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DS Launch Titles Officially Revealed
Thanks to Gamespot for a breakdown of the official DS Launch Title lineup. The selection includes lots of big names, including The Sims, Madden, Mario, Metroid, Pokemon, and Spider Man 2. The system will also feature a remake of Final Fantasy III (jp), one of the most outstanding games ever to be released for the famicom system.Update: 10/07 20:57 GMT by Z : Gamesindustry.biz has a story on this as well, adding details and stating that there will be a DS Zelda title as well!
Article text :
Nintendo DS launch titles officially revealed
Super Mario 64 DS, Spider-Man 2 highlight a launch lineup that will consist of 10 to 12 titles. UPDATE: Japanese launch title details, Final Fantasy III confirmed.
SEATTLE--In the wee hours before it takes the wraps off of its soon-to-be-released DS portable gaming system, Nintendo released new details on the upcoming platform's software lineup at launch--and beyond. As noted previously, the system is slated to ship November 21 at an SRP of $149.99. However, since Nintendo's release of those details several weeks ago, there has been little word on the software lineup for the fledgling device. Now, new details have finally emerged that help paint a broader picture of the software available for the system, and some of the system's unique features.
The first-party offerings for the system's launch will include Super Mario 64 DS, a translation of the Nintendo 64 classic; a playable demo of the upcoming Metroid game, Metroid Prime Hunters: First Hunt; and PictoChat, which will be built into the DS and will let users exchange text messages or hand-drawn pictures and send them wirelessly to up to 15 other nearby Nintendo DS users. Looking further ahead, there will be a number of first-party DS-exclusive games hitting the system, including a multiplayer-enabled Mario Kart game, the full version of Metroid Prime Hunters: First Hunt, WarioWare Inc. DS, Animal Crossing DS, Yoshi's Touch & Go, Advance Wars DS, and a what is listed as a new Super Mario Bros. game. Nintendo-published games can be expected to retail for as low as $29.99.
The third-party support for the system includes key franchises and original games from several major publishers. Electronic Arts will bring Madden NFL 2005, Tiger Woods PGA Tour Golf, and Urbz: Sims in the City during what is described as the hardware "launch window." Following that initial batch, EA is also planning on delivering GoldenEye: Rogue Agent and Need for Speed Underground to the DS.
Activision will have Spider-Man 2 at launch and follow up with another unnamed title that is described as "major."
THQ will offer Ping Pals at launch and follow up with other games to be announced later.
Sega will offer Feel the Magic: XY/XX at launch and follow up with Puyo Pop Fever.
Further out from launch, Nintendo revealed that Ubisoft will bring Rayman DS, Asphalt Urban GT, and Crush; Namco's games will include Ridge Racer DS and Mr. DRILLER: Drill Spirits; Capcom will present an entry in the Viewtiful Joe franchise; Hudson Soft will bring Bomberman to the platform; Konami's Frogger will make an appearance; and Square Enix will offer up a Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles title.
UPDATE: During today's press conference in Tokyo, Nintendo also revealed details about the system's Japanese launch on December 2. The company announced that 12 titles will be available for launch: five from Nintendo and seven from third parties. The first-party titles will include: Super Mario 64 DS, Pokémon Dash, Big Concert! Band Brothers, Touch! Made in Wario, and Intuitive Stroke. Of the third party titles, five are known: the recently-announced Zoo Keeper (Success) and Mahjongg Tournament (Koei) will join Sega's Kimishine (also known as Feel the Magic), Spike's Tendo Dokuta, and EA's Urbz.
Also announced at the Nintendo press conference today was that Square Enix will be bringing a remake of Final Fantasy III to the handheld. The only Final Fantasy title to never be remade and to never make it out of Japan, FFIII is considered to be one of the most intricate role-playing games ever designed for the Famicom. It was originally scheduled to be remade on the Wonderswan portable years ago, but the project was cancelled when Square stopped supporting the system. A North American release for Final Fantasy III DS was not confirmed.
"DS provides a roadmap to the future of videogames," says Reggie Fils-Aime, Nintendo of America's executive vice president of sa
Not all of the FFs released in Japan were released in America:
Japan/States
NES
FF1/FF1
FF2/Not released
FF3/Not released
SNES
FF4/FF2
FF5/Not released
FF6/FF3
PS
FF7/FF7
and all PS versions are numbered the same.
Later on FF5 was released in the States on PS.
Most FF fans will call the games by their Japanese numeration.
You're thinking of Final Fantasy 6. As any follower of the Final Fantasy series knows by now (one would hope), the game that was released as FF 3 in the U.S. was actually FF 6. The first FF 3 was a Famicom game that never saw foreign shores (as was pointed out in the summary, albeit not very clearly to anyone unfamiliar with the subject).
I'd say there are too possible reasons for the game to come out for the DS instead of the GBA. The first is that Nintendo paid for it to drive DS sales. This would probably have made news by now if it were the case. The second possibility is that Square-Enix is making use of at least one of the DS's new features in some way. They may have some quirky minigame that uses the stylus, or they may merely want to make use of the DS's more powerful hardware. My best guess, however, is that Square-Enix is testing the waters to see how the public reacts to an RPG that uses two screens. Since FF 3 won't cost as much to produce as making a game from scratch would (not that they're saving a heck of a lot, really, since only the scenario is likely to be reused) and is a surefire hit, they're not taking as much of a risk this way as they would if they developed a whole new game for the system.
No, or at least, this FFIII wasn't a huge seller on any US system. From the article:
The FFIII you know of in the US, for the SNES, is actually Final Fantasy VI in Japan. There's a nice table in this Wikipedia article listing the Final Fantasies and what systems and countries they came out on/in.I'd love a remake of the US FFIII, but the prospect of a FF I've never played is enticing as well. I think some fans have patched/fansubbed the FFIII ROM if you want to try it. I wouldn't condone such a thing, though ;)
7d9e63e9501751ff4bf9307989d5623d *SheepHead