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A bunch of quality titles for both Wii and DS, including first party goodies such as New Play Control! For Mario Tennis and Pikmin, Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon, and Pokémon: Platinum along with third party goodies from a host of other publishers should make Nintendo fans quite happy in 2009. Below you’ll find the hyped up press release as well as a detailed list of all upcoming games of Q1 2009. Press Release: December 17, 2008 – Continuing its commitment to create fun and engaging experiences for everyone, Nintendo of America Inc. today unleashes a broad list of exciting new games for the first quarter of 2009. Topping the list is Pokémon™ Platinum version for Nintendo DS™, a remarkable new entry in the beloved Pokémon series, slated for a March 22 launch across North America. Nintendo’s roster of more than 100 new games includes an impressive array of challenges and experiences for new players and loyalists, as well as everyone in between. Notable titles include the enhanced New Play Control! Mario Power Tennis™ and New Play Control! Pikmin™ for Wii™, and Fire Emblem™: Shadow Dragon, Personal Trainer™: Math and Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars for Nintendo DS. “Our fans expect a diverse selection of entertainment options, and we’re eager to deliver exactly that,” said Cammie Dunaway, Nintendo of America’s executive vice president of Sales & Marketing. “We’re building on the momentum of a strong holiday season by offering new and experienced players an even greater library of game titles in 2009.” Pokémon fans in particular will have plenty to cheer about as Pokémon Platinum is readied for its U.S. debut. Following the vast popularity of Pokémon® Diamond and Pokémon Pearl, Pokémon Platinum is the newest in the core series of Pokémon games. Pokémon Platinum features a new story full of adventure, never-before-seen forms of powerful Pokémon – including the legendary Giratina’s Origin Forme – and the Distortion World, a mysterious new world that suddenly appears in the Sinnoh region. In addition, with Pokémon Platinum up to 20 players can interact with other Pokémon fans from around the world in the new Wi-Fi Plaza, featuring mini-games and activities. Players can also enjoy the new features in the Global Terminal, such as posting battle videos using the new “Vs. Recorder.” In addition, Pokémon Platinum features a new Battle Frontier, where the toughest Trainers can test their skills in new ways. Pokémon Platinum already has broken previous Nintendo DS sales records in Japan, selling more than 1 million copies in its first two days of release. For the portable Nintendo DS, Personal Trainer: Math builds on the new Personal Trainer™ series, which launched with Personal Trainer™: Cooking, now extends its reach beyond the stomach to the brain. Personal Trainer: Math introduces 40 fast-paced exercises to give players a fun way to improve their arithmetic skills. The Personal Trainer series is designed to help users enrich their lives and learn new skills in fun and interesting ways. Also for Nintendo DS, fans of the Fire Emblem franchise will enjoy the arrival of Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon, a revamped and re-imagined version of the NES™ classic, featuring touch-screen controls. Players with a broadband Internet connection can enjoy worldwide battles over Nintendo® Wi-Fi Connection, Nintendo’s online gaming service. Meanwhile, for the Wii console, Nintendo is offering up two classic Nintendo GameCube™ games: New Play Control! Mario Power Tennis and New Play Control! Pikmin enhanced for play using the Wii Remote™ controller. The enhanced New Play Control! Pikmin game lets players point the Wii Remote controller at the screen and use it as a cursor, making it easy to select either a single Pikmin or an entire army. When a player tosses Pikmin, they fly wherever the cursor is pointing. New Play Control! Mario Power Tennis lets players enjoy an afternoon on the court as their favorite characters from the Mushroom Kingdom, complete with motion-controlled serves and swings. With Wii controls, players can swing the Wii Remote controller to hit forehands and backhands and to apply spin. Experienced gamers can also attach a Nunchuk™ controller for additional precision. Both games are scheduled to launch next March. Third-party publishers continue to bring diverse, creative games like FINAL FANTASY® CRYSTAL CHRONICLES®: Echoes of Time™ from Square-Enix for Wii and Nintendo DS. These games offer unique features that allow users to play multiplayer across Nintendo platforms. MADWORLD™ from Sega will be available exclusively for Wii, and the highly acclaimed franchise Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars from Rockstar Games will be available for Nintendo DS. Below is a partial list of upcoming games for Wii and Nintendo DS. Note that game titles and launch dates are subject to change. Wii Activision Monsters vs. Aliens – March 24 Crave Entertainment Monster Pals™ – March Solitaire & Mahjong – February Puzzle Challenges and More! – February Crayola Colorful World – March D3Publisher Onechanbara™ Bikini Zombie Slayers™ – February Coraline – January Destineer WordJong Party – January Battle Rage – February Cradle of Rome – February Cate West: The Vanishing Files – March Burger Island – March Disney Interactive Studios Disney Sing It: High School Musical 3: Senior Year – Winter DreamCatcher Play the World – March Electronic Arts NASCAR® Kart Racing – Feb. 10 SimAnimals™ – Jan. 27 TRIVIAL PURSUIT – Early spring Hudson Entertainment FISHING MASTER WORLD TOUR – Jan. 6 Marble Saga Kororinpa™ – Spring Konami Digital Entertainment, Inc. DanceDanceRevolution® Disney Grooves – March Majesco Entertainment Escape the Museum – January Major Minor’s Majestic March – March Marvelous Entertainment USA Little King’s Story – Feb. 17 Rune Factory: Frontier – March Mastiff Deer Drive™ – Jan. 20 NAMCO BANDAI Games America Inc. We Ski™ and Snowboard – March Nintendo New Play Control! Mario Power Tennis™ – March New Play Control! Pikmin™ – March Sega The House of The Dead: Overkill™ – February SONIC™ and the Black Knight – March MADWORLD™ – March Southpeak Interactive Roogoo Twisted Towers™ – Feb. 17 Pirates vs. Ninjas Dodgeball™ – March 17 Brave: A Warrior’s Tale™ – Feb. 17 THQ Paws & Claws Pet Resort – Jan. 5 Neighborhood Games – Jan. 5 Ubisoft Tenchu™: Shadow Assassins – February Broken Sword™: Shadows of the Templars (Director’s Cut) – March XS Games Super PickUps™ – Q1 Nintendo DS Activision Monsters vs. Aliens – March 24 Pimp My Ride 2™ – March 24 Animal Planet™ – March 10 Atlus U.S.A., Inc. My World, My Way™ – Feb. 3 Legacy of Ys™: Books I & II – Feb. 10 Trackmania™ DS – March 17 Crave Entertainment Monster Pals ™ – March D3Publisher of America Puzzle Quest™: Galactrix™ – Q1 Coraline – January Destineer USA TODAY Puzzle Craze – January DinoPets – March Disney Interactive Studios Phineas and Ferb – Winter DreamCatcher Inkheart – January Learn Math – January Drivers’ Ed Portable – January Monster Band – January Zoo Quest – February My Personal Diary – February Music Star: Pop Star – February Paint by DS – March Matchstick – March Dreamer: Top Model – March Sarah – Keeper of the Unicorn – March Learn Chess – March Dragon Master – April Electronic Arts Zubo™ – March Henry Hatsworth in the Puzzling Adventure™ – Q1 SimAnimals™ – Jan. 27 Empire Interactive Jagged Alliance – Feb. 17 Gameloft American Popstar – Road to Celebrity – March 9 Konami Digital Entertainment, Inc. Elebits: The Adventures of Kai and Zero™ – Q1 Suikoden Tierkreis – Q1 Little Magician’s Magic Adventure™ – Q1 Majesco Entertainment WonderWorld Amusement Park™ – January Powerbike – January Our House™ – Q1 Hot ‘n’ Cold – March Marvelous Entertainment USA Avalon Code – February Flower, Sun, and Rain – March Mastiff Moon™ – Jan. 13 MumboJumbo Chicken Hunter Star Karts – March 10 Nintendo Personal Trainer™: Math – Jan. 12 Fire Emblem™: Shadow Dragon – Feb. 16 Pokémon™ Platinum version – March 22 ROCKSTAR GAMES Grand Theft Auto™: Chinatown Wars – Winter Southpeak Interactive Big Bang Mini® – Jan. 6 Roogoo Attack™ – Feb. 17 Brave: Shaman’s Challenge™ – Feb. 17 Square Enix, Inc. FINAL FANTASY® CRYSTAL CHRONICLES®: Echoes of Time™ – Spring THE GAME FACTORY WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP GAMES™ – Jan. 19 THQ Paws & Claws Pampered Pets – Jan. 5 TOMY Corporation My DoItAll™ – February Ubisoft Jake Power Fireman – January Jake Power Policeman – January Imagine™ Cheerleader – February JoJo’s Fashion Show – February Petz® Horseshoe Ranch – February Imagine™ Family Doctor – February Imagine™ Ice Champions – March Jake Power Handyman – March My Fashion Studio Paris Collection – Feb. 17 American Popstar – Road to Celebrity – March 24 Broken Sword™: Shadows of the Templars (Director’s Cut) – March XSEED Games Retro Game Challenge – Jan. 6 |
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