Nintendo unloads fall lineup

Owners of Nintendo's consoles won't be left short of games through the end of the calendar year. The company today released a list of products that will be on store shelves between now and early 2006 for the Game Cube, DS, Game Boy Advance, and Game Boy Micro. Nearly 170 games were on the list, which was full of new games, release date changes, and platform additions.

The biggest news from the list was the delay of Metroid Prime: Hunters for the DS. Originally scheduled for release this October, Samus' first-person adventure on the DS will now ship in the first quarter of 2006. However, Samus fans will get a treat with the release of another Metroid game. Metroid Pinball, now set for an October 24 release, will come bundled with the new DS Rumble Pak add-on, which fits in the GBA slot of the DS and lets gamers feel vibrations triggered by the game.

Another notable release date switch-a-roo was Mario & Luigi 2, which was renamed Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time and will now ship November 28. Viewtful Joe's DS debut will now be known as Viewtiful Joe Double Trouble. Mario Kart DS and Animal Crossing DS, previously listed as Q4 titles, have now cemented November 14 and December 5 as release dates, respectively.

The rest of the DS delays hold back Real Time Conflict: Shogun Empires (10/24), SBK: Snowboard Kids DS (November), Golden Nugget Casino (December), Ultimate Card Games (December), Age of Empires: The Age of Kings (January), Bust-A-Move (January), Guilty Gear Dust Strikers (January), Ultimate Brain Games (Q1 2006), and Nicktoons Unite! (early 2006).

Other games previously without a release date include Blades of Thunder 2 (Q4) and Mini RC Rally (Q4). New games hitting the portable will be SeaWorld: Shamu's Big Adventure (11/1), Pac-Man World 3 (November), and Texas Hold 'Em Poker (January).

GameCube owners looking to party it up with Mario and friends can start a bit earlier, as the party game has moved from a November 21 date to November 7. Other games weren't so fortunate. Among the delays on the GameCube are Cabela's Outdoor Adventures 2006 (9/30), Viewtiful Joe: Red Hot Rumble (November), and Super Mario Strikers (12/5).

New games for the GameCube are THQ's Bratz: Rock Angels (10/4) and Activision's Greg Hastings' Tournament Paintball MAX'D (10/18), Cabela's Dangerous Hunts (11/1), American Chopper Full Throttle (11/8), and SeaWorld: Shamu's Big Adventure (11/1).

The Game Boy Advance and Game Boy Micro will see a slew of new games. Previously unannounced games include Lego Bionicle: Maze of Shadows (9/13), Whac-A-Mole (9/22), Rayman Classics (September), Ford Racing 3 (10/4), SRS: Street Racing Syndicate (10/4), Fairly OddParents: Clash with the Anti-World (10/17), Chicken Shoot 1 and 2 (10/18, 11/8), Snood 2: On Vacation (10/18), Backyard Skateboarding 2006 (October), Duel Masters: Shadow of the Code (October), Zatch Bell! (October), SeaWorld: Shamu's Big Adventure (11/1), Totally Spies (November), Dr. Mario/Puzzle League (12/5), and Backyard Football 2006 (Holiday 2005).

Among the delays of previously announced games are Scooby Doo! Unmasked (9/12), Ultimate Arcade Games (September), Tim Burton's Nightmare Before Christmas: The Pumpkin King (October), Ultimate Puzzle Games (October), Donkey Kong Country 3 (11/7), and Trollz Hair Affair (November). Mario Tennis Advance is being served up a new name, Mario Tennis: Power Tour, and it will take to the court on December 5.