In marketing, the 4th quarter of the year is known as the time when people are in the “holiday mode,” a state of mind that makes them more susceptible to buying particular things.  Hence, companies release their biggest products during these last 3 months of the year because the “holiday mode” will provide a product the biggest chance of becoming a commercial success.

Video games are no exception.  For most gamers, the 4th quarter of every year is the most exciting.  This is the period when the big video game companies release their big time titles.  And for the 4th quarter of 2009, big titles are in store for the highest selling video game console of this generation: the Nintendo Wii.

Looking for a Nintendo Wii games list of the biggest titles coming this year?  Look no further.  Below are the 10 of the most anticipated video games for the said console.

Remember, if it’s not in this Nintendo Wii games list, it’s not destined to be a memorable title.

1. Wii Sports Resort.  Finally, a sequel to the game that ALL Wii owners have.  Wii Sports Resort will feature more activities like basketball and skydiving, and will be the first to actually require the new Wii MotionPlus controller.

2. Muramasa: Demon Blade.  One of the most heralded titles in this Nintendo Wii games list.  Remember Odin Sphere?  This game is presented the same way, albeit, with prettier graphics, bigger baddies, and a more engrossing story.

3. Dead Space: Extraction.  This is not a port of the sleeper hit of 2008.  Dead Space: Extraction will do for the franchise what Resident Evil: Umbrella Chronicles did for its mother series.  That’s right!  A new story behind the story, presented via a rail gun action game.

4. Mario & Sonic At The Olympic Winter Games.  Just the mandatory Mario and Sonic crossover for a worldwide sporting event.

5. The Biggest Loser.  The one and only video game adaptation of the hit weight loss reality show.  The game will involve the original hosts, Jillian Michaels and Bob Harper, and the activities that the game will demand will make good use of the Nintendo Wii’s unique peripherals, i.e. the Wiimote and the balance board.  This promises to be the most unique title in this Nintendo Wii games list.

6. We Cheer 2.  The unlikeliest entry in this Nintendo Wii games list.  Using the Wiimote and nunchuck as physical representations of digital pompoms may sound weird, but it was fun enough for the original that it merited this equally enjoyable sequel.

7. Resident Evil: Darkside Chronicles.  The sequel to Umbrella Chronicles promises more of the same rail gun action we have come to love (or hate).  Discover more secrets behind the stories revealed in the main Resident Evil series by visiting the scenarios presented by this game.

8. New Super Mario Bros. Wii.  The most anticipated title in this Nintendo Wii games list.  The new installment of the legendary platformer will include 4-player coop mode.  No online support, however, and 4 Wiimotes will be required.

9. Sadness.  An atmospheric adventure game, Sadness is the Wii’s answer to the Playstation 3’s Heavy Rain.  Rendered entirely in black and white, do not expect an experience like Mad World.  Sadness is a dark, dark game that promises to enchant you.

10. Little King Story.  A god game with a twist.  Follow the adventures of a child king as he wanders the land to amass some loyal servants and increase his reputation and following.  A lovechild of an RTS and an action game is the best way to describe this entry in our Nintendo Wii games list.

Nintendo – and by association, its consoles included its handheld system, the Nintendo DS – has always suffered from one big weakness: the public perception that it is a company that exclusively caters to children.  With original properties and company mascots like Mario, Luigi, Kirby, Pikachu and Donkey Kong, it is easy to determine why the non-gaming population thinks of Nintendo DS games are just for kids.

Being kid-friendly has its perks, of course.  But it also narrows down one’s audience.

Well, since the first incarnation of Resident Evil 4 made its way to the Nintendo Gamecube, the company has made a conscious effort to destroy such perception and build a reputation that its systems are for gamers of all ages, of all orientation, and of all preferences.

The Nintendo DS is at the forefront of the company’s drive to debunk the common misconception.

With the 5 Nintendo DS games listed below, the company is hoping that people will start to see the Nintendo DS as a viable platform for all types of games made for all types of gamers.

1.  Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars

The Grand Theft Auto series is the poster boy of mature games.  Now that it has invaded the Nintendo DS courtesy of the fantastically designed Chinatown Wars, the portable system has been marked as an “All Ages” gaming console.

2. The New York Times Crosswords

The New York Times is known for 3 things: hard hitting articles, well-written pieces, and frustratingly difficult but amazingly fulfilling crossword puzzles.  The last part can now be played as one of the newer Nintendo DS games, but only kid geniuses will be able to guess most of the words required by the puzzles.

3. Metroid Prime: Hunters

The FPS Metroid that debuted on the Gamecube has made its way to the library of Nintendo DS games.  Though not as bloody nor as gory as other first person shooters in the market, the rather difficult puzzles and the dependence on realistic weapons make this Nintendo DS game more ideal for grownups.

4. Final Fantasy IV

This remake may carry the name of the all-ages series, Final Fantasy, but don’t let that fool you.  Considered as the installment with the best storyline in the series, this Nintendo DS remake tells the tale of a fall from grace and a redemption, of betrayal of people close to your heart and the loss of people who don’t deserve to suffer, of sacrifice and of failure, and of love that shines brighter than everything else.  This is not a story for children.  Indeed, FFIV is one of the few Nintendo DS games that can solicit a tear or two from your eye.

5. Phoenix Wright series

These Nintendo DS games are about crimes and investigations and the ensuing courtroom battles to prosecute (or defend) the accused.  Though the comical presentation of these Nintendo DS hits may make them seem like kid games, they are hardly meant for children.  Situations involving murder and a variety of sexual innuendos (cleverly concealed) classify the Phoenix Wright series as Nintendo DS games that adults will appreciate.

The Wii Zapper is a gun peripheral that allows the user to insert a Wii Remote and Nunchuk, both sold separately, into either end and play a compatible game. The control stick on the Nunchuk controls player movement (on stages that allow player movement), while aiming the Wii Zapper moves the targeting reticule on the screen. The Zapper comes with Link’s Crossbow Training, which helps to familiarize the player with the Zapper in a shooting gallery style game. Link’s Crossbow Training contains three game styles: target shooting, defender and ranger. Features: Target Shooting: In target-shooting rounds, players shoot bull’s-eyes as they pop up on the screen. In early stages, targets are stationary. As the game difficulty increases in later levels, the targets move. Hitting the center of the bull’s-eye nets more points, and hitting targets in succession without missing earns combo multipliers. Link can aim anywhere on the screen. Defender: In defender rounds, players remain (more…)

The kingdom of Radata lies in a world where humans and fairy creatures coexist. Jack is the son of the late hero and dragon slayer of Radiata. On his 16th birthday he tries to become a knight of Radiata, to test his strength and to be one step closer to his father who he admires. Ridley is the only daughter of a noble family, raised to be a knight from a young age. These two become knights of the kingdom, only to be faced with a terrible war that threatens to doom their world.

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Mortal Kombat: Deception pushes martial arts-style fighting to new heights. The game features an innovative fighting systems, returning and new characters and the deadliest combinations. Unparalleled violence and brutality as you face the deadliest martial arts battles you’ve ever seen!

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From the Manufacturer
Experience the adrenaline rush and harsh realities of war as never before, get to know your squadmates, and fight alongside them through an epic story during the most harrowing moments of WWII. As a part of America’s most decorated and heroic fighting unit, The Big Red One, you’ll work together with your squad to accomplish a variety of combat missions spanning North Africa, Italy, and Nazi-occupied Western Europe. Features: Cinematic intensity as never before on consoles: The hallmark cinematic intensity of Call of Duty returns with a more complete gameplay experience than ever. Experience a wide variety of missions on land, sea, and in the air, with the aid of over three dozen authentic American, Italian, French, and German weapons. Charge into battle together as Allied and Axis planes duel overhead, artillery explosions shake the ground and choke the air, and bullets and shrapnel streak past you and your squadmates. Experience war-torn Europe and (more…)