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Reggie articulates what's compelling about Nintendo's 3DS launch games
Just as Super Mario 64 DS ushered in the era of the original DS system, it seemed fitting that a 3D-enhanced version of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time -- the cherry on top of last June's "E3DS" scoop -- would be the linchpin of the 3DS hardware launch this March. Except, it's not going to happen. Footnoted in a vague announcement that more than thirty 3DS games would be released between the system's launch and E3 2011 (in early June) was the equally ill-defined update that Zelda: OoT 3D was still "in the works," along with other triple-A Nintendo iterations for the new handheld, including Mario Kart, Paper Mario, Animal Crossing and Star Fox -- not to mention the ballyhooed Kid Icarus comeback, Uprising, which did impress at last week's preview event. "Mario, Zelda, all of those titles are coming," Nintendo of America boss Reggie Fils-Aime told MTV Multiplayer. "From our perspective, we like to launch titles when they're ready. And so they'll be ready. They'll be ready soon -- just not in that initial time period of late March to early June." In other words: "after E3." That leaves Nintendo with a somewhat dubious 3DS launch "window" lineup (we still don't know exact release dates) of first-party titles -- three to be exact: Nintendogs + cats, Pilotwings Resort and Steel Diver. You could make a case for those first two serving strong supporting roles in the hardware launch; and Reggie, off the top of his head, said that the Nintendogs and Pilotwings franchises have combined to sell "tens of millions of copies," despite neither being a particularly prolific sequel bearer. Steel Diver, on the other hand, is an unknown (it began as a tech demo for the original DS) and stars ... a rather drab submarine. Astutely sensing our apathy for the game, Reggie explained that "from a compelling standpoint, we think it's awfully compelling." If you're not buying it ... you could just buy Street Fighter IV again.
Dead or Alive Dimensions preview: touch here to win
What would you rather have: a faster framerate or 3D graphics? It's an interesting question that Dead or Alive Dimensions raises. After a few minutes playing with the 3D slider on and off, I found myself preferring the faster framerate. In a room crowded with 3D graphics, seeing a crisp, fast, smooth image was a refreshing change of pace. Running at 60 frames per second, Dimensions certainly looked like a fighter's fighter. Although Tecmo is promising series veterans will find the fighting engine fully intact in Dimensions, it's interesting to see the drastic consolations made for casual gamers, specifically the interactive Move List. The bottom screen features a comprehensive list of character-specific combos, and simply touching the combo will perform it. Can you play an entire match this way? The answer, as I found out repeatedly, is yes. In many ways, it felt like cheating, being able to instantly access some of the character's most demanding moves with a simple touch. There is some semblance of a handicap, as scrolling through the list to find a specific move is cumbersome. Thankfully, you can just tap a different move in the interim.%Gallery-114696%
Resident Evil: The Mercenaries 3D preview: a riot kick
Resident Evil: The Mercenaries 3D isn't a game -- it's fan service. You see, there are two types of Resident Evil fans: casual ones that have fun playing a "survival horror" game and the hardcore buffs that really, really dig its absurd, kitschy, over-the-top action. I'm part of the latter group, meaning The Mercenaries 3D seems like a love letter to me. However: If you're not part of that latter group, you'll quickly find yourself disinterested in what The Mercenaries has to offer. There's a reason why the original "The Mercenaries" game mode was tucked away as a bonus in the last two console RE offerings. Where are the puzzles? Scripted events? Where is the story? These are all features that have been severed, packaged into Resident Evil: Revelations (another 3DS game, due at a later date). While some will rightfully take offense at Capcom's obvious "double dipping," it's hard to deny the sheer fun of knifing "zombies" in the knees and spin-kicking them to increase your score multiplier. The Mercenaries is meant for those gamers that find the core gameplay of Resident Evil fun and want to memorize maps in order to get the highest score. It's meant for the kind of player that thinks seeing HUNK fight RE5's Executioner while roaming a castle from RE4 justifies a purchase. By merging characters, enemies and levels from both RE4 and RE5, The Mercenaries 3D has effectively become the closest thing to a "Smash Bros." the Resident Evil universe has.%Gallery-114644%
Nintendogs + Cats preview: pet-y differences
You have five minutes with Nintendogs + cats on the 3DS. What do you do? Ohmigod, you totally pet them and rub their bellies and scratch their heads and make them super happy! Unfortunately, there wasn't much else to do in the extremely restricted demo offered by Nintendo. In my short time with it, I was able to notice just two things: the graphics really are a generational leap over the DS and cats are so much harder to please than their canine counterparts. Calling your Nintendog is rather simple, and the "gameplay" offered in the 3DS version is not too different from its predecessor. You can use the stylus to pet it and you can even use swipe gestures to have it roll over. Rub enough in the right places and stars will come out of the dog's eyes, indicating its rather happy disposition. You can then use a variety of toys and accessories with your pet. I quickly gave him a cowboy hat. Because how could you not? Unfortunately, the cat was a bit more finicky, requiring more attention and effort when calling. You can tap the cat icon on the touch screen to call her over, but she seemed totally okay with not responding. Even after a vigorous head scratching, she never seemed too enthralled by my presence. I'll win you over yet, cat!%Gallery-95716%
3DS eShop detailed: Virtual Console, DSiWare, demos, and the absence of 'Points'
Along with a push into the third-dimension, Nintendo appears to be using the 3DS to make a stronger push into the digitally distributed space on its handhelds. The DSi (and its big brother, the DSi XL) both started the company down the path popularized by Apple's hyperkinetic App Store – and emulated by everyone from Sony to Google to Microsoft. The 3DS will support DSiWare (whose name was, perhaps, just a smidge shortsighted) and, while Nintendo of America Product Marketing Manager Bill Trinen couldn't provide any details during an interview today with Joystiq, he did confirm that users will be able to transfer any DSiWare games they've already purchased to the 3DS. "There will be a function that will allow you to transfer games from your Nintendo DSi to the 3DS," Trinen said. "As we go into greater detail about the Shop, we'll go into detail about that specific function." But 3DS isn't just supporting what the DSi already supports; Nintendo is taking several cues from its Wii-based Shop Channel and Nintendo Channel playbooks, bringing Virtual Console to the handheld market in the form of Game Boy and Game Boy Color games, availability of demos, the ability to rate games, and even check out screenshots and videos for retail games. After losing backwards compatibility with Game Boy games with the DSi, we're especially happy about having that feature back in the 3DS; however, it won't be coming to the DSi. "Those will be on the eShop," Trinen told us, "which is specific to the 3DS." But what about the other carts the DSi design sent to retro heaven? Trinen says Game Boy Advance support isn't part of this announcement. "Basically we're focusing on Game Boy and Game Boy Color. If we decide to introduce [GBA games] at a later date, we'd announce later if we did."
Face Raiders preview: seriously, it's called Face Raiders
In my humble opinion, the best motion games are the ones that make you look embarrassingly stupid. Face Raiders continues Nintendo's long legacy of making you look foolish ... but usurps its predecessors by making the stupidity contagious. With its clever use of photo manipulation, motion controls, and augmented reality, Face Raiders is not only one of the most technologically impressive games available at the 3DS preview event today, but also one of the most fun. The fact that it's included for free on every 3DS system makes it that much more compelling. Face Raiders is an extension of one of my favorite E3 tech demos: the augmented reality shooter. Thanks to the built-in 3D cameras, your world is your playground, whether you're at the office, at home or outside. Enemies will appear all around you, and you'll have to move your body to find and destroy these virtual baddies. Unlike the tech demo, though, you don't just fight random blocks and cubes. Instead, you fight people's faces. Yeah! At the start of each level, you must take a portrait photo of someone, aligning their eyes and mouth with the on-screen indicator. Once you snap the picture, that image is morphed into a disembodied floating head that, for reasons unknown, will try to attack you. The novelty should be immediately apparent: shooting pellets at a mutated version of a friend's face is oddly compelling. As the level continues, you'll notice that the faces will morph, adding costumes, expressions and more.
Feast your crossed eyes on this 3DS media round-up
No, no, we're kidding, of course. You can uncross your eyes. Sadly, no amount of ocular aerobics will coax the third dimension out of these Nintendo 3DS game screens and videos and into view (as the friendly disclaimer on all the Nintendo shots will remind you). But as you'll find, what the media roundup after the break lacks in depth, it more than makes up for in quantity. You want Super Street Fighter IV 3D Edition? We've got you. You want some new Pilotwings Resort pics? Come get a taste. You want ... well, there are too many. You should really just see for yourself.
Rayman 3D is an 'adaptation' of Rayman 2
Tucked away in Ubisoft's 3DS lineup press release is this golden nugget: Rayman 3D is actually an "adaptation" of the classic Rayman 2 (the Dreamcast version, specifically). Those of you who have experienced the joy of Rayman 2 can probably stop reading now. The rest of you will be glad to hear that the 3DS version will feature "major updates" to certain gameplay elements, including "accessibility, progression and learning curve." Frankly, we're just glad to have a new excuse to collect Lums again.
Retailers: 3DS games priced at $40-50 in US; £33-40 in UK; €50-60 in Europe
Nintendo has refuted our attempts to wrangle 3DS game pricing info so far, but retailer listings may be shedding some light on the subject. We hope you weren't hoping for a standard price point, because it looks like there's some wiggle room. A review of GameStop and Amazon listings reveals 3DS prices of either $39.99 or $49.99 in the US. Meanwhile, Eurogamer reports that UK retailer Game has confirmed the standard software price will be £39.99 in the region, though other UK retailers have prices listed as low as £32.99. Finally, we perused Amazon France and spotted prices of €49.95 and €59.95. The disparate prices between titles matches up with pricing in Japan, though it is a bit more standardized. We'll keep poking Nintendo for official details.
Dead or Alive Dimensions has Ridley stage, Samus cameo roll
Nintendo's collaboration with Tecmo's Team Ninja didn't end with last year's Metroid: Other M. A new trailer for 3DS fighter Dead or Alive Dimensions reveals a dangerous arena encircled by lava and stalked by Ridley, the winged nemesis of Samus Aran. He's not one for mild-mannered spectating, instead spitting fire and taking an unfortunate combatant for an undignified tour around the ring. The trailer also shows that Samus has been authorized to drop a power bomb in the middle of the stage. It's flashy, and detonated without the preface of trashy fighting words -- umm, not that any DOA fighter could handle the deadpan delivery of her Other Monologues. See the video after the break, along with a trailer that shows off more gameplay and many of the game's slightly more realistic environments. You'll probably recognize a few from Dead or Alive 3 and Dead or Alive 4.
Too many pictures of the 3DS and its built-in software
If you're ready to get a closer look at the 3DS and its accessories -- without actually holding one (sorry!) -- check out these new images. We've got lots of pictures of the hardware itself, along with the charging cradle, that cool extending stylus thing, and, um, the AC adapter. We also have screens of all the built-in software: Activity Log, Mii Maker, AR Games, Face Raiders, and more. After the break, indulge your 3DS hardware fetish even further (or just see more about the system, if you prefer) with a video demonstration of the system and some "Lifestyle" shots.%Gallery-114686%%Gallery-114687%
Watch the 3DS games trailer (in 2D)
Great news! This extended teaser of 3DS games arriving in the launch window -- and beyond -- only features 2D gameplay. So, it's totally appropriate for children 6 and under. That's right -- you don't even have to ask mommy or daddy for permission first!
3DS pre-orders available at Amazon [update: GameStop too!]
Do you want to secure a launch 3DS for yourself? Do you want to do so without risking the dangers of the world beyond your house? Amazon has opened pre-orders for the device, in both Aqua Blue and Cosmo Black. The price is the regular MSRP of $249.99. Sure, you don't get to wait in a line at midnight if you do this but, on the other hand, you don't have to wait in a line at midnight. [Update: GameStop has opened pre-orders as well. Thanks to shinjix2 for alerting us!]
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 price compared to other portable launches
We know, it's painful thinking about trading 250 of your hard-earned bucks away to Uncle Reggie to get three-dimensional gaming on the go. But it could be worse! Just to prove our point, we've collected some of the major portable releases, adjusted their prices for inflation and listed them after the break. As you'll see, while the 3DS is on the high side of Nintendo portables with its $250 asking price, it's not outlandish when compared with the Atari Lynx, N-Gage or NEC's TurboExpress. ... Okay, so maybe it's not the greatest company to be in.
3DS to launch in Europe on March 25, £229.99 in UK, €249.99 in Europe
While we were busy debating the price for the 3DS stateside, our friends at Nintendo's European event were still having to listen to some dude talk about soccer games. By the end of it, the 3DS was set to launch on March 25 in Europe -- a little later than was rumored. Though no price was announced, Nintendo noted that pricing details had been passed along to retailers. The handheld will run £229.99 in the UK according to retailers HMV and Game. Amazon France and GameStop have listed a European price of €249.99. Okay, you can all go back to talking about soccer games now. [Thanks, Sean C.!]
3DS features only one Friend Code
Glory, glory saints be praised! The days of game-specific Friend Codes are behind us! ... At least, they are on the 3DS. At today's 3DS launch reveal, Reggie Fils-Aiie announced that the system will use only one friend code across all games. Plus, if someone's on the same WiFi network as you, you don't have to enter their codes! It's a Christmas miracle! (Just, you know, 26 days late.)
3DS in North America: March 27 for $249.99
The Nintendo 3DS will hit stores in North America on March 27, at a price point of $249.99, as revealed today in New York City. It's available in Aqua Blue and Cosmo Black. The 3DS was first revealed in a cryptic press release in March 2010, shortly before the North American release of the DSi XL. In addition to increased processing power and screen resolution, the system promises adjustable 3D visuals without requiring 3D glasses. It also includes built-in augmented reality games, some using bundled "AR cards." An "Activity Log" tracks your gameplay as well as your steps, graphing each and dispensing "Game Coins" that can be spent in games. You can make Miis either in a menu interface or automatically from pictures. Other features include a 3DS version of the DSi's sound app, a web browser (after launch), and 3D video capability. Marquee Nintendo games on the horizon include an updated remake of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, along with new Pilotwings, Star Fox, Nintendogs, and Kid Icarus titles, and the original submarine game Steel Diver. From third parties, Super Street Fighter IV 3D Edition is possibly the biggest, with Dead or Alive, two Resident Evils, and Metal Gear Solid 3 games also in the wings.
3DS to receive video content from EuroSport, Aardman, Sky in Europe
At the 3DS live event in Europe, Nintendo has just revealed that the 3DS will feature 3D video content from several different partners, including the EuroSport network, Sky and Aardman Animations. Sky will be providing "short form" 3D content for the device, while Eurosport will provide sports content (obviously). Animation studio Aardman -- known for the Wallace & Gromit series -- will create short episodes of Shaun the Sheep that will be exclusive to 3DS. Nintendo announced that it's also in talks with other partners for special video content.
