Nintendo of Europe Reveals Summer Release Schedule

Nintendo of Europe has released the list of first and third-party software titles that it expects to be released in Europe during summer 2006 for the GameCube, Game Boy Advance, and DS platforms, showing a considerable level of activity for the company, especially in its flourishing DS handheld market. The Nintendo DS will see an impressive 46 new titles released in Europe throughout the second and into the third quarter of 2006. In particular, Activision's X-Men: The Official Game ships on May 19, and serves as a prequel to the upcoming feature film. Nintendo has also confirmed that the Japanese DS casual hits Dr Kawashima's Brain Training: How old is your brain? and Big Brain Academy will ship on June 9 and July 7 respectively. DS owners will also be able to pick up the hotly anticipated New Super Mario Bros. when it ships to retail shelves on June 30. Other key DS dates include Super Princess Peach on May 26, Disney/Pixar's Cars on June 16, Elecktroplankton on July 7, and Lego Star Wars II on September 12. GameCube owners in Europe can look forward to 12 new titles from May until September, including Activision's X-Men: The Official Game on May 19, the quirky first-party title Chibi-Robo on May 26, and Sega's Super Monkey Ball Adventure on June 2. Players looking for a taste of old school fun can look look to pick up the Namco Museum 50th Anniversary Arcade Collection from Namco and EA on June 2 as well. June 16 will see the release of Disney/Pixar's Cars, while another movie license, Monster House, will see a video game adaptation for the GameCube in July. Other major GameCube releases include Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell Double Agent by Ubisoft in September, and Lego Star Wars II on September 12. Finally, 28 new Game Boy Advance titles are currently scheduled for release through the third quarter. These include major releases such as X Men: The Official Game and LEGO Star Wars II, which launch alongside their other respective versions on May 19 and September 12, as well as Final Fantasy IV Advance, which brings Square Enix's classic 16-bit masterpiece to the GBA on June 2. In addition, Disney/Pixar's Cars races from the big screen to the portable on June 16.