Nintendo Announces Delays

REDMOND, Wash - What was to be the corporate equivalent of a coming out party - where all the pretty young things are introduced to the expectant world - turned out to be a minor disappointment today.

We're not talking blondes in strapless gowns, of course. The "pretty young things" were to be N64 titles paraded in front of the game press by Nintendo of America. Unfortunately, the no-shows outnumbered the shows.

Howard Lincoln told the group of journalists that Banjo-Kazooie, Major League Baseball Featuring Ken Griffey Jr., and the newly named Yoshi's Story have had their release dates pushed back. The new release dates are: Banjo-Kazooie, March 16; Ken Griffey Jr., March 30; Yoshi's Story, February 9, 1998.

Nintendo said that Conker's Quest is also delayed - until March of 1998.

On delaying the release of these titles, Nintendo president Howard Lincoln said, "After E3, and in the last 30 days, it has become increasingly apparent we cannot get the games on store shelves by November without sacrificing quality, and we are not going to do that."

Diddy Kong Racing, in "secret" development by Rare for two years, is the equivalent of going to the bench and coming up with the best solution at dealing with yet another delay in N64 title development.

Lincoln says DKR was not shown at E3 in order to protect what Rare calls its "real-time dynamic animation" process.

DKR is slated to hit a November 24 release date and retail for an MSRP of US$69.95.

In related news, Zelda 64 is due in Japan by Christmas, Lincoln said. And he added that the US release of Zelda 64 will take place sometime before the end of the first half of 1998.

The release date for Bomberman, picked up from Hudson and now to be published by Nintendo, is now December 1.

GS News will update Nintendo coverage later today.