Nintendo of America invited gaming journalists to a media summit in San Francisco to reveal their plans for the first half of 2010. The event released an onslaught of awesome including dates for upcoming Wii games such as Mario Galaxy 2, Metroid: Other M, and Monster Hunter Tri. Details and dates were also given for the next DS hardware iteration- the DS-XL, DSiWare, WiiWare, and third party titles.

Here are the main highlights, prepare yourself.

Wii

Mario Galaxy 2, sequel to the 2008 hit, will be launching in America on May 23rd! The game is importing many of the great mechanics from the first Galaxy but adds many new elements including new power ups (Nintendo demoed a drill during a boss battle), new worlds, and Yoshi!

Sin & Punishment: Star Successor will be released on June 7th. Sequel to the cult-hit Nintendo 64 game, Sin & Punishment looks to be Nintendo’s answer to hardcore gamers craving something non-Mario but still, undeniably, Nintendo.

Monster Hunter Tri from Capcom is coming to North America, bundled with the Classic Controller Pro, on April 20th. Nintendo confirmed it will also be compatible with the Wii Speak accessory for voice chat. Nintendo is also working with retailer, Gamestop, to provide a demo disc with two quests on March 8th. Also, if your pre-order through Gamestop, customers get 500 points for either the Wii Shop Channel or DSi Shop.

Metroid: Other M, the game being developed by Team Ninja- the studio behind Ninja Gaiden, was also mentioned. A release date of June 27th was announced and while Nintendo was keeping other details quiet, it did promise the press some hands-on time with the game. Expect more details in the near future.

DS

The next iteration of the DS hardware, the DS-XL, will be coming to North America on March 28th for $189.99. The DS-XL is, essentially, a jumbo version of the current model, DSi. Nintendo of America rep, Cammie Dunaway explained the screen is “about ninety-three percent larger” and “fills the gap between portable play and the kinds of social experiences that up until now have only been available on consoles.”

Pokémon Heart Gold and Silver will be launching on March 14th. These are remakes of the Gold and Silver titles that came out for the Gameboy Color. Not much else was mentioned during the event but if you’ve played one Pokémon game, you’re likely aware of what to expect.

WarioWare DIY is hitting store shelves on March 28th! Create your own WarioWare-style microgames. The title will also be available as a WiiWare companion piece.

Augmented reality game, Ghostwire: Link to the Paranormal was demoed, showcasing the DSi’s camera allowing players to take photos and interact with them in-game.

WiiWare/DSiWare

Cave Story has been in development for quite awhile but today Nintendo revealed the WiiWare remake of the PC-community darling will be coming to the service on March 22nd.

Max & The Magic Marker is Drawn to Life meets Crayon Physics meets Harold and the Purple Crayon. Already available on PC, the WiiWare version drops on March 8th.

Capcom’s Mega Man 10 continues the 8-bit revival by bringing more great bosses, more insane platforming, and more of that Blue Bomber goodness. Nintendo mentioned that, in response to the last game, an easy difficulty was put in to allow casual players to enjoy Mega Man 10 while hardcore fans will get the same difficulty they’re used to on higher settings.

Bizarre and innovative platformers, Super Meat Boy, as well as And Yet It Moves were also given “Summer” release windows.

By the looks of it, Nintendo is going to have a jam-packed first half of 2010. It’s surprising to see so many top-tier titles getting released between now and mid-Summer. Hopefully, Nintendo still has a few surprises in store for the holidays. Either way, it looks like this event was the company’s answer to, what some have argued to be, a lackluster line-up as of late. There’s no doubt this is, once again, a great time to be a Nintendo fan.