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3DS Tag Mode functions called 'SpotPass' and 'StreetPass' in the West
We know them by the catchy names "Itsu no Ma Tsuushin" and "Surechigai Tsuushin," but an English-language hardware outline for the 3DS (PDF) provides the English names for these Tag Mode services, both of which allow the 3DS to communicate wirelessly without the user's involvement. The ability for the 3DS to seek wi-fi signals while sleeping, and automatically download content, is known as "SpotPass," while the passive communication between DS systems (used, for example, to trade Miis in the new Mii Plaza) is "StreetPass." "It is possible to transmit data for multiple games simultaneously," the document notes.
Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater 3DS set for Spring, E3 trailer online
One of the belles of last night's Nintendo press ball was the 3DS version of Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater. According to Andriasang, Konami revealed that the "revival" of the PS2 stealth-action classic is set to arrive in Japan next Spring, assumedly a couple short months after the handheld's February 2011 release. If the short clip from the game shown during the event's 3DS software montage didn't satisfy your need for three-dimensional jungle crawling, you can check out the entire video demo we got to see at E3 over on the game's official site. Of course, it'll be missing an entire dimension when you watch it -- man, this whole "releasing 2D trailers for the 3DS" thing is going to get confusing, quick, isn't it? %Gallery-95662%
Bust a Move goes 3D with 'gimmick bubbles' on 3DS
Following Nintendo's announcement of Japanese launch details for the 3DS, Square Enix announced a new version of its venerable Bust a Move/Puzzle Bobble franchise, called Tobidasu! Puzzle Bobble 3D ("Jump Out! Puzzle Bobble 3D") In addition to the normal match-three gameplay, the 3DS puzzler includes "gimmick bubbles," which will involve the third dimension in some way. How that will work has yet to be announced, but we suspect the "gimmick" label will prove quite accurate. Puzzle Bobble 3D will jump into Japanese retail this spring.
Nintendo 3DS 'tag mode' demonstrated in Super Street Fighter IV trailer (video)
Wondering how wireless "tag mode" will work on Nintendo's new 3DS? You're not alone. Fortunately, a trailer for Super Street Fighter IV has been loosed upon the internets giving us a pretty decent overview of what serendipitous game play will be like. To start with, a minigame feature lets you automatically fight your nearby rival's collectable action figures even while the 3DS is tucked away in your bag. The more you fight the more figures you collect. Then there's the more obvious wireless battle mode for active multiplayer gameplay with nearby 3DS owners. Should make for some interesting chance encounters on public transportation. You do live in a densely populated area don't you squirt?
Footage of Nintendo's 3DS, DS and Wii lineups
Nintendo produced a few slick videos of its various console lineups for its conference, now embedded after the break. In addition to footage of known 3DS games, including Super Street Fighter IV 3D Edition and Professor Layton and the Mask of Miracle, the 3DS video reveals a second Resident Evil game, Biohazard: The Mercenaries 3D. The Wii video offers the first look at the new Fatal Frame and Rhythm Heaven games, among many other first- and third-party titles. And though you have to wait until the end, you will see clips of the new Kirby game and Battle & Get! Pokemon Typing DS in the DS video.
Nintendo 3DS automatic Mii creation and editing demonstrated on video
Here it is, Nintendo's new Mii Studio software bundled on every new Nintendo 3DS. The software uses any of the 3DS' cameras to snap a photo and automatically create the Mii. It'll blow your mind then let you edit the pieces back together. See what we mean after the break.
Fuji TV streaming 3D videos 'daily' through Nintendo 3DS
Beyond gaming applications, Nintendo's upcoming handheld console will feature media functionality as well -- this much we knew. What Nintendo announced at its press conference today in Japan, however, is that the 3DS will also be streaming 3D videos "on an experimental basis" through a partnership with Fuji TV, available at launch. Like Fuji TV itself, North Americans and Europeans likely won't be getting the service, but we have to imagine major US cable providers can't be ignoring the move. Just imagine a service to charge for individual episodes of children's programming on a Nintendo handheld! Wait, actually, don't imagine that. We're so, so sorry, world.
Nintendo reveals more 3DS hardware details, OS features
Nintendo didn't just drop a Japanese release date and price for the 3DS tonight -- in a document (PDF) released following this evening's press conference, the company detailed more of the hardware's features, including unexpected pack-ins. ¥25,000 ($299) will net you -- among other things -- a charging cradle, 2GB SD card, telescoping metal stylus and six "paper cards" that can be used for playing the system's built-in augmented reality games. (The 3DS' outward-facing 3D camera will detect and replace them in the "scene" with different 3D objects.) 3DS will also perform some neat new tricks. It has backlit face buttons -- one of which is the Home button. When pressed, it will bring up an in-game menu enabling users to browse the web, turn Wi-Fi on/off and modify other settings without exiting. Finally, there's a breakdown of the built-in software, which includes "Nintendo 3DS cameras," "Nintendo 3DS sound," Mii Studio," "Chance Encounter Mii Plaza," "AR Games" and "Book" (an ebook reader, perhaps?). Mii Studio is unique in that it allows players to snap photos of themselves to use as a basis for their Mii. More details as they hit.%Gallery-103582%
3DS supports transfers of downloaded software
The 3DS is going to answer DSiWare fans' prayers (except for the one about not having to pay 300 bucks for a new system). A hardware fact sheet (PDF) notes that it is possible to move downloaded software from one 3DS to a newly-purchased 3DS (at least, if our translation is accurate). In addition, it is possible to move downloaded DSiWare from a DSi or DSi XL. Some (unspecified) software can't be moved, and Nintendo warns that there are limits on the number of times a transfer can be undertaken, but this is leaps and bounds ahead of the DSi's current limits, which are set at zero games and zero times.
'Mega Man Legends 3 Project' heading to 3DS from Capcom
Alongside announcements of the price and release date for the forthcoming 3DS, Nintendo ushered Capcom representatives on stage at its Japanese press conference to announce the "Mega Man Legends 3 Project." Though Capcom isn't saying much, its Twitter account claims that fans will "have an opportunity like never before" in the creation of the title, specifically saying people will "interact directly with the team!" More news will apparently be coming out of the New York Comic Con, which kicks off next week on Friday.
Nintendo 3DS available February 26 in Japan, priced at 25,000 yen
The Nintendo 3DS will be released in Japan on February 26, 2011 with a 25,000 yen ($299) price point. Nintendo officially unveiled the launch details at an event today in Tokyo. The final design differs noticeably from the E3 version only in the analog slider, which is now no longer color-matched to the hardware. Speaking of colors, the 3DS will launch in Japan in "Aqua Blue" and "Cosmo Black." Several "AR Games" (Augmented Reality) will be pre-loaded on the hardware, as will a new Mii Plaza for Miis collected using the passive communication "Tag Mode." Other downloaded apps can be stored on 2GB of flash memory. Nintendo president Satoru Iwata said that a Western release would occur later. Probably before March 31, as per Reggie Fils-Aime's prediction.
Nintendo 3DS ships in Japan February 26, US and Europe in March, auto-generates Mii from camera (update: video!)
Enough with the rumored prices and launch dates for the 3DS already, let's get official. Nintendo just announced a February 26 ship date in Japan for ¥25,000 (about $298). It'll then land in the US and Europe in March for an undisclosed amount. Launch colors are aqua blue or cosmo black. At a press event in Japan, Nintendo demonstrated the ability to take your picture using the 3DS' front-facing camera and then automatically converting the image into a Mii -- you can edit it too using Mii Studio on the 3DS. You can even merge two photos into a single image if you choose. Images can then be exported as QR codes in wireless "tag mode" or as a file to the bundled 2GB SD card. Ninty also announced a special edition Super Mario DSi LL (no hardware changes) set to launch for ¥18,000 in Japan on October 28th. It also confirmed that a Wii Remote Plus is in development (it'll be announced at a date some time in the future) and a partnership with Fuji TV that will trial 3D video streaming to Nintendo's new handheld. Finally, a virtual console-style store was show serving up downloadable Game Boy and Game Boy Advance games to the 3DS. Update: Nintendo just launched its 3DS microsite in Japan with a bit more product detail including new feature overview and software lineup videos found after the break. There you'll see a built-in pedometer with activity graph and what looks like background multitasking (or at least a state save) letting you launch other apps and then return to a game at the exact same point you left it. Nintendo also demonstrates the Mii Plaza app that lets you collect and view Miis from 3DS owners you pass throughout the day (even when the 3DS is sleeping); Augmented Reality gaming with six AR cards included in the box; a long-press home button for in-game access to web browsing, WiFi toggle, and more; a Book app; and note writing / diary software.%Gallery-103589%
3DS has a Game Boy/ Game Boy Color Virtual Console [update]
One of the 3DS's killer apps may be ... old games. As has been requested for the original DS and DSi since time immemorial (2004), Nintendo will offer downloadable Game Boy and Game Boy Color games on the 3DS, through a VIrtual Console-style store. In addition, as shown at E3, Nintendo will offer 3D-ified versions of classics like Xevious. Update: The transcript from Nintendo's conference last night show that Iwata specified games from the Game Boy and Game Boy Color -- not Advance. At least, not yet. We apologize for the confusion.
Rumor: 3DS Japanese launch dated Nov. 11 by German tabloid
Überpopular German tabloid Bild has put its money on "November 11" as the day the 3DS will launch in Japan. The paper also pegs the European launch for next spring, as anticipated, and prices the system at an estimated €200 ($270). Nintendo of Japan is scheduled to announce the official date and price for its newest handheld this week, on September 29 from Tokyo.The Bild article [image] also names the 3D version of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, Mario Kart 3DS and Professor Layton and the Mask of Miracle as launch titles. While Bild's November date is at least a popular guess (the DS Phat, DSi and DSi XL all launched in Japan that calendar month), predictably, the newspaper has not outed its sources. (A note from Wikipedia: "The journalistic standards of Bild, or the lack thereof, are the subject of frequent criticism by German intellectuals and media observers.")The 3DS is expected to launch early next year in North America.
Kingdom Hearts 3DS development underway, to follow Re:Coded
Fans eager for a new Kingdom Hearts console game will have to wait even longer, it seems. In an interview with Famitsu, designer Tetsuya Nomura revealed that the next game in the franchise will be the 3DS game, first unveiled at E3 earlier this year. "Next is Kingdom Hearts 3D," he told the magazine. "The time frame for 3D is after Re:Coded." According to Nomura, development is already underway on the project and will only accelerate once the Final Mix team is done working on that Japan-only PSP release. "We'd like to announce it as soon as possible," Nomura said of the 3DS game, seemingly ignoring the fact that he was technically announcing the game as he spoke.
Rumor: 3DS tech specs leaked, Digital Foundry analyzes
IGN claims to have received the technical specs for Nintendo's 3DS. According to the site, the handheld will use the DMP PICA200 GPU, but running at a slowed-down 166MHz, along with two ARM11 CPUs, each running at 266MHz. That's quite a bit less powerful than the Nvidia Tegra chips once rumored to be in the device. According to IGN, it will also have 1.5GB of flash memory for storage. Okay, so IGN listed a bunch of names and some numbers -- along with the claim that "Numerous developers working on software for the platform have likened its graphical capabilities to current-generation consoles like the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, albeit on smaller, lower-resolution screens." But to find out what all those numbers mean, we turn to Digital Foundry. The parts "represent a massive step-up from the existing DSi," DF said, "while measuring up badly against the latest in smartphone technology." For example, the 64MB of RAM does not compare favorably to the iPhone 4's 512. However, DF notes that there's no iOS to hog resources, and in terms of the graphical capabilities, the relatively low resolution (compared to consoles) uses far less overhead. DF notes that the motherboard originally sent to the FCC appeared to use a Tegra chip, suggesting that Nintendo has changed the design since then. "Quite why Nintendo decided to switch suppliers and go with DMP remains something of a mystery," the site says, "especially bearing in mind just how much more modern and capable the Tegra IP is compared to the much older PICA-200." To get a better idea of what 3DS games look like than you'd get from people talking about numbers, investigate these screenshots of 3DS games.
Rumored Nintendo 3DS specs include two separate 266MHz ARM11 processors, 1.5GB storage
The mystery of what's actually under the hood of the Nintendo 3DS is likely to elude us until launch date, when the inevitable teardown commences. That isn't stopping IGN, however, from pooling together its rolodex of sources to report what it believes the specs are: two 266MHz ARM11 CPUs, a 133MHz GPU, 4MB dedicated VRAM, 64MB RAM, and 1.5GB flash storage (in addition to the previously-known SD card expansion). If based on ARM11 architecture, it'd certainly be in good (if not wildly disparate) company: iPhone (original and 3G), the first two generations of iPod touch, all Amazon Kindles, Palm Pixi, a plethora of Nokia handsets, and... the Kin One and Zune HD. Two separate processors isn't too far fetched, either, as the original DS had both a 67MHz ARM9 and a 33.5MHz ARM7 (quite an uptick, eh?). Digital Media Productions took credit for the GPU back in June, claiming its Pica200 would be the chip of choice. That's got a maximum speed of 200MHz, which according to this rumor is being underclocked. So, nothing that runs counter to the admittedly little we got via the 3DS' FCC leak, and still nothing to keep the Tegra 2 hopeful in check (poor souls). Those with a need to know so passionate it runs through their very being will, as we said before, probably have to wait until it hits retail. And we should find out when that is next week.
Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater slithers onto 3DS in 2011
Speaking during a Konami on-stage presentation at Tokyo Game Show 2010, Hideo Kojima announced a 2011 debut for the Nintendo 3DS version of Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater. In a surprising move, the game's original title won't be spruced up to match its enhanced visuals and new platform. (We made a page for Metal Gear Solid Double 3 + D: Stereoscopic Synthesis Subsequence and everything!) Kojima Productions will reveal more details about the project at a later date. For now, it seems to be a faithful update and port of the PlayStation 2's snake-attack classic. %Gallery-95662%
EA's 'My Garden' blooms on 3DS
We just received screenshots in advance of EA's TGS event -- we're literally sitting in the audience waiting for it right now -- and we've already spotted a bit of news. Included among the assets are screenshots of a game called My Garden for 3DS. We'll learn more about the game when EA actually, you know, announces it, but it's pretty self-explanatory: a garden simulator -- in THREE DEE. Like a real garden, but without that noisome sunlight! And also with a cartoon tanuki guiding you. Our garden doesn't do that. At least, we don't think so. Update: An EA producer just showed the game, in which players unlock plants by completing photo-based goals. It'll be out alongside the 3DS, whenever that is released.%Gallery-102257%
Capcom dishes the dirt on its Nintendo 3DS graphics
According to a recent Capcom investor Q&A, it looks like the company's upcoming Nintendo 3DS games will be developed using the MT Framework -- the same game engine used for PC, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and Wii titles. This means that graphics features like "HDR lighting, real-time color correction, self-shadowing, normal mapping, depth of field and motion blur" will be making their way to your handheld -- whenever it should become available. Hit the source link to see several examples featuring the upcoming Resident Evil: Revelations (or, as it's known in Japan, Biohazard: Revelations) and prepare to enter a virtual wonderworld of machine translated tech details regarding game development. You're welcome.
