E3 2006: We learn more about the Wii @ Gaming Target

Written by John Scalzo on May 09, 2006

News: Nintendo's press conference is done, here are the highlights.

The Nintendo Press Conference has just ended and like the Sony Conference before that, Joystiq has minute-by-minute coverage. Like most Nintendo events, it was rather low key, but there are plenty of highlights.

First of all, it appears that the GameCube is dead in the water with Nintendo skipping over the system completely. The GBA also received no love.

But a part of the GameCube will love on as The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess will launch this fall alongside the Wii (by the way, this fall and "cheaper than the competition" is all we learned on that front). It will also launch in dual GameCube and Wii flavors to take advantage of each platform.

Nintendo also unveiled what will presumably be the Wii slogan: "Playing = Believing". And they had a whole slew of games on display to believe:

Super Mario Galaxy

Metroid Prime 3: Corruption

Dragon Quest Swords

Disaster: Day of Crisis

Fire Emblem

Tony Hawk's Downhill Jam

Excite Truck

Red Steel

Rayman Raving Rabbids

Project H.A.M.M.E.R.

Madden NFL 07

Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: The Chrystal Bearers

Metroid Prime 3 and Red Steel got most of the focus, but 27 playable games will be on the show floor, not counting Virtual Console games.

As for the DS, here's what we were told would be released by the end of the year.

The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass

Tony Hawk's Downhill Jam

Mario Hoops 3 on 3

Star Fox DS

Diddy Kong Racing

Final Fantasy III

Yoshi's Island 2

Elite Beat Agents

Pokemon Mystery Dungeon

Big Brain Academy

Mario vs. Donkey Kong 2: March of the Minis

Nintendo has at least 100 games lined up to release on the DS by December 31.

In the end, the winner of Nintendo's "be the first to play the Wii" contest got up on stage and whups Reggie and Satoru Iwata at Wii Tennis with the help of Shigeru Miyamoto.

Wii'll have more on all of Nintendo's new adventures soon.