Pro Evo 2011 coming to 3DS Q2 2011

In June 2010, Nintendo made a grand unveiling of its 3DS console at the Electronic Entertainment Expo in LA. At the same time, the hardware manufacturer boasted that third-party publishers were already working on titles for the device, including Tecmo Koei, Square Enix and Konami. Of those, Konami confirmed it would be bringing its flagship football series, Pro Evolution Soccer, to the console after a long hiatus of games on Nintendo's standard DS. Today, the publisher has issued a name for the game, PES 2011 3D, and a European release date for the second quarter of 2011.

Messi will be going 3D in PES 2011.

While PES 2011 3D will be a launch title for the 3DS in Japan on Feb. 26, albeit under the name of Winning Eleven 3DSoccer, European 3DS owners will have to wait for the game slightly longer. Nintendo has today confirmed that the console itself will launch on March 25 in Europe, but the game will launch some time in the next quarter of the year.

PES 2011 3D marks the first time Konami has released a Pro Evo game on a Nintendo handheld since Pro Evolution Soccer 2008 on the DS. Unlike that version, the game will feature full commentary, UEFA Champions League and Master League game modes, as well as a roster of 60 national and 170 club teams. Expect a full preview of the game shortly, as part of GameSpot's continuing coverage of Nintendo's New York and Amsterdam events.