Pikmin 3 and The Wonderful 101 dated

Nintendo has finally confirmed when two of its most anticipated Wii U titles will arrive on shelves.

Pikmin 3, the long-in-development return of the GameCube strategy series will be released on July 26th. The game was originally meant to be a launch window title, but was delayed until later in the year.

As with previous Pikmin titles, the game challenges players to direct an army of small plant-like creatures as they gather resources and battle beasts in overgrown environments.

This third outing will add new Pikmin types and options, and can be played with any controller set up, including GamePad only, Pro Controller and Wii Remote and Nunchuk (using the GamePad as a second monitor).

The Wonderful 101, a similar but more action-focused title from acclaimed developer Platinum Games, will be released on August 23rd. Nintendo has promised more details will be revealed about the game gradually between now and launch.

Both games were dated during today’s Nintendo Direct broadcast.