Ocarina of Time 3D’s Release Date Set For June 19, Wii Play Sequel Announced

Those of you who have been waiting for a solid release date for Ocarina of Time 3D, wait no longer. Today Nintendo of America revealed the U.S. date in an official press release – and yes, it is in June as they previously suggested. June 19th, to be precise, less than two weeks after E3. I’ve already marked this one on my calendar – now you know that I’ll be officially picking up a 3DS in 68 days. Nintendo also released a pic of the official boxart – really spiffy, featuring a nice-Twilight Princessesque storybook cover design. Notice the ocarina and

harp

lyre (that Nintendo will probably refer to as a “harp”) symbols in the corners… Wait, wasn’t that same lyre shown in the GDC Skyward Sword trailer? Update: Forgot to mention – Master Quest’s inclusion is reconfirmed in the press release, so those of you who missed out on GameCube can give it a try on 3DS.

That’s not the only exciting announcement from today – the press release also revealed a completely unforeseen release date of June 13 for Wii Play: Motion, a Motion Plus-capable sequel to the popular arcade-style Wii Play which released alongside the Wii back in 2006. Wii Play: Motion will come bundled with a black Wii Remote Plus. Could this be the beginning of the big boost in first-party Motion Plus software that I predicted awhile back? We’ll have to wait and see, but in the meantime, I know I loved the original Wii Play, so I’m sure this one will woo me as well.

NINTENDO UNVEILS HEROES, MYSTERY AND MOTION IN SECOND-QUARTER VIDEO GAME LINEUP

Roster Includes The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D with Master Quest, Mystery Case Files: Dust to Dust and Wii Play: Motion with Wii Remote Plus

REDMOND, Wash., April 12, 2011 – Nintendo of America today revealed a diverse lineup of new video games set to launch during the second quarter of 2011. Whether they’re playing at home on the Wii™ system, having fun on the go with the Nintendo DS™ family of systems or discovering the new Nintendo 3DS™ hand-held system, consumers will have a wide variety of engaging, inclusive experiences to choose from as Nintendo and its publishing partners unleash more than 50 games in the coming months.

A June 19 launch date has been set for The Legend of Zelda™: Ocarina of Time™ 3D, a re-mastered edition of one of the most acclaimed installments in The Legend of Zelda series, created exclusively for the Nintendo 3DS system. Wii owners, meanwhile, can look forward to the June 13 launch of Wii Play™: Motion, which includes 12 new motion-controlled games and will be packaged with a black Wii Remote™ Plus controller. Upcoming games also include Mystery Case Files™: Dust to Dust™ for the Wii system, which combines the seek-and-solve fun of the puzzle-based series with adventuresome story elements, multiplayer modes and the intuitive motion control of the Wii Remote™ controller.

“Following a tremendous launch for Nintendo 3DS, our roster of upcoming games for Wii and all of our hand-held systems will keep the momentum going strong into summer,” said Marc Franklin, Nintendo of America’s director of Public Relations. “Games like The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D and Wii Play: Motion offer exciting additions to some of Nintendo’s most popular franchises, while our third-party partners continue to provide blockbuster gaming experiences for Nintendo systems.”

The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D brings a completely re-mastered version of an epic entry in the beloved The Legend of Zelda game series to Nintendo’s newest hand-held system, Nintendo 3DS. The game couples phenomenally enhanced graphics with stunning, glasses-free 3D visuals to bring to life the daring adventures of its hero, Link™. A streamlined touch-screen interface and newly implemented motion controls provide a fresh and intuitive feel as players immerse themselves in the tale of the creation of Hyrule and the struggle for control of its all-powerful ancient relic. The game will also feature new challenges not included in the original game. The Legend of Zelda veterans can look forward to the Master Quest – a second quest with revamped puzzles and redesigned dungeons that feature the same graphical and interface upgrades as the main game. The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D is a masterful improvement on one of the landmark releases in video game history.

With the June 13 launch of Wii Play: Motion, Wii owners will be twisting, turning and enjoying themselves like never before, whether they’re newcomers to the console or have already discovered the fun of the popular Wii Play game. From catching a gust of wind by tilting an umbrella to fending off garden pests by swinging a mallet, each of the 12 included games will have players smiling wide as they use their Wii Remote Plus controller (or Wii Remote with Wii MotionPlus™ accessory) in a variety of interesting, sometimes unexpected ways. Wii Play: Motion comes packaged with a Wii Remote Plus controller – which combines the original Wii Remote controller with the precision of Wii MotionPlus – to deliver great value, precise motion control and immersive social fun that anyone in the household can pick up and instantly enjoy.

Mystery Case Files: Dust to Dust brings the intrigue and sleuthing of Big Fish Games’ Mystery Case Files series to the Wii system for the first time. The game transports players to the enigmatic Malgrave Island, where they must hunt for hidden objects and solve puzzles to collect a magically powerful dust scattered across the island. Anyone can delve quickly and easily into the game’s rich seek-and-solve action, using the Wii Remote controller to examine multi-layered hidden-object scenes, locate cleverly concealed items and obtain inventory items that will help to overcome brain-teasing obstacles. Multiplayer features allow players to team up and crack the case together or face off in a competitive hunt for hidden objects. (Additional controllers are required for multiplayer features and are sold separately.) No matter who’s playing, it’ll take sharp eyes and a keen mind to get to the bottom of Mystery Case Files: Dust to Dust.

Third-party publishers will offer a spectacular range of new software for Nintendo systems in the months to come. Among the upcoming games for the Wii console are Konami Digital Entertainment’s Karaoke Revolution Glee: Volume 2 and Disney Interactive Studios’ LEGO® Pirates of the Caribbean: The Video Game. Nintendo 3DS users can look forward to a May launch for TECMO KOEI’s DEAD OR ALIVE® Dimensions, while Warner Bros. Interactive’s Green Lantern: Rise of the Manhunters is set to launch simultaneously for Wii, Nintendo 3DS and the Nintendo DS family of systems on June 7.

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

Wii

Activision

Transformers™: Dark of the Moon™ Stealth Force Edition – June 14

Deep Silver, Inc.

Get Fit with Mel B – Spring

Disney Interactive Studios

LEGO® Pirates of the Caribbean: The Video Game – May

Disney•Pixar

Cars 2: The Video Game – Summer

Graffiti Entertainment, Inc.

Reader Rabbit® Preschool – April

Reader Rabbit® Kindergarten – April

Reader Rabbit® 1st Grade – April

Reader Rabbit® 2nd Grade – April

Konami Digital Entertainment

Karaoke Revolution Glee: Volume 2 – Spring

NAMCO BANDAI Games America Inc.

ExerBeat™ – April 26

Nintendo

Wii Play™: Motion – June 13

Mystery Case Files™: Dust to Dust™ – June 27

SEGA

Thor™: God of Thunder – May 3

The Conduit™ 2 – April 12

THQ Inc.

Rio – April 12

SpongeBob SquigglePants – April 12

Kung Fu Panda® 2 – May 24

Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment

Green Lantern: Rise of the Manhunters – June 7

Nintendo DS Family

Activision

Transformers™: Dark of the Moon™ AUTOBOTS™ – June 14

Transformers™: Dark of the Moon™ DECEPTICONS™ – June 14

Squinkies – April 12

Bergsala Lightweight LLC

Loving Life with Hello Kitty® and Friends – May 10

Deep Silver, Inc.

Duke Nukem: Critical Mass – Q2

Disney Interactive Studios

LEGO® Pirates of the Caribbean: The Video Game – May

Disney•Pixar

Cars 2: The Video Game – Summer

Easy Interactive

Hollywood Files – June 14

Picture Puzzle Collection – May 17

Match 3 Madness – May 3

Konami Digital Entertainment

Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D’s World Championship 2011 – May 10

Majesco Entertainment

Cake Mania Main Street – May

SEGA

Thor™: God of Thunder – May 3

THQ Inc.

Rio – April 12

Paws & Claws Pampered Pets 2™ – April 12

Kung Fu Panda® 2 – May 24

Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment

LEGO® Battles: Ninjago – Spring

Green Lantern: Rise of the Manhunters – June 7

Nintendo 3DS

Activision

Transformers™: Dark of the Moon™ Stealth Force Edition 3D – June 14

Aksys Games Localization, Inc.

BlazBlue: Continuum Shift II – May 24

Crave Games

Cartoon Network Punch Time Explosion – May 24

D3 Publisher

Dream Trigger™ 3D – April

Disney Interactive Studios

LEGO® Pirates of the Caribbean: The Video Game – May

NAMCO BANDAI Games America Inc.

DualPenSports™ – May

PAC-MAN® & Galaga® DIMENSIONS – June

Nintendo

The Legend of Zelda™: Ocarina of Time™ 3D – June 19

NIS America, Inc.

Cave Story 3D – June 28

TECMO KOEI AMERICA CORP.

DEAD OR ALIVE® Dimensions – May

THQ Inc.

SpongeBob SquigglePants – May 17

Ubisoft Entertainment

Driver® Renegade – Spring

Rabbids® Travel in Time – April 10

Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell® 3D – April 10

James Noir’s Hollywood Crimes™ – June 7

Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment

Green Lantern: Rise of the Manhunters – June 7

Remember that Wii and Nintendo 3DS feature parental controls that let adults manage the content their children can access. 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 3.5 billion video games and more than 577 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.

Source: Nintendo Press