Nintendo will be airing one of its special Nintendo Direct presentations tonight. The company has confirmed that it will be discussing Wii, 3DS, and DS news. It’s a bit strange that the Wii U wasn’t mentioned, and unless Nintendo is planning on surprising gamers, I doubt we’ll get any new info on the upcoming console.

Speaking of surprises, what can we expect from tonight’s broadcast? Last time, we got that awesome reveal for The Last Story. What could Nintendo of America President Reggie Fils-Aime have planned this time? The only things really worth giving a damn about on the Wii at this point would be the upcoming 20th anniversary Kirby compilation (because Kirby is freakin’ awesome!) and Pandora’s Tower. Will we get release dates? Will the Regginator announce that Nintendo of America is ready to bring Pandora’s Tower over to our side of the globe?

Regarding the DS, it’s possible that we’ll get some info on Pokemon Black 2 and White 2. As for the 3DS, I hope we get cool announcements for upcoming games and release dates for titles such as Luigi’s Mansion: Dark Moon and Animal Crossing. What do you folks want to see?

Check out Nintendo Direct tonight at 9PM PT or 12AM ET.

I talked with Miyamoto-san about how we should make The Legend of Zelda for the Nintendo 64 system, and he asked, ‘How about making it so that Link will not show up?’,” said Yoshiaki Koizumi. “He wanted to make it a first-person game.”

“He wanted to make an FPS (first-person shooter),” Iwata added.

“Right. In the beginning, he had the image that you are at first walking around in first-person, and when an enemy appeared, the screen would switch, Link would appear, and the battle would unfold from a side perspective,” Koizumi added.

The development team eventually backpedaled on the decision, deeming the perspective not “interesting visually” for a Zelda title. Makes you wonder about all the crazy Miyamoto ideas that never saw the light of day.

Nintendo plans on populating the 3DS download store — dubbed “eShop” — with a Virtual Console subsection that includes Game Boy and Game Boy Color titles. Additionally, titles from a wide range of third-party developers will be made available, akin to DSiWare and WiiWare.

While the delayed launch puzzles us, it could be taken as a sign that Nintendo wants to spend extra time polishing its digital storefront this time around. In the past, DSiWare and WiiWare have both been under fire from indie developers, citing a lack of promotion and visibility woes. For Nintendo’s sake, hopefully the eventual rollout isn’t too far away.

Elsewhere across the spectrum, things aren’t looking as rosy, especially not for Sony. While big hitters like Black Ops and Assassin’s Creed: Brother landed spots in the top ten chart, Sony’s perpetually delayed racer Gran Turismo 5, which hit shelves near the tail end of November, was completely absent. It was outranked by Ubisoft’s Just Dance 2 and Michael Jackson The Experience, among others.

NPD heralded Call of Duty: Black Ops, Madden NFL ’11, Halo: Reach, New Super Mario Bros. Wii, and Red Dead Redemption as the top five titles of the year in terms of sales volume.

“We estimate that the total consumer spend on games content to be between $15.4B and $15.6B for 2010, which is about flat to last year. This year, declines in portable and console game sales were offset by new physical PC game sales, which increased by 3%, and increases in the consumer spend occuring via digital download, mobile gaming apps, social network games, and used games,” noted NPD’s Anita Frazier.

Hardware
Nintendo DS – 2.5 Million
Wii – 2.36 million
Xbox 360 – 1.86 million
PS3 – 1.21 million

December 2010 Top 10 Games (New Physical Retail only; across all platforms incl. PC)
01. Call of Duty: Black Ops** (360, PS3, Wii, NDS, PC) ACTIVISION BLIZZARD
02. Just Dance 2 (Wii) UBISOFT
03. World of Warcraft: Cataclysm** (PC) ACTIVISION BLIZZARD
04. Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood** (360, PS3) UBISOFT
05. Donkey Kong Country Returns (Wii) NINTENDO
06. Disney Epic Mickey** (Wii) DISNEY INTERACTIVE STUDIOS
07. Madden NFL 11 (360, PS3, Wii, PS2, PSP) ELECTRONIC ARTS
08. Michael Jackson The Experience** (Wii, NDS, PSP) UBISOFT
09. NBA 2K11 (360, PS3, Wii, PSP, PS2, PC) TAKE 2 INTERACTIVE
10. Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit (360, PS3, Wii, PC) ELECTRONIC ARTS

**(includes CE, GOTY editions, bundles, etc. but not those bundled with hardware)

Annual 2010 Top 10 Games (New Physical Retail only; across all platforms incl. PC)
01. Call of Duty: Black Ops** (360, PS3, Wii, PC, NDS) ACTIVISION BLIZZARD
02. Madden NFL 11 (360, PS3, Wii, PS2, PSP) ELECTRONIC ARTS
03. Halo: Reach** (360) MICROSOFT
04. New Super Mario Bros. Wii (Wii) NINTENDO
05. Red Dead Redemption (360, PS3) TAKE 2 INTERACTIVE
06. Wii Fit Plus** (Wii) NINTENDO
07. Just Dance 2 (Wii) UBISOFT
08. Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare 2** (360, PS3, PC) ACTIVISION BLIZZARD
09. Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood** (360, PS3) UBISOFT
10. NBA 2K11 (360, PS3, PS2, PSP, Wii, PC) TAKE 2 INTERACTIVE

Backed by 3D depth camera effects, the 3DS iteration will bring with it a “comprehensive handheld experience.” Gameplay modes promised include authentic 11-on-11 football, fast-paced 5-on-5 action and Season Mode.

In addition to being able to draw your own plays on the touch screen, the title sports three types of play calling — GameFlow, Classic, and Arcade — each of which tailor the experience towards varying levels of skill.

Scheduled to hit iTunes and “other major digital media retailers,” the 30-track offering features music of film composer Sean Murray, marking his second collaboration with developer Treyarch following the release of Call of Duty: World at War. Fans can pick up the entire shebang for $11.99 or $.99 per track.

Of course, with the 3DS looming on the horizon, it’s not surprising to see the DS hardware sales falter for the first time since… forever.

As a result, net sales took a steep decline, to 363.2 billion yen from 548.1 billion yen the previous year. Wii sales attributed to the decline, albeit not as sharply. Nintendo shifted 4.97 million Wii units, compared to 2009′s 5.75 million.

For the fiscal year ending March 31, 2011, the company is projecting unit sales of 4 million and 15 million for 3DS hardware and software, respectively. That gives Nintendo a sales window of about one month. It’s hardly a lofty goal when you factor in how many DS owners out there are anxiously awaiting to make the transition, we reckon.

The confirmation solidifies listings that inadvertently emerged over at retailer Wal-Mart last week, ahead of Nintendo’s official word. Here’s a run-down on what’s included:

Red Wii Bundle: This limited-edition Wii hardware comes in beautiful red to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the original Super Mario Bros. game. The bundle includes New Super Mario Bros.™ Wii and a new red Wii Remote Plus controller, in addition to all the other included items, like Wii Sports™ and a red Nunchuk™ controller. It will be available while supplies last at a suggested retail price of just $199.99.

Red Nintendo DSi XL Bundle: This special-edition Nintendo DSi XL bundle is also red in honor of the 25th anniversary of Super Mario Bros. and features three iconic Super Mario Bros.-themed graphics. The bundle comes with Mario Kart™ DS, which looks gorgeous on the extra-large screen. That’s in addition to the pre-loaded software of Brain Age™ Express: Arts & Letters, Brain Age Express: Math and Photo Clock. It will be available while supplies last at a suggested retail price of just $179.99.

Additionally, November 7 marks the retail debut of Wii Remote Plus. Priced at $39.99, these controllers have the enhanced precision offered by MotionPlus built-in.

Story-wise, the Nintendo DS title picks up where KH2 left off, as players unravel the mystery behind an entry in Jiminy Cricket’s journal that he did not write. Perplexed by its significance, King Mickey digitizes the journal, opening up a “datascape” to explore its contents and investigate. In a bizarre twist, a second Sora lies within the digital world.

A remake of the Japan-only mobile effort Kingdom Hearts Coded, Re:Coded features several enhancements to the staple KH battle system, including a new character growth system and boss battles inspired by “side-scrolling, shooting and classic Final Fantasy games.”

At the same time, Iwata feels online comes secondary to a compelling offline experience, noting that Nintendo still places high value in delegating the bulk of resources towards its strength, which lies predominately in offline play.

“Of course, I have heard commentary that people feel that Nintendo’s online functionality is behind the others or is lacking in some ways,” stated Iwata during an in-house Q&A session at Nintendo. He added, “And I can say that we are not currently satisfied with the online efforts that we have made so far, and we are working at ways to improve those.”

Going forward, Nintendo plans to evaluate products on a case-by-case basis. Resources will be spent on the “most important element of game play,” whether offline or online. Comes across as a sound strategy to us.

Iwata Asks [Nintendo]

Following a brief introduction by Nintendo president Reggie Fils-Aime, the company kicked off its 2010 E3 presser on a high note with the expected unveil of the next Zelda for Wii. Compared to the E3 2006 reveal of Twilight Princess, the announcement wasn’t exactly met with as much as enthusiasm in the crowd. You could blame a lack of sleep for that, as most of us were functioning on only a couple hours of shut eye thanks to the lavish star-studded party that Activision orchestrated the previous night.

Nintendo’s demo of Zelda was impressive, albeit marred by technical difficulties due to wireless interference. You had to feel bad for Miyamoto up on stage when the Wiimote tracking went bonkers. Soon afterwards, Nintendo moved on to show bits and pieces from its diverse, accessible lineup. From Golden Sun: Dark Dawn to Wii Party and Donkey Kong Country Returns, there was something for everyone. All bases were covered.

There seemed to be quite a focus on “reboots” of old franchises this year, especially on Nintendo’s range of platforms. This was most evidenced by the GoldenEye 007 remake amd Donkey Kong Country Returns. Seeing these franchises re-imagined for Wii served as a nice dose of nostalgia. Presumably Nintendo’s decision to release a throwback-style Donkey Kong was driven largely by the success of New Super Mario Bros. Wii.

The remainder of Nintendo’s 2 hour long conference was dominated largely by the latest addition to its hardware family: the 3DS. While pricing was not announced, Nintendo gave a thorough overview as far as the feature-set and publisher support is concerned.

Alongside the 3DS unveil, Nintendo dished out another fan-service nugget in the form of Kid Icarus: Uprising. Once long-rumored for Wii, Nintendo revealed to the surprise of many that it was headed to 3DS and in development at Project Sora, an in-house studio led by Masahiro Sakurai of Super Smash Bros. fame.

All in all, it was an entertaining conference. Nintendo didn’t hold back whatsoever this year, it had a tsunami of announcements that catered towards gamers of all age groups and interests. If you still feel they haven’t redeemed themselves since E3 2008, then perhaps a new hobby in is order. Seriously.

Separate from the Bond racer purported to be in development at Bizarre Creations, the title is reportedly due out in November and “may” be a remake of 1997′s N64 cult-classic, originally developed by Rare. Development duties have been split between two studios, namely UK-based Eurocom and US-based n-Space, according to the same source.

A reveal is expected at E3 during Activision’s conference on June 14. We’ll receive proper confirmation soon enough then, assuming the validity of this information is on the mark.

Activision GoldenEye game in November [Eurogamer]

As the first Dragon Quest entry to feature a multiplayer component, players can exchange adventure-aiding information with their buddies via an interactive Tag Mode even while their DS is clamped shut. These tidbits of information range from treasure maps to customized greetings and character roster details. Additionally, a four player ad-hoc mode invites up to four players to team up and explore dungeons cooperatively and tackle foes.

Since its July 2009 debut in Japan, Dragon Quest has went on to record phenomenal sales of over 4.2 million copies. Historically, the series has performed well in the states and with Nintendo at the publishing arm, chances are this will be one of the top-selling DS titles for yet another year.

Cumulatively, Square Enix’s RPG opus sold over 1.3 million copies on both formats. The lion’s share of that figure went to PS3, which is not surprising considering the franchise is largely associated with the PlayStation brand. Still, the Xbox 360 version of FFXIII sold well, recording sales just shy of 500K units. Clearly, making the decision to go multi-platform later in development was worth the trouble.

Sony’s gory action juggernaut God of War III made a solid effort on the charts in March, shifting 1.10 millions units, a 32 percent increase over launch month sales of its predecessor. Combined, Pokemon flavors SoulSilver and HeartGold trumped everything else on the chart, proving once again that Nintendo’s gaggle of critters remain a force to be reckoned with.

A full breakdown of NPD’s figures for March can be found past the break.

Hardware Units

PlayStation 2    118.3K
PlayStation 3    313.9K
PSP    119.9K
Xbox 360    338.4K
Wii    557.5K
Nintendo DS    700.8K

Software Sales

GOD OF WAR III – PS3 – 1.10M
POKEMON SOULSILVER VERSION – NDS – 1.02M
FINAL FANTASY XIII  – PS3 – 828.2K
BATTLEFIELD: BAD COMPANY 2  – 360 – 825.5K
POKEMON HEARTGOLD VERSION – NDS – 761.2K
FINAL FANTASY XIII – 360 – 493.9K
NEW SUPER MARIO BROS. WII – Wii – 457.4K
BATTLEFIELD: BAD COMPANY 2 – PS3 – 451.2K
WII FIT PLUS W/ BALANCE BOARD – Wii – 429.6K
MLB 10: THE SHOW – PS3 – 349.2K

As part of a revision to their 2009-10 outlook, Ubisoft confirmed that both Splinter Cell: Conviction and R.U.S.E. have been delayed into the company’s next fiscal year. Originally slated for February, Conviction is now due out in April 2010. While not exactly a huge setback, it’s still a significant bump, especially when considering how many times this title has been pushed back. Ubi gave no specific release window for R.U.S.E.

To compensate for the shift in release dates, Ubisoft is backpedaling on its sales targets for the 2009-10 fiscal year, setting their full year revenue forecast at €860 million – down from €1,040 million. Likewise, third quarter targets have been knocked down to €495 million from €540 million. Ubi cited lower-than-expected performance of Wii and DS titles in the casual sector as a contributing factor for making these adjustments.

Players can choose between six characters from the Metal Slug universe, engaging in frantic non-stop shoot em’ up action that fans of the series have come to expect, backed by lush 2D visuals. To round out the package a “Combat School” gameplay mode is due for inclusion, which features 70 challenge centric missions. Additionally, a seventh playable character – Leona – will be available at launch as DLC for $0.99 from the PlayStation Store.

Metal Slug XX is slated to hit retailers February 23 on UMD. No plans have been made for a digital equivalent at this point, meaning PSPgo owners are out of luck for now.

Am I an “idle man”, I wonder? (^^;
Well, I am just trying to pastime…
I am working hard on a new project.
Now we are being rushed into the “finishing” stage.
No matter what, I will make it really good….

Considering Mistwalker has made a name for itself that is synonymous with the JRPG genre, we’re placing our bets on another RPG.

mistwalker [Mistwalker]

As the first of its kind on DS, COP: The Recruit is an open-world action game that features full 3D visuals. Players assume the role of Dan Miles, who is working closely with his mentor Dectective Brad Winter in investigating terrorist activities plaguing the streets of New York, leading to a life of fear for citizens. The investigation is hampered when Brad is falsely accused, leaving Dan to uncover the truth behind a menacing conspiracy.

COP: The Recruit is scheduled to hit Nintendo DS on November 3.

While story details are still shrouded in mystery, the title features an cel-shaded art style fondly reminiscent of Phantom Hourglass. Apart from the added element of stylus driven controls, gameplay is largely akin to traditional Zelda efforts, this time with an added emphasis on exploration as Link guides a cannon-wielding steam engine.

See Nintendo’s mammoth release schedule from first-party and third-party publishers after the break.

Wii

Publisher
Game Available
2K Sports NHL® 2K10 Sept. 15
Baseball Blast! Sept. 28
NBA 2K10 Oct. 6
2K Play Dora the Explorer™: Dora Saves the Crystal Kingdom™ Fall
Ni Hao, Kai-Lan: Super Game Day Fall
Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey™ Circus Fall
505 Games My Ballet Studio November
Baby and Me November
Activision Publishing, Inc. Animal Planet Vet Life Sept. 15
Marvel™: Ultimate Alliance 2™ Sept. 15
Cabela’s Big Game Hunter 2010 Sept. 22
Rapala We Fish Sept. 22
Bakugan® Battle Brawlers ™ Oct. 20
iCarly™ Oct. 20
Madagascar Kartz Oct. 20
Mountain Sports Oct. 20
Hidden Mysteries Titanic Oct. 27
Barbie™ and the Three Musketeers Oct. 27
Jurassic Hunter Oct. 27
DJ Hero™ Oct. 27
Chaotic™: Shadow Warriors Nov. 10
Hot Wheels™ Battle Force 5™ Nov. 10
Call of Duty®: Modern Warfare®: Reflex Nov. 10
Tony Hawk®: RIDE™ Nov. 17
Band Hero™ November
Guitar Hero® Van Halen® Dec. 22
Aspyr Media My Baby and Me Nov. 17
Atlus U.S.A., Inc. 101-in-1 Party Megamix™ Oct. 27
Trauma Team™ Spring
Shiren the Wanderer™ Spring
Capcom® Entertainment, Inc. Spyborgs™ Sept. 22
Resident Evil®: The Darkside Chronicles Nov. 17
City Interactive USA, Inc. Chicken Riot November
Combat Wings: The Great Battles of WWII January
Art of Murder March
D3Publisher Family Party: 30 Great Games™ Outdoor Fun Sept. 22
Astro Boy®: The Video Game Oct. 20
THE SECRET SATURDAYS™: BEASTS OF THE 5TH SUN Oct. 20
BEN 10 ALIEN FORCE™: Vilgax Attacks Oct. 27
Kamen Rider Dragon Knight Winter
Destineer We Wish You A Merry Christmas Oct. 13
Buck Fever Oct. 20
Alien Monster Bowling League Oct. 27
Marines: Modern Urban Combat Nov. 3
Satisfashion Nov. 17
Rec Room Nov. 17
Disney Interactive Studios Disney Sing It: Pop Hits October
Princess and the Frog November
Electronic Arts MySims™ Agents Sept. 22
Dead Space™ Extraction Sept. 29
Spore™ Hero Oct. 6
CHARM GIRLS CLUB™ Pajama Party Oct. 20
SimAnimals™ Africa Oct. 26
LITTLEST PET SHOP™ FRIENDS October
NERF 2: “N-Strike”™ Elite October
HASBRO FAMILY GAME NIGHT 2 October
FIFA 10 October
Need for Speed™ Nitro Nov. 17
EA SPORTS Active™ More Workouts November
Knowledge Adventure JumpStart® Escape from Adventure Island Nov. 1
Konami Digital Entertainment, Inc. Walk It Out! October
Silent Hill: Shattered Memories November
Storybook Workshop November
Karaoke Revolution November
Ultimate Party Challenge November
DanceDanceRevolution Hottest Party 3 November
pop’n music November
Pro Evolution Soccer 2010 Q4
LucasArts Star Wars® The Clone Wars™: Republic Heroes™ Oct. 6
LEGO® Indiana Jones 2™: The Adventure Continues Fall
Majesco Entertainment Our House: Party! Sept. 22
A Boy and His Blob Oct. 13
Jillian Michaels Fitness Ultimatum 2010 Oct. 20
Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel Dec. 1
The Daring Game for Girls Holiday
Mastiff Shimano Xtreme Fishing Sept. 29
Remington Great American Bird Hunt Oct. 27
NAMCO BANDAI Games America Inc Dragon Ball®: Revenge of King Piccolo October
Food Network: Cook or Be Cooked November
We Cheer™ 2 November
Nintendo Wii Fit Plus Oct. 4
New Super Mario Bros. Wii Holiday
Playlogic Sudoku Ball Detective Sept. 22
SEGA® Wacky World of Sports™ Sept. 22
Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games™ Oct. 13
Planet 51 Nov. 17
Jambo! Safari:™ Animal Rescue Q4
Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing™ Feb. 10
Super Monkey Ball Step & Roll™ Early 2010
SouthPeak Games My Baby First Steps™ Holiday
Sushi Go Round™ Holiday
Square Enix FINAL FANTASY® CRYSTAL CHRONICLES®: THE CRYSTAL BEARERS® Dec. 26
Storm City Games The Island of Dr. Frankenstein Oct. 6
Vegas Party Oct. 27
Bermuda Triangle: Saving the Coral Nov. 9
Tecmo Family Fun Football™ Sept. 29
THQ The Biggest Loser Oct. 6
Cars Race O Rama Oct. 13
Marvel® Super Hero Squad™ Oct. 20
WWE® SmackDown® vs. Raw® 2010 Oct. 20
SpongeBob Truth or Square Oct. 26
Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader: Game Time Oct. 26
World of Zoo™ Oct. 26
All Star Cheer Squad™ 2 Oct. 27
Drawn to Life: The Next Chapter Oct. 27
Daniel X Jan. 12
World of Outlaws: Sprint Cars Feb. 2
TOMY Corporation NARUTO™ Shippuden: Clash of Ninja® Revolution 3 Nov. 17
Ubisoft Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs™ Sept. 15
Where’s Waldo®: The Fantastic Journey Sept. 22
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles™: Smash-up Sept. 22
The Price is Right ® 2010 Edition Sept. 22
Family Feud® 2010 Edition Sept. 29
CSI™: Deadly Intent Oct. 20
Monster 4×4™ Stunt Racer Oct. 27
Rabbids Go Home™ Nov. 3
Academy of Champions™ Nov. 3
Shaun White Snowboarding: World Stage Nov. 8
Just Dance™ Nov. 17
James Cameron’s Avatar™ The Game Nov. 24
Your Shape™ Featuring Jenny McCarthy Nov. 24
UFO Interactive Games, Inc. Army Rescue™ Sept. 29
Rock Blast ™ Oct. 20
Arcade Shooter: Ilvelo Oct. 27
Geon Cube Oct. 27
Smart Series Presents: JaJa’ Adventure Nov. 10
Vir2L® Studios Medieval Games™ Oct. 20
Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment Scooby-Doo™! First Frights Sept. 22
Where the Wild Things Are Oct. 13
Game Party® 3 October
LEGO® Rock Band™ Holiday
SCENE IT?® BRIGHT LIGHTS! BIG SCREEN!™ Holiday
XSEED Games JU-ON: The Grudge Oct. 13
Valhalla Knights: Eldar Saga Fall

WiiWare

Publisher Game Available
Aksys Games BIT.TRIP VOID Q3
BIT.TRIP series (3 additional titles) Q4, Q1
Broken Rules And Yet It Moves Q4
Frontier LostWinds: Winter of the Melodias Q4
Gameloft Ghost Mansion Party Q3
The Oregon Trail Q4
Ghostfire Games Rage of the Gladiator Q1
Incredible Technologies Carnival King Q3
Konami Castlevania: The Adventure Rebirth Q3
Frogger Returns Q4
Nabi Studios Toribash Q4
Natsume Moki Moki Q3
Harvest Moon: My Little Shop Q4
Nicalis Cave Story Q3
Night Game Q1
La Mulana Q1
NinjaBee The Amazing Brain Train Q4
Nintendo You, Me, and the Cubes™ Q3
Eco Shooter: Plant 530™ Q4
Nintendo/TPC Pokémon™ Rumble Q4
Press Play Max & the Magic Marker Q4
React Games Archon: Classic Q1
Taito Arkanoid Plus! Q3
Team Meat Super Meat Boy Q1
Telltale Games Tales of Monkey Island™: Lair of the Leviathan Q3
Tales of Monkey Island™: The Trial and Execution of Guybrush Threepwood Q4
Tales of Monkey Island™: Rise of the Pirate God Q4

Nintendo DS/Nintendo DSi

Publisher Game Available
2K Play Dora the Explorer: Dora Puppy Oct. 26
Ni Hao, Kai-Lan: New Year’s Celebration Oct. 26
The Backyardigans Oct. 26
Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus Fall
505 Games My Ballet Studio November
Discovery Kids SpiderQuest November
Dream Diary November
Picture Perfect Hair Salon November
505 Games IL2 Sturmovik: Birds of Prey Sept. 15
Activision Publishing, Inc. Marvel™: Ultimate Alliance 2™ Sept. 15
Animal Planet Vet Life Sept. 15
Bakugan ® Battle Brawlers ™ Oct. 20
iCarly™ Oct. 20
Madagascar Kartz Oct. 20
Barbie™ and the Three Musketeers Oct. 27
Call of Duty®: Modern Warfare®: Mobilized Nov. 10
Chaotic™: Shadow Warriors Nov. 10
Hot Wheels™ Battle Force 5™ Nov. 10
Band Hero™ November
Aspyr Media Fighting Fantasy™: The Warlock of Firetop Mountain Oct. 26
City Interactive USA, Inc. Sushi Academy Oct. 13
Chronicles of Mystery: Curse of the Ancient Temple Oct. 27
Animal Country: Life on the Farm November
Party Designer November
Art of Murder February
Jewels of Sahara March
D3Publisher Astro Boy®: The Video Game Oct. 20
THE SECRET SATURDAYS™: BEASTS OF THE 5TH SUN Oct. 20
BEN 10 ALIEN FORCE™: Vilgax Attacks Oct. 27
Kamen Rider Dragon Knight Winter
Destineer Satisfashion Nov. 17
Disney Interactive Studios Disney Fairies: Tinker Bell and the Lost Treasure October
Disney’s A Christmas Carol November
JONAS November
Princess and the Frog November
Electronic Arts MySims™ Agents Sept. 22
Spore™ Hero Arena Oct. 6
CHARM GIRLS CLUB™ My Fashion Show Oct. 20
CHARM GIRLS CLUB™ My Fashion Mall Oct. 20
CHARM GIRLS CLUB™ My Perfect Prom Oct. 20
SimAnimals™ Africa Oct. 26
LITTLEST PET SHOP™ CITY FRIENDS October
LITTLEST PET SHOP™ COUNTRY FRIENDS October
LITTLEST PET SHOP™ BEACH FRIENDS October
HASBRO FAMILY GAME NIGHT 2 October
FIFA 10 October
Ignition Entertainment Nostalgia Oct. 20
Konami Digital Entertainment, Inc. WireWay November
LucasArts Star Wars® The Clone Wars™: Republic Heroes™ Oct. 6
Star Wars Battlefront™: Elite Squadron™ Nov. 3
LEGO® Indiana Jones 2™: The Adventure Continues Fall
Majesco Entertainment Our House Sept. 22
Sideswiped Sept. 29
Cake Mania® 3 Oct. 13
Jillian Michaels Fitness Ultimatum 2010 Oct. 20
Cooking Mama 3: Shop and Chop Oct. 27
My Hero: Astronaut Nov. 3
Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel Dec. 1
Dawn of Heroes Dec. 1
My Hero: Firefighter December
The Daring Game for Girls Holiday
NAMCO BANDAI Games America Inc Dragon Ball® Z: Attack of the Saiyans November
Nintendo Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Sky Oct. 12
Style Savvy Nov. 2
The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks Dec. 7
NIS America A Witch’s Tale Oct. 6
Atelier Annie: Alchemists of Sera Island Oct. 27
PopCap Games, Inc. Bookworm™ Dec. 1
SEGA® Bleach:™ The 3rd Phantom Sept. 15
Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games™ Oct. 13
Phantasy Star™ Zero Nov. 10
Planet 51 Nov. 17
Jambo! Safari:™ Animal Rescue Q4
Sands of Destruction™ January
Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing™ February
Infinite Space™ Spring
SouthPeak Games Montessori Music™ Oct. 20
My Baby First Steps™ Holiday
Sushi Go Round™ Holiday
Crime Scene™ Holiday
Square Enix KINGDOM HEARTS 358/2 DAYS Sept. 29
SPACE INVADERS EXTREME™ 2 Oct. 20
Storm City Games Hands On! Tangrams Oct. 13
Jewel Master Egypt Oct. 20
Flaw Oct. 27
Foto Frenzy Nov. 2
Bermuda Triangle: Saving the Coral Nov. 9
THQ James Patterson Women’s Murder Club: Games of Passion Sept. 15
Fabulous Finds Sept. 21
Just in Time Translations Sept. 21
The Biggest Loser Oct. 6
Cars Race O Rama Oct. 13
Marvel® Super Hero Squad™ Oct. 20
WWE® SmackDown® vs. Raw® 2010 Oct. 20
Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader: Game Time Oct. 26
World of Zoo™ Oct. 26
SpongeBob Truth or Square Oct. 26
Drawn to Life: The Next Chapter Oct. 27
MX vs. ATV™ Reflex™ Holiday
TOMY Corporation NARUTO Shippuden: Ninja Destiny 2 Sept. 15

Ubisoft
Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs™ Sept. 15
Where’s Waldo®: The Fantastic Journey Sept. 22
The Price is Right® 2010 Edition Sept. 22
Family Feud® 2010 Edition Sept. 29
Battle of Giants™: Dragons Sept. 29
Imagine® Salon Stylist Sept. 29
Imagine® Sweet 16 Oct. 4
Imagine® Zookeeper Oct. 6
PETZ® PONY BEAUTY PAGEANT™ Oct. 13
Imagine® Fashion Designer World Tour Oct. 20
CSI™: Deadly Intent – The Hidden Cases Oct. 20
Jam Sessions 2 Oct. 20
PETZ® DOLPHINZ ENCOUNTER Oct. 27
Might and Magic® Clash of Heroes® Oct. 27
Imagine® Artist Oct. 27
C.O.P. The Recruit™ Nov. 3
Rabbids Go Home™ Nov. 3
Imagine® Babyz Fashion Nov. 3
Fairyland Melody Magic™ Nov. 8
Style Lab™ Jewelry Design Nov. 10
Style Lab™ Makeover Nov. 10
PETZ® NURSERY Nov. 10
PETZ® DOGZ® TALENT SHOW Nov. 17
PETZ® HAMSTERZ® SUPERSTARZ Nov. 24
James Cameron’s Avatar™ The Game Nov. 24
Virtual Play Games Junior Brain Trainer Nov. 10
Junior Classic Games Nov. 10
UFO Interactive Games, Inc. Smart Boy’s Gameroom 2® Sept. 29
Smart Girl’s Playhouse 2® Sept. 29
Smart Kid’s Mega Game Mix™ Sept. 29
Reversal Challenge Oct. 13
Balloon Pop Nov. 12
Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment Scribblenauts™ Sept. 15
Scooby-Doo™! First Frights Sept. 22
LEGO® Rock Band™ Holiday
Where the Wild Things Are Oct. 13
TouchMaster® 3 Oct. 27
XSEED Games THE WIZARD OF OZ™: Beyond the Yellow Brick Road Sept. 29

Industry sources have told weblog Kotaku that DSi-specific software will be visually identifiable from that of legacy titles, packaged in an all white game casing brandished with an “only for DSi” label.

It’s a transition reminiscent of the Game Boy Color era. The original GB was still extremely popular during the introduction of the GBC and as such Nintendo eased the transition early on with software titles that were compatible with both platforms then later moved on to releasing GBC-only software.

It looks as if Nintendo will once again employ this strategy to lure folks over to the DSi platform, which in addition to featuring a camera component, sports beefed up hardware specifications: double the CPU clock speed and four times as much RAM as the original DS and DS Lite. Of course, this is still is a rumor, leaving only time to confirm Nintendo’s eventual plans.

Matsushita calls it Okami with a broader appeal. Gameplay-wise, he told Famitsu that players can use the stylus as a brush. The aim is to create a seamless pick up and play type experience.

Look for more details on this portable Okami follow-up to be revealed at TGS, likely alongside a trailer.

The wait will be long for this one, as it won’t happen this year. Wada says a localization is planned for release next year, likely after April.

Bet it won’t be long before the 5 million mark is hit. Give it a month or two. On another note, here’s hoping Square Enix recovers from the euphoric shellshock of all this green flowing in and pins down a stateside release date for DQ IX.

To commemorate the 20th anniversary of the SaGa series and the release of SaGa 2: Hihou Densetsu: Goddess of Destiny, Square Enix is releasing a hardware bundle that packs the game plus a special edition DSi.

Pictured above, the included DSi brandishes the trademark SaGa logo in silhouette-style. Part of it is covered by a large 20th anniversary emblem, which almost looks as if it was thrown on as an afterthought. Not sure about you, but this design decision completely ruins the minimalistic look for us. Despite this, it still looks decent, but could look so much better.

For those still interested, the bundle goes on sale later this September in Japan. It’ll carry a price tag of 24,880 yen. Just be prepared to pay a significant premium on top of that if importing, as usual.

At face value, that sure sounds like a lofty goal to place on a single game. Then again, when you consider that Wii Sports alone brought millions upon millions of people to the Wii, many who have never picked up a game before their life, perhaps it’s not such an unrealistic prospect.

With more of a focus being placed on creative innovation in today’s market, the day when such a title comes to realization may not be far off, relatively speaking.

In an effort to guide the Rabbids to their homeland — the moon — players will find themselves solving a variety of puzzles and brain teasers across 15 diverse levels. For creative types, a built-in level editor will allow players to create their own puzzles and share them with friends. Additionally, the title will take advantage of the DSi’s camera component, giving players the ability to take pictures and customize them with funny Rabbid animations.

Look for Rabbids Go Home to hit the DS later this holiday season. Screenshots can be found after the break.

Rabbids Go Home Screenshots

[The most difficult part of the development process] was when I had to cut and rework part of the story — not a large part compared to the rest of the plot, but one that had to be cut out anyway for space reasons.

With pre-order numbers having already topped 2 million, Dragon Quest IX is poised to become next week’s top-selling title in Japan. When DQ fever hits, it hits hard. The title will inevitability make its way stateside, but a question looming on many minds is when. Square Enix isn’t ready to say, but we’ll wager a guess at early 2010.

Dragon Quest IX Coming In Three Days [1UP]

We tried it at E3 and walked away impressed from a technical perspective. In a platform first, Ubisoft has managed to fit a fully realized, 3D open-world on the DS. A highly commendable effort considering the limitations of the platform.

C.O.P. The Recruit is due out September 30. To keep tabs on future updates surrounding the title, hit up the Facebook fan page.

Sales were stagnant across the board and in some cases, unit sales of certain platforms took a significant dive when compared to last month. This decline was most evident with the Wii, which sold 289,500 units in May, compared to 340,000 in April. The Nintendo DS family remained on top, shifting a respectable 633,500 units.

See the full breakdown after the jump.

Hardware Units

PlayStation 2 117K
PlayStation 3 131K
PSP 100.4K
Xbox 360 175K
Wii 289.5K
Nintendo DS 633.5K

Top 10 SKU’s May 2009

Publisher Platform Rank # Units
UFC 2009 UNDISPUTED THQ Xbox 360 1 679.6K
Wii FIT W/ BALANCE BOARD NINTENDO OF AMERICA Wii 2 352.8K
EA SPORTS ACTIVE BUNDLE ELECTRONIC ARTS Wii 3 345.8K
UFC 2009 UNDISPUTED THQ PS3 4 334.4K
INFAMOUS SONY PS3 5 175.9K
POKEMON PLATINUM VERSION NINTENDO OF AMERICA NDS 6 168.9K
MARIO KART W/ WHEEL NINTENDO OF AMERICA Wii 7 158.3K
PUNCH OUT!! NINTENDO OF AMERICA Wii 8 156.9K
X-MEN ORIGINS: WOLVERINE UNCAGED ED ACTIVISION BLIZZARD Xbox 360 9 120.7K
Wii PLAY W/ REMOTE NINTENDO OF AMERICA Wii 10 109.8K

The title pits players in “multi-level” intergalactic battlefronts, arenas that encompass both ground and space. Promising a “deep and engrossing single player campaign,” the title’s story spans the entire Star Wars Saga and beyond. Players assume the role of X2, a force-sensitive clone fraught with a blood stained past. Seeking to reedem himself, X2 joins the the chastise-seeking faction of Rebellion in a struggle against the Empire to bring his DNA-matching twin, otherwise known as X1, to justice.

Both versions will offer a level of character customization, with the Rebellion-developed PSP title offering the “deepest customization options ever seen in a Star Wars Battlefront title.” That includes everything from their species to gender appearance and physical attributes. Additionally, the PSP take will offer 16-way multiplayer matches while the DS iteration, which is being handled by n-Space, will sport 4-person skirmishes across a number of gameplay modes.

Featuring rich and colorful 3D landscapes, Wii title Spore Hero is a story-driven action-adventure romp. Players create their own “Hero” and set off to rid the planet of a nefarious dark force threatening to destroy it. A bevy of lighthearted and humorous missions are promised, along with brain-taxing puzzles. Additionally, over 250 available parts for character customization will be up for grabs, which players can utilize in a Wii-specific version of Spore Creature Creator.

Spore Hero Arena for DS is the second handheld take on Spore, centering around arena-style combat played out on a distant 3D galaxy. The premise is simple: players set off with the aim of becoming the toughest creature around, battling legions of foes while striving to steal the title of the local champion in each area. Gameplay depth lies in the ability to create the ultimate fighter by combining special abilities and parts. The title will boast multiplayer support, paving the way for four player battles locally or one-on-one bouts over WiFi.

Spore Hero and Spore Hero Arena are due out on both platforms later this fall.

Due out in Japan next month, the title takes a departure from traditional courtroom strife, shifting the focus over to investigating crimes with the objective of uncovering the real criminal responsible in each case. Gameplay is similar in scope to previous Ace Attorney entries, with the core change being that it is not played from a first-person perspective. Using the d-pad or stylus, you control Edgeworth and can physically walk up to objects resembling evidence and NPCs, rather than just point and click for clues in the surrounding environment.

Ace Attorney Investigations: Miles Edgeworth is due out “this winter” in North America. A year wasn’t specified, so that could potentially mean late 2009 or early 2010. Hopefully the former. Either way, we’re more than relieved to hear that the title is stateside bound.

Why such a dropoff? Consider this: last March saw the release of Super Smash Bros. Brawl, which moved 1.4 million copies in its first week, cementing its status as the fastest Nintendo of America-published title ever. It’s safe to say the lack of a heavy-hitter like Brawl did dampen the overall picture this time around. Although Capcom did enjoy brisk sales with the release of Resident Evil 5, which shifted 1.5 million units across both formats — PS3 and Xbox 360. Additionally, Easter fell on March the previous year, which analysts speculate may have had a positive effect on consumer spending.

Follow the jump for the full listing of sales data.

Hardware Units

PlayStation 2 112K
PlayStation 3 218K
PSP 168K
Xbox 360 330K
Wii 601K
Nintendo DS 563K

Top 10 SKU’s March 2009

RESIDENT EVIL 5* CAPCOM USA 360 1 938K
POKEMON PLATINUM VERSION NINTENDO OF AMERICA NDS 2 805K
HALO WARS* MICROSOFT 360 3 639K
RESIDENT EVIL 5* CAPCOM USA PS3 4 585K
WII FIT W/BALANCE BOARD NINTENDO OF AMERICA WII 5 541K
MLB ’09: THE SHOW SONY PS3 6 305K
KILLZONE 2 SONY PS3 7 296K
WII PLAY W/REMOTE NINTENDO OF AMERICA WII 8 281K
MARIO KART W/WHEEL NINTENDO OF AMERICA WII 9 278K
MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL 2K9 TAKE 2 INTERACTIVE 360 10 205K

(*includes CE, GOTY editions, bundles, etc. but not those bundled with hardware)

We want to propel this year’s title to be the biggest selling video game of all time. That may raise some eyebrows, but step back and look at the franchise’s trajectory through preceding launches, and this objective starts to look viable.

Overconfident much? Let’s be realistic here, breaking into the charts as no. 1 for the year could very well happen, but best-selling game of all time? That’s a bold, perhaps even unrealistic goal. It’s going to take a marketing push of Olympian proportions to even compete with juggernauts like Mario and Pokemon. Not to mention, the fact that Modern Warfare does not exactly cater to an “all-ages” audience somewhat limits its sales potential.

Activision sets sights on winning ‘entertainment war’ [MCV]

If no plans to pick up a DSi are on the table, don’t freak out. Nintendo obviously does not want to splinter the market here, so I wouldn’t expect the DSi-only features to go far beyond taking advantage of features such as the camera. These enhancements will likely be small perks for DSi owners – just like how certain Game Boy titles offered extra but non-essential content when inserted into a Game Boy Color.

Nintendo Plans “Nintendo DSi Enhanced” Game Cards With DSi-Only Features [Kotaku]

Due out March 22 in North America, Pokemon Platinum is a remake of Diamond and Pearl, featuring enhanced visuals and WiFi connection capabilities.

NINTENDO OFFERS PLATINUM TO CONSUMERS – RESERVE YOUR PRECIOUS COPY NOW

Limited Giratina Origin Forme Figure Available to Fans who Pre-Order Pokémon Platinum Version

REDMOND, Wash., Feb. 11, 2009 – Pokémon® games have always required players to have a sense of timing and good strategy. So here’s one move that’s sure to produce awesome results. Beginning Feb. 15, Pokémon fans who reserve a copy of the upcoming Pokémon Platinum Version game for the Nintendo DS™ system will receive a Giratina™ Origin Forme figure, while supplies last.

The Giratina Origin Forme has never been seen before and appears for the first time in the Pokémon Platinum Version video game, which launches in the United States on March 22. The figure will be available nationwide through participating retailers, which might require a deposit to reserve the game. Most retailers will provide the figure when a reservation is made, though consumers are advised to check with their preferred retailer for details.

Pokémon Platinum Version is the latest epic Pokémon adventure. With new features, Pokémon formes and online options, it expands on the best elements from previous Pokémon titles to reach new levels of fun and adventure. Pokémon Platinum Version follows on the heels of the very popular Pokémon Diamond Version and Pokémon Pearl Version, which launched in the United States in April 2007. According to independent data from the NPD Group, more than 5.3 million copies of those two games have been sold in the United States alone.

“Pokémon fans know all about one-of-a-kind characters, and this figure is sure to get them fired up for Pokémon Platinum Version,” said Cammie Dunaway, Nintendo of America’s executive vice president of Sales & Marketing. “More than 186 million Pokémon games have been sold around the world, making it one of consumers’ favorite video game franchises. Pokémon Platinum Version builds on that strong tradition of great games.”

The sculpted Giratina Origin Forme figure strikes a dramatic pose and stands about 2.75 inches tall. It is crafted by Kaiyodo, an internationally renowned figure-making company. In Pokémon Platinum Version, Giratina appears in its Origin Forme in the mysterious new Distortion World. Giratina is classified as a Renegade Pokémon of the Ghost/Dragon type. Giratina Origin Forme has the special Ability to Levitate, which makes Giratina immune to Ground-type attacks. Giratina will revert to its “Altered Forme” (seen in Pokémon Diamond Version and Pokémon Pearl Version, each sold separately) once a player encounters and catches it in Pokémon Platinum Version. Players may transform Giratina back into its Origin Forme by having it hold a special item found in the game.

Yet, I feel that something is wrong when the U.S. is selling ten times as much as Japan on a weekly basis. So, I do not believe Nintendo should be content with the current situation in the Japanese market and believe that we have other methods to confront this.

Further, Iwata admitted that Animal Crossing: City Folk and Wii Music did not meet expectations, acknowledging that both titles failed to “revitalize the Wii market in Japan.” However, Iwata countered this notion by stating that both titles still sold relatively well compared to the competition.

If anything is evident from these statements, it is that Iwata clearly understands Nintendo’s missteps and isn’t afraid to continue innovating, even though certain titles did not perform up to par. 2009 is shaping up to be an interesting year, that’s for sure.

What we are looking at are the cumulative Wii and DS sales through the end of 2008. Wii has been selling at industry’s record pace so far, and with new customers acquired by the gaming population expansion efforts, it is not impossible for Wii’s total sales to exceed the final install base of PS2. Wii still has much more room for expansion. We can expect more sales of software in the next fiscal year than in the current year. With what kind of software is Nintendo going to achieve this goal? Well, it will be shown at E3 to be held in the U.S. this June.

We’ll be waiting in anticipation, even though Nintendo’s performance at last year’s E3 was rather disappointing to say the least. They have to make up for that. A new Zelda better be there, for one.