third party listing in the form of Space Invaders Extreme Remix (June 5). Though Square Enix has not previously mentioned this title for a Western release, it would seem likely that it refers to Space Invaders Extreme 2, which launches in Japan in under two weeks time.
The full Q2 line-ups can be seen below:
Wii Software 2009
Nintendo DS Software 2009
Nintendo Hardware
Nintendo Accessories
NINTENDO PACKS A PUNCH THIS SUMMER WITH BATTLES, RHYTHM AND THE THRILLING NEW NINTENDO DSi
Nintendo announces new Nintendo DS & Wii games line up for Spring / Summer 2009
16th March 2009. Nintendos early summer offering for 2009 promises everything from the highly anticipated Nintendo DSi launch and rhythmic beats to high-impact tactical boxing and legendary Pokémon battles.
Highly anticipated Nintendo DSi reaches European shores
Nintendo will launch its new handheld console, the Nintendo DSi, across Europe, on 3rd April 2009. The Nintendo DSi is the thinnest and lightest member of the Nintendo DS family and is packed with new features that will excite fans of - and newcomers to - the Nintendo DS range. From creating, customising and sharing photos with friends & family or listening to and experimenting with your favourite music, to playing more than 1000 existing Nintendo DS games and downloading new DSiWare games directly onto your console, there are many ways to have fun with the Nintendo DSi. The console also features internet capabilities, meaning the fun begins the moment you switch it on!
Wii Points become Nintendo Points
Also launching in April are Nintendo Points Cards the new incarnation of Wii Points available to buy via the Wii Shop Channel and Nintendo DSi Shop as well as through retail as a 2000 Points Card (March 6), a 1000 and a 3000 Points Card (April 3). Nintendo Points can be used to buy games and other exclusive content from the Wii Shop Channel and Nintendo DSi Shop which can be downloaded to a users Wii console or Nintendo DSi.
New titles come to the Nintendo DS family
For Nintendo DS (and Nintendo DSi users), the beat goes on as Rhythm Paradise in the UK on 1st May. Rhythm Paradise is light hearted and engaging with no difficult rules or controls which makes it so easy to learn, but still challenging to master. Use the stylus to tap, flick or slide the Touch Screen in time with a rhythm or cue the more closely the beat is followed, the higher the player is ranked. Rhythm Paradise offers off-the-wall characters, graphics and more than 50 music based mini-games and rhythm toys.
Staying with Nintendo DS, Pokémon Platinum Version is launching across Europe, on May 22. This epic adventure, set in the Pokémon worlds Sinnoh region, is packed with exciting features such as new ways to play online at the Wi-Fi Plaza where you can connect wirelessly with up to 20 players and play games together in real-time over the Nintendo Wi-Fi connection. Many legendary Pokémon are featured including one of the most unusual and highly popular Pokémon, Shaymin. As well as trading and battling with friends, mini-games can be played in the Wi-Fi Club.
New thrills come to Wii
Also due for release on Wii is Punch-Out!! (May) the unique boxing game and latest instalment in the Punch-Out!! franchise. The core game mechanics revolve around the tactics of boxing, detecting and exploiting weaknesses in the opponents defence. Punch-Out!! follows the story of Little Mac, an up-and-coming boxer from the Bronx, NY, on his way to becoming the boxing World Champion. The game includes various signature characters and the Wii Motion controls provide an intuitive & unique boxing experience.
NEW PLAY CONTROL! take on new titles for Wii
The NEW PLAY CONTROL! series sees classic games reinvented to take advantage of Wiis unique motion-sensing capabilities, so if you have already been spending hours enjoying NEW PLAY CONTROL! PIKMIN which launched on Wii on February 6, then get ready for a treat as April 24 sees the launch of NEW PLAY CONTROL! PIKMIN 2 . Gameplay in PIKMIN 2 revolves around using different combinations of Pikmin to retrieve various treasures from the planet's surface. These treasures range from a battery to a yogurt lid with different obstacles and enemies making the retrieval of each treasure unique.
Also, coming to the ever expanding NEW PLAY CONTROL! series in June is NEW PLAY CONTROL! Donkey Kong Jungle Beat - an adaptation of the original game which was released for Nintendo GameCube. A platform action game in which Donkey Kong has to venture through numerous kingdoms, the Wii adaptation features newly implemented Wii controls using both the Wii Remote and the Nunchuk. In addition, gameplay and level elements have been improved to increase the challenge of the game.
Tales of Symphonia is midsummer at earliest, I speculumate.
Greg what are you looking forward to in the coming months?
Paradise? Has NOE gone NOA censorship of old?
