Nintendo 3DS launch games unveiled

Nintendo has announced that 13 games will be available for its new handheld console when it launches next month (25 March).

The 3DS provides a 3D experience for users without the need to wear special glasses.

Bosses at the Japanese games giant hope it will revive the company's fortunes in the multi-billion pound industry.

Last month it announced a 74% drop in profits in the nine months to December because of falling Wii and DS sales.

But senior executives are confident the games line up will help push sales of the device when it hits the shops.

Mobile gaming competition

Among them are Super Street Fighter IV, Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell and Lego Star Wars: The Clone Wars.

It's going to face serious competition in the hand held games market though.

Smartphone gaming is a boom industry with many people opting to download cheaper, more basic games for their mobiles.

That type of casual gaming has led to titles like Angry Birds making millions of pounds from relatively little investment.

While another of Nintendo's more traditional rivals, PlayStation, is widely expected to launch the so called "PlayStation phone" later this week.

It also recently unveiled its NGP, or Next Generation Portable, which is expects to release sometime towards the end of 2011.

Its predecessor, the PSP, was launched in 2004 and to date has sold 65 million units.

But that is less than half the number of sales of Nintendo's DS (136 million).

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