Nintendo lines up Euro release schedule

Although Grand Theft Auto IV swerved to the top of the charts, and sold some 8.5 million games so far, there's one other major Rockstar title that gamers in the UK are still waiting for.

That game is Manhunt 2, and it was originally meant to be released last summer. However, the British Board of Film Classification refused to issue the game a certificate on the Wii, PlayStation 2, or PSP, citing as one of its reasons the "unremitting bleakness and callousness of tone."

This was the start of a protracted legal battle between Rockstar and the ratings board, and involved a successful appeal, the overturning of that appeal, and the second verdict of the Video Appeals Committee, when the BBFC finally agreed to give an edited version of the game an 18 certificate.

Since the courtroom win, Rockstar has been strangely silent on a new date for the title, but according to Nintendo it will now be getting a release this August--on the Wii at least. Rockstar had not returned calls to comment on whether the other versions of the game would be coming out at the same time.

Nintendo also dated a slew of other titles, both first- and third-party, for the Wii and DS. The list covers Europe for the rest of the year, and includes de Blob on both the Wii and DS on September 26, Rock Band on the Wii in Q3, and Ace Attorney: Trials and Tribulations on October 3.

Asides from Super Smash Bros. Brawl, due out in the region on Friday, Wario Land: The Shake Dimension is the only major first-party release currently planned in Europe in 2008, according to the list. This incarnation is the first new Wario Land title since 2001, and also the first to appear off Nintendo's Game Boy or its siblings.

The full list follows:

Wii games

Super Smash Bros. Brawl (Nintendo)--June 27
Bejing 2008 (SEGA)--June 27
Big Beach Sports (THQ)--June 27
Wacky Races: Crash and Dash (Eidos)--June 27
Guitar Hero Aerosmith Bundle Pack on Wii (Activision)--June 27
Kung Fu Panda (Activision)--June 27
Radio Helicopter (505 Games)--June 27
Okami (Capcom)--June
We Love Golf! (Capcom)--June
Hannah Montana: Spotlight World Tour (Disney Interactive Studios)--June-September
Pool Party (SouthPeak Games)--July 4
WALL-E (THQ)--July 4
Cocoto Kart Racer (Neko Entertainment)--July 11
Baroque (Rising Star Games)--July 18
Margot´s Word Brain (ZOO)--July 18
Yamaha Supercross (ZOO)--July 18
CID The Dummy (Oxygen Games)--July 25
Super Swing Golf (Rising Star Games)--July 25
Table Football (505 Games)--July 31
Pimp My Ride (Activision)--July
The Incredible Hulk (SEGA)--July
Jeep Thrills (ZOO)--August 8
Legend of Sayuki (505 Games)--August 8
Brothers in Arms: Earned in Blood (Ubisoft)--August 14
Brothers in Arms: Road to Hill 30 (Ubisoft)--August 14
Calvin Tucker´s Redneck Jamboree (ZOO)--August 22
Clever Kids: Farmyard Fun (Ghostlight)--August 22
Clever Kids: Pirates (Ghostlight)--August 22
Tiger Woods PGA Tour 09 (EA)--August 26
Runaway The Dream of the Turtle (Focus Home Interactive)--August 28
Soulcalibur Legends (Namco Bandai/Ubisoft)--August 28
The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor (Vivendi Games)--August 29
Brave: A Warrior's Tale (SouthPeak Games)--August
Carnival Games: Mini Golf (2K Play)--August
Manhunt 2 (Rockstar Games)--August
Space Chimps (Brash Entertainment)--August-October
Chess Crusade (ZOO)--September 5
TNA impact (Midway Games)--September 5
Pipe Mania (Empire Interactive/ Kochmedia)--September 14
Bratz: Girls Really Rock (THQ)--September 19
Order Up (ZOO)--September 19
Sim City Creator (EA)-- September 19
Star Wars: The Force Unleashed (LucasArts/Activision)--September 19
Counter Force (505 Games)--September 26
De Blob (THQ)--September 26
Wario Land: The Shake Dimension (Nintendo)--September 26
Family Trainer (Namco Bandai)--September
Sambe De Amigo (SEGA)--September
Wild Earth: African Safari (Majesco/Codemasters)--September
All Star Cheer (THQ)--Q3
Rock Band (EA)--Q3
Jeep Let's Off Road (ZOO)--Q3
World of Goo (RTL Playtainment)--Q3
WWE Smackdown vs. Raw 2009 (THQ)--Q3
Skate It (EA)--2008
Top Spin Tennis (2K Sports)--2008
Sonic Unleashed (SEGA)--late 2008

Nintendo DS games

Ninja Gaiden Dragon Sword (Ubisoft)--June 26
Final Fantasy Tactics A2: Grimoire of the Rift (Square Enix)--June 27
Kung Fu Panda (Activision)--June 27
Journey to the Centre of the Earth (THQ)--June 27
Shining Star Super Starcade (ZOO)--June 27
Evolution GT (Lago Srl)--June
Sid Meier's Civilization Revolution (2K Games)--June
The Incredible Hulk (Sega)--June
Top Spin 3 (2K Sports)--June
Asterix Brain Trainer (Atari)--June-October
Animal Genius (Ubisoft)--July 3
Farm Life (Ubisoft)--July 3
Puzzler (Ubisoft)--July 3
Bakushow(Rising Star Games)--July 4
Cory in the House (Disney Interactive Studios)--July 4
Mahjong-Eine Reise um die Welt (dtp young entertainment)--July 4
Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Time / Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Darkness (Nintendo)--July 4
Road to Vegas (Ghostlight)--July 4
Super Speed Machines (Ghostlight)--July 4
WALL-E (THQ)--July 4
Guitar Hero: On Tour (Limited Edition Bundle) (Activision)--July 18
Rythmn & Notes (505 Games)--July 18
Brico Utile (Neko Entertainment)--July 18
Deco Tendances(Neko Entertainment)--July 18
International Athletics (Ghostlight)--July 18
Margots Word Brain (ZOO)--July 18
Yamaha Supercross (ZOO)--July 18
Crazy Labyrinth (dtp/Eidos)--July 25
Mazes of Fate DS (Neko Entertainment)--July 25
Tennis Elbow (Neko Entertainment)--July 25
The Mummy Tomb of the Emperor (Vivendi Games )--July 25
The Woodleys - Summer Sports (dtp young entertainment)--July 25
City Life (Monte Cristo Multimedia)--July
Dream Pinball 3D (SouthPeak Games)--July
Jewel Quest (Astragon)--July
My Make-Up (Oxygen Games)--July
Pirates: Duels on the High Seas (Oxygen Games)--July
Zoo Hospital (Eidos/Majesco)--July
Die Reitakademie (dtp young entertainment)--August 1
Jeep Thrills (ZOO)--August 8
Lissy Horse Life mit Carry Case (Deep Silver/Kochmedia)--August 9
BangaiO Spirits (D3Publisher of Europe)--August 22
Clever Kids: Pirates (Midas)--August 22
Clever Kids: Farmyard Fun (Midas)--August 22
Imagine Figure Skater (Ubisoft)--August 28
Brave: Shaman's Challenge (SouthPeak Games)--August
Gauntlet (Eidos)--August (tbc)
Space Chimps (Brash Entertainment)--August-October
Chess Crusade (ZOO)--September 5
Spellbound (505 Games)--September 5
Spore Creatures (EA)--September 5
Mein Beautyhotel fur Tiere (dtp young entertainment)--September 12
Rune Factory: A Fantasy Harvest Moon (Rising Star)--September 12
Shin chan e i colori magici (505 Games)--September 12
Subbuteo (505 Games)--September 12
Blended (505 Games)--September 19
Bratz: Girls Really Rock (THQ)--September 19
Dungeon Explorer (Rising Star Games)--September 19
Ontamarama: Music Maniacs (505 Games)--September 19
SimCity Creator (EA)--September 19
Star Wars: The Force Unleashed (LucasArts/Activision)--September 19
De Blob (THQ)--September 26
Drawn to Life: Spongebob Squarepants Edition (THQ)--September 26
Make 10: A Journey of Numbers (Nintendo)--September 26
Shaun the Sheep (D3Publisher of Europe)--September 26
8Ball Allstars (Oxygen Games)--September
Bratz Ponyz 2 (Game Factory)--September
Code Lyoko 2 (Game Factory)--September
Cosmetic Paradise (505 Games)--September
Element Girls (aka Magic Diary) (DTP)--September
History Great Empires: Rome (Lago Srl)--September
Lock's Quest: Construction Combat (THQ)--September
My Dress-Up (Oxygen Games)--September
Nanostray 2 (Majesco/Codemaster)--September
Sonic Chronicles: The Dark Brotherhood (SEGA)--September
Super-Bikes Riding Challenge (Lago Srl)--September
Toy Shop Tycoon (Majesco/Codemasters)--September
Zenses Ocean (Game Factory)--September
Zenses Rainforest (Game Factory)--September
Ace Attorney: Trials and Tribulations (Nintendo/Capcom)--October 3
Naruto Ninja Council 2 (Nintendo/Takra Tomy)--October
Arkanoid (Ubisoft)--summer
Space Invaders ExtremeTM (Square Enix/Ubisoft)--summer
Crossword Challenge (The Games Company)--summer
AMF Bowling Pinbusters (ZeniMax Europe)--summer
Ducati Moto (ZeniMax Europe)--summer
Skate It (EA)--2008
Sonic Unleashed (SEGA)--late 2008
I Love Beauty and Sushi Academy (City Interactive)--Q3
Rubiks Classic (working title) (Game Factory)--Q3
All Star Cheer (THQ)--Q3
Sokoban DS (RTL Playtainment)--Q3
Time Hollow (working title) (Konami)--Q3/4