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Last year saw a decent drought in terms of new Nintendo games leading up to the holiday season. Sure, we had Ocarina of Time and Star Fox 64 3D to tide new 3DS owners over until Super Mario 3D Land and Mario Kart 7 came along, but there's no real comparison between early-life ports and brand-new software. This year we're seeing something quite different: a steady stream of compelling new content coming from both Nintendo and third-parties. Suffice to say that this year is going to be one crazy year for Nintendo fans - possibly the most solid lineup of titles we've seen in years. What do you think of the games coming out in 2012? Is Nintendo living up to their promise of avoiding software droughts? Hop inside for a more detailed look at what we're looking forward to in 2012, and share your thoughts in the comments!...

Since The Last Story's American localization is being published by XSEED and not Nintendo, many fans of the game have been wondering whether the translation job will be directly based on the European version as was the case for Xenoblade Chronicles, or if we'll see a fresh script. Turns out The Last Story will be based on the European English version across all regions. It's not 100% certain whether this pertains to the voice acting as well as the script text, but given the local differences between British and American English, that's probably the case....

We heard last month that Fire Emblem Awakening would be one of the first Nintendo titles to receive paid downloadable content, and that's now been confirmed by Nintendo Direct. The game will feature downloadable maps and missions, and while pricing hasn't yet been confirmed, we also know that the first set of DLC, set to become available alongside the game's April 19 release, will be totally free until the end of May. In addition, Nintendo plans to release a Fire Emblem themed pre-paid card for use with the Nintendo 3DS eShop (depicted at left). Avid collectors might want one to go with their Zelda 25th anniversary set - otherwise, they'll definitely be neat physical bonuses for anyone hoping to get in on the DLC....

Brain Age was one of the first Touch Generation titles to take the industry by storm when it debuted on Nintendo DS. The result of a collaboration between Nintendo and Japan's renowned Dr. Ryuta Kawashima to create a brain exercise game, Brain Age went on to sell tens of millions of copies and went down as one of the best-selling casual titles ever. Now Dr. Kawashima is back with a new kind of brain training: "Oni training," so named because the regiment can be punishingly difficult! The game will debut in Japan this summer, and judging by the phenomenal success of Brain Age, we'll probably see it come to Western shores eventually also. Jump inside for another screenshot, this time of Kawashima in his "oni" form....

During today’s Nintendo Direct Presentation, Nintendo told 3DS owners to check their Nintendo Letter Box. It turns out that Eiji Aonuma sent a special Zelda themed swapnote telling fans about the near future of The Legend of Zelda series. It’s been over 3 months since Skyward Sword was released. During the 3 months, fans have [...]

We've known games from Sega's one-shot handheld system, the Game Gear, would appear on the 3DS Virtual Console since the service was first announced, but now we know what the first set of releases is going to look like. Famitsu magazine confirms that Sonic Triple Trouble, Shinobi, and Dragon Crystal Shirani's Maze will be the first three titles to hit the service next month, with a March 14 release date for Japan. The games are selling for ¥300 each, which converts to about $3 per game in USD, so they're sure to be a real bargain. We'll see when they arrive on Western shores and how much they'll go for. ...

Nintendo released a huge press pack containing information and assets related to Kid Icarus Uprising multiplayer modes, weapon types, and screenshots. Lots and lots of screenshots. The game will feature a couple different multiplayer modes: Light vs. Dark team play, which consists of two teams of three duking it out, and of course Free-for-all, an up to six-player melee where the last man standing wins. You can play locally via wireless play (the press release doesn't specify whether single-card multi-play is possible) or online. If there are any holes in the player roster for an individual match, CPU characters will step in. You can also bring your various weapons, including fused and gem-crafted weapons, into your multiplayer battles. Don't forget to check out Sakurai's video presentation of Kid Icarus Uprising, also after the jump. It features content from the trailers we posted earlier as well as in-depth showings and explanations of the multi-player and item crafting features....

We have two tidbits from Project Zero this morning. In addition to a new and appropriately creepy trailer for the Nintendo 3DS's Spirit Camera that premiered during the Nintendo Direct conference this morning, another Fatal Frame game has recieved a release date. The Wii remake of Fatal Frame II: Crimson Butterfly has a release date for Japan. The game will be released on June 28th. UPDATE: Nintendo of Europe has confirmed that the Fatal Frame remake will be released in Europe as well, but there was no mention of a release date. More inside....

All the news this morning is coming from the the two Nintendo Direct conferences that streamed early this morning, but where are these video conferences now for those that missed them? We've collected both the Nintendo of America and Nintendo of Japan (subtitled) Nintendo Direct conferences for your viewing pleasure inside. ...

Today's a great day for news, not only for Nintendo fans, but for Operation Rainfall. In addition to the big announcement regarding The Last Story, there's also been some news for the third and final Operation Rainfall title, Pandora's Tower. Like both Xenoblade Chronicles and The Last Story, Nintendo of Europe will be releasing a limited edition version of Pandora's Tower. ...