As months go, August isn’t exactly a huge time for new releases on Nintendo consoles. That’s not to say that there aren’t any upcoming games for Nintendo fans to keep an eye out for this month, it’s just a bit thin when compared to what’s coming this Fall/Spring. Anyway, what are the few games to look out for this August? How much longer do us poor, neglected PAL regions have to wait for them to come out? And why is the current US president in the header image? Read on for the answers.
Madden NFL 11 (Just about every console)
US: August 10
EU: August 13
AUS: August 12
Why should you care? Because you’re a massive fan of American football who apparently didn’t get enough of a sports fix with the last billion releases of Madden. That doesn’t apply to you? In that case, it’s probably best to skip this entry. Anyway, even if it doesn’t interest you in the slightest, Madden 11 is going to sell tonnes of copies (at least in the US) when it releases for every current-gen console, and even some last-gen ones. PS2 owners, rejoice! Expect the same Madden you either did or didn’t play last year, but with updated graphics, player rosters and a few minor gameplay tweaks. To me at least, the most interesting feature is that apparently after winning the Super Bowl your team gets to travel to Washington D.C. and shake hands with President Obama (pictured above). And that just goes to show how much I care about football.
Harvest Moon DS: Grand Bazaar (DS)
USA: August 17
EU: TBA
AUS: TBA
Why should you care? If you preorder it at Gamespot, you can get this adorable horse plushie! Seriously, even if they all end up being very samey, Natsume’s been pumping out solid Harvest Moon games for years. Grand Bazaar doesn’t look like it’ll reinvent the series, but it could end up being the best farming sim on the Nintendo DS, and maybe even the best Harvest Moon game yet. The big new addition this time around is the titular Grand Bazaar, where you can sell your produce and buy goods from other stall owners. It’ll also support the Nintendo Wi-fi Connection, so you can visit other people’s farms, trade items and steal their spouse (last part probably not true). If you’re after a cutesy yet incredibly addictive farming game (that isn’t Farmville), Grand Bazaar could be worth checking out. Or you could just try one of the other eighteen Harvest Moon games.
Ivy the Kiwi? (Wii, DS)
NA: August 24
EU: October 15
AU: TBA
Why should you care? It’s a new IP created by Yuji Naka, the same guy who’s responsible for games like Sonic the Hedgehog and NiGHTs into Dreams. It’s got very striking storybook-style art direction (though less striking on the DS) and gameplay reminiscent of Kirby: Canvas Curse, involving drawing lines to guide Ivy (who may or may not be a kiwi) around levels. There were WiiWare and DSiWare versions released in Japan featuring about half the content of the full game, but there’s no word on when they’ll be released anywhere else, if ever. I guess if you want to check out Ivy and her existential crisis, you’ll just have to buy the full thing.
Metroid: Other M (Wii)
US: August 31
EU: September 3
AU: September
Why should you care? It’s a Metroid game developed by Team Ninja, the developers behind Ninja Gaiden and Dead or Alive. Sure, Retro Studio’s Metroid Prime games were great, but I’m interested to see what a new developer will do with the series. From what I can tell, they’re taking a more story-driven approach that will hopefully shed a bit more light on Samus’s back-story. The game is mainly played with the Wii remote held on the side, but with a flick of the wrist the game transforms from a third-person view to a first-person perspective for shooting missiles. Samus also seems to be a bit more acrobatic this time around — on top of her returning weapons and gadgets (grapple beam, yeah!) she can dodge attacks with a quick button press and move close to enemies for a brutal finishing attack. Well, brutal for a T-rated Wii game.
