Nintendo's set itself a target of selling 16 million 3DS consoles around the world in the coming financial year, but president Satoru Iwata knows the company will only succeed if the main attractions come out swinging.
Speaking at a financial results briefing, the question was raised about whether big Nintendo titles Animal Crossing, Mario Kart and Super Mario would land in this financial year, to which Iwata replied:
If any one of the titles you mentioned right now is not released within this fiscal year, I do not believe that we will sell 16 million units of Nintendo 3DS hardware this fiscal year.
While Iwata couldn't give any further information on the titles, he did have one thing to say:
Therefore, I cannot tell if all of them will be released in the current fiscal year, but at least some of these anticipated titles will be launched in this fiscal year.
But which ones? Iwata clarifies:
However, especially for the two titles I introduced today, which are the new iterations of "Mario Kart" and "Super Mario," I did not talk about them with the image of launching them in the next fiscal year or thereafter, so please understand it in that way.
Translation: expect Super Mario and Mario Kart for 3DS in the next twelve months. You can start rolling out the bunting now.
[source nintendo.co.jp]
Comments (42)
I wonder how bad the rubber banding and blue shell mania will be in the 3DS version of Mario Kart.
It sounds like we may have to wait until next year for animal crossing unfourtanetley but Mario kart 3ds should be awesome and Super Mario 3ds is my most anticipated 3ds game, with Tales of the abyss in a close second.
I'd take Animal Crossing this year over anything else, but looks like it's another long wait ahead :
Good. I need an online fix for my 3DS, and Mario Kart sounds good.
i'd still rather have MH, but oh well!
In other words, they need to print more money.
Too many games, not enough money D:
Yes! Mario Kart! I paid for Mario Kart already, so bring it on, Nintendo! As for Mario 3DS, I'm still trying to scare up enough money for it. O_o
better bring my snaking technique back up to par
If Ninty were to make limited edition 3DS consoles they could sell so many! Limited Edition Super Mario 3ds would sell like crazy....And a Cross between Nintendo and Capcom to make a Limited Edition MH 3DS for a release of a Monster Hunter game on the 3DS would sell by the millions!
a man can dream
Time to learn what the new dynamic and metagame will be for this iteration of MK. blue shells, rubberbanding, etc., bring it all on... it never stopped me from being the best, let's go!
@Iwata
Well theres a thought xD I cant wait for Mario Kart 3D
Darn. I want Animal Crossing to come before July so that I can play it with my friend when he visits from Arkansas. I'm sure that isn't going to happen though.
@aArcanum, I can see a Limited Edition 25th Anniversary 3DS Zelda bundle with Ocarnia of Time.
"I'd take Animal Crossing this year over anything else"
High fives James
so its december 4 mario kart 3DS and super mario thank god animal crossing 2012 i could afford it after christmas
Damn right they need "big games", and fast. June cannot come quickly enough.
Has Animal Crossing ever been a system seller though? Seems to me Mario is the big draw anyway, and if Animal Crossing slips into next year I don't think there are too many people out there who'll bat an eye, especially if it's like City Folk and just the same exact experience all over again.
^^I doubt that would happen so soon after the console's launch but that would be sweet! Gold 3DS ftw.
is it bad that i prefer animal crossing and a MH over mario kart?
I'd also prefer Animal Crossing...
I only want Animal Crossing 3DS if they change it up a lot and add a lot of new things to it. If they're just going to release basically the same thing again, I'll pass.
Mario Kart would be great for one reason: Online play. It can show if nintendo is willing to introduce some kind of lobby system still keeps fingers crossed. The system bound Friendship Codes where the first step in the right direction. But Mario Kart aside...ANY first party game would be apriciated. I bought my 3DS on launch day, played the build in mini games for 2 days and then...put the system away to collect dust
.what i want to hear about is kid icarus, it sorta fell off the radar.
@8
I hope (and believe) that snaking is more or less dead now, with MKWii's revamped drift mechanics leading the way.
My question: bikes? I say keep 'em in.
looking forward to animal crossing there doesnt seem to be much to it but can get lost in it for hours hope new ones got extra stuff chucked in
If Nintendo is smart, they will hold off hotly anticipated online titles until they have figured out the 3DS online system enough to work it to, & @ it's peak, or they make most online enabled games able to have their online structure upgradable. This would allow them to make online games have better online systems once they figure out the best ways to utilize their online system.
Throwing out a hit, like MK so early might back fire, if Nintendo doesn't get the online straight. But this applies to all online-enabled games.
All I want this year is an actual game that would make me want to buy a 3DS.
Once Mario Kart comes out, Nintendo shouldn't worry about sales of the 3DS.
Mario Kart DS are they doing away with the blue turtle shell?
This goes in the "doh!" category, and all I have to say to this is bring it on!
@JamesNewton
Same here, buddy. Mario Kart is great and all, but I'm an Animal Crossing addict through and through.
I'll never say no to a new Mario platformer, however...
Nintendo my wallet is ready.
^ Mine isn't
@30 I'd guess not...It makes it more fun XD
Well if Kid Icarus and Super Mario are out by the end of the year, they'll be one closer to the goal. But Animal Crossing as fun as it was on the Gamcube and then the improvement of the DS version was great. Then City Folk came and ruined the dream, adding one thing does not equal a new game especially if I'm loosing portabiblity in the process. I need a big turn around to garner buying another Animal Crossing. As for 3DS, chances are I'll have one soon (Well between that and a 160 GB Ipod Classic, I'm a big music person and 8 GB doesn't come close to covering my library), but I'll have both by the end of the year.
Isn't that obvious? I thought the 3DS would be a sellout but it is not, Nintendo need a crushing Mario title to shift more units.......
Super Princess Peach 2!!
They need a big title fast, so having Mario Kart out by the summer wouldn't be a bad guess.
Once Mercenaries And Zelda Blast Out Shareholders Will Be Happy
well bring me a pandora's tower on 3DS or a MH with co-op and i promise i will buy two more to play with my friends
@39 true, but i feel it is not enough. MGS and Revelations were the main reasons i was excited. but I felt cheated when i found out that they are both not coming out until next year, and that MGS was not even there yet.. :S
The only thing that would get me excited would be a Paper Mario game, thats about it.
I think it would be sweet if after "Ocarina" these games would release this year:
I guess Nintendo-wise these games should really help selling the system the most for now.
In my opinion they shouldn't overdo it with Mario so i would be fine with Paper Mario releasing in mid 2012 and i could easily wait until early 2013 for the next Mario platformer. I'd even like them to release another Mario platformer with 2D gameplay first.
But of course i could easily wait a bit longer for a game if it means i'll get a better experience.
We need a direct sequel of Super Mario 64. New Mario Brothers entries are nice, but they are essentially 2D, and neither installment has quite the charm of Super Mario 3 and Super Mario World. Super Mario Sunshine played as a nice diversion in the Game Cube era, and while it was a great concept with unique control scheme, it just doesn't quite have the classic feel in it's platforming elements, with the exception of the bonus stages. Super Mario Galaxies 1 & 2 are both equally epic, far surpassing the scope of any previous Mario adventure. It just seemed that may of the Galaxy stages in both games were too linear in nature: the 64 and sunshine levels featured many different possible paths through the world to reach the goal. In some 64 levels, you could even collect stars out-of-order. Rather than moving along a prescribed obstacle course like in Galaxy, creating new paths to reach the same goals was almost a creative endeavor in and of itself, and added lots to the replay value of the game. This also led to the later development of some truly impressive speed-run videos by elite gamers. I truly believe it's time to get back to the Mushroom Kingdom and Mario's home planet, and create a 3D Mario game with a good, simple, old-school physics engine and fully explorable, "roam anywhere" level layouts like the old N64 version, with multiple missions in each world. Whacky gravity physics, awesome as they are, should be reserved for the bonus stages and secret areas only. And please, no more 2D overworld maps for a 3D universe. The hub system being partially replaced by a classic 2D overworld in Mario Galaxy 2 was somewhat of a letdown.
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