Nintendo Reveals 3DS Launch Day Titles

If your looking to get into the whole 3D thing, buying a $3,000 dollar TV probably isn’t even on your radar. I know it isn’t for me. But one cool handheld from Nintendo can get you into the 3D market for $250.00 dollars. A total savings of $2,750 dollars! What a steal!

On March 27th (the release date for the Nintendo 3DS) new 3DS owners will be able to choose from a substantial list of launch titles, both Nintendo-published games and third-party developed titles, each available at a suggested retail price of $39.95. Here’s a rundown of the Nintendo developed 3DS launch day titles:

• Pilotwings Resort - an aerial adventure featuring airplanes, hang gliders and rocket belts. Players soar above tropical Wuhu Island in 3D as they complete missions or snap pictures.
• Steel Diver - a submarine game that involves strategy and combat. The 3D visuals give players the sensation that they are looking into a miniature aquarium as they control the sub’s speed, depth and pitch, and fire torpedoes.
• Nintendogs + Cats - a game that lets players interact with realistic puppies – and kittens – in a variety of fun ways. There are three versions of the software, each with different starting breeds: French bulldog, toy poodle and golden retriever. In each version players can unlock and enjoy more than 20 different breeds.

Nintendo is also set to release a wide variety of 3DS games later on in 2011, including The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D, Star Fox 64 3D, Kid Icarus: Uprising and a new installment in the Mario Kart series. Please for the love of Christ don’t include Rainbow Road.

So while I’m not overly impressed with the launch day titles for the 3DS (can’t say I’m a huge fan of Nintendogs) there is hope that I’ll have some great gaming moments later on in the year. This is a key step for Nintendo, and one that most gamers just overlook. If you release your incredible new hot handheld that you want everyone to buy, with little to no software to use it, gamers will shy away and could possible hold out until a price drop later on. These Nintendo branded titles are enough to get any gamer salivating at the chance to play Ocarina of Time in 3D, but that’s not all.

There are also quite a bit of heavy-hitting third-party titles set to come out for the 3DS, and should be ready to go on March 27th as well. These include:

• Super Street Fighter IV 3D Edition from Capcom
• The Sims 3 from EA
• Madden NFL Football from EA Sports
• Pro Evolution Soccer 2011 3D from Konami Digital
• LEGO Star Wars III: The Clone Wars from LucasArts
• Ridge Racer 3D from Namco Bandai Games
• Super Monkey Ball 3D from SEGA
• Bust-A-Move Universe from Square-Enix
• Samurai Warriors: Chronicles from Tecmo Koei America
• Asphalt 3D from Ubisoft
• Combat of Giants: Dinosaurs 3D from Ubisoft
• Rayman 3D from Ubisoft
• Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon: Shadow Wars from Ubisoft

Now after reading that list and you are STILL unsure you want a Nintendo 3DS? You’re dead to me. You are! Seriously? How could you pass up on a 3D version of Super Monkey Ball? Kidding of course, the lineup from third-party titles is a pretty stout one, both having the casual gamer covered as well as the hardcore Tom Clancy gamer satisfied for good measure.

This is quite the list of titles for launch day. Does this happen to change your “buy or not buy” opinion? Remember, if you read that list and don’t want a 3DS you’re dead to me, so choose wisely. Let me know your thoughts in the comments.