Kid Icarus: Uprising, Mario Party 9, more coming in Q1 2012

by JC Fletcher on Dec 13th 2011 9:45AM

Nintendo dropped its Q1 lineup on us this morning, offering highlights like the inexplicably GameStop-exclusive Circle Pad Pro and the best news of the year. But there's a lot more in the lineup than those two items -- for example, we now have a specific release date for Masahiro Sakurai's 3DS Kid Icarus: Uprising: March 23.

On the 3DS eShop, Nicalis's ports of indie hits VVVVVV and NightSky are scheduled for eShop sometime in Q1, as is WayForward's Mighty Switch Force, a port of Zen Pinball, and Mutant Mudds. Nintendo will bring Kirby's Block Ball to the Virtual Console in the quarter as well.

Mario Party 9 will launch on Wii March 11, preceded on February 27 by PokePark 2: Wonders Beyond. The only listed WiiWare title is, again, from Nicalis: La-Mulana sometime in the quarter. The DS lineup is ... light, with only the February release of Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Survivor 2 really worth mentioning. But you can see the full list of announced releases on all three platforms, after the break.

Kid Icarus: Uprising (12/13)

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Nintendo Unveils Deep and Diverse Software Lineup for Early 2012

New Kid Icarus, Pokémon, Rhythm Heaven and Mario Party Games Are on the Way

REDMOND, Wash.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--As some people hunker down for a long winter's nap, Nintendo is getting things fired up. The first quarter of 2012 offers great new installments in popular franchises for both the Nintendo 3DS™ system and the Wii™ console. Nintendo has something for everyone, from family fun to three-dimensional adventure.

On the Nintendo 3DS system, Capcom's Resident Evil® Revelations launches on Feb. 7. In a new chapter of the hit survival-horror franchise, players fight a new enemy and virus in 3D without the need for special glasses. METAL GEAR SOLID® 3D Snake Eater from Konami arrives in the first quarter of 2012. The game is a re-interpretation of METAL GEAR SOLID 3: Snake Eater, and offers a rich jungle world with customizable stealth and camouflage options. On March 23, the epic odyssey Kid Icarus™: Uprising soars into stores and lets players help the winged warrior Pit fight Medusa and her Underworld Army.

The Nintendo eShop for Nintendo 3DS will also be busy with a variety of downloadable offerings. Dillon's Rolling Western™ brings tower-defense strategy and touch-screen driven action to the Old West. Armadillo ranger Dillon defends pioneer villages against waves of attacking rock monsters using gun towers, defensive structures and his own exciting attack abilities. In Sakura Samurai: Art of the Sword™, players travel to ancient Japan and guide a young warrior as he battles waves of enemy soldiers. Players must identify the enemy's attack, dodge and counter-attack with the mystical Sakura Sword to win the battle. The critically acclaimed VVVVVV and NightSky from Nicalis, mind-bending action of Mighty Switch Force from WayForward and immersive 3D visuals of Mutant Mudds™ from Renegade Kid™ round out a diverse selection of downloadable games.

Nintendo is also introducing an optional accessory that gives Nintendo 3DS owners a second analog stick to control compatible games. The Circle Pad Pro will launch in the United States on Feb. 7. It will be sold through GameStop stores and online at http://www.gamestop.com at a suggested retail price of $19.99. The Circle Pad Pro is a comfortable cradle that holds the Nintendo 3DS system while adding an analog Circle Pad on the system's right side. The attachment also adds additional shoulder buttons to give it a feel more akin to traditional console controllers. It is designed as an optional accessory and is compatible with Resident Evil Revelations and METAL GEAR SOLID 3D Snake Eater.

On the Wii console, Rhythm Heaven™ Fever arrives on Feb. 13 at a suggested retail price of $29.99 in the United States. The game asks players to test their rhythm in more than 50 easy-to-learn, tough-to-master minigames to prove they've got the groove. Two weeks later on Feb. 27, PokéPark™ 2: Wonders Beyond lets players take on the role of Pikachu™ and his Pals - Oshawott™, Snivy™ and Tepig™ - as they try to make it through PokéPark and discover the secrets of a mysterious new world. On March 11, Mario™ and friends reunite for a new party game adventure in Mario Party™ 9, which introduces new game-play elements to the series such as boss battles and vehicular travel across a wide assortment of stages.

Below is a partial list of upcoming games for Nintendo systems. Note that game titles and launch dates are subject to change.

Nintendo 3DS

Publisher Game Available
2K Play Nicktoons MLB 3D March
Capcom Resident Evil® Revelations Feb. 7
Konami Digital
Entertainment, Inc.
METAL GEAR SOLID® 3D Snake Eater Q1
Pro Evolution Soccer 2012 January
NAMCO BANDAI
Games America Inc.
TEKKEN 3D Prime Edition™ February
Tales of the Abyss® Feb. 14
Nintendo Kid Icarus: Uprising March 23
Published by SEGA® of America Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games™ Feb. 14
SEGA® of America CRUSH™3D Q1
Ubisoft NCIS The Video Game (Based on the TV Series) March 6
Horses 3D March 6
Funky Barn Q1
Rayman® Origins Q1

Nintendo eShop

Publisher Game Available
Collecting Smiles Colors! 3D Q1
Nicalis VVVVVV Q1
NightSky Q1
Nintendo Sakura Samurai: Art of the Sword Q1
Dillon's Rolling Western Q1
Kirby's Block Ball™ Q1
Renegade Kid Mutant Mudds Q1
Shin'en Multimedia Fun! Fun! Minigolf TOUCH Q1
Jett Rocket Super Surf Q1
WayForward Mighty Switch Force Q1
Zen Studios Zen Pinball Q1

Wii

Publisher Game Available
2K Sports MLB 2K12 March 6
GameMill Entertainment Country Dance™ Special Edition Feb. 1
Konami Digital Entertainment, Inc. Karaoke Joysound Q1
Nintendo Rhythm Heaven Fever Feb. 13
PokéPark 2: Wonders Beyond Feb. 27
Mario Party 9 March 11

WiiWare™

Publisher Game Available
Nicalis La Mulana Q1

Nintendo DS™ Family

Publisher Game Available
2K Sports MLB 2K12 March 6
ATLUS Shin Megami Tensei®: Devil Survivor™ 2 February
GameMill Entertainment Silverlicious™ March 20
Xia Xia™ March 20
Gogo's Crazy Bones™ March 20
Mentor Interactive Chess for Kids Feb. 14
NARABA: The Labyrinth of Light Feb. 21
NARABA: The Mysterious Palace Feb. 21

Nintendo DSiWare™

Publisher Game Available
Cosmigo Box Pusher Q1
Cypronia Cake Ninja Q1

Remember that Wii and Nintendo 3DS feature 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/wii and 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 3.8 billion video games and more than 610 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.

Tags: 3ds, ds, eshop, kid-icarus-uprising, mario-party-9, mighty-switch-force, mutant-mudds, nightsky, nintendo, q1-2012, release-date, vvvvvv, wii

Reader Comments (48)

Wow those graphics look terrible lol... so choppy

@djhaywud
Sadly, screenshots nor video can do 3DS games justice. The Mario Kart screens looked terrible, but it looks beautiful in person. It looks on par with Mario Kart Wii, if not better in some places!

I really think where 3D shines is not as a gimmick or necessarily an added gameplay element, but just to add extra definition and depth to the the picture much like HD has added to our current console generation. It's not an essential, but it sure does make it prettier!

@djhaywud You user name is awful and un like 3ds games dosn't look good on a 3ds.

@djhaywud
It's fun being a troll, isn't it?.....f**king a$$h0L3....

@cantwait2bhome

For the sake of saving this system, Nintendo really should find a way to accurate capture video and still frames from it, for marketing purposes.

I mean, think about this from the perspective of someone who simply has no clue about the capturing issues with the 3DS. They look at videos like this, or see screens, and are instantly thinking that it looks worse than the current version of DS they already own. And so part of the incentive to buy the new system goes right out the window, if the average Joe is convinced they are getting an "inferior product, just with 3D," as one close friend scoffed it to me, before seeing mine in action, upon hearing the news that I had purchased one.

I understand they cannot capture 3D, unless they are going to playback the 3D capture on another 3D display (which aren't really that common, despite the entire CE industry trying to shove them down everyone's throats for the past couple of years). But at the very least, Nintendo should find a way to make quality 2D captures, and use those. I mean, with the billions of dollars Nintendo has in the bank, quality 2D capturing technique should have been one of the very first things they developed when they realized the current iteration of DS would be in 3D.

@byaboy
too bad i'm actually not trolling, i played the 3DS in target and thought the games look rather disgusting..... I don't get why nintendo has to keep going with these stupid concepts, they went downhill ever since the Wii and DS, I need a normal controller in my hand not some oversized hunk of crap with a pointless touch screen

@djhaywud

Well ... if you're not trolling then that just means you're dumb and your opinion is stupid. I'd stick with trolling.

@cantwait2bhome
I disagree. While they do look slightly better in person, the screenshots still tell a tale of ugliness. While I don't have Mario Kart yet I've played most other games and it's just embarrassing, really. Most of the games look like crappy to decent cell phone games. Mario 3D Land included.

There are still jaggies when playing in 3D, the textures are still ugly, and everything is still pixelated at times. Seeing it in person puts lipstick on the pig but it's still a dirty, sweaty pig.

I still love my 3DS despite Nintendo doing everything to make me want to hate it, but I'm not going to defend its incredible graphical shortcomings. When old cell phones can compete with your dedicated handheld, you're in big trouble. If it were Sony who released this, it would have been a failure already. People are a lot less forgiving with them due to not having as many 1st party titles.

@djhaywud Downhill since the Wii and DS? That has to be one of the most clueless observations I've ever heard. If you're above 12, your life is F#!@#D - might as well alert you now.

@byaboy
I was calling him out for being a troll, not saying that being a troll is actually fun...

@Mmmmz
It's not really news that 3DS graphics are worse than a modern phone. We knew that before it came out: the graphics are basically slightly better than PSP, and that's all.

Personally, I think it looks fine (and that includes this trailer) - better would be nice but it'll do. Zelda and Mario look great. It's a huge step over DS; if you compare this to DS at its launch, it's probably in a similar position relative to the state of the art, so not surprising.

@JCat
My life is "F#!@#D......?" I've been playing nintendo since i was a little kid, and think after the gamecube they should have just stuck with regular controllers.

I'm really looking forward to Kid Icarus: Uprising! Hopefully it doesn't let me down...

It's a trap.

Nintendo's recent refocus on core games is much appreciated. But this had better not be a scam to get core gamers back to purchasing Nintendo hardware, only to abandon us again later once 3DS and WiiU are runaway success stories like they did with the Wii (and to a lesser extent) the DS.

That said, I am truly looking forward Kid Icarus. This is the game I wanted 3DS for anyway. So my recent purchase of the system with the new Mario, is feeling really validating right now. So keep up the good work Nintendo . . . and uh, how about a few new core gaming IPs this gen. That too will be most appreciated.

@Tachyonic Cargo Hardcore titles had a pretty steady release throughout the Wii and DS's life.

Steady stream of core games?! Really? Compared to what? An iPhone? Facebook?

Really sometimes I just don't know people.

For the record, I own and love ALL THREE game consoles this gen, and let me tell you, when compared to their direct competitors Xbox and PlayStation . . .

oh what's the point? This is a Nintendo thread, and just like going to the Sony threads, and the Microsoft threads, no one wants to hear the hard, dirty truth about the shortcomings of their favorite platform of choice, much less accept them and discuss them where they are pertinent, like rational people. So they invent new, rose colored realities that completely ignore the 800lb gorilla in the room, just to keep from shattering their own fragile grip of having to deal with reality.

I give up. I guess I'll just join the sheeple, like everyone else.

NINTENDO IS THE GREATEST! THEY ARE PURE AS THE DRIVEN SNOW, AND HAVE NEVER, EVER MADE A MISTAKE IN THE ENTIRE HISTORY OF THE COMPANY - EVEN THE VIRTUAL BOY WAS THE BEST!

There. Happy? I'll make sure to repeat something similarly appropriate in all my future posts to Sony and Microsoft threads as well, so that everyone reading them as well, can feel better about themselves in 'knowing' there platform of choice is just as flawless as Jesus Christ, as well.

@Tachyonic Cargo

If you actually want to make a case about hardcore AAA games on the Wii then you need to look to and blame third-parties for not giving a shit. Nintendo's 1st party efforts on the Wii have been commendable, in my opinion. We got a new Smash Bros, a new Fire Emblem, a Punch-Out!! reboot, three great Mario platformers, two Metroid games, a new Sin & Punishment, the best Zelda game in 10 years, new Mario Kart, some rad Kirby games, an amazing new Donkey Kong Country, and some fun diversions like the two Wii Sports games and Wii Fit. I can't think of half that many Sony or Microsoft 1st party titles for this generation.
Third-parties bitch and moan about not being able to sell games on the Wii but when was the last time that Rockstar, or Capcom, or Square, or f*cking anyone really, devoted 50 million dollars and 4 years of development time to making an amazing Wii game. Oh, that's right, never.

@Tachyonic Cargo

But Nintendo has released a lot of "core" games this generation havent they? Whatever "core" means, Im pretty sure they released more this gen (and of higher quality) then last.

Not much to chose from 3rd party wise, to fill in the time between 1st party releases though, and thats what the problem was.

@A Sandwich
You can't think of nearly half that many 1st party titles from Sony? Really? I can understand you saying this about Microsoft since they've had very little first party presence. But claiming that Sony hasn't had nearly half as many first party releases (solid ones at that) is just you turning a complete blind eye. 3 Amazing Uncharted titles, Little Big Planet 1 and 2, Infamous 1 and 2, the Resistance series, Ico/Shadow of the Colossus Collection(I don't blame you if you don't count this one though), God of War 3, Gran Turismo 5, Heavy Rain, The Killzone series, Motostorm(meh), and the list goes on. There are also future titles that look very promising on the horizon like The Last of Us, Twisted Metal, Sly Cooper 5, and The Last Guardian. I understand that you favor Nintendo but you're letting that fact cloud your judgement a bit.

As for the lack of 3rd party support towards Nintendo, they have themselves to blame for that. The Wii's inferior hardware eventually led to the console being ignored by 3rd party devs. Trust me if the Wii had hardware comparable to the 360 or PS3 it would be cranking out high profile 3rd party titles like there's no tomorrow. The Wii would also still be going strong instead of being on its last legs at this point in its life.

@picxel

"Trust me if the Wii had hardware comparable to the 360 or PS3 it would be cranking out high profile 3rd party titles like there's no tomorrow. The Wii would also still be going strong instead of being on its last legs at this point in its life."

The Gamecube says hi.

@picxel

I hadn't actually thought about a lot of those because I was under the impression that they were third-party Sony exclusives, but you raise a good point. However, saying the Wii is on its "last legs" when this is the first (as in first ever) November that the PS3 has outsold it, and by a very small amount at that, is lacking in context. The Wii couldn't have kept up the momentum indefinitely, but if dropping down to the point where your competitors are now, during a time when they are having some of their greatest sales is indicative of failure, well that seems like a crazy double standard to me.

@A Sandwich
I think the confusion is because Sony don't really make the big games 'themselves' - it's more that they own (lots of) studios. Nintendo do both.

People might not think Sony made, say, Gran Turismo 5, in the same sense that nobody really thinks Nintendo made, say, Xenoblade Chronicles. Both were made by studios which are owned (not just published) by their respective parent, but are still distinct - even though in Polyphony's case, they started as just an internal Sony team.

Really the overall point is dead right: Wii had an excellent selection of 'core' games from Nintendo, probably more and faster than previous Nintendo systems.

It just didn't have very many good ones from anyone else.

(Little King's Story is great, I liked Fragile Dreams a lot, Trauma Team, Cursed Mountain, Okami, RE4 Wii... yeah, starting to run out of ideas now, and two of those were ports from the previous generation.)

When it comes down to it, it's about market share: in the years following launch, Wii vastly outsold either of the other platforms... but it didn't outsell both of them put together. Developers could treat the other two consoles as essentially a single platform, which was bigger than Nintendo's.

Wii U lets Nintendo jump onto the single platform although it remains to be seen whether it will be sufficient when the other two upgrade. I know we don't have real specs but initially Wii U looks like sort of PS3.1, or Xbox 400: according to some rumours, it has basically the same CPU as the 360 but a better graphics chip. If Sony and MS also make relatively small upgrades (or if developers don't figure out anything particular to do with the extra power beyond nicer lighting and individual grass blades) then multiplatform might remain credible.

@Co
In all honestly the PS2 just had way too much steam last generation. 3rd parties jumped on the PS2 bandwagon like there was no tomorrow.

@A Sandwich
Actually you're right about that. Maybe it's because to me the Wii is the PS2 of this gen. But at this point in its lifespan the PS2 was still cranking out the AAA titles. I kid you not, the only games I've picked up this year for my Wii were Sonic Colors and Skyward Sword. Great games but the Wii is just becoming disappointing on the software front.

I noticed you didn't address the fact that the Wii's lack of 3rd party support is due to hardware limitations. I'm beginning to lose faith in Nintendo. It seems as if they're making the same mistake again from the WiiU. The tech demos really didn't look like what I'd consider next gen. Looked more like current gen actually. Sure the Wii was a commercial success, but when it comes to software it was pretty disappointing. Now please don't list all of the good titles on the Wii for me. The point I'm trying to make is that this gen could have been so much more of a win for Nintendo and gamers alike if they didn't cheap out on hardware. You see even though I will more than likely buy a WiiU for the first party titles, but I can't keep sticking by Nintendo if they can't give me quality hardware because they want to profit from launch.

@TwEE

@TwEE

Actually I wouldn't say the wii has a lack of 3rd party game but that they have a lack of GOOD 3rd party games the wii has a lot of amazingly stupid game like their are some where you have to look after a baby so the wii has a lot of 3rd party games but no one remembers them because they suck.

Still wish they hadn't revived Kid Icarus as an on-rails Sin & Punishment clone, but hot damn... it looks so good!

@Oddgirl On rails? you do know that's only a few stages in the game, the rest of the stages are free foaming.

Clearly I did not know that. And while your revelation is great news to me, I still wish Kid Icarus was brought back as something else and that this were a new IP.

@Oddgirl

It's all good man. I mean even if the entire game was on rails, so long as it's quality, it does not matter. Three out of four games from the Panzer Dragoon series, plus the upcoming Project Draco (made by the same people) one of my favorite game series of all times, are completely on rails. Yet the entire series rocks, despite that. Which is a testament to what can be done with rails in the hands of a great developer.

And from what I have some, the on-rails levels in Uprising, will still be some of the best on-rails levels ever created. So don't sweat it, man. It's all good.

Why's the circlepad Gamestop exclusive? Is Nintendo trying to shun this addon because they don't like it, or are they trying to limit availability as much as possible to try to force us to buy an upgraded 3DS? I swear if they release an upgraded model with a 2nd circle pad built in after limiting the availability of the circle pad add-on in this manner I'm off Nintendo for good.

@Vic Fontaine It's not like it will ONLY be sold at gamestop, you could just as easily buy it at amazon.

@Nergy Amazon doesn't work that way. If something is exclusive, you'll pay at least twice the price when a company or private seller lists it on Amazon.

See: Rock Band ACDC, Lady Gaga: Monster Ball Tour Blu Ray, and way too many special edition books/movies/cds to list.

Can't wait for all of these games! Mario Party 9 = Family Fun Time!

I bet Mario Party 9 will suck as much as the last ones.

Man of they ever sucked beyond all suck since Mario Party 3. Even then, 2 was the best.

Also glad to see the Wii line up looks as pathetic as ever.

@hami83

Would Sloth like a hug?

@Uncle Jesse I'd rather you sing me Rock a bye baby.

Ahhh! Break! Fall!

Icarus was killed by kratos lol that was a funny fight.

Great 3DS retail and eShop lineup. I need a lot of money.

Emo Pit

Are Nintendo fans going to justify the fact that the circle pad is GameStop-exclusive? This only makes a sad situation sadder.

@(Unverified)
Why would anyone justify that? It's bullshit.

(Is it a 'sad situation' otherwise - no it's fine - PSP was a 3d-polygon-system with only one analogue stick for 5 years and people somehow survived. But is it bullshit that the extra stick is limited to one shitty retailer in the US? Yes it is bullshit.)

Luckily, nothing is GameStop exclusive as long as eBay is around!

Also, they change the logo for KId Icarus. It looks... lamer now.

Does pit have the same voice actor as brave fencer musashi for psone?

I'm absolutely floored it's taken Nintendo this long to launch their second Mario Party game on Wii. Such a successful franchise that makes a ton of cash, you think Nintendo would milk it like it's named Call of Duty :) (not hating, COD, just making a point).

At any rate, considering the shortage of quality titles, I'm sure I'll pick it up.

(Now that I think of it, I wonder why Nintendo doesn't just push it back to Wii U).

Hell YES! We've been waiting for Nightsky for too long.

Wait did I read this right? Is rayman origins really coming to the 3ds?!?!

Dark Pit? I'm already sick of seeing that character and color in Super Smash Bros. 4 before development for it has even begun.