Wii Europe launch titles announced

Though North American gamers are still pretty much in the dark about what Wii games will be available the moment the system debuts, Nintendo has confirmed the European list of titles available to buy when the Wii goes on sale in that region on December 8. The list of Wii games due in Europe by the year's end is five titles less than those available for the US in 2006, and some titles are showing up in one region and not the other.

Nintendo is still offering three first-party games for the Euro launch, but instead of US launch title Excite Truck (due in Europe in February), European Wii owners will be able to pick up Wii Play (which still has not been scheduled for release in North America).

There are also a few changes with third-party games in Europe. System 3 is offering a pair of titles for the region's Wii launch--Gottlieb Pinball Classics and Super Fruit Fall--as well as Impossible Mission, Leaderboard Golf, and Tennis Masters by the end of December, but like Wii play, these games aren't on the North American slate. Fans waiting for Ubisoft's Blazing Angels: Squadrons of War will be pleased to see that the game is in the European lineup, if not the US one.

Here is the list of Wii games slated to be available for the European launch date, indexed by publisher:

Nintendo
Wii Sports (included with Wii)
The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess
Wii Play (including Wiimote)

Activision
Call of Duty 3
Marvel: Ultimate Alliance
Tony's Hawk's Downhill Jam

EA
Madden NFL 07
Need For Speed Carbon

Midway
Happy Feet
Rampage: Total Destruction

Sega
Super Monkey Ball: Banana Blitz

System 3
Gottlieb Pinball Classics
Super Fruit Fall

THQ
Cars
Barnyard
Spongebob Squarepants: Creature from the Krusty Krab

Ubisoft
Blazing Angels: Squadrons of WWII
Far Cry: Vengeance
GT Pro Series
Monster 4x4: World Circuit
Open Season
Rayman Raving Rabbids
Red Steel
Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell Double Agent

Nintendo also announced the games that will be available to download on its Virtual Console channel for Europe. The list of titles is the same as those available to gamers in the US, with one extra title, SNES classic Donkey Kong Country. Nintendo promises that more titles will be added in 2007.

Pricing for the UK and Europe has been reitirated as "estimated" as follows: The console with one wireless controller, Nunchuk, Wii sports game, AV cable, and sensor bar will be £179 (249 euros). First-party games will retail at an estimated £34 to £39 (49 to 59 euros). Additional controllers will be priced as follows: The Wiimote will be £29 (39 euros), the Nunchuk will be £14 (19 euros), and the classic controller will be £14 (19 euros).