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Nintendo delists homebrew-enabling 3DS game in Japan
Nintendo has removed AQ Interactive's Nintendo 3DS puzzler Cubic Ninja from Japan's eShop (the only region in which it saw a digital release) after details regarding an in-game exploit were revealed earlier this week. The exploit, which requires a modified save file and a copy of Cubic Ninja, reportedly enables the use of homebrew games and applications on Nintendo's handheld. It does not currently enable piracy of commercial games -- a widespread issue that plagued the Nintendo DS throughout its lifespan. After the exploit was announced, used copies of Cubic Ninja shot up in price on eBay, Amazon, and through other third-party sellers. The North American version of the game currently fetches prices in excess of $40 on Amazon, while several recent eBay auctions have ended at over $30. A similar phenomenon spiked Lumines prices when a homebrew-enabling buffer overflow exploit was discovered for Sony's PSP in 2007. [Image: AQ Interactive]
Cubic Ninja squares off this summer on 3DS
A couple of months after it showed up in Nintendo's software lineup reel, Ubisoft has officially announced plans to localize AQ Interactive's tilt-based, 3D-less 3DS game Cubic Ninja. The now-confirmed, geometric action game, in which you tilt the system (or use the Circle Pad) to move CC the ninja through dangerous levels and activate ninja powers, will be out this summer. To support the announcement, Ubisoft sent out some new screens, along with the boxart -- which is way busy for such a minimalist game.%Gallery-119123%
Cubic Ninja promoted in appropriately shallow manner
In what we're guessing is a clumsy, hamfisted attempt to demonstrate the game's universal appeal, AQ Interactive posted a clip of women playing the depth-free 3DS title Cubic Ninja. We suppose the video is pretty depth-free too. In addition to footage of the ladies being delighted by the tilt-controlled action game, and, uh, some guys looming over them, you can see a few seconds of gameplay from the stylish, geometric game, during which the ninja is guided through flame traps and bumpers. Cubic Ninja showed up as an upcoming North American release in the software lineup video released at Nintendo's New York event in January, though listed publisher Ubisoft hasn't made any announcements itself. However, we have no reason to believe Ubisoft would hesitate to release another 3DS game after the eight it has planned for the launch window.
Cubic Ninja is a 3DS game without 3D
Most 3DS games will give players the option to use the system's slider to adjust the depth of the display. Not Cubic Ninja. AQ Interactive's puzzle-platformer will not support a 3D display of any depth. A representative confirmed to us that there is "no stereoscopic 3D in [the] main game" because of Cubic Ninja's heavy reliance on another feature of the 3DS: the gyroscope. A report on Japanese site Inside Games notes that it would be difficult to read text in 3D if you were moving the 3DS around. Because the integrity of the handheld's 3D effect is reliant on viewing the screen from a fixed, dead-on position, it will be interesting to see if others developers, also keen on gyroscopic gameplay, might "turn off" the 3DS's big novelty.
