Mickey Mouse, James Bond & Sonic Headline Nintendo’s Holidays

Nintendo’s third-party publishing partners are bringing out their heavy hitters this holiday season. Wii and Nintendo DS owners will have a sizable library of new games to choose from, as well as some cool new peripherals.

“Third-party publishers realize the wide appeal of Nintendo systems and come up with creations that challenge veteran gamers and invite new ones to play,” said Steve Singer, Nintendo of America’s vice president of Licensing. “We’re constantly amazed at the creative ways these talented developers continue to push the boundaries of our hardware. We thank our partners for their continued support.”

Disney Epic Mickey for the Wii console marries lush graphics and incredible game play, as players draw and erase elements of the cartoon world known as Wasteland. Mickey Mouse stars alongside 80 years of memorable and forgotten Disney characters in a game that contains echoes of platforming and role-playing. The choices that players make – to create or erase – have wide-ranging implications on how the game unfolds. The game launches Nov. 30.

“I’ve been waiting my whole professional career to have an opportunity to make the game I’ve always dreamed of making,” said Warren Spector, general manager and creative director, Disney Interactive Studios’ Junction Point in Austin, Texas. “The ability to utilize the Wii gestural control to reach the broadest possible audience is the perfect way to make Mickey Mouse a true video game hero.”

THQ’s uDraw GameTablet accessory is scheduled to launch Nov. 14. It comes with uDraw Studio software, which lets users create any kind of artwork they can imagine. Players can select from a variety of drawing media, including pens, an airbrush or chalk, and 11 canvas types, including notebook paper, cardboard and concrete. A playback function lets artists show a time-lapse video of their creations from conception to execution. Users can even save their creations on an SD memory card (sold separately) to print or share it with others. Other games that use the exclusive peripheral include uDraw Pictionary and uDraw Dood’s Big Adventure.

“The uDraw GameTablet is designed to appeal to a broad audience at a compelling price point,” said THQ President and Chief Executive Officer Brian Farrell. “The fun is unlimited: you can doodle, create serious art or enjoy great family entertainment with games like Pictionary.”

Performance Designed Products launches its Headbanger Headset for Wii on Nov. 9. For the first time, players will be able to use a headset to chat in real time and send voice messages when used with compatible games such as Call of Duty: Black Ops by Activision or Conduit 2 by SEGA.

Other key third-party Wii games available this fall and holiday season include:

• Just Dance 2, Ubisoft’s sequel to the hit original, which includes more than 40 new music tracks, plus dance moves choreographed by experts in all types of music. Just Dance has sold more than 4 million units worldwide. Just Dance 2 launched on Oct. 12.
• GoldenEye 007 for Wii, Activision Publishing’s new game based on the legendary GoldenEye movie. The game stars Daniel Craig’s James Bond and lets players take charge of the gritty action as they try to outwit, outmaneuver and overtake an arms syndicate that threatens the world. GoldenEye 007 supports classic four-player split-screen modes and up to eight players can play together online. The game launches Nov. 2 and is also available in a special bundle with an ultra-cool gold-colored Classic Controller Pro.
• SEGA’s Sonic Colors, which launches Nov. 16. Sonic The Hedgehog takes on a wild new adventure as he attempts to defeat the diabolical Dr. Eggman. Sonic collects and uses new power-ups derived from the colored energy of an alien race called the Wisps. The game blends 3D and classic 2D perspectives, and includes heavy doses of the nonstop, high-speed action that Sonic is known for.

On the portable Nintendo DS family of systems, some key third-party games include:

• Super Scribblenauts from WB Games, the sequel to the award-winning Scribblenauts. The game, which launched Oct. 12, introduces a new adjective system that lets players change the color, size and behaviors of objects. Players can create any object that comes to mind to help Maxwell find a way to claim his Starite on 120 new levels.
• Rock Band 3 from MTV Games, the hand-held exclusive version of this beloved music franchise. The game includes 25 songs from top recording artists, with eight play modes. Players can watch their bands rise from local legends to world-famous rock stars, or even compete in head-to-head multiplayer battles. Rock Band 3 launched Oct. 26.
• GoldenEye 007, a new first-person action game. The Nintendo DS version of GoldenEye 007 offers all of the epic action of James Bond’s greatest adventure in both single- and multiplayer modes and is available on Nov. 2.
• Sonic Colors from SEGA. The portable version makes use of both Nintendo DS screens, and includes power-ups not found in the Wii version. It has all the same great Sonic action but players can take it with them on the go. The game launches Nov. 16.