From now to Xmas on DS: Nintendo reveals gameplan
Yoshi's Island 2 and Opera web browser due and dated, while Magnetica and Mario Hoops 3-on-3 renamed
Okay, call us greedy, it won't be the first time – it won't even be the first time since breakfast – but we were hoping more big hitters might sneak onto Nintendo's just-revealed official DS release line-up for the rest of 2006.
With New Super Mario Bros. only recently out and reviewed, it was undoubtedly presumptuous to hope Star Fox DS (out next month in Japan) or even The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass might arrive this year.
Still, we're looking forward to Yoshi's Island 2 – now confirmed for a 1st December release – as well as various titles from other publishers that aren't part of Nintendo's official line-up.
If some of the game names below are a bit confusing, that's because Nintendo Europe has decided to... well, confuse us. Take, for example, ActionLoop – that's the game released in Japan and the US as Magnetica. Same thing with Mario Slam Basketball, which up to this point has been more commonly known as Mario Hoops 3-on-3.
In fact, the only new game on the list is 42 All-Time Classics, which consists of a 42-strong selection of board and card games, such as chess and trumps.
And it could be much worse: poor Game Boy Advance owners have nothing to look forward to (apart from the machine's excellent back catalogue) but a new outing for the Pokémon series, Pokémon Mystery Dungeon Red Rescue Team. Since non-Nintendo made GBA games are pretty universally disappointing nowadays, the case for upgrading to DS Lite is becoming inarguable – if you've the spare £99 required, of course.
One last thing – don't miss the Nintendo DS web browser, which is now officially chalked down for a 6th October UK release. You could read Pocket Gamer from your pocket games machine!
Nintendo's DS software 42 All-Time Classics 29th September Nintendo DS Browser 6th October English Training: Have fun improving your skills 13th October Sudoku Master (name TBC) 27th October Actionloop 27th October Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Blue Rescue Team 10th November Mario Slam Basketball 10th November Hotel Dusk: Room 215 (name TBC) 24th November Yoshi's Island 2 (name TBC) 1st December Harvest Moon DS End of 2006
Game Boy Advance software Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Red Rescue Team 10th November