Nintendo has now confirmed a European launch date of March 11th for its much-heralded DS handheld, at an estimated retail price of UKP99 ($186) in the UK and 149 euros ($194) in the rest of Europe.
At a press conference held in Paris, Nintendo also confirmed the software line-up for the European launch, including 15 software titles on launch day. The company's first-party launch titles, markedly stronger than the U.S. debut, include
Super Mario 64 DS,
Polarium (formerly known as
One-Line Puzzle in Japan),
WarioWare Touched! and
Pokémon Dash.
However, there are also over 10 confirmed titles from third-party publishers, including
The Urbz,
Tiger Woods PGA Tour,
Project Rub (also known as
Feel The Magic: XX/XY in the U.S.),
Spider-Man 2, Rayman DS, Mr. Driller: Drill Spirits, Asphalt: Urban GT, Sprung, Zoo Keeper, Robots, and
Ping Pals.
Nintendo made it clear that they were determined to steal a march on the rival Sony PSP, which has very tentatively been announced for a March release in the West, by simultaneously announcing a 35 million euro marketing campaign built around the DS launch, with an integrated campaign around the 'Touch Me!' theme that incorporates TV, print, in-store, POS, sampling, online and PR.
