We're looking for new writers to join us!

Nintendo outlines their Q4 lineup

by: Sean Colleli -
More On: 3DS Devil's Third Nintendo Wii U Shovel Knight Xenoblade Chronicles X Star Fox Zero

This year's E3 was at best a mixed bag for Nintendo and there isn't really a whole lot to light up the end of the year. Europe and Japan have paradoxically already gotten a lot of the games that are finally dropping here in the States but at least we have solid US release dates for all of them.

Super Mario Maker hits on September 11th, stay tuned for my full review soon. Next up is Yoshi's Wooly World on October 16th, which Europe got in June for some reason. Fatal Frame: Maiden of Black Water arrives in time for Halloween on October 22nd.

Star Fox Zero barrel-rolls onto shelves November 20th. The jury is still out on its ambiguous reboot-prequel storyline and potentially divisive control scheme. December is a surprisingly big month with Xenoblade Chronicles X on the 4th and Devil's Third on the 11th. Both are games previously released in other territories.

The 3DS is getting some heavy hitters with Zelda: Tri Force Heroes on October 23rd and Pokemon Super Mystery Dungeon on November 20th.

There's a lot going on here but outside of Star Fox and Xenoblade there isn't a ton to really rave about. What is getting released feels way past due, considering Nintendo teased lots of these games at least two E3's ago. I'm still looking forward to many of these games but it's hard to shake the feeling that Nintendo is pushing this stuff out on sheer obligation and getting ready to dump the Wii U like so much dead weight. Here's hoping the NX gets a big reveal next year and something nice for Metroid fans, for once.

Check the press release for full launch date details and a number of holiday bundles, including a Mario Maker Wii U and a new Mario Kart 7 bundle for the newly price-dropped 2DS.


  Logo
Aug. 24, 2015 12:00 UTC

Nintendo Packs 2015 with a Huge Lineup of Games for Everyone

Nonstop Launches Provide Fun, Entertainment and Surprises

REDMOND, Wash.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Ensuring that 2015 is packed with gaming fun for everyone, Nintendo announces a robust lineup of games and special offers for the remainder of the year. The Wii U home console and the Nintendo 3DS family of portable systems will showcase a huge number of games, most of which are exclusive to those platforms.

Nintendo announces robust lineup of games and special offers for the remainder of the year for the W ...

Nintendo announces robust lineup of games and special offers for the remainder of the year for the Wii U home console and the Nintendo 3DS family of portable systems. (Photo: Business Wire)

??Nintendo has games, amiibo and systems to satisfy all kinds of players, whether they??re looking for back-to-school gifts or getting an early start on their holiday shopping,?? said Scott Moffitt, Nintendo of America??s Executive Vice President of Sales & Marketing. ??No one can match the quality or uniqueness of what Nintendo has to offer for the rest of 2015.??

Here??s a look at what Nintendo has on tap for the rest of 2015:

Wii U Bundle

  • Walmart and Walmart.com will be the exclusive retailers for a special Super Mario Maker Wii U bundle that includes the game, Idea Book and the 30th Anniversary Mario Modern Color amiibo. The bundle goes on sale the 11th of September for $299.96.

Wii U Games

  • Super Mario Maker launches on the 11th of September at a suggested retail price of $59.99.
  • Yoshi??s Woolly World launches Oct. 16 at a suggested retail price of $49.99. The game will also be available in a bundle that includes a green Yarn Yoshi amiibo at a suggested retail price of $59.99. The green Yarn Yoshi is available as part of the bundle, with individual pink and light-blue Yarn Yoshi amiibo also launching on Oct. 16 at a suggested retail price of $16.99 each.
  • A new combo pack that includes two great games goes on sale Oct. 16. The pack includes both New Super Mario Bros. U and New Super Luigi U, and will be available at a suggested retail price of $59.99.
  • Fatal Frame: Maiden of Black Water, co-developed by Koei Tecmo Games, launches exclusively in the Nintendo eShop on Wii U on Oct. 22 for $49.99, just in time for Halloween. Players can download this free-to-start game and play the prologue, chapter 1 and most of chapter 2 for free. The full version of the game can be purchased as DLC directly from the Nintendo eShop or via the in-game menu.
  • Star Fox Zero launches Nov. 20 at a suggested retail price of $59.99.
  • Xenoblade Chronicles X launches Dec. 4 at a suggested retail price of $59.99.
  • Devil??s Third launches Dec. 11 at a suggested retail price of $59.99.
  • Animal Crossing: amiibo Festival and amiibo figures for Animal Crossing characters Isabelle, Digby, K.K., Reese, Cyrus, Tom Nook, Mabel and Lottie launch Holiday 2015.
  • Mario Tennis: Ultra Smash launches Holiday 2015.
  • Runbow from 13AM Games will launch in North America on Aug. 27 in the Nintendo eShop on Wii U. For the first month after launch, anyone who downloaded the Nindies@Home demo version will receive 15 percent off the regular price of $14.99. Runbow is an up-to-nine-player action platform party game that includes guest characters from some of the Nintendo eShop??s most popular indie titles, like Azure Striker Gunvolt, Shovel Knight, Guacamelee! and Runner2: Future Legend of Rhythm Alien.
  • Disney Infinity 3.0 Edition from Disney Interactive launches Aug. 30 at a suggested retail price of $64.99.
  • The Skylanders SuperChargers Starter Pack for Wii U from Activision launches Sept. 20 at a suggested retail price of $74.99. For the first time in Skylanders history, two of Nintendo??s iconic characters ?? Donkey Kong and Bowser ?? will guest star as playable characters and will also work with select amiibo-compatible games with a simple twist of the character??s base. Turbo Charge Donkey Kong and Hammer Slam Bowser will be exclusively playable on Wii U, Wii and the Nintendo 3DS family of systems.
  • LEGO Dimensions Starter Pack from Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment launches Sept. 27 at a suggested retail price of $99.99. Additional LEGO Dimensions Level, Team and Fun Packs will also be available on Sept. 27 at the respective suggested retail prices of $29.99, $24.99 and $14.99.
  • Guitar Hero Live from Activision launches Oct. 20 at a suggested retail price of $99.99.
  • Just Dance 2016 from Ubisoft launches Oct. 20 at a suggested retail price of $49.99.
  • Shovel Knight from Yacht Club Games ?? winner of more than 100 awards, including many ??Game of the Year?? accolades ?? is coming to retail stores. The classically styled adventure launches on Wii U in October at a suggested retail price of $24.99.

Nintendo 3DS Games

  • Animal Crossing: Happy Home Designer launches Sept. 25 at a suggested retail price of $39.99. The set of 100 Animal Crossing amiibo cards, which are compatible with the game, launch the same day. The game comes with one complimentary amiibo card, so players can experience how to use the cards to bring additional Animal Crossing characters into the game. People who opt to download the digital version of the game in the Nintendo eShop on Nintendo 3DS at the same price will receive an exclusive Animal Crossing: Happy Home Designer HOME Menu Theme instead of an amiibo card. Cards are sold separately in packs of six at a suggested retail price of $5.99 per pack. A bundle also launching on Sept. 25 includes the game, one amiibo card and the Nintendo 3DS NFC Reader/Writer accessory at a suggested retail price of $49.99. The wireless NFC Reader/Writer is also sold separately at a suggested retail price of $19.99.
  • Chibi-Robo! Zip Lash launches Oct. 9 at a suggested retail price of $29.99. A bundle that includes the Chibi-Robo amiibo launches the same day at a suggested retail price of $39.99.
  • The Legend of Zelda: Tri Force Heroes launches Oct. 23 at a suggested retail price of $39.99.
  • Japanese sensation YO-KAI WATCH launches in the U.S. on Nov. 6 at a suggested retail price of $39.99.
  • Pokémon Super Mystery Dungeon launches Nov. 20 at a suggested retail price of $39.99.
  • Skylanders SuperChargers Racing from Activision launches Sept. 20 at a suggested retail price of $64.99. On Nintendo 3DS, gamers can go head to head with competitive multiplayer via local play or online with up to four players. Iconic Nintendo character Bowser and his Sky vehicle, Clown Cruiser, are available in the Skylanders SuperChargers Racing Starter Packs for Wii and Nintendo 3DS, and can also be played on the Wii U system.
  • The Nintendo 3DS version of Shovel Knight from Yacht Club Games will launch in stores in October at a suggested retail price of $24.99.

amiibo News

  • A new 3-pack of Mii Fighters from Super Smash Bros. will launch on Nov. 1 at a suggested retail price of $34.99.
  • The Mewtwo amiibo from Super Smash Bros. launches Nov. 13 at a suggested retail price of $12.99.
  • Mega Yarn Yoshi, a giant green Yoshi amiibo made from yarn, goes on sale Nov. 15 at a suggested retail price of $39.99. When tapped to the GamePad controller in Yoshi??s Woolly World, Mega Yarn Yoshi activates ??Double Yoshi,?? a second Yoshi to use at any point in the middle of a stage, as well as the ability to save a player??s favorite Yoshi pattern to the amiibo. The standard Yarn Yoshi amiibo also enables the same functionality.
  • The Falco amiibo from Super Smash Bros. launches Nov. 20 at a suggested retail price of $12.99.

Nintendo 2DS

  • Effective Aug. 30, the new suggested retail price of Nintendo 2DS will be $99.99, down from the current suggested retail price of $129.99. The system still comes with a free download code for the digital version of Mario Kart 7.

For more information about Nintendo, visit http://www.nintendo.com. For information about amiibo compatibility visit http://www.nintendo.com/amiibo/compatibility.

Remember that Wii U 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/wiiu or http://www.nintendo.com/3ds.

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 U?? and Wii?? home consoles, and Nintendo 3DS?? and Nintendo DS?? families of portable systems. Since 1983, when it launched the Nintendo Entertainment System??, Nintendo has sold more than 4.3 billion video games and more than 680 million hardware units globally, including the current-generation Wii U, Nintendo 3DS and Nintendo 3DS XL, as well as the Game Boy??, Game Boy Advance, Nintendo DS, Nintendo DSi?? and Nintendo DSi XL??, Super NES??, Nintendo 64??, Nintendo GameCube?? and Wii 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.