Mario, Zelda, Pokemon, Odama, More..

This morning in their E3 press conference Nintendo announced many new titles for the Nintendo GameCube videogame system. Such names as 'Mario' are back, along with some interesting new games such as 'Chibi-Robo', 'Odama' and perhaps the most anticipated of the lot; 'The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess'


Dance Dance Revolution: Mario Mix
Launch Date: Oct 2005
Game Type: Rhythm/Dance
Players: 1-2
Developed by: KONAMI/Nintendo

Boogie down with Mario in his own dance party! Someone has stolen the Music Keys and released the music they held. Without the Music Keys, the unstable power of the music is wreaking havoc on the land. Mario must recover them before the chaos destroys the entire Mushroom Kingdom! The path to the keys is simple: Left, Right, Up, Down, Right, Down...

• Players shake their things to more than 25 dance-flavored songs, from classic Nintendo themes to familiar favorites. With five difficulty levels, dancers of all abilities will be able to get into the groove.
  
  
• Have fun getting in shape! The special "Workout" feature tracks the calories burned while playing.

Chibi-Robo
Launch Date: TBA
Game Type: Action Adventure
Players: 1
Developed by: SKIP

The Sanderson family just got the ultimate in high-tech, house-helper technology: Chibi-Robo. In this inventive, story-driven game, players guide a miniature robot as he completes chores and clashes with enemies in his epic quest to become the highest-ranked Chibi-Robo out there. The living room can be a dangerous place when you're a robot less than a foot tall, so players will need to team up with the native toys to overcome obstacles, rack up points and keep the family happy. Normally running on battery power, Chibi-Robo needs to plug into power outlets with his built-in cord when he runs low on juice. Doing chores has never been so much fun.

Battalion Wars
Launch Date: 09/19/05
Game Type: Strategy/Action
Players: TBD
Developed by: Kuju Entertainment Ltd.

Battalion Wars blazes onto Nintendo GameCube with a platoon of real-time strategy (RTS) action. Whether players are hoofing it across the plains as a lone infantryman or commanding an entire platoon from atop an armored tank, the challenge is real and the mission is critical. There has never been a real-time strategy title like this before.

• Command forces in the heat of battle, but beware. Clever enemy AI will adapt to every move.
  
  
• Hop behind the wheel of multiple attack vehicles: Pilot jeeps, tanks, helicopters, airborne gunships, fighter jets, transport vehicles and more.
  
  
• Take the fight to foes with a massive arsenal of weapons such as rifles, bazookas, flamethrowers, machine guns, mortars, rocket launchers and many others.
  
  
• Countries will rise or fall based on players' tactics, and guiding troops has never been easier. Want to station forces on a ridge? Send a scout team to spy on the enemy? Charge headlong into the breach? Battalion Wars lets players do it all at the touch of a button.

Mario Party 7
Launch Date: Nov 2005
Game Type: Party Game
Players: 1-8
Developed by: HUDSON SOFT CO., LTD.

The entire Mario gang is back for the seventh installment of the incredibly popular Mario Party franchise. Players everywhere will set their controllers to fun as they run, jump, swim and fly through more than 80 new mini-games. But this party's about to get a lot bigger...because EIGHT people will now be able to battle each other at one time. The microphone peripheral from Mario Party? 6 also makes a grand return ? and with the new Mic Grand Prix mode, there will be plenty of voice-over madness for everyone. The addition of two new playable characters, Dry Bones and Birdo, will ensure that even seasoned Mario Party vets can experience a new world of wackiness.

Pokemon XD: Gale of Darkness
Launch Date: Oct 2005
Game Type: Role-Playing Game
Players: 1, 2 or 4
Developed by: Genius Sonority, Inc.

Return to Orre for a new role-playing game in an expansive setting with a sinister plot and characters the likes of which have never been met before. With Eevee as their companion, players seek to unravel the mystery of Shadow Lugia. The fate and welfare of Pok魯n lies in their ability to Snag and Purify them before it's too late.

Odama
Launch Date: TBA
Game Type: Pinball/Military Strategy
Players: 1
Developed by: Vivarium

The legendary general Yamanouchi Kagetora, intent on avenging his father's death, has devised the most ingenious weapon ever to hit the medieval battlefield: the Odama, a gigantic ball powerful enough to destroy whatever it strikes ? friend or foe. Players use the Nintendo GameCube Mic to direct soldiers out of the Odama's way and into the fray, and prove that they have the skills to back up the power of the Odama.

• Using giant flippers, players aim the giant Odama ball to bowl over enemies, shatter their defenses and wreak havoc on the battlefield.
  
  
• With the Nintendo GameCube Mic, players command men to charge the enemy, defend positions, seize the enemy gates and much more.

Mario Baseball
Launch Date: 08/29/05
Game Type: Sports
Players: 1-4
Developed by: NAMCO LTD.

Continuing the tradition started by such games as Mario Power Tennis and Mario Golf: Toadstool Tour, Mario Baseball brings a new brand of fun to the world of baseball. The game combines an intuitive hitting system with easy-to-learn fielding and pitching controls - making it an arcade-like experience that will appeal to baseball novices and hard-core fans alike. Players can try their hands at Challenge Mode, where they must wander the land clearing baseball-related trials. Or they can sit down for a game in the Toy Field, where they hit balls at circles in the outfield to earn coins and other prizes. With multiplayer options for up to four players, wild, character-specific power moves, crazy mini-games and more than 50 characters from the Mario universe, Mario Baseball is sure to be the new favorite pastime.

Super Mario Strikers
Launch Date: TBA
Game Type: Sports
Players: 1-4
Developed by: Next Level Games

Nintendo's foray into sports titles continues with Super Mario Strikers, a new soccer game that's unlike anything ever to hit the pitch. Whether players are freezing their opponents with an ice-cold shell, unleashing a spiny shell on their hapless opponents or making entire teams flee in terror with a roving Chain Chomp, they're sure to see something new around every corner kick. Super Mario Strikers features all the favorite characters from the Nintendo universe, as well as four-person multiplayer action that will have players and their friends cheering all night long. Get ready for the world cup of gaming.

The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess
Launch Date: Holiday 2005
Game Type: Adventure
Players: 1
Developed by: Nintendo

When an evil darkness enshrouds the land of Hyrule, a young farm boy named Link must awaken the hero...and the animal...within. Link, a young man raised as a wrangler in a small, rural village, is ordered by the mayor to attend the Hyrule Summit. He sets off, oblivious to the dark fate that has descended upon the kingdom. When he enters the Twilight Realm that has covered Hyrule, he transforms into a wolf and is captured. A mysterious figure named Midna helps him break free, and with the aid of her magic, they set off to free the land from the shadows.

• When Link travels to into the darkened land of Hyrule, he transforms into a wolf and must scour the land with the help of a mysterious being named Midna.
  
  
• Ride into battle against troops of foul creatures with an incredible horseback combat system, then take on massive bosses that must be seen to be believed.
  
  
• Many puzzles stand between Link and the fulfillment of his quest, so players must sharpen their wits as they hunt for weapons and items.

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