This morning Nintendo outlined their Fall 2012 release schedule for 3DS games. The biggest of these announcements is Paper Mario: Sticker Star, set to release on November 11. That will give you a week to play what looks to be another amazing entry in the Paper Mario universe before what many are predicting to be the Wii U launch the following Sunday on Nov. 18. Some other highlights include Disney Epic Mickey: Power of Illusion on Nov. 18 and Professor Layton and the Miracle Mask on Oct. 28. Buried at the bottom of the press release is a small blurb mentioning that Luigi’s Mansion: Dark Moon won’t be out until the first half of 2013 in North America. Bad news for those hoping to capture ghosts for Halloween.
Also revealed in the release chart are some eShop items that were unknown or forgotten. Looks like the 4th quarter will see the release of space-shooter Gradius (it’s unknown if this is a remake or simply a VC release of the NES game), platform-puzzler Nightsky (from the people that brought you Cave Story), and Fluidity: Spin Cycle (an educated guess says it is a sequel to the WiiWare game Fluidity).
Check the press release below for details on all the other games, including a handy chart full of dates for 1st & 3rd party games.
Press Release
NINTENDO’S PORTABLE GAME LINEUP OFFERS BOUNDLESS FUN FOR EVERYONE IN 2012
Dates Confirmed for New Games, Including Professor Layton and the Miracle Mask
REDMOND, Wash., Aug. 13, 2012 – From puzzles and mysteries to fashion and photo fun, the diverse lineup of games set to arrive for the hand-held Nintendo 3DS and Nintendo 3DS XL systems during the remainder of 2012 truly has something for everyone. Nintendo today revealed launch dates for several upcoming games, including packaged games that will be available in stores as well as downloadable games and applications that consumers can purchase digitally via the Nintendo eShop. What’s more, the Aug. 19 launch of the Nintendo 3DS XL system will let players enjoy their games on an even larger scale, with screens 90 percent larger than those on the original Nintendo 3DS.
Upcoming games and software for Nintendo 3DS include new installments in several of Nintendo’s fan-favorite franchises as well as great games from third-party partners. Newly dated games on the way include the following (details subject to change):
• Art Academy: Lessons for Everyone! (Oct. 1) – Users of any artistic skill level can learn painting and drawing techniques that can be applied to real-life art projects, with optional, additional lessons available for purchase.* The game also lets users share and download certain game content via SpotPass.*
• Crosswords Plus (Oct. 1) – More than 1,000 professionally designed crossword puzzles will challenge players at any skill level. They can also receive and share bonus puzzles via StreetPass or connect their Nintendo 3DS to the Internet to receive free additional puzzles via SpotPass.* The game also includes other game play modes such as Wordsearch, Anagrams and the new Word of the Day.
• Sparkle Snapshots 3D (Oct. 18) – Launching exclusively in the Nintendo eShop*, this downloadable game is a fun photography application that lets you personalize your 2D photos by adding 3D layers of stickers, ribbons, pens and other effects. Users can then share creations wirelessly with friends or transfer them to an SD card and email them.
• Skylanders Giants from Activision Publishing, Inc. (Oct. 21) – Fans can look forward to more than 20 new inter-action figures to collect, including Giants that are twice the size of regular Skylanders and new LightCore Skylanders that light up both in the game and in real life when they are placed on the Portal of Power.
• Style Savvy: Trendsetters (Oct. 22) – Players can run their very own full-scale fashion shop and spark a fashion revolution by helping customers keep up with current trends, buying new clothes for their customizable store and sharing their creations with their friends online.*
• Professor Layton and the Miracle Mask (Oct. 28) – Experienced fans and newcomers to the Professor Layton series can solve dozens of fascinating puzzles as they work their way through a new mystery storyline. Players can even download one additional puzzle per day for 365 days, starting on game launch day, at no additional charge.*
• Freakyforms Deluxe: Your Creations, Alive! (Nov. 5) – Players can create their own creatures and use them to explore a planet that they customize. Freakyforms Deluxe: Your Creations, Alive! contains new features not found in the original downloadable title, such as dungeons to explore, enhanced creating capabilities with more parts to choose from and new special powers that can be used to further personalize the creatures. The game also features Download Play, which allows players to share the creative experience with friends who do not have a copy of the game.
• Paper Mario: Sticker Star (Nov. 11) – Nintendo’s classic Paper Mario franchise gets a fresh 3D look in its hand-held debut. Stickers are the backbone of Mario’s newest adventure in which players use stickers found in the game to not only win battles, but to solve puzzles as well.
• Disney Epic Mickey: Power of Illusion from Disney Interactive (Nov. 18) – Inspired by the classic Castle of Illusion Starring Mickey Mouse, this game features new ways for Mickey Mouse to interact with a 3D game world using paint and paint thinner.
* – wireless Internet access required
“The wide variety of games and applications for Nintendo hand-held systems will put a smile on everyone’s face this holiday season,” said Scott Moffitt, Nintendo of America’s executive vice president of Sales & Marketing. “Plus, with a new larger-size version of the Nintendo 3DS, consumers have even more choices. Whether you’re a seasoned gamer or just discovering Nintendo systems for the first time, you’ll have more ways to play than ever before.”
Nintendo 3DS and Nintendo 3DS XL users can also look forward to sharing even more of their 3D photos via the online Nintendo 3DS Photo Showcase website at http://photoshowcase.nintendo.com. Galleries filled with fun, eye-popping pictures are updated every week, highlighting the creativity of Nintendo fans and the interactive fun of Nintendo 3DS.
Remember also that Pokémon Black Version 2 and Pokémon White Version 2 will launch on Oct. 7 for Nintendo DS systems (also playable on Nintendo 3DS in 2D), and Pokémon Dream Radar and Pokédex 3D Pro arrive exclusively in the Nintendo eShop on Oct. 7 and Nov. 8, respectively. Luigi’s Mansion: Dark Moon will now be available in the first half of 2013 in the Americas.
See the charts below for a partial list of upcoming games and software for hand-held Nintendo systems (details subject to change).
Nintendo 3DS
Nintendo eShop
Nintendo DS
Remember that Nintendo 3DS features parental controls that let adults manage the content their children can access. For more information about this and other features, visit http://www.nintendo.com/3ds.
For more information about Nintendo, visit http://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™ home console, Nintendo 3DS™ and Nintendo DS™ family of portable systems. Since 1983, when it launched the Nintendo Entertainment System™, Nintendo has sold more than 3.9 billion video games and more than 630 million hardware units globally, including the current-generation Wii, Nintendo 3DS, Nintendo DS, Nintendo DSi™ and Nintendo DSi XL™, as well as the Game Boy™, Game Boy Advance, Super NES™, Nintendo 64™ and Nintendo GameCube™ systems. 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, please visit the company’s website at http://www.nintendo.com.
