Nintendo confirms 18 3DS games at launch

Nintendo just revised and formalized its glasses-free 3DS handheld launch lineup, and we've got the changes, which boost the game tally from 13 to 18 in total. That's if we're counting all three iterations of nintendogs + cats separately, anyway.

The list looks pretty much like the one we posted a couple weeks ago (alas, still no Legend of Zelda). Here's the rundown one more time, in alphabetical order, and with new reveals highlighted. The only game to drop off the list is Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell 3D (Ubisoft), presumably slipping to later this year.

Asphalt 3D (Ubisoft)Bust-a-Move Universe (Square Enix) Combat of Giants: Dinosaurs 3D (Ubisoft)LEGO Star Wars III The Clone Wars (LucasArts)Madden NFL Football (Electronic Arts)nintendogs + cats Golden Retriever & New Friends (Nintendo)nintendogs + cats French Bulldog & New Friends (Nintendo)nintendogs + cats Toy Poodle & New Friends (Nintendo)Pilotwings Resort (Nintendo)Pro Evolution Soccer 2011 3D (Konami)Rayman 3D (Ubisoft)Ridge Racer 3D (Namco Bandai)Samurai Warriors: Chronicles (Tecmo Koei)The Sims 3 (Electronic Arts)Steel Diver (Nintendo)Super Monkey Ball 3D (Sega)Super Street Fighter IV 3D Edition (Capcom)Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Shadow Wars (Ubisoft)

We're still looking for The Legend of Zelda, Metal Gear Solid, Kid Icarus, Resident Evil, Dead or Alive, and Star Fox 64. As far as we know, they're still on track for 2011 (last we heard, Zelda's rumored to ship after E3, which takes place in early June).

Genre variety looks solid, from fighting and sports games to a couple platformers, a military-themed shooter, and a flight sim. I'm surprised to see Madden NFL in the lineup since we're barely post-Super-Bowl, but maybe EA's planning another update around NFL 2011 kickoff in September.

The 3DS launches on March 27 in the U.S., and we'll have an in-depth review of the handheld to help you make up your mind. In the meantime, check out 4 Reasons the Nintendo 3DS Could Change Everything as well as our recent hands-on impressions.

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