Nintendo changed the world of video games with touch-screen gaming on the Nintendo DS™ in 2004. Nintendo then pioneered the motion-controlled gaming revolution with the Wii™ console and the Wii Remote™ controller back in 2006. Today the company unveils an even more immersive gaming experience: Nintendo 3DS™.
At the E3 Expo today, Nintendo gave the world the first look at a portable system that lets people view games in 3D, without the need for special glasses. Nintendo also announced a substantial list of upcoming games for Nintendo 3DS, the Wii console and the Nintendo DS family of systems – a lineup that reads like a who’s who of some of the greatest franchises in video game history with a completely new look and feel.
“The additional dimension of depth in 3D makes it easier for players to judge distances while giving developers a new tool to create games and experiences that play with both height and depth,” said Nintendo video game designer Shigeru Miyamoto, who pioneered the fully rendered 3D video game world with Super Mario 64™.
Nintendo 3DS comes with a 3.53-inch top screen and a 3.02-inch bottom touch screen. It has three cameras – one inner and two outer – to deliver the 3D effect and take 3D pictures. It includes a motion sensor, a gyro sensor and even a Slide Pad that allows 360-degree analog input. At the E3 Expo, Nintendo showed attendees a range of games and applications for Nintendo 3DS that reinvent some of the industry’s most beloved franchises. These include:
- Kid Icarus™: Uprising, the long-awaited franchise follow-up to the NES™ classic.
- Mario Kart™, which shows off the potential of driving and tossing bananas in 3D.
- nintendogs™ + cats, a new version of the best-selling nintendogs franchise that lets players interact even more with their virtual puppies – and kittens!
- PilotWings Resort™, a flying simulation that lets players soar above Wuhu Island.
- Animal Crossing™, a new installment of the charming community-building franchise.
- StarFox 64™ 3D, a game that demonstrates the true distance and depth of outer space using Nintendo’s well-known franchise.
- Steel Diver™, a new submarine-navigation game from Nintendo.
- Paper Mario™, which brings paper-based 2D environments to life.
Nintendo 3DS also comes to market with the strongest third-party support of any video game system in Nintendo history. Games on display at the Nintendo booth at the E3 Expo include:
- DJ Hero® 3D from Activision
- RESIDENT EVIL® REVELATIONS from Capcom
- The Sims™ 3 from Electronic Arts
- HIDEO KOJIMA’S METAL GEAR SOLID SNAKE EATER 3D “The Naked Sample” from Konami
- Professor Layton and the Mask of Miracles (name not final) from LEVEL-5
- RIDGE RACER® (name not final) from Namco Bandai Games
- KINGDOM HEARTS franchise game from Square Enix
- DEAD OR ALIVE® 3D (name not final) from Tecmo Koei Games
- SAMURAI WARRIORS® 3D from Tecmo Koei Games
- Battle of Giants™: Dinosaur Strike from Ubisoft
- Hollywood 61 (name not final) from Ubisoft
A sampling of other Nintendo 3DS games already in planning includes SUPER STREET FIGHTER IV 3D Edition (name not final) from Capcom; Madden NFL and FIFA Soccer games from Electronic Arts; CODENAME: Chocobo Racing® 3D and a FINAL FANTASY ® franchisegame and from Square Enix; a NINJA GAIDEN® (name not final) game from Tecmo Koei Games;Saint’s Row: Drive By from THQ; Assassin’s Creed™Lost Legacy, Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon™and Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell Chaos Theory™ from Ubisoft; and a Batman game from Warner Bros. Additional games are in development by Atlus, AQ Interactive, Disney Interactive Studios, Harmonix, Hudson Soft, Majesco, Marvelous Entertainment, Rocket, SEGA, Takara Tommy and Take-Two Interactive.
Here are the official specs of the Nintendo 3DS:
Size (when closed):
Approximately 5.3 inches wide, 2.9 inches long, 0.8 inches tall.
Weight:
Approximately 8 ounces.
Look:
Final design is TBA.
Top Screen:
3.53-inch widescreen LCD display, enabling 3D view without the need for special glasses; with 800×240 pixel resolution (400 pixels are allocated for each eye to enable 3D viewing).
Touch Screen:
3.02-inch LCD with 320×240 pixel resolution with a touch screen.
Cameras:
One inner camera and two outer cameras with 640×480 (0.3 Mega) pixel resolution.
Pre-Installed Software:
TBA
Nintendo 3DS Game Card:
2 GB Max. at launch.
Wireless Communication:
Can communicate in the 2.4 GHz band. Multiple Nintendo 3DS systems can connect via a local wireless connection to let users communicate or enjoy competitive game play. Systems also can connect to LAN access points to access the Internet and allow people to enjoy games with others. Will support IEEE 802.11 with enhanced security (WPA/WPA2). Nintendo 3DS hardware is designed so that even when not in use, it can automatically exchange data with other Nintendo 3DS systems or receive data via the Internet while in sleep mode.
Game Controls:
Touch screen, embedded microphone, A/B/X/Y face buttons, + Control Pad, L/R buttons, Start and Select buttons, “Slide Pad” that allows 360-degree analog input, one inner camera, two outer cameras, motion sensor and a gyro sensor.
Other Input Controls:
3D Depth Slider to adjust level of 3D effect (can be scaled back or turned off completely depending on the preference of the user), Home button to call system function, Wireless switch to turn off wireless communications (even during game play), Power button. The telescoping stylus is approximately 4 inches when fully extended.
Input/Output:
A port that accepts both Nintendo 3DS game cards and game cards for the Nintendo DS™ family of systems, an SD memory card slot, an AC adapter connector, a charging cradle terminal and a stereo headphone output jack.
Sound:
Stereo speakers positioned to the left and right of the top screen.
Battery:
Lithium ion battery details TBA.
Languages:
TBA
Parental Controls:
Parental controls similar to the Nintendo DSi system will be included.
Published on Jun 17, 2010
