Nintendo to release Circle Pad Pro to US through Gamestop: February 7th for $20

That extra analog stick and three shoulder buttons -- they make all the difference and net you additional street cred in the process. Following up on its Japanese release of the Circle Pad Pro over the weekend, Nintendo has stated that it will release the accessory to the US exclusively through Gamestop on February 7th with a retail price of $20. Though still relatively unknown in American gaming circles, the Circle Pad Pro is cited as running for 480 hours on one AAA battery, which is nothing to sneeze at. Nintendo has stated that upcoming games will need to be optimized for the device but suggest that it can bring tighter controls to titles such as Resident Evil: Revelations and Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater. Also, it makes your 3DS mildly huge. Click the break for the full PR and a quick video guide of the Circle Pad Pro's features.

NINTENDO UNVEILS DEEP AND DIVERSE SOFTWARE LINEUP FOR EARLY 2012

New Kid Icarus, Pokémon, Rhythm Heaven and Mario Party Games Are on the Way

REDMOND, Wash., Dec. 13, 2011 – As some people hunker down for a long winter's nap, Nintendo is getting things fired up. The first quarter of 2012 offers great new installments in popular franchises for both the Nintendo 3DS™ system and the Wii™ console. Nintendo has something for everyone, from family fun to three-dimensional adventure.

On the Nintendo 3DS system, Capcom's Resident Evil® Revelations launches on Feb. 7. In a new chapter of the hit survival-horror franchise, players fight a new enemy and virus in 3D without the need for special glasses. METAL GEAR SOLID® 3D Snake Eater from Konami arrives in the first quarter of 2012. The game is a re-interpretation of METAL GEAR SOLID 3: Snake Eater, and offers a rich jungle world with customizable stealth and camouflage options. On March 23, the epic odyssey Kid Icarus™: Uprising soars into stores and lets players help the winged warrior Pit fight Medusa and her Underworld Army.

The Nintendo eShop for Nintendo 3DS will also be busy with a variety of downloadable offerings. Dillon's Rolling Western™ brings tower-defense strategy and touch-screen driven action to the Old West. Armadillo ranger Dillon defends pioneer villages against waves of attacking rock monsters using gun towers, defensive structures and his own exciting attack abilities. In Sakura Samurai: Art of the Sword™, players travel to ancient Japan and guide a young warrior as he battles waves of enemy soldiers. Players must identify the enemy's attack, dodge and counter-attack with the mystical Sakura Sword to win the battle. The critically acclaimed VVVVVV and NightSky from Nicalis, mind-bending action of Mighty Switch Force from WayForward and immersive 3D visuals of Mutant Mudds™ from Renegade Kid™ round out a diverse selection of downloadable games.

Nintendo is also introducing an optional accessory that gives Nintendo 3DS owners a second analog stick to control compatible games. The Circle Pad Pro will launch in the United States on Feb. 7. It will be sold through GameStop stores and online at http://www.gamestop.com at a suggested retail price of $19.99. The Circle Pad Pro is a comfortable cradle that holds the Nintendo 3DS system while adding an analog Circle Pad on the system's right side. The attachment also adds additional shoulder buttons to give it a feel more akin to traditional console controllers. It is designed as an optional accessory and is compatible with Resident Evil Revelations and METAL GEAR SOLID 3D Snake Eater.

On the Wii console, Rhythm Heaven™ Fever arrives on Feb. 13 at a suggested retail price of $29.99 in the United States. The game asks players to test their rhythm in more than 50 easy-to-learn, tough-to-master minigames to prove they've got the groove. Two weeks later on Feb. 27, PokéPark™ 2: Wonders Beyond lets players take on the role of Pikachu™ and his Pals - Oshawott™, Snivy™ and Tepig™ - as they try to make it through PokéPark and discover the secrets of a mysterious new world. On March 11, Mario™ and friends reunite for a new party game adventure in Mario Party™ 9, which introduces new game-play elements to the series such as boss battles and vehicular travel across a wide assortment of stages.

Below is a partial list of upcoming games for Nintendo systems. Note that game titles and launch dates are subject to change.

Nintendo 3DS

2K Play
Nicktoons MLB 3D - March

Capcom
Resident Evil® Revelations - Feb. 7

Konami Digital Entertainment, Inc.
METAL GEAR SOLID® 3D Snake Eater - Q1
Pro Evolution Soccer 2012 - January

NAMCO BANDAI Games America Inc.
TEKKEN 3D Prime Edition™ - February
Tales of the Abyss® - Feb. 14

Nintendo
Kid Icarus: Uprising - March 23

Published by SEGA® of America
Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games™ - Feb. 14

SEGA® of America
CRUSH™3D - Q1

Ubisoft
NCIS The Video Game (Based on the TV Series) - March 6
Horses 3D - March 6
Funky Barn - Q1
Rayman® Origins - Q1

Nintendo eShop

Collecting Smiles
Colors! 3D - Q1

Nicalis
VVVVVV - Q1
NightSky - Q1

Nintendo
Sakura Samurai: Art of the Sword - Q1
Dillon's Rolling Western - Q1
Kirby's Block Ball™ - Q1

Renegade Kid
Mutant Mudds - Q1

Shin'en Multimedia
Fun! Fun! Minigolf TOUCH - Q1
Jett Rocket Super Surf - Q1

WayForward
Mighty Switch Force - Q1

Zen Studios
Zen Pinball - Q1

Wii

2K Sports
MLB 2K12 - March 6

GameMill Entertainment
Country Dance™ Special Edition - Feb. 1

Konami Digital Entertainment, Inc.
Karaoke Joysound - Q1

Nintendo
Rhythm Heaven Fever - Feb. 13
PokéPark 2: Wonders Beyond - Feb. 27
Mario Party 9 - March 11

WiiWare™

Nicalis
La Mulana - Q1

Nintendo DS™ Family

2K Sports
MLB 2K12 - March 6

ATLUS
Shin Megami Tensei®: Devil Survivor™ 2 - February

GameMill Entertainment
Silverlicious™ - March 20
Xia Xia™ - March 20
Gogo's Crazy Bones™ - March 20

Mentor Interactive
Chess for Kids - Feb. 14
NARABA: The Labyrinth of Light - Feb. 21
NARABA: The Mysterious Palace - Feb. 21

Nintendo DSiWare™

Cosmigo
Box Pusher - Q1

Cypronia
Cake Ninja - Q1

Remember that Wii and Nintendo 3DS feature parental controls that let adults manage the content their children can access. For more information about this and other features, visit http://www.nintendo.com/wii and http://www.nintendo.com/3ds.
For more information about Nintendo, visit http://www.nintendo.com.

About Nintendo: The worldwide pioneer in the creation of interactive entertainment, Nintendo Co., Ltd., of Kyoto, Japan, manufactures and markets hardware and software for its Wii™ home console, Nintendo 3DS™ and Nintendo DS™ family of portable systems. Since 1983, when it launched the Nintendo Entertainment System™, Nintendo has sold more than 3.8 billion video games and more than 610 million hardware units globally, including the current-generation Wii, Nintendo 3DS, Nintendo DS, Nintendo DSi™ and Nintendo DSi XL™, as well as the Game Boy™, Game Boy Advance, Super NES™, Nintendo 64™ and Nintendo GameCube™ systems. It has also created industry icons that have become well-known, household names such as Mario™, Donkey Kong™, Metroid™, Zelda™ and Pokémon™. A wholly owned subsidiary, Nintendo of America Inc., based in Redmond, Wash., serves as headquarters for Nintendo's operations in the Western Hemisphere. For more information about Nintendo, please visit the company's website at http://www.nintendo.com.