Paper Mario and Animal Crossing 3DS Set for Fiscal Year 2011 Release

3DSWii

by Neal Ronaghan - April 25, 2011, 9:52 pm EDT
Total comments: 14 Source: http://www.nintendo.co.jp/ir/pdf/2011/110426e.pdf

Nintendo's end-of-year review reveals tentative release dates for several high-profile 3DS titles.

Paper Mario, Animal Crossing, Mario Kart, Kid Icarus: Uprising, and Star Fox 64 3D are all set for a fiscal year 2011 release on the 3DS, according to Nintendo's recent financial report.

Those five titles are listed as "TBA" for North America. Additionally, The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword is listed as a "2011" release for the Wii, somewhat confirming the new Zelda title's fall launch.

Those same titles are listed for release in Europe during the same time frame. In Japan, Super Mario for 3DS is listed as a release during this fiscal year, but it is absent from any other region. However, Nintendo's Shigeru Miyamoto recently stated that he was going to try to get the new Super Mario title out in 2011.

Line Attack Heroes, which came out on WiiWare in Japan last year, and Xenoblade, which is out in Japan and is announced for a European release, are both not on the North America release chart. They were on the chart in January.

None of these release dates are set in stone, though they do offer an indication of Nintendo's 2011 plans for Wii and 3DS.

Talkback

rad.i.kalApril 26, 2011

This is awesome.

I love those games

BlackNMild2k1April 26, 2011

Still no mention of Xenoblade or The Last Story for US release though....

maybe they are saving that news for E3.

MegaByteAaron Kaluszka, Associate EditorApril 26, 2011

Xenoblade used to be on the list as Monado. Now it's gone for the US.

Killer_Man_JaroTom Malina, Associate Editor (Europe)April 26, 2011

Good, good. This is everything the DS launch should have been. We've seen encouraging signs from third-parties, but Nintendo themselves will be lining store shelves with a smorgasbord of their software too. As long as they don't blow their load too much and leave 2012 empty...

Scatt-ManApril 26, 2011

Actually, there's not a great deal to look forward to third party-wise. I'm hoping for some Castlevania goodness at E3. Oh gawd, I want moar Metroidvania!!

The Crossings of Animal has always reminded me of a shittier, less rewarding version of Harvest Moon, so I've steered clear of it ever since playing the GC version for two hours. Paper Mario? Shit yes!

KwolfApril 26, 2011

Glad to see Animal Crossing mentioned. I'm hoping the 3ds version will add more to the series, and make a good standby game to keep in my 3ds.

NWR_insanolordJ.P. Corbran, Community ManagerApril 26, 2011

It's not going to happen, but I'd love to see Animal Crossing available via the eShop. The idea of a game you play for a short time every day over a long period is so well-suited to digital distribution, to be easily available at all times without requiring the player to always have the cartridge.

LittleIrvesApril 26, 2011

Insano, that's a good point. But then I might never do anything else, chained to the cyclical hell of fishing and selling, fishing and selling... the need to take out the cartridge might benefit the player's real-world health.

Ian SaneApril 26, 2011

I have a feeling that this Animal Crossing will be yet another rehash of the same game with one or two new features. If you've played one Animal Crossing you've played them all.

Is this a new Paper Mario or a port of either the N64 or Gamecube games?

Killer_Man_JaroTom Malina, Associate Editor (Europe)April 26, 2011

Quote from: Ian

Is this a new Paper Mario or a port of either the N64 or Gamecube games?

New Paper Mario game. The only concrete detail we have is the primary mechanic of using stickers to solve puzzles and power-up in battles.
I do feel that Nintendo has done a bad job of making that clear though.

Luigi DudeApril 26, 2011

Quote from: MegaByte

Xenoblade used to be on the list as Monado. Now it's gone for the US.

NOA has probably decided to name the game Xenoblade Chronicles in North America like in Europe. If the game is no longer going to be called Monado in America, it would make since for it to no longer be on the list since no game called Monado exist anymore. And since NOA hasn't officially announced Xenoblade yet, that would explain why it's not on the North American list yet either.