Nintendo planning Q4 blitz for Cube and GBA

Nintendo of America has restated its first party plans for the States this year, and pending slippage it looks like the Cube could be in for its first respectable Christmas line-up, with Geist, Mario Tennis, Metroid Prime 2, Paper Mario 2 and Star Fox 2 all down for release between October and December, with the inevitable Mario Party 6 rounding things off.

Until then it looks like the US is in for decent Cube games at one-month intervals, alternating between multiplayer frenzies and more traditional titles. Wario Ware, Inc.: Mega Party Game$ sticks to its April 5th date (and budget price point), followed by Custom Robo Battle Revolutions on May 10th, The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Adventure on June 7th, Pikmin 2 in August and Donkey Konga in September.

The Game Boy Advance line-up is arguably less exciting, but there are still some positives, starting with Mario Vs. Donkey Kong on May 24th and Mario Golf Advance Tour on June 28th. Disappointingly though, it appears that NoA will not be following Nintendo Japan's lead in bundling the GBA wireless link adapter with Mario Golf. Instead, the wireless adapter will be released with GBC remakes Pokîmon Fire Red and Leaf Green in September.

Elsewhere, a fourth Hamtaro handheld game is down for a July release, while Kirby: The Great Mirror Maze, Mario Party, Mario Pinball and Mario Tennis are all perched non-comittally in the Q4 bracket. Interestingly, F-Zero 2 is labelled September and Donkey Kong Country 2 is due in Q4, which means we're likely to see them in Europe first - F-Zero 2 (or GP Legend as it's known) is due out here on June 4th, while DKC2 is down for June 25th.

On the whole though it's an interesting line-up that could give the Nintendo consoles enough ammunition to threaten Sony and Microsoft in the run up to the festive period. Assuming, that is, that the games in question don't quietly slip into early 2005. And given Nintendo Europe's tactics in the past - releasing Metroid Prime nearly six months after its US debut, for example - we reckon importers will find the most to celebrate in this latest announcement.