By Stevie Smith Jan 17, 2008, 12:48 GMT
Hardware generation to hardware generation, Japanese gaming giant Nintendo has been accused of falling short in terms of software support - a criticism that seriously impacted on the GameCube.
Nintendo rolling out 145 titles in the first half of 2008. Credit: Nintendo.
Of course, Nintendo can always be relied upon for plenty of first-party offerings, with the likes of Metroid, Zelda, and Mario never failing to deliver the goods. However, the same cannot be said when it comes to Nintendo’s support for third-party software, which is a note of detriment the company has pledged to address this generation.
And, if the following lists are anything to go by, Nintendo is making a concerted effort to make good on its promise.
Specifically, the hugely popular Nintendo Wii and Nintendo DS platforms can look forward to a significant allocation of new first and third-party games before the close of Q2, 2008, with around 65 heading to the Wii and 80 set to appear on the DS.
For those gamers looking for the relative security of Nintendo’s first-party titles in the first half of 2008, the likes of Super Smash Bros. Brawl, Mario Kart Wii, Endless Ocean, Wii Fit, and Advance Wars: Days of Ruin are all on their way.
Notable third-party offerings include titles such as Alone in the Dark, No More Heroes, DeBlob, Star Wars: The Force Unleashed, Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: Rings of Fate, Ninja Gaiden: Dragon Sword, Samurai Warriors: Katana, and the eagerly awaited port of Capcom’s PlayStation 2 classic Okami.
The following is a (partial) list of those promised Wii and DS games from Nintendo. Note: included release dates could be subject to change:
Wii titles:
Jan. 07: Kidz Sports Ice Hockey (Destineer)
Jan. 08: Harvey Birdman: Attorney at Law (Capcom)
Jan. 15: Samurai Warriors: Katana (KOEI)
Jan. 15: Furu Furu Park (Majesco Entertainment)
Jan. 21: Endless Ocean (Nintendo)
Jan. 22: One Piece: Unlimited Adventure (Namco)
Jan. 29: Bomberman Land (Hudson)
Jan. -- : No More Heroes (Ubisoft)
Jan. -- : CSI: Crime Scene Investigation: Hard Evidence (Ubisoft)
Feb. 08: Kawasaki Jet Ski (Destineer)
Feb. 11: Go Diego Go!: Safari Rescue (2K Play)
Feb. 12: WWII Aces (Destineer)
Feb. 12: Dream Pinball 3D (SouthPeak Games)
Feb. 18: MX vs. ATV Untamed (THQ)
Feb. 25: Agatha Christie’s And Then There Were None (DreamCatcher)
Feb. 26: Baroque (Atlus USA)
Feb. 26: The Masked Queen and the Tower of Mirrors (Square Enix)
Feb. 27: Kidz Sports Soccer (Destineer)
Feb. 27: London Taxi: Rush Hour (Destineer)
Feb. -- : Garfield Gets Real (DSI Games)
Feb. -- : Yamaha Supercross (DSI Games)
Feb. -- : Karaoke Revolution Presents: American Idol Encore (Konami)
Feb. -- : Brothers in Arms: Road to Hill 30 (Ubisoft)
Feb. -- : Balloon Pop (UFO Interactive Games)
Mar. 03: Destroy All Humans: Big Willy Unleashed (THQ)
Mar. 09: Super Smash Bros. Brawl (Nintendo)
Mar. 10: Worms: A Space Oddity (THQ)
Mar. 25: Okami (Capcom)
Mar. 25: Opoona (KOEI)
Mar. -- : MiniCopter: Adventure Flight (Aksys Games)
Mar. -- : Alone in the Dark (Atari)
Mar. -- : Ninja Reflex (Electronic Arts)
Mar. -- : Obscure: The Aftermath (Ignition)
Mar. -- : Target: Terror (Konami)
Mar. -- : Nitro Bike (Ubisoft)
Mar. -- : Emergency Heroes (Ubisoft)
Mar. -- : Heavenly Guardian (UFO Interactive Games)
Mar. -- : Rebel Raiders (XS Games)
Apr. 15: Castle of Shikigami III (Aksys Games)
Apr. -- : Pro Evolution Soccer (Konami)
Apr. -- : Wild Earth: African Safari (Majesco Entertainment)
Apr. -- : The Monkey King: The Legend Begins (UFO Interactive Games)
Apr. -- : Super Pick Ups (XS Games)
May 06: Speed Racer (Warner Bros. Games)
May 13: The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian (Disney)
May -- : BlastWorks: Build, Trade, Destroy (Majesco Entertainment)
May -- : King of Fighters: The Orochi Saga (SNK Playmore)
May -- : The Dog Island (Ubisoft)
Jun. 08: Wonderworld Amusement Park (Majesco Entertainment)
Jun. -- : Catch of the Day (Electronic Arts)
Jun. -- : Ford Racing Off Road (Empire Interactive)
Jun. -- : Cooking Mama Cook Off 2 (Majesco Entertainment)
Jun. -- : Rygar: The Battle of Argus (Tecmo, Inc.)
Jun. -- : DeBlob (THQ)
Jun. -- : Wall-E (THQ)
Spring: Mario Kart Wii with Wii Wheel (Nintendo)
Spring: Major League Baseball 2K8 (2K Sports)
Spring: Don King Presents: Prizefighter (2K Sports)
Spring: Top Spin 3 (2K Sports)
Spring: Kung Fu Panda (Activision)
Spring: LEGO: Indiana Jones (LucasArts)
Summer: Deca Sports (Hudson)
Summer: Star Wars: The Force Unleashed (LucasArts)
Summer: Active Life: Outdoor Challenge (Namco Bandai)
Q2: Wii Fit (Nintendo)
Jan. 21: Advance Wars: Days of Ruin (Nintendo/Intelligent Systems)
Jan. 21: Mazes of Fate DS (Graffiti Entertainment, LLC)
Jan. 22: Mega Brain Boost (Majesco Entertainment)
Jan. 24: Aquarium by DS (Bold Games)
Jan. 24: Fantasy Aquarium by DS (Bold Games)
Jan. 29: Pet Pals: Animal Doctor (Majesco Entertainment)
Jan. -- : N+ (Atari)
Jan. -- : Barnyard Blast (DSI Games)
Jan. -- : Command & Destroy (DSI Games)
Jan. -- : Miami Nights: Singles in the City (Ubisoft)
Jan. -- : Brain Challenge (Ubisoft)
Feb. 04: Paws & Claws: Pet Resort (THQ)
Feb. 05: Homie Rollerz (Destineer)
Feb. 05: Nanostray 2 (Majesco Entertainment)
Feb. 10: Professor Layton and the Curious Village (Nintendo/LEVEL-5)
Feb. 12: Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney (Capcom)
Feb. 12: New Zealand Story Revolution (Ignition)
Feb. 19: Spitfire Heroes: Tales of the RAF (Destineer)
Feb. 19: Zoo Tycoon II (THQ)
Feb. 25: Bratz: Super Babyz (THQ)
Feb. 26: Bubble Bobble Double Shot (Ignition)
Feb. -- : My Horse and Me (Atari)
Feb. -- : M&M'S Kart Racing (DSI Games)
Feb. -- : Insecticide (Gamecock Media Group)
Feb. -- : Anno 1701: Dawn of Discovery (Ubisoft)
Feb. -- : Assassin's Creed: Altair's Chronicles (Ubisoft)
Feb. -- : Petz Wild Animals: Tigerz (Ubisoft)
Feb. -- : Puppy Palace (Ubisoft)
Feb. -- : Real Soccer 2008 (Ubisoft)
Mar. 01: Project Exile (Graffiti Entertainment, LLC)
Mar. 03: Let's Ride: Friends Forever (THQ)
Mar. 04: Diary Girl (Konami)
Mar. 04: Go Pets (Konami)
Mar. 04: Disney Friends (Disney Interactive Studios)
Mar. 04: Eco-Creatures: Save the Forest (Majesco Entertainment)
Mar. 08: Plushees (Destineer)
Mar. 08: River King: Mystic Valley (Natsume Inc.)
Mar. 08: Harvest Moon DS Cute (Natsume Inc.)
Mar. 11: Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: Rings of Fate (Square Enix)
Mar. 11: Lost in Blue 3 (Konami)
Mar. 11: Pro Evolution Soccer (Konami)
Mar. 25: Ninja Gaiden: Dragon Sword (Tecmo, Inc.)
Mar. -- : Drone Tactics (Atlus)
Mar. -- : Double Sequence (DSI Games)
Mar. -- : Myst (Empire Interactive)
Mar. -- : Naruto: Ninja Destiny (Tomy Corporation)
Mar. -- : Petz Bunnyz (Ubisoft)
Mar. -- : Imagine Figure Skater (Ubisoft)
Mar. -- : Commando (XS Games)
Apr. 15: Teenage Zombies: Invasion of the Alien Brain Thingys (Ignition)
Apr. -- : Super Dodgeball Brawlers (Aksys Games)
Apr. -- : Rondo of Swords (Atlus USA)
Apr. -- : Quick Yoga Training (Ubisoft)
May 05: Crosswords DS (Nintendo)
May 08: Organize It (SummitSoft Corporation)
May: Winx Club: Mission Enchantix (Konami)
May: Jake Hunter: Detective Chronicles (Aksys Games)
May: Garfield Fun Fest (DSI Games)
May: 1 vs. 100 (DSI Games)
Jun. 08: Harvest Moon: Island of Happiness (Natsume Inc.)
Jun. -- : Shining Stars (DSI Games)
Jun. -- : Pipe Mania (Empire Interactive)
Spring: Sid Meier's Civilization Revolution (2K Games)
Spring: The World Ends with You (Square Enix)
Summer: Tamagotchi Connection: Corner Shop 3 (Namco Bandai)
Q2: Bangai-O Spirits (D3 Publisher of America)
Q2: Prey the Stars (KOEI)
Q2: Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Time (Nintendo)
Q2: Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Darkness (Nintendo)
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