Momentum for the Nintendo 3DS hand-held system continues to build. Tonight, during a special Nintendo All-Access 3DS Software Showcase @ E3 2012 event at the Los Angeles Convention Center, Nintendo shared new information about upcoming Nintendo 3DS games that will launch in 2012, as well as downloadable content in the Nintendo eShop.
“Millions upon millions of people already know that the best portable gaming content is found on Nintendo systems,” said Scott Moffitt, Nintendo of America’s executive vice president of Sales & Marketing. “Games from Nintendo and our third-party partners, plus the growing selection of downloadable titles in the Nintendo eShop, will help even more people discover the unique variety of entertainment available only on Nintendo 3DS in 2012 and beyond.”
Game information revealed at the event includes:
• New Super Mario Bros. 2: This new side-scrolling installment in the fan-favorite Super Mario Bros. franchise launches Aug. 19 as the Mushroom Kingdom bursts with more coins and gold than ever before. Players can transform into Gold Mario and Raccoon Mario, and challenge friends to beat their high scores in the new Coin Rush mode. Also, for the first time in a hand-held Mario title, players can enjoy a cooperative two-player mode for the entire game via a local wireless connection.
• Castlevania: Lords of Shadow – Mirror of Fate (KONAMI): The classic action adventure franchise arrives on Nintendo 3DS this fall. Combining 3D graphics with timeless 2D game play, the game marks the return of fan-favorite character Alucard, the son of Dracula himself.
• Luigi’s Mansion: Dark Moon: This action-filled game starring Luigi launches for Nintendo 3DS this holiday season. Players can expect more haunted mansions to explore and new ways for Luigi to take on a wild assortment of ghosts in this new adventure. In addition to using the strobe function of his flashlight to stun ghosts, Luigi must solve puzzles and reveal hidden details in the environment to unlock new areas in the mansions.
• Disney Epic Mickey: Power of Illusion (Disney Interactive): This new game combines classic Disney characters with rich, imaginative environments that players can experience in 3D for the first time. The game itself is inspired by the classic Castle of Illusion game and features new ways for Mickey Mouse to interact with the game world using paint and paint thinner.
• Paper Mario: Sticker Star: Launching this holiday season, this classic action role-playing franchise gets a fresh 3D look in its hand-held debut as Mario uses stickers found in the game to win battles and solve puzzles.
• Scribblenauts Unlimited (Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment): In this new game, players help Maxwell, the game’s hero, explore an unbound world and solve robust puzzles and challenges. The game continues the series’ tradition of allowing players to create nearly any object they can think of.
• Kingdom Hearts 3D [Dream Drop Distance] (Square Enix, Inc.): Celebrating the franchise’s 10th anniversary, the latest title from Disney Interactive and Square Enix launches July 31 with StreetPass features, AR Card compatibility and support for the Circle Pad Pro accessory. A demo version is coming soon to the Nintendo eShop.
Additional third-party games on the way for Nintendo 3DS this year include Transformers Prime from Activision, Rabbids Rumble from Ubisoft, LEGO Batman 2: DC Super Heroes from Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment and Heroes of Ruin from Square Enix, Inc.
To get fans excited for these games, Nintendo announced the immediate availability of new content in the Nintendo eShop, including trailers for Luigi’s Mansion: Dark Moon and Paper Mario: Sticker Star, plus a playable demo version of LEGO Batman 2: DC Super Heroes from Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment. Nintendo 3DS owners with broadband Internet access can visit the Nintendo eShop anytime to find games, demos, trailers and other content available for download.
Nintendo also launched an introductory episode of Threediots, its first original short-form comedy series, produced by Consolidated Baily, exclusively on its Nintendo Video service, which delivers free handpicked comedy, animation, Hollywood, gaming and music videos to Nintendo 3DS owners. More than 70 percent of Nintendo 3DS systems in the United States have connected to the Internet, and applications such as Swapnote and Nintendo Video have been downloaded more than 1 million times each domestically.
To view a recording of the full Nintendo All-Access 3DS Software Showcase @ E3 2012 event, please visit http://e3.nintendo.com.
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.
