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PSA: 3DS firmware update fixes Ridge Racer 3D issue
Nintendo released its second 3DS firmware update in as many weeks yesterday, which will be welcome news to those of you who have tried and failed to play Ridge Racer 3D recently. Version 2.1.0-3U of the 3DS system software includes "a correction for the screen freeze symptom" found in that game. That takes care of those crashes; the ones that happen around tight corners are on you. The new update also enables automatic download of future updates when wireless internet is available. This is either convenient or terrifying, depending on whether you're trying to work on homebrew 3DS software right now!
3DS launch games: The best of the rest
With limited time, 3DS systems and eyes capable of processing 3D, we couldn't deliver full reviews for the full 3DS launch lineup. However, we've got the next best thing, a ton of impressions on some of our favorite releases we couldn't get enough quality time with for a full critique. Between the cheat sheet after the break and our bevy of full reviews, you should have all that you need to be a 3DSpecialist at your local electronics retailer. Happy hunting! ... And, umm, sorry about saying "3DSpecialist." It was a long weekend.
Ridge Racer 3D review: Classic car, new finish
It's difficult to imagine a new hardware launch that isn't accompanied by a new Ridge Racer game (sorry, Wii). So, with the dawn of glasses-free portable 3D gaming upon us, the seminal 3D -- as in polygons -- arcade racing series is idling at the starting line, ready for you to take the wheel. It may seem like a cash grab, with the game arriving at launch more or less unchallenged and bearing a well-known name, but while there's probably some element of that at play, there's no denying that Ridge Racer 3D is as strong an entry in the series as there's been in years.%Gallery-114688%
Nintendo 3DS to launch with 18 games in North America, $40 each for most
The North American launch details for Nintendo 3DS have been finalized. In addition to Face Raiders and AR Games, both pre-installed on the hardware, the system will launch with three first-party games: Pilotwings Resort, Steel Diver, and nintendogs + cats. Each first-party game has a suggested retail price of $39.99. Thirteen third-party games will be available on March 27th, including Super Street Fighter IV 3D Edition and Rayman 3D. Nintendo promises that thirty games will be available for the platform by E3 expo. The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D, Star Fox 64 3D, Kid Icarus: Uprising and a new Mario Kart game will all be available before year's end. You'll find the complete launch lineup listed after the break.
Ridge Racer 3D preview: A more 'intimate' rehash
The Ridge Racer franchise has an odd knack for coinciding with platform launches. From the PS1 classic to the most recent Ridge Racer 7, capitalizing on the enthusiasm inherent with new hardware seems to be the series' bread and butter. It's clear why Namco chooses this strategy: it manages to obfuscate the franchise's lack of innovation with the technological advance each generational leap brings. It's hard to be swayed by the novelty of a handheld Ridge Racer game. The 3DS title looks not unlike the PSP games before it, but this time, it's in 3D -- and it seems that's all Namco has to offer for this update. The fact sheet says "players will be able to experience a level of intimacy with the on-screen races like never before" thanks to the 3D visuals, but doesn't every game on this platform offer that? A PR person claimed to be impressed with my performance on the demo track, a line I'm sure he's used a dozen times before. My only polite response could be "it's Ridge Racer." If you've played one, you've probably played them all. But Ridge Racer 3D's lack of online play and customization options make it seem like a backwards step from Ridge Racer 7. And here's another mark for unoriginality -- for the umpteenth time, Namco is intent on reusing "favorite courses from the past."%Gallery-114688%
3DS 'launch window' to include more than 30 games leading up to E3
Did you hear? It's got a built-in pedometer! The 3DS measures your steps as you walk -- right there in your pocket! Even better: You can pull the thing out whenever and snap all kinds of pics -- the thing's got three cameras! And get this: It also pipes out music, browses the internet and even plays games. True, you've already got a pile of old DS games (and now defunct DS devices) that you could be playing on your new pedometer, but more than 30 three-DEE titles are expected to be released during the 3DS "launch window" (which begins March 27 and promptly closes on June 7 with the start of E3). We've listed 24 of the apparent launch-window releases after the break (though Nintendo's being coy about exact dates), including Nintendo's own Nintendogs + cats and Pilotwings Resort, plus a hearty helping of third-party support; with notable newcomers, Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Survivor Overclocked (previously unannounced outside of Japan) and Crush 3D, a possible port of the 2007 PSP platforming puzzler from Sega. Don't look at the date ambiguity in dismay -- see it as an opportunity! Beginning in late March, you can walk to and from GameStop in anticipation of a new batch of games each Tuesday for ten whole weeks, and the 3DS will count your steps -- each and every one of them! And just imagine how many Street Passes you're going to rack up?
3DS Japanese launch lineup announced, along with BlazBlue for later in 2011
As expected, Nintendo revealed the Japanese launch lineup for the 3DS at Nintendo World 2011, and -- as expected -- it's about 10 games. Eight, to be specific. The games that will be available on the Japanese launch date of February 26 include: Winning Eleven 3DSoccer (5,800 yen/$70) Super Street Fighter IV 3D Edition (4,800 yen/$58) Samurai Warriors Chronicle (6,090 yen/$73) Tobidasu! Puzzle Bobble 3D (4,980 yen/$60) Nintendogs + Cats (Toy Poodle & New Friends, French Bulldog & New Friends, Shiba & New Friends, 4,800 yen each) Ridge Racer 3D (6,090 yen/$73) Combat of Giants: Dinosaurs 3D (5,040 yen/$61) Professor Layton and the Mask of Miracle (5,980 yen/$72)In addition, Nintendo's list of 2011 games reveals some new titles, including BlazBlue Continuum Shift 2, ports of Tales of the Abyss and Raving Rabbids Travel in Time, and a third game in the DS's Tank Beat series.[Update: Famitsu posted pictures from the stage, showing box arts and prices for many of these games. We've updated the list with prices; check Famitsu for box arts. Keep in mind that Japanese game prices are usually higher than American prices; DS games typically retail for about 4,800 yen/$58.]
