Nintendo announces a packed line-up of upcoming games and content in the latest Nintendo Direct

22 February 2012 – Whether you own a Nintendo 3DS, Nintendo DS or Wii, the recent Nintendo Direct presentation from Nintendo’s Global President, Satoru Iwata, features something for everybody. If you haven’t had a chance to watch it yet, then head over to our Nintendo Direct dedicated website to see Mr Iwata discuss some of the upcoming launches and content that is coming soon from Nintendo. Fans can also keep up to date with exclusive new game information and official Nintendo announcements by following the newly launched official Nintendo of Europe Twitter feed @NintendoEurope

In this latest Nintendo Direct, Mr Sakurai, the creative force behind the world famous Super Smash Bros. and Kirby series, made an appearance to talk about his latest game Kid Icarus™: Uprising. He comments on one of the forthcoming 3 on 3 multiplayer battles, while using the unique difficulty system - the Fiend’s Cauldron - which rewards gamers with stronger weapons, as well as on the innovative AR Card feature within the game. He will also introduce the StreetPass functionality of Kid Icarus: Uprising, where players will have the ability to share one of their weapons with other Kid Icarus: Uprising owners. The selected weapon is turned into a Weapon Gem. Shared Weapon Gems can be converted into real weapons by paying Hearts. Players can also fuse Weapon Gems together by paying Hearts to create a more powerful Weapon.

Kid Icarus: Uprising will launch across Europe on March 23rd with 6 Kid Icarus AR cards included, but there are more to collect to boost your collection. The exclusive Kid Icarus AR Cards will also be available through Club Nintendo. For 250 Stars you’ll be able to get 2 packs containing 6 AR cards each; watch out for extremely rare cards hidden in certain packs..

Many Mario fans will be pleased to hear that Mario and friends will once again be serving up some fast-paced action on court when MARIO TENNIS™ OPEN launches for Nintendo 3DS on the 25th of May. For the first time in a Mario Tennis game, you will be able to compete against others in online matches. Players can earn points by winning matches and make their way up the leader boards that are included in the game. Will you be the next Mario Tennis champion?

However, for those of you who just can’t wait for MARIO TENNIS OPEN to launch, then there are two upcoming Mario announcements that will be of interest. As of today, Nintendo has launched an official Nintendo of Europe community for Mario Kart™ 7 owners. The community will be distributed to European owners of Mario Kart 7 today, so make sure to join. The official community code is 44-9597-2178-5848. For those who are playing SUPER MARIO 3D LAND on their Nintendo 3DS, check out the two Challenge Videos to learn new and surprising techniques. You can find them on the official SUPER MARIO 3D LAND website and check out Nintendo eShop on your Nintendo 3DS system to watch a 3D version.

Rhythm Thief™ and the Emperor’s Treasure will also be available exclusively on Nintendo 3DS due to a new distribution deal between SEGA and Nintendo of Europe. You will be whisked off to Paris on a musical puzzle adventure like no other when this game launches across Europe on 5th April (4th April for Nintendo Iberica). Only by sticking to the rhythm and solving a number of tricky puzzles will you be able to crack the mystery behind the disappearance of master thief Raphael’s father.

If fighting games are your thing then the recently launched TEKKEN™ 3D PRIME EDITION on Nintendo 3DS will be right up your street, the game features all of the classic TEKKEN™ action that fighting fans know and love, and now you can watch a full-length 3D movie set in the TEKKEN universe and game trailer which is available through Nintendo eShop. Those who are still fighting off the infected in Resident Evil™ Revelations and perhaps need a little help should make sure that they continue to carry their Nintendo 3DS around to collect Nintendo Play Coins which can be traded in for weapon upgrades in-game. And that isn’t all: fans can also look forward to a new game from the Fire Emblem series, launching in 2012 for Nintendo 3DS along with some exclusive downloadable content being made available for this game, such as additional maps.

There are also plenty more downloadable offerings from Nintendo eShop to be made available in the coming weeks. But today Nintendo 3DS owners can download Dillons Rolling Western - an action tower defence game, set in the Old West. Starring Dillon, a ranger armadillo, you must use a mixture of stylus-based combat and tower defence strategy to stop the rock monsters from eating your livestock. Head over to Nintendo eShop now to check out the 3D trailer. If you fancy getting your hand on something a little more cute and cuddly then the nintendogs+ cats Nintendo 3DS demo could be right up your street. Bond with your fluffy friend, as you try to take care of and play with your very own puppy or kitten, in this trial version of one of Nintendo’s best-selling franchises. Also keep an eye out on Nintendo eShop as Nintendo will, for the first time, be bringing SEGA Game Gear games to Nintendo 3DS, as part of its Virtual Console service offering from March onwards.

Coming to Nintendo 3DS later in Q2 is a game created by the Project Zero series development team. Spirit Camera™: The Cursed Memoir is a unique horror experience that utilises all of the features of the Nintendo 3DS system to truly bring the frights to life. Use the accompanying “purple diary” - a 16-page AR notebook included with the game - to view ghostly images and interact with the world like never before. European horror fans will also be interested to know that Project Zero 2: Wii Edition will be coming to Europe.

Fans of action-packed RPGs can look forward to the launch of a limited edition Pandora’s Tower™ on 13th April exclusively for Wii. The limited edition offers fans a premium steel book casing and a beautiful 32 page art book, showcasing the best imagery of the game. Hot off the heels of The Last Story™, Pandora’s Tower is the latest in a line of story-driven, action RPGs to launch for Wii and features a unique relationship mechanic and multiple possible endings depending on your style of play.

For those who are already playing or wish to play The Last Story, keep an eye out for the Director’s Cut trailer which can be viewed at the Nintendo Direct page. The exclusive ‘making of video’ featuring the creator of the game, Hironobu Sakaguchi, editing the exclusive new ‘Directors Cut’ trailer will also be made available soon. Wii owners who prefer to tap out a beat will love Beat the Beat: Rhythm Paradise™ launching across Europe in 2012. The game features a series of minigames all using button controls and rhythm - make sure to get your dancing shoes on to win.

The popular Inazuma Eleven® franchise is returning for Europe on 16th March in the form of two games: Inazuma Eleven® 2 Firestorm and Inazuma Eleven® 2 Blizzard which can be played on your Nintendo DS family of consoles and Nintendo 3DS (in 2D). Both games will be distributed by Nintendo of Europe and feature more football based RPG action with a strong blend of strategy and an engrossing storyline that fans of the series have come to know and love.

Head over to the full Nintendo Direct website or keep up to date with the latest announcements by following @NintendoEurope - the official Nintendo of Europe Twitter feed.

Click here for a list of some of the upcoming games which will be launching across Nintendo 3DS, the Nintendo DS family of consoles and Wii, as well as a taster of some of the offerings which will be available to download from Nintendo eShop, Nintendo DSi Shop and Wii Shop Channel.