3DS Japanese launch lineup announced, along with BlazBlue for later in 2011

by JC Fletcher on Jan 8th 2011 1:00AM

As expected, Nintendo revealed the Japanese launch lineup for the 3DS at Nintendo World 2011, and -- as expected -- it's about 10 games. Eight, to be specific. The games that will be available on the Japanese launch date of February 26 include:

Winning Eleven 3DSoccer (5,800 yen/$70)
Super Street Fighter IV 3D Edition (4,800 yen/$58)
Samurai Warriors Chronicle (6,090 yen/$73)
Tobidasu! Puzzle Bobble 3D (4,980 yen/$60)
Nintendogs + Cats (Toy Poodle & New Friends, French Bulldog & New Friends, Shiba & New Friends, 4,800 yen each)
Ridge Racer 3D (6,090 yen/$73)
Combat of Giants: Dinosaurs 3D (5,040 yen/$61)
Professor Layton and the Mask of Miracle (5,980 yen/$72)

In addition, Nintendo's list of 2011 games reveals some new titles, including BlazBlue Continuum Shift 2, ports of Tales of the Abyss and Raving Rabbids Travel in Time, and a third game in the DS's Tank Beat series.

[Update: Famitsu posted pictures from the stage, showing box arts and prices for many of these games. We've updated the list with prices; check Famitsu for box arts. Keep in mind that Japanese game prices are usually higher than American prices; DS games typically retail for about 4,800 yen/$58.]

Source: Nintendo

Tags: 3ds, blazblue-continuum-shift-2, combat-of-giants-dinosaurs-3d, ds, japan, nintendo, nintendogs-plus-cats, Professor-Layton, Professor-Layton-and-the-Mask-of-Miracle, q1-2011, raving-rabbids-travel-in-time, release-date, ridge-racer-3d, samurai-warriors-chronicle, super-street-fighter-iv-3d-edition, tales-of-the-abyss, tobidasu-puzzle-bobble-3d, winning-eleven-3dsoccer

Reader Comments (96)

This list makes me sad.

@SgtDookie On the bright side a lackluster set of launch titles will make it easier to hold off on your 3DS purchase until the superior 3DSi SP XL model releases in 2013.

@SgtDookie
Professor Layton and Street Fighter displeases you?!

@SgtDookie Super Street Fighter IV sounds like a pretty damn awesome launch game to me.

@SgtDookie

Nintendogs + Cats = Money Printing.

@Juri
Im not sad about whats there im sad about what isnt.

@SgtDookie
Plenty of games will be coming out right after the launch day. Though I doubt your going to buy a 3DS in japan on launch day anyway, so this list doesn't change anything.

@The Only Girl

Me too.

Never liked Prof Lyton...
Street fighter is ok on home consoles, but handhelds are not that great for fighting games...

@mcnerven Lackluster!? Oh, yeah, Zookeeper on the DS was a much better launch title.

@The Only Girl
I find the Professor Layton games to be pretty boring and I'm not much into fighting games, so yea, for me at least the list is pretty disappointing.

@SgtDookie

Seems pretty apparent Nintendo held off to give third party games a chance at the get-go. Nintendogs will print money, but it'll leave the door open somewhat for the people that don't want the cute-and-fluffy. Too many strong titles from them and you'll end up w/ a situation like the Wii again where Nintendo titles were such a fail-safe choice that, well, the other stuff never sold.

@LittleMofreaky Your logic doesn't make sense. The 3DS is its own launch and can be judged independently of any other system release. Just because another system had crap titles at launch doesn't somehow magically transform the 3DS' list a pile of gleaming gold. Furthermore, I'm not saying the 3DS *won't* have good title, just that the current list isn't screaming "must buy day one!!!" I'll simply hold off until the library fills out a bit, same as I did with the GameCube and DS. No regrets on either of those.

@LittleMofreaky

Even in doing a comparison to other systems...what on this list is THE marquee absolute must own title? For historical perspective, let's look at some of the best launch titles ever:

SNES - Super Mario World / F-Zero
N64 - Mario 64
Dreamcast - Soul Calibur
Xbox - Halo
GBA - Castlevania Circle of the Moon / Super Mario Advance
Wii - Wii Sports / Twilight Princess

Compare those to what...Super Street Fighter IV, a port of a two year old console game? And I'm a fan of Professor Layton...but it's not really a reason to drop hundreds on a brand new system.

The 3DS' lack of great launch titles reminds me of the GameCube (Luigi's Mansion), Xbox 360 (Call of Duty 2) and PS2 (SSX). All fun systems that eventually boasted great game libraries, but there's not really much of a reason to own the thing right when it hits the market.

Thankfully, that's not the US launch line-up.

Though, if Layton and Street Fighter both launch, that'd still be mighty nice.

@kewlrats

If this is the Japanese launch I imagine ours will be even worse.

@Cleric I don't know if that'll be the case. Replace PES with Madden in the US, add in about 2-3 more games. The launch day will be dominated by Street Fighter, NintendoDogs, and Layton. Ocarina 3D will *probably* be a launch title in the US. That covers core gamers, casual, and tweeners. The DS had a far worse launch.

My guesses, anyways.

@kewlrats
Why would Ocarina not make the JP launch but make the US launch?

@SgtDookie I'm only speculating, but I think the month-timeline difference would help get the game completed. Plus, Zelda isn't as big in Japan as it is in the US, so having it during launch here would be a big plus (it'd be the game that everyone here buys with their 3DS). In Japan it'd be greatly overshadowed by the other big games.

@kewlrats If the the US and Europe launch is this anemic and the price is more than $250 I have a strange feeling that the 3DS might stumble out the gate. I want one if the price is right, otherwise, I suppose I'll wait till a price drop or Ocarina of Time comes out. Whatever comes first.

I honestly think Nintendo knows the 3DS will sell like hotcakes in Japan even if the games were priced higher. Does anyone know if the system is still $300 something for the Japanese launch?

Street Fighter looks awesome. Professor Layton? Whats a Professor Layton? I kid. I hope there are more than two worthwhile games.

@dragunrising *if the price is wrong. I work at night and am tired. Don't hate

@kewlrats Layton won't make US launch. It takes years for those games to be localized.

@SgtDookie

Its still slated for Spring 2011 in japan which means its probably all but done. Nor is it a particularly text heavy game so doing a translation of the new content shouldn't take long. All the Zelda games tend to have either world-wide launches, or incredibly quick turn-arounds. So even if we don't get it this launch we'll likely get it by the end of the summer.

@SgtDookie

Well the game is already mostly translated, now I'm not sure how much more work there is for the western versions, but most of the work done on the game is universal (graphics, combat etc.)

IT'S RIIIIIIIIIIIIDGE Racer............3D

@Stevetrop Man of Mystery Now if only they'd announce Tracer Bullet as a launch title.

Great avatar!

@mcnerven

Jack and joe leave their homes at the same time and drive toward each other at 80 mph, while joe drives at 30 mph. They pass each other in 10 minutes.

How far apart were jack and joe when they started?

It was another baffling case. But then, you dont hire a private eye for the easy ones....

I'd planned to take the day off and spend time with a couple of buddies. My buddies travel light and they're fun to have around. One travels in a holster, and the other one in a hip flask.

My name is Bullet, Tracer Bullet. What people call me is something else again. I'm a private eye. It says so on my door.

@Stevetrop Man of Mystery

I checked the comments specifically for this post. I'd be disappoint if nobody said it.

@Stevetrop Man of Mystery

Oh man.
Calvin and Hobbes is my favorite comic ever. I read so much of it when I was a kid.

Whatever. I'm waiting til a used 3DS comes into my store before I get one anyway. (Employee Discount on top of used price FTW) By then there should be more games...

@BrokenTriforce

Have fun with the boogies and the scratches.

Hopefully SF4 and Ridge Racer will have online modes without having to use friend codes,if they do i would get those at launch.

I just want MGS3...

I take it 3DS games will be labeled with 3D on the end. Ah memories of the good ol 64 days.

Nintendo will 3D the hell out of this systems games.

@Stevetrop Man of Mystery

Jesus 70 bucks for some games. God it really does feel like the N64 days now. Sheesesh.

@Stevetrop Man of Mystery

Absolutely. Also reminds me of when the DS first launched and they tagged 'DS' at the end of a lot of games. They are sitting on a gold mine here. I expect Mario 64 3D and other classics to come out like they are doing with Ocarina of Time. The new era of 3D and HD remakes is upon us!

IT HAS BEGUN!

@Uncle Jesse
They never really stopped doing that, its just that started making the DS part of the name. Dual strike, dawn of sorrow, etc.

Does anybody remember the original Nintendo DS launch? Those launch titles were pretty bad (with the obvious exceptions of SM64DS and Feel the Magic).

Patients, Phoenix Wright wasn't built in a day.

@JohnicYouth
Yes, doctor.

Even with no (in your face 1st party) title immediately ready like mario, zelda, or kid icarus, I'm sure at least half of these are great. If I could choose just one from this list it would be Professor Layton.

Still, there will probably be a handful of things to do for free or cheap, but a movie service and demo service at launch is wishful thinking.

Also, I hope they have good "launch window" material via the 3DS shop. We'll see...

What, no Metal Gear! Have they updated anything regarging their back catalogue of NES and SNES games being updated to 3D?

Not a single game there I'd want XD

what scares me are the prices. $70 for a handheld game isn't going to fly in the states : /

@johnegold Seriously who in there right mind would pay 60-70 bucks for streetfighter 4 when super on console costs like 30-40? It's flat out stupid.

IOS is going to munch this thing like an old twix if those prices are real.

@johnegold What scares me is someone would pay $70 for another Dynasty Warriors game.

@johnegold The $70 figure is the Japanese price, based on 3DS games being around $12 more than the standard DS game there, which is about $58. This is in Japan. DS games in the states are considerably cheaper, with the vast majority running at $30 and under and none that I can think of over $40. I'd imagine 3DS games releasing for $50 or less in the states.

@Flapjackal They won't release higher than $39.99 standard. The market simply won't accept portable titles that cost as much as console titles. That's like charging as much for a slider as you would for a burger the size of your head.

I know that prices are generally higher in Japan than in the US, but the prices are still pretty surprising.

what scares me is the price $70 for a handheld game isn't going to fly in the states

WHAT THE **** Is up with those prices? $60-70?!! For Portable games? Good lord, that better not be the case here or I'm sitting this gen out!

Professor Layton and the Mask of Miracle (5,980 yen/$72)

*readies noose*

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Super Street Fighter IV 3D Edition

3DS Japanese launch lineup announced, along with BlazBlue for later in 2011

Reader Comments (96)

Posted: Jan 8th 2011 1:04AM SgtDookie said

Posted: Jan 8th 2011 1:16AM mcnerven said

Posted: Jan 8th 2011 2:30AM The Only Girl said

Posted: Jan 8th 2011 3:15AM Juri said

Posted: Jan 8th 2011 3:48AM Nicknamer said

Posted: Jan 8th 2011 3:48AM SgtDookie said

Posted: Jan 8th 2011 5:02AM KaBob799 said

Posted: Jan 8th 2011 6:07AM InjusticeJoker said

Posted: Jan 8th 2011 11:55AM LittleMofreaky said

Posted: Jan 8th 2011 1:38PM Railgun said

Posted: Jan 8th 2011 1:48PM Muu said

Posted: Jan 8th 2011 1:57PM mcnerven said

Posted: Jan 8th 2011 2:17PM mcnerven said

Posted: Jan 8th 2011 1:06AM kewlrats said

Posted: Jan 8th 2011 1:22AM Cleric said

Posted: Jan 8th 2011 1:30AM kewlrats said

Posted: Jan 8th 2011 1:38AM SgtDookie said

Posted: Jan 8th 2011 1:41AM kewlrats said

Posted: Jan 8th 2011 1:47AM dragunrising said

Posted: Jan 8th 2011 1:47AM dragunrising said

Posted: Jan 8th 2011 3:46AM Takao said

Posted: Jan 8th 2011 11:29AM zerokku said

Posted: Jan 8th 2011 4:15PM Qehb said

Posted: Jan 8th 2011 1:10AM Stevetrop Man of Mystery said

Posted: Jan 8th 2011 1:17AM mcnerven said

Posted: Jan 8th 2011 1:39AM Stevetrop Man of Mystery said

Posted: Jan 8th 2011 11:19PM Tab said

Posted: Jan 9th 2011 12:40PM camronm21 said

Posted: Jan 8th 2011 1:15AM BrokenTriforce said

Posted: Jan 8th 2011 10:05AM Enosoma said

Posted: Jan 8th 2011 1:17AM SgtDookie said

Posted: Jan 8th 2011 1:17AM B3astofthe3ast said

Posted: Jan 8th 2011 1:19AM Stevetrop Man of Mystery said

Posted: Jan 8th 2011 2:28AM Stevetrop Man of Mystery said

Posted: Jan 8th 2011 10:24AM Uncle Jesse said

Posted: Jan 9th 2011 2:33AM KaBob799 said

Posted: Jan 8th 2011 1:21AM JohnicYouth said

Posted: Jan 8th 2011 2:28AM The Only Girl said

Posted: Jan 8th 2011 1:32AM beyondxpillar47 said

Posted: Jan 8th 2011 1:46AM saturn118 said

Posted: Jan 8th 2011 2:01AM Faenix said

Posted: Jan 8th 2011 2:07AM johnegold said

Posted: Jan 8th 2011 2:13AM yomachaser said

Posted: Jan 8th 2011 4:34AM onan said

Posted: Jan 8th 2011 12:10PM Flapjackal said

Posted: Jan 9th 2011 4:53AM onan said

Posted: Jan 8th 2011 2:08AM Hatman88 said

Posted: Jan 8th 2011 2:09AM johnegold said

Posted: Jan 8th 2011 2:09AM Hoops said

Posted: Jan 8th 2011 2:29AM The Only Girl said

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