3D without glasses.
BELIEVE YOUR EYES
The only way to believe it is to experience it.
The was the marketing that I was presented with when I attended the special Nintendo event being held in Dublin last week. Yes it is 3D without glasses & absolutely yes you need to experience it to believe it.
This is the problem that the console will face, getting it out there to the larger public to show it off. Pictures simply do not do the system justice. You can see the dimensions of the 3DS, its games, shape etc, but the 3D needs to be tried with you own two eyes.
The Hardware:
The 3DS’ dimensions when it is closed are 5.3 inches wide, 2.9 inches long, 0.8 inches tall and weighs nearly 8 ounces. The upper screen’s dimensions are 3.53 inches, with wide screen & glasses-less 3D support, 800 x 240 pixel resolution (400 pixels are allocated for each eye to enable 3D viewing), while the lower screen is slightly smaller coming in at 3.02 inches and 320 x2 40 pixels
The 3DS features three cameras, one centred on the inside and two on the outside. Each camera is 0.3 megapixels . Along with the previous models button inputs, the 3DS has a new “Circle Pad” supporting 360 degree analog input, Touch Screen, Internal Mic, Motion Sensor, and Gyro Sensor. Other inputs include 3D Depth Slider button similar to the volume button which allows you to adjust and find the optimal 3D viewing for your eyes,a Home Button for opening the Home menu and a Wireless Switch which you can turn on/off wireless even while in mid-game.
The 3DS’s game cartridges are the same size as the regular DS ones. Though will have a slightly different shape at the top of the cartridge. The 3DS will therefore support previous incarnations of games on the regular DS and they will also be introducing a method for transferring over your downloaded games. Once only though. The maximum memory will be 2 gigabytes as the system’s launch. Battery life may have been detailed but I honestly cannot remember, I just wanted to play some games.
The Games & Software:
Nintendogs + Cats
Super Street Fighter IV – 3D Edition
PES 2011 3D
Resident Evil 3D – The Mercenaries
Pilotwings Resort
Steel Diver
Dead or Alive Dimensions
Kid Icarus Uprising
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D
All of these titles were either times demo’s or one or two levels. Stand out games were Zelda probably for the nostalgia factor but the 3D did look great on it and it seemed to have improved visuals. Resident Evil Mercenaries was also spot on and I found myself slipping into it with no problem having played Resident Evil 5 on the 360. Controls were perfect and its ran really smoothly.
Nintendogs was exactly what you would expect & Dead or Alive and Super Streetfighter were competent fighting games but I must confess they did run alot msoother when I turned the 3D slider off.
Some of the more interesting features were the Spot Pass which is when the 3DS is in sleep mode, the system will be automatically seeking out Nintendo Zone and WIFI access points and will grab information, game data, free games, videos and other things from the internet which Nintendo will be pushing.
I’m also more excited about Smart Pass where bywhen the 3DS is in sleep mode, it will automatically exchange data with other 3DS systems. The system can transfer data from multiple games simultaneously. Your 3DS will automatically swap data, and unlock additional data by simply communicating with other 3DS consoles that you come across during your travels. For example Capcom producer Yoshinori Ono had explained how Street Fighter IV on the 3DS will be battling strangers in public as you go about your day. With Street Pass, players will be able to fight anyone, anywhere as well as fight online vs battles.Something which I’m looking forward to seeing is unlockable fighter figurines which will also engage in simulated battles if you tether them to Street Pass. Even with the DS closed, your character figures will fight with passers by without you even noticing.
There is also a Mii maker which appears to be lifted straight from the Wii, so you can have you’re own odd looking avatar.
Finally the last big feature will be Augmented Reality. AR is fast becoming popular on mobile phones and to a lesser extent the DSi. With the 3Ds a pack of 6 cards will come with each system. You put a card on the table, point the 3DS camera at the card, and different monsters, objects begin to start popping out of them. You have to shoot the targets that pop up whilst also physically moving around the card to be able to shoot all the targets as some of them get blocked by other objects. One such game, which comes pre-installed on the device is Face Raiders and one of the cards I played saw a dragon pop out of the table which you then manoeuvre yourself around shooting under its wings, behind its head, in its mouth. It was really quite surreal but actually worked. Whether or not I’ll be doing it on the bus, I’ll have to see.
Launch:
The 13 launch games for Europea are…
- Pilotwings Resort (Nintendo)
- nintendogs + cats: Golden Retriever & New Friends (Nintendo)
- nintendogs + cats: French Bulldog & New Friends (Nintendo)
- nintendogs + cats: Toy Poodle & New Friends (Nintendo)
- Super Street Fighter IV 3D Edition (Capcom / Distributed by Nintendo)
- The Sims 3 (Electronic Arts)
- PES 2011 3D – Pro Evolution Soccer (Konami Digital Entertainment)
- LEGO Star Wars III The Clone Wars (LucasArts)
- RIDGE RACER 3D (Namco Bandai)
- Super Monkey Ball 3D (SEGA)
- SAMURAI WARRIORS: Chronicles (TECMO KOEI)
- Asphalt 3D (Ubisoft)
- Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon Shadow Wars (Ubisoft)
- Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell 3D (Ubisoft)
- Rayman 3D (Ubisoft)
Nintendo lists “Steel Diver, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D, Star Fox 64 3D, Kid Icarus: Uprising and new installments in the Mario Kart, Animal Crossing and Paper Mario series” as coming soon, offering no concrete dates on those.
The launch will not be mind blowing but I doubt Nintendo will have a problem selling hand sets. The system will take time to grow but will undoubtedly be the big seller for Xmas. Personally I would look forward to Pilotwings, Street Fighter, PES & maybe Rayman upon launch. With Mario Kart, Zelda, Star Fox all touted to be coming I can’t wait until the catalogue of games builds up.
