So, the big news from Nintendo's Media Summit last month was the earlier-than-expected release date for Super Mario Galaxy 2, with American Wii owners now counting the days until May 23. Of course, poor, foolish British owners like myself have to wait until June 11. At least Final Fantasy XIII is hitting this week worldwide – props to Square-Enix for actually delivering on that promise.

Thing is, for all the talk of the new Metroid game, a possible 2010 release of a new Zelda, things like the return of Sin and Punishment, I still can't believe we're having to look to things like FlingSmash for our new-IP fix. Well, it isn't unbelievable, given that this is what Nintendo have been doing for years upon years. Maybe what more astounds me is the proclaimed satisfaction at new iterations for Galaxy, Zelda and Metroid. Yes, I'm excited for all of them, but are they really enough?

I still have serious doubts a new Zelda game on the Wii will be any great departure from Twilight Princess, that Super Mario Galaxy 2 will be anything more than a – admittedly very welcome – glorified expansion pack for the original, and that Metroid: Other M will successfully retain the series' values that have made Metroid so beloved. Although, again admittedly, the word on Other M is ‘so far, so good'.

But really, we're going to be talking about a sequel to the Wii shortly, and I find it hard to believe that system will be launching with anything except the typical range of sub-standard launch titles mixed in with one or two sequels to traditional franchises. So, really, where is the room for new Nintendo IPs?

How important is it? Maybe not at all from an industry perspective, but as a Nintendo fan I lament the world's most famous, arguably its best game developer, failing to provide original software. Then again, I'll be one of the first in the queue to buy Galaxy 2. I guess I'm part of the problem, then.