REDMOND, Wash.–(BUSINESS WIRE)– Leaves won’t be the only things turning gold this fall as Nintendo prepares to launch an extraordinary lineup of games for its Wii™, Nintendo 3DS™ and Nintendo DS™ game systems. At a recent meeting of GameStop retail store managers from across the United States, Nintendo of America’s executive vice president of Sales & Marketing Scott Moffitt revealed new details about upcoming releases for several fan-favorite franchises:

A special limited-edition The Legend of Zelda™: Skyward Sword bundle containing the game and a gold* Wii Remote™ Plus controller will be available when the game launches on Nov. 20.

Also for The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword, every copy in the initial production of the game will come packaged with a special music CD featuring orchestral arrangements of select songs that will be performed at The Legend of Zelda 25th Anniversary Symphony Concert.

Nintendo will launch the upcoming Tetris®: Axis game for Nintendo 3DS systems on Oct. 2.

The Professor Layton and the Last Specter™ game for the Nintendo DS family of systems will launch Oct. 17.
“Nintendo has something for you this fall, no matter what type of gamer you are, no matter what Nintendo system you’re playing,” said Moffitt. “Whether you’re looking for a world-spanning epic like The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword, the pick-up-and-play puzzle fun of Tetris: Axis or the mind-bending adventure of Professor Layton and the Last Specter, we’ve got you covered.”

The limited-edition gold controller bundle for The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword will be offered at a suggested retail price of $69.99. The game will also be sold separately at a suggested retail price of $49.99, though the gold controller will only be available as part of the special bundle. As an additional 25th anniversary treat for fans who purchase the game early, every copy in the initial production, whether sold by itself or as a part of the limited-edition bundle, will come with a free CD featuring select orchestral arrangements of iconic music spanning the history of the franchise which will be performed at The Legend of Zelda 25th Anniversary Symphony Concert performances in October 2011. For more information about The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword, visit http://www.zelda.com/skywardsword.

The original portable Tetris® game was a smash hit on the Game Boy™ system. The new Tetris: Axis game lets players use the magic of the Nintendo 3DS system to jump into the action in 3D without the need for special glasses. The game includes more than 20 different modes – some familiar, some new. Up to eight players can compete in wireless multiplayer battles, even if only one player has a game card**. Tetris: Axis also makes use of the augmented-reality and SpotPass™ features of Nintendo 3DS. Tetris: Axis is part of a stirring fall lineup for Nintendo 3DS that also includes Pokémon™ Rumble Blast (launching Oct. 24), Super Mario 3D Land™ (November) and Mario Kart™ 7 (December).

Professor Layton and the Last Specter for the Nintendo DS family of systems is the fourth installment in the Professor Layton puzzle adventure series. It begins a new trilogy that is a prequel to the original games, set three years before the events in Professor Layton and the Curious Village™. The game contains more puzzles than any in the series to date. As a North American exclusive to the overall Professor Layton and the Last Specter package, a bonus role-playing game called Professor Layton’s London Life™ containing more than 100 hours of additional content will be available to players from the start of the game.

Nintendo press release

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Deerock69 said:

I will be picking that colletor's edition up and shelving it permanently. It will be worth a mint in my golden years.

Posted by

rebonack

on: 08/30/11, 17:58

I'm admittedly a bit shocked that Nintendo isn't trying to sell Tetris for $40. Color me surprised. Pleasantly surprised.

Still, $30 seems a little expensive, too. It's certainly easier to swallow than $40, but... still. Hm. I'll really have to think about whether or not I really need a Tetris game on my 3DS. Especially when I could just download Tetris Party LIVE for DSiWare. And that's only $5.

Posted by

GameDadGrant

on: 08/30/11, 18:00

The important question, though--does Tetris: Axis have that infinite spin mechanic? If so...no buy.

That Casper misunderstanding was awesome.

Posted by

TriforceBun

on: 08/30/11, 18:07

@TriforceBun
All official Tetris games will have it apparently so it's a safe bet that this one does too. WAH.
It's an "official rule" now.

Posted by

ploot

on: 08/30/11, 21:20

I don't own Wii MotionPlus or a Wiimote Plus, so I may pick up the bundle for this game.

EDIT: For Zelda at least. I don't give a shit about the other two games. NOA is still poop.

Posted by

X-pert74

on: 08/30/11, 21:28

Edited:

08/30/11, 21:30

@X-pert74
B-b-but... Layton!

Posted by

ploot

on: 08/30/11, 22:17

Being nerdish is fun. I have a Zelda shirt I wear, that's probably more nerdy than using a Zelda controller. Anyway they're all video game controllers, it's tough for one to actually be more nerdy than another.

But I just don't care enough to spend money on this stuff. A shirt is one thing, it has a real use for me. I don't need another WiiMotion+ though. At least, not right now. Maybe I will once Wii U releases.

And terrible writing in Layton? Hmm. I imagine you guys pretty much got the same translation we got. I loved the writing.

Posted by

Zero

on: 08/30/11, 23:10

Edited:

08/30/11, 23:11

Oh yeah there are holes in the story (I'd argue there are holes in every time travel story but that's a whole new can of worms) but I love the dialogue. It's kind of childish, but in a Miyazaki-esque way. My nieces and nephews liked watching the cutscenes with me.

It probably wouldn't hurt to have a "puzzle only" mode open from the start though. I know a lot of "non-gamers" who enjoyed playing my copies after I unlock everything, but I doubt they would have sat through the stories and moving the characters around the screens and such.

Posted by

Zero

on: 08/30/11, 23:18

@ploot I played the first game for awhile, but couldn't bring myself to beat it. I really don't care too much about that series.

EDIT: @Simbabbad I see what you mean, but it would be hypocritical for me to criticize such a thing when I have anime girl models placed on my shelf.

Posted by

X-pert74

on: 08/30/11, 23:23

Edited:

08/30/11, 23:24

@Simbabbad
Hm, that's the first I hear of Unwound Future's issues. I thought the game was great, personally. The story in the Layton games is enjoyable and I love how they (try to) incorporate the puzzles into it, even if it sometimes it's really stretching it :-P

Posted by

anon_mastermind

on: 08/30/11, 23:42

Haha, I can't argue with any of that, it's all true. But the thing is, Layton stories have become increasingly inane with each new release, kinda paving the way for ever more ludicrous plots. Preparing us, in a way, for batshit craziness.

I dunno. With Unwound Future I just sat back and though "Come on, bring on the insanity", and I was definitely won over by the time the Professor transformed a slot machine into a machine gun. It was fun.

Posted by

Guillaume

on: 08/31/11, 00:01

Edited:

08/31/11, 00:02

@Simbabbad
Hm... maybe they were all robots like in The Curious Village.

Yeah, the underground London was a bit of a stretch...but the kid was rich beyond belief so with enough money I think you can do anything.

Nice job, calling it. I knew something was off about Old Luke, but I didn't think he would be the antagonist.

I don't think the game is trying to be realistic or anything. I mean, we knew this since the ending of the first Layton. It's just an amusing, semi-believeable scenario. I don't take it too seriously, and it ends up being entertaining.

And Layton's love story with Claire drew a tear from my eye. I rewatched that goodbye cutscene after finishing the game, really good.

Posted by

anon_mastermind

on: 08/31/11, 00:04

Edited:

08/31/11, 00:04

ploot said:

@TriforceBun
All official Tetris games will have it apparently so it's a safe bet that this one does too. WAH.
It's an "official rule" now.

Yeah, that bugs the hell out of me... They know that the "official rules" piss off a good chunk of Tetris fans and they can't even include an OPTION for a classic mode to satisfy us. I hate when a company tries to tell its fans that they are wrong, like they know best. George Lucas Syndrome.

But whatever... I just won't be buying any new versions of Tetris. My Gameboy copy still works just fine and there are plenty of emulators in the world if I want to play it on other devices.

Posted by

Hinph

on: 08/31/11, 00:38

@Simbabbad Wait, are you really arguing about the plausibility factor for the details in a video game fantasy series? Of course it is ridiculous that he built an entire fake London under London and for that matter Pokemon is ridiculous (who would let their children go off exploring the world like that?) and Phoenix Wright and Resident Evil and Ghost Trick and Killer 7 (wait why are only Capcom games coming to mind here?!) um... Trauma Center and Monster Hunter and Kirby and Bioshock and Uncharted and of course Mario ten times over.

Also Castlevania like... why does Dracula act like such a badass every time, when he has consistently been defeated over and over and over and over for thousands of years, generally mere minutes after he is revived? Where does his confidence come from?

But then if you stick to requiring too much plausibility you end up with these boring "adult" dramas everywhere. I can throw out my logical mind at times to get some fun storylines.

Posted by

Zero

on: 08/31/11, 00:49

Zero said:

... why does Dracula act like such a badass every time, when he has consistently been defeated over and over and over and over for thousands of years, generally mere minutes after he is revived? Where does his confidence come from?

Hinph likes Zero's comment.

Posted by

Hinph

on: 08/31/11, 00:57

Fans generally do know their tastes best.

I'm asking for a simple option here... nothing more.

Posted by

Hinph

on: 08/31/11, 01:05

Anyone else thinking we should get Zero, Simba, and Casper, put them all in a closed cage and let them nerd rage at each other?

*taking bets on who would win!!!*

Posted by

CB200

on: 08/31/11, 01:45

@Simbabbad
Anyone seriously discussing the story in Professor Layton officially has zero right in saying what's "nerdy" and what isn't

Posted by

carlosrox

on: 08/31/11, 01:48

Preorders for the bundle are up on Amazon.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002I0GEHI/ref=ox_ya_os_product

Posted by

Earendil

on: 08/31/11, 01:58

Simbabbad said:

Here it's a shitty job, and saying "of course it's shitty but it's OK it's a video game" is the lamest excuse in the book.

But I never said anything like that. I don't think the story is shitty at all though, I think it is awesome. It is awesome in a light-hearted fantasy way where nothing really has to be totally plausible and it's just a fun ride with fun characters and bizarre happenings. You said it borrowed from Sherlock Holmes earlier but I think that is not really accurate. I think it borrowed a lot more from Miyazaki and Lupin III and, well... classic anime storytelling.

Still if you don't want the story "imposed" upon you, you are probably right in giving up on the series. As I said before, a puzzles only mode unlocked from the start would make sense to me, but I don't see it happening.

Posted by

Zero

on: 08/31/11, 02:17

Edited:

08/31/11, 02:18