Nintendo has released the full list of 3DS launch titles—for Japan, that is. (Nintendo hosts a press conference next week in New York that, one would guess, will cover the North American 3DS launch details. We’ll be there, knock on wood.) Ten games will be available at launch on February 26: Konami’s Winning Eleven Soccer (known as Pro Evolution Soccer outside Japan); Namco Bandai’s Ridge Racer 3D; Capcom’s Super Street Fighter IV; Tecmo Koei’s Samurai Warriors: Chronicle; Square Enix’s Tobidasu! Puzzle Bobble; Ubisoft’s Combat of Giants; a new version of Professor Leyton from Level-5; and three versions of Nintendo’s various Nintendogs/Nintencats games. So is that a “strong” lineup or a merely an “okay” lineup?
There’s a few things to keep in mind here. First of all, this list only applies to Japan. Again, we’ll probably have the North American launch details sometime next week. Second of all, Nintendo says that its other heavy-hitter games will be available in the months following launch, including The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time and Pilotwings in the springtime and Star Fox, Kid Icarus, and Mario Kart thereafter. No word on any version of Mario in the vein of Mario 64 or Mario Galaxy.
My immediate reaction is that, man, I really wanted Zelda at launch, but OK, I guess I can wait a few months for it.
Of those launch titles—and again, who knows what games will accompany the North America launch—I could also see myself getting Winning Eleven Soccer/Pro Evolution Soccer (hopefully there will be patches!), Super Street Fighter IV, and maybe Ridge Racer. I’m not familiar enough the the remaining games to put them on my immediate “want” list.
My honest-to-goodness evaluation of these launch titles is that it’s an OK start, but that there’s no real “gotta have it” game at launch, at least in my eyes. Who knows, maybe Nintendogs in 3D is loads of fun.
I’m hesitant to write too much more on this if only because none of this really applies to us. I’m not going to pre-order the system from Play-Asia or anything like that. Still, it’s fair to ask: seeing this list right now, what does your gut tell you?
Keeping in mind that I fully expect the 3DS to sell an infinite amount this year, so all of this is sorta moot.