Nintendo unveils Mario Strikers and Battalion Wars sequels at Leipzig, little else [update 2]
And the first new game to be marched onto the stage at the Leipzig Games Convention is Mario Strikers Charged, a Wii sequel to Mario's Gamecube exercise in frantic ball kicking. Eurogamer reports that the game is visually similar to the previous entry, but that it now sports special moves for the Wiimote. You can seemingly hold the Wii controller up to block incoming shots with your hands, though more enterprising players will surely have a lot more fun (and awkward injuries) strapping the wiimote to a foot and going ballistic.
Battalion Wars 2 -- as in BWii -- was also announced and is expected to be playable on the show floor. No new information on it yet, but rest assured that we'll keep you updated. That being the opposite of what Nintendo has done regarding Wii launch information, of course. Many expected their "Wii Prove Our Promise" keynote to toss a stick of dynamite into the Wii rumor mil and blow the constant launch date hearsay and price pontification to unrecognizable smithereens, but Nintendo has deemed it necessary to keep people in the dark for a little bit longer. We'll get you for this, Iwata.
[Update: One other minor announcement: Europe gets the gloriously pink DS Lite on October 27th.]
[Update: There's some video footage now up of the game. Check it out here and after the break.]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
friedgreenmushrooms @ Aug 23rd 2006 5:57AM
*sobbing* PLEASE! JUST TELL US AND LET THIS NIGHTMARE END!!!
On that note, I'm going to bed.
Super Duper Mario @ Aug 23rd 2006 8:29AM
"Tokyo Game Show"
Where did they tell us about the Wiimote?^
http://nintendo.joystiq.com/2006/07/24/nintendo-not-speaking-at-tokyo-game-show/
Its called the press event before the show...
chillyp @ Aug 23rd 2006 9:39AM
Matt from IGN posted this on his blog the other day.
http://blogs.ign.com/Matt-IGN/2006/08/22/28830/
It's an invitation to a game lineup at NOA on the 14th of September. Could this be where they will announce the details -- especially considering they aren't speaking at TGS?
Josh @ Aug 23rd 2006 9:49AM
So freaking pissed. Can't believe Nintendo let us down like this. I thought they were better than this.
Marc @ Aug 23rd 2006 10:14AM
You people are pathetic.
You're mad at Nintendo for not saying when the Wii will release? You've waited an entire year! I'm sure that you all can wait til next month (which is only a few days away).
Fortyseven @ Aug 23rd 2006 10:26AM
I feel [ab]used. :(
himwhoknows @ Aug 23rd 2006 11:00AM
why blame nintendo for something you bulit up in ur own mind its a trade show its not aimed at fans get over it
Adam Johnson @ Aug 23rd 2006 11:02AM
BOOOOO!I wasnt really expecting launch/price, but I was at least holding out for some new cool games. Mario Strikers and Batallion Wars 2? Great, sequels to 2 horrible games that nobody cares about.
Marc @ Aug 23rd 2006 11:50AM
"Mario Strikers and Batallion Wars 2? Great, sequels to 2 horrible games that nobody cares about."
Yeah, tell that to Mario Strikers high sales and multiple awards.
But to each his own.
CUBEBOY101 @ Aug 23rd 2006 12:03PM
battalian wars is a game no one cares about are you on drugs it sold better than any rts type game in japan and got above average sales in the west it was a great game 100 TIMES BETTER THAN THE LAME WW2 CRAP BEING DONE TO DEATH BATTALIAN WARS WITH WIIMOTE AND ONLINE WAY TO FOOKING GO GREAT GAME
thebigL @ Aug 23rd 2006 1:08PM
This is getting depressing.
Gaye Mann @ Aug 23rd 2006 1:25PM
Mario Strikers is a great game and I imagine more popular in Europe where football (I refuse to call it soccer) is more popular than the AmeriKKKa.
And though Battalion Wars received a lukewarm reception, it was a great game that was held back it's short length and lack of replay value. If the got a longer game with the Wii's higher capacity discs and had a multiplayer mode, prefereably online, it could stand to be one of the greatest hits ever.
I can understand Nintendo fans being angry though. We want to know the price and launch date so we can plan our lives around it. How much will we set aside for how long? What day should I call ahead and tell the boss I won't be able to make it? etc.
Josh @ Aug 23rd 2006 1:47PM
"Wii Prove Our Promise" -- Hahaha.
Donny @ Aug 23rd 2006 3:50PM
I thought Nintendo was also suppose to speak with EA. Does this still hold true?
Ryan Pax @ Aug 23rd 2006 5:23PM
There was another dissapointement besides lack of release date. Matt at IGN said, during a podcast, that we may see games that have been for other consoles "going to the Wii Instead" being announced. And that they had to be careful what to say because of "lawyer fairies", sugesting a non-disclosure aggreement of some kind.. Also, the guys at 1up said in last weeks podcast that , 'Square loves the DS wait till the conference you'll see...'
All of wich led me to beleive that Some major announcement was going to be made about some major franchise moving to nintendo. I thought maybe FFXII would go to Wii, or even better FFXIII!!!! Or perhaps FFVII going to the DS next!!!
But i didn't hear it, after getting my hopes up so much. I rely on established game sites not to induldge in that kind of hinting at something they are not absolutley sure of, and on those particular points they did not emphasize that they were rumors, they talked about them as if they were bragging about what they knew.
NOT. COOL.
Ryan
Marc @ Aug 23rd 2006 10:43PM
Like I said, you people are pathetic.
You've waited a year for the console, you can certainly wait a few more days.
Besides, we all know that the Wii won't cost more than $250. So just have $250 set and ready to go, and when the Wii's released, you can get it on day one.
Oh and Gaye Mann,
not cool calling America "AmeriKKKa". We don't make fun of your country (although if you help get Bush out of office, you can call us whatever you want!).
And one more thing Gaye Mann,
SOCCER SOCCER SOCCER!!! (there I said it)