http://www.1up.com/do/blogEntry?bId=8644452&publicUserId=1002415

Last week feels like a big blur, but I do feel the need to clarify some statements that I made on last Friday's 1up Yours podcast relating to Nintendo's European release dates. Especially after some random Euro sites latched onto my semi-incoherent ramblings as grounds for a news story. Yikes! I never intended to make any annoucements regarding European release dates...the dollar's so damned weak that I wish I could even afford to buy games overseas.

To be specific about what was said on the podcast:
While recounting some of the info that I learned from Nintendo of America's President & COO, Reggie Fils-Aime, I implied that the European release of Super Smash Bros. Melee had been moved to the fall of 2008...that's not quite accurate, as neither NOE nor Reggie has announced any official release date at this time. Reggie did tell me (and the other media present) that the release had been pushed out of the winter/spring time frame due to the amount of localization required to get the game up and running all the various European languages. But Reggie did not say WHEN Europeans will get Smash Bros., just that it would be at a later date than the U.S.

But he did say that because Smash is not shipping in Europe this March, NOE is moving up the Euro releases for Wii Fit (4/25) and Mario Kart Wii (4/11) to balance out the release list. Lucky Europeans will get both of those in Spring...while us tubby U.S. gamers will have to wait until May 19th for Wii Fit and some unannounced date for Kart action. So yeah, it's quite possible that Euros will be Smashing each other by summertime...and us Yanks could be shooting blue shells out of our go-karts by summer vacation. (Let's hope.)

While many might view this as bad, i'm not surprised. SSB series isn't the most popular series in Europe. Even with my GCs then Japan, it still sold less for Melee. Yes Mario Kart on the GC in Europe outsold Japan sales easily.

Localization? Only German and Italian left, no? Don't they do Spanish and French for the Americas?

Delays, it's something I was unaware before returning to consoles. I've seen to forgotten about then somehow during my console hibernation. But I'll be fitting and karting on the 25th when I get both games the same day.

i'd rather have kart sooner than brawl sooner (i know, blasphemy!)

however, best case is to get brawl in march, fit in may and kart in june...that's better than kart in april and brawl not until sept/oct

but assuming even distribution of months between releases, i'd rather have kart first

How can anyone actually buy the translation-argument anymore. Almost every big 360 and PS3 title manage a worldwide launch within a couple of weeks and they also need the same translations.

@melbye

It's NOE. They don't have that many excuses left/never had anything else.