Wii Launch: Six Games. No Mario

All six are must have titles for me...

Last I heard, there were supposed to be seventeen launch titles... What happened to Trauma Center 2: Second Opinion?!

I call BS: No way they are launching with just 5 games + a GCN upgrade. Where are the EA games, where are all the other games that were supposed to be there for launch? GCN launched with 20 games, and that console's launch wasn't exactly "dashing".

Granted, now we get Zelda, Metroid and some -possibly- other gems on day one, but where are the games Nintendo wants to show off the Wii's uniqueness with? Where is Wii Sports, where are the games my grandma would want to play? Maybe these games will be there for launch, but i can't believe they would be the only ones, or Nintendo is dropping the ball big time. Which games would cater to the non-gamer exactly?

I agree, this sounds false. There's no way Nintendo would launch without WarioWare: Smooth Moves. Although they have been going on about spreading the games out during the first year of the Wii on the market. And without Excite Truck the console wouldn't even have a racing game at launch... unless third parties can fill that void.

spong are trying hard to get rid of their "not-so-trustable" sticker, and then they come walsing in with this bullshit.

there will be around 20 games at release, nintendo power mearly stated that these 6 games will be there.

i lol at spong.

I dont have the magazine in front of me so I dont know exactly what it does or does not say. I cannot imagine Spong posting such a story without double checking these facts as this appears to be very bad news indeed.

On the other hand this could have an upside.

First of all GCN only launched with 4 titles. Luigi's mansion, Monkey ball 1, wave race blue storm, and i cannot recall the other game. Considering that MPIII and Zelda are on the list, I consider this a pretty strong showing with 2 must haves on day one. Red Steel very well could be a must buy, Dragon quest games are great so at least in japan that is a must buy (and probly for me too), and monkey ball is always a must buy for me. That means 5 games for me on launch day even if zelda gets my all my immediate attention.

So what good news could come of this if this is all for the launch titles. Well, it could mean that the system is coming out earlier than expected like in october and only these 6 will be completely prepped for that date. Also it means that nintendo could be staggering their titles a little bit so that there is not going to be that new console drought that so many consoles suffer from for 6-8 months after launch (see x360 for example). Finally this does not mention at all what other titles will be coming out in the luanch window (6-8 weeks after launch) which very well may include all the other expected titles. And finally it does not mention what VC (virtual console) games will be ready for download.

As for the comment about which of these games would interest my grandmother....how many grandmothers do you know that are going to stay up all night in the freezing cold to get a Wii on day one? Not many so i assure you that by the time the console gets into full circulation many grandmother frienly games will be available on market. These games cater much more to the hardcore nintendo gamer because that is who will be buying the first 2-4 million consoles.

Sure launch could use some more games, but even just with Zelda and MPIII i am completely happy.

It's waltzing assmunch. Get it right or pay the price! (Does anyone remember that?!)

Anyways, the GCN launched with only six games on launch day, and they are:

Tony Hawk Pro Skater 3
Madden NFL Football 2002
Luigi's Mansion
Star Wars: Rogue Squadron II
Super Monkey Ball
Wave Race: Bluestorm

Now there were over twenty games, by 12/31/01.
At the end of December, but as we all know, the launch window is the first day not the first three months like some other hardawre manufacturer (a-hem, Cock-Box. Yeah I said it!) would like you to believe. I'm sure more games are coming at the list isn't final. That is obvious and someone else right above me said exactly the same. Anyways, just pointing out that the Gamecube only launched with six games as well. So it is possible.

No Wii Sports at launch, no Wii for me.

I know for a fact that of the people I know looking forward to the Wii, many of them are looking for Wii Sports. I think such a simple game could have some detrimental effects for the launch, it's the game that really shows what kind of fun the new controller can be.

And how can they not be finished Wii Sports, the characters are like 3 polygons each...

A console needs to make the right first impression. It gets its biggest moment in the spotlight at launch, so they better make use of it if they want to show the non-gaming community that they will love this thing.

I bought GCN shortly after launch and remember a lot more than 5 games to chose from (with Burnout being one of them). Maybe there were only 5 games on launchday however, i don't remember, you could be right. But again, GCN's launch wasn't exactly "on fire". So if games are really so easy to develop for Wii why not launch with software to convince the non-gamer? A missed oppertunity if you ask me. If this is true of course.

It's not the full list. End of.

sorry for not being from england or any other english-speaking country. i will try to refrain from writing anything else when you are around, so i dont disturb you with my awful language. im really sorry i had to trouble you this much, but i hope you sleep well anyway.

I don't think there's anything to worry about on this one. It's from a Nintendo mag and while the list is always changing i think they probably mean six but possibly more. Take it with a pinch of salt.

As for Trauma Center 2, that game deserves to be available at launch. I hope it happens.

Suppose it also depends on if Wii will get a global launch or if they'll stagger it. and if so by how long.
I have to say that Red Steel looked pretty weak in the videos at E3. There was lots of waving the target about and getting shot.
I hope they fix it and get it right but I get the impression that it should not be a launch title. It would benefit from a little time to polish it surely?

I'm not bothered by the lack of Mario. Mertroid and Zelda look good enough. The lack of Wii sports or Warioware bothers me more.
I think Gamecube launched on the 13th september 2001 with 3 games, Luigi,monkey ball,waverace, followed soon after by sonic adventure. It had several more for the Us launch and there were loads by the time europe got it.
but I thought they scored a big own goal in europe.
Xbox had just been launched and was suffering from a games drought and also bad press due to the STUPID PRICING.
Nintendo sold loads of GCs and for the first few weeks looked like it was going ok. They were releasing big games every coupld of weeks (smash bros, pikmin) then they just stopped and left it for ages before anything else came out. Yet in the US there was plenty new title available. (Eternal Darkness, Resi, Mario!!)
In the meantime the Xbox recovered. gathered up some momentum. got a couple of key titles exclusive over christmas and that was that.

I am quite sure that the GC launched in the US with 4 titles. Actually the accessories and games were sold before the system actually released because I purchased 4 controllers, 2 memory cards, and the four games the week before the console actually released.

The four US launch games were monkey ball, luigi's mansion, wave race BS, and (thanks to the above poster) Rogue Squadron.

Needless to say Smash bro's and pikman came out not long afterwards (after a couple of weeks) along with a whole slew of games by christmas.

I do not think this is an exhastive list, but this is the current for sure list of release games for day one.

As long as Nintendo gets some of their new Touch Games for Wii out bofore christmas, they will have plenty of time to pimp them to the world as must have games to accompany the must have game system for Christmas. I assure you that wario ware and sports will be out in plenty of time for christmas.

Did you not read my post before. It was six games, two of which you don't mention I BOUGHT ON DAY ONE WITH THE SYSTEM. Also launch day was November 11th, I believe, four days before the oversized black and green VCR came out. And again those games were:

Waverace: Blue Storm
Luigi's Mansion
Super Moneky Ball - ****
Star Wars - Rouge Squadron II
Tony Hawk Pro Skater 3 - ****
Madden NFL 2002 - ****

Can you tell which games I owned!?

Anyways, it seems you blokes can't quite remember the Gamecube launch or it's early success. I do think Zelda and Metroid will push the system sales just fine. I don't mind not having Mario, I honestly like Link and Samus better. Although, Smash Bros. and Wii Sports and other simple titles should be out if they plan to draw in non-gamers. That's what they've been saying for ages. And to have only semi-complex games is kind of counter intuitive. Actually, Hyper Super Ultra Mega Booster Counter Intuitive. That's some counter.

I bought my GC a while after launch but I found I enjoyed the games I carefully selected to buy. Indeed it did launch with 6 games.

I think we don't have to worry too much until we know for certain what we are getting around launch time. If it goes tits up then we have plenty of forum space to then moan properly.

Despite the news, just wait and see what happens.

I'm glad someone else knows the launch titles.

Recent Nintendo consoles haven't been worth buying on launch.

Typically, I wait 1-2 years for home systems (never for the rubbish N64) and 2-3+ years for portables (in my experience/opinion, Nintendo portables end their lives with less than 5 excellent games, I will never forgive Nintendo for letting me buy a full-price GBC when it finally had two good games - Zelda/Pokemon - and then for the GBA to be released the following month rendering my investment useless and worthless).

None of the GC launch titles were good for me, but it quickly got Mario Sunshine and then Zelda/Metroid, and transformed into probably Nintendo's best home system along with the Super NES.