You didn't expect Nintendo to let the launch of the PlayStation Vita go unanswered, did you?
The Sony competitor held a pair of online presentations Wednesday to tout new software that's on the way to its 3DS system (as well as the Wii) and deflect attention away from Sony's new, bleeding-edge gadget.
In Japan, company CEO Satoru Iwata unveiled the latest in the Brain Training series. The formal name of the game (as well as the release date and platform) wasn't revealed, but the company did show off a taxing segment dubbed "Devil Training" that focused on concentration and memory.
Meanwhile, in the U.S., Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Aime showcased the newly renamed Mario Tennis Open and announced a U.S. release date of May 25 for the 3DS game.
The Wii, which many assumed had been left for dead with the expected release of the Wii U later this year, also got a little love in the presentations (which were essentially the online equivalent of infomercials). Xenoblade Chronicles will finally be released in the U.S. on April 6.
And The Last Story, an action role-playing game that most people assumed would never be released in America, was confirmed to be coming stateside later this summer. The game has been a critical and commercial smash in Japan, but officials had previously expressed skepticism that American audiences would embrace it.
That didn't stop a group of fans from lobbying strongly for the game, an effort that seemingly worked. Nintendo, though, has chosen not to publish the game itself here. XSEED Games will shoulder that burden instead.
Given that Sony is spending $50 million to market the Vita, it's not surprising that Nintendo is fighting to keep the spotlight. The 3DS, after all, is finally starting to find solid footing after a very rocky beginning
Earlier this week, in fact, Nintendo revealed the system had sold 5 million units in Japan, making it the company's fastest selling hardware to date -- even beating the first year sales of the mighty DS.
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