2006 for Metroid Prime Hunters

By Corey Brotherson Published 23 August, 2005

Nintendo breaks the bad news.

Nintendo of America latest release schedule has revealed that its lynchpin DS title Metroid Prime: Hunters has slipped into next year. The news follows just days after it emerged that the GameCube's biggest hope for 2005 - The Legend Of Zelda: Twilight Princess - has also been moved back into 2006.

The first-person shooter for Nintendo's handheld was originally scheduled for an October 2005 release, but has now been given an unspecified launch date of early 2006.

However, another Metroid DS title, Metroid Pinball, has been given an October 24th 2005 release, bundled with the new DS Rumble Pak add-on. This accessory fits into the GBA slot of the DS, providing gameplay triggered vibrations.

More specific US release dates were given to a number of other high profile DS titles, with Mario Kart DS coming on December 14th, Animal Crossing DS on December 5th, the newly named Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time arrives a week later than expected, on November 28th, along with Viewtiful Joe: Double Trouble in the same month. Less specifically, SBK: Snowboard Kids DS arrives in November, while Age of Empires: The Age of Kings and Bust-A-Move are both expected in January.

With no Zelda to look forward to, Cube fans have less to get excited about than expected. Mario Party 7 (be still our beating hearts) has jumped from November 21st to the 7th, while the Capcom-developed Viewtiful Joe: Red Hot Rumble only gets a vague November listing. Super Mario Strikers (now known as Mario Smash Football in Europe) will be released on December 5th; following its European launch November 18th.

Game Boy Advance/Game Boy Micro will gain new titles, including Lego Bionicle: Maze of Shadows on September 13th and Rayman Classics in the same month, while Ford Racing 3 and SRS: Street Racing Syndicate will both arrive on October 4th. Other previously unannounced game, Dr. Mario/Puzzle League will launch December 5th.

GBA will also get Donkey Kong Country 3 on November 7th, with Mario Tennis: Power Tour (previously Mario Tennis Advance) getting a December 5th street date.

Comments (21) Latest comment 7 years ago

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  • ProfessorLesser #1 7 years ago

    Yawn.

  • smelly #2 7 years ago

    aye.. after playing the free demo of metroid, not in the slightest bit bothered.

    hopefully this'll give them time to make it .. you know.. good?

  • smelliot #3 7 years ago

    They better put the online mode into Metroid now they have a longer development time.
    Edited by smelliot at 23/08/05 @ 13:21

  • Viktor #4 7 years ago

    I hope the delay is caused by inclusion of Wifi Online multiplayer.

    Funny, I like the demo and think the touch-screen controls are easily the best fps controls on console.

    edit: Smelliot was quicker :p
    Edited by Viktor at 23/08/05 @ 13:22

  • Kiigan #5 7 years ago

    "Funny, I like the demo and think the touch-screen controls are easily the best fps controls on console."

    That IS quite funny, that you would think that :)

  • Kiigan #6 7 years ago

    No Zelda this Xmas. No Shadow of the Colossus either for us PAL gamers. Worst Xmas ever!

  • bootsy_NL_30 #7 7 years ago

    if it gives them time to fine tune the gameplay or introduce nnew characters etc,I'd say better late and a good game than on time and not even debugged or finished, then you have to wait for the patch anyway...

  • teamonkey #8 7 years ago

    More likely the delay is that they think the market will be saturated by Nintendogs and Advance Wars in the next few months; best to wait for a quiet period.

  • Machiavel #9 7 years ago

    /holds DS with aching hands

    ouch

    /imagines holding rumbling DS with arthritic hands

    Double ouch :(

  • Rociel #10 7 years ago

    At least this gives my wallet a bit of resting time. Castlevania, Mario Kart, Mario and Luigi, Tony Hawks, Sonic Rush and Animal Crossing are all due out before or around Christmas. I welcome some delays.

  • gizmo #11 7 years ago

    Nintendo need more programmers and less people researching silly gimmicks to 'revolutionize' the industy.

  • Zero Beat #12 7 years ago

    I wonder if the rumble pack works with existing games and if it'll be supported by all future games. Hopefully it draws power from the DS not its own battery.

  • RabidMonkey #13 7 years ago

    I loved the Metroid Prime games on the Cube but this DS iteration just leaves a bad taste in my mouth for some reason.

  • Kon #14 7 years ago

    As long as Fire Emblem GC is out here by xmas i won't be complaining.

  • GuiltySpark #15 7 years ago

    "Worst Xmas ever!"

    yes i know. i mean absolutly nothings coming out!. cept xbox 360 and psp you ass

  • MARKIV #16 7 years ago

    Nintendo are starting to sound more like that London Underground company Metronet. Delays and excuses, yet they both make a profit. Hmmm.

    I agree with the above post's though. It better have on-line play put into it. You never know we could have a handheld multiplayer Halo (2) on our hands! It's a shame they never introduced vehicles into the Metroid series though, unlike Halo (2) and Half Life 2.

  • ProfessorLesser #17 7 years ago

    BBB... you don't get much better than Super Metroid ;-)

  • admir #18 7 years ago

    nitendo sucks
    give me zelda now nitendo

  • SlackMaster #19 7 years ago

    The only title I'm looking forward to atm is Castlevania DS, but looks like I'll be ordering that from Japan since it's uncertain that'll release this year.

  • Tomo #20 7 years ago

    Great to see the usual negativity guys, keep it up.

  • SlackMaster #21 7 years ago

    There probably wouldn't be any negitivity if Ninty actually started to release some decent games ...

    Not only do they start delaying crutial titles like metroid until next year, but PSP is out in September to give the DS some very strong competition... well done Dimtendo, why not release another Robots or Animaniacs game and keep us waiting for all the decent titles.

    If it wasn't for Castlevania DS on order I would have sold my DS by now... shockingly bad support from nintendo, you would have thought they didn't give a toss.