3D Nintendo 3DS News, Reviews & Articles

What is the Nintendo 3DS ?

The Nintendo 3DS is the latest “3D”  portable game console developed and manufactured by Nintendo.

The Nintendo 3DS can produce 3D effects without the need for any of those uncomfortable special glasses.Scheduled for release in  March 2011, the Nintendo 3DS will succeed the Nintendo DS series of handhelds, which primarily shares the handheld console market with Sony’s PSP (PlayStation Portable).

The Nintendo 3DS will also feature backward compatibility with Nintendo DS series software, including DSiWare software programmed for the Nintendo DSi.

Announcing the device on March 23, 2010, Nintendo is currently announcing additional details at the 2010 Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3), scheduled for June 15–17, when the company will invite people to play with the console.

There is also rumours that the 3DS will be released this year with a target launch date of October, and if true, it means Nintendo potentially stands to make a killing this Christmas. Nintendo’s 3D technology is getting better and better all the time, and I dare say they will be releasing a 3DS XL handheld to increase their domination of the handheld games console market.

According to industry analysts, the timing of Nintendo’s announcement, which has drawn attention away from the launch of the company’s still-new Nintendo DSi XL handheld, was likely intended to preempt impending news leaks about the product by the Japanese press.

The Nintendo 3DS was officially unveiled on June 15th, 2010 at the E3 gaming expo.

What games are going to be available for the Nintendo 3DS ?

Besides Kid Icarus and Nintendogs + Cats, the 3DS Satoru Iwata  revealed at Nintendo’s E3 2010  the following titles are in development:

DJ Hero 3D
Cubic ninja
Shin Megami Tensei
Shin Megami Tensei: Persona
Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Survivor
Resident Evil Revelations
Super Street Fighter IV 3D Edition (name not final)
EA FIFA Soccer
Madden NFL
The Sims 3
Asphalt DS
Bomberman franchise
Deca Sports franchise
Kororinpa franchise
Contra franchise
Frogger franchise
Hideo Kojima’s Metal Gear Solid
Snake Eater 3D “The Naked Sample”
Pro Evolution Soccer franchise / Winning Eleven franchise
Professor Layton and the Mask of Miracle (name not final)
BloodRayne: The Shroud
A Boy and His Blob
Face Racers: Photo Finish
Lion’s Pride: Adventures on the Serengeti
WonderWorld Amusement Park
Bokujyoumonogatari (Harvest Moon) 3D
Dragon Ball franchise
Gundam franchise
PAC-MANTM & GALAGATM
Ridge Racer
Super Robot franchise
Mario Kart
Paper Mario
PilotWings Resort
Star Fox 64 3D
Steel Diver
Crash-City GP
VS-robo
Sonic
Super Monkey Ball
CODENAME: Chocobo Racing
3D Dragon Quest franchise
Final Fantasy franchise
Kingdom Hearts franchise
Carnival Games franchise
Dead or Alive 3D (name not final)
Dynasty Warriors (name not final)
Ninja Gaiden (name not final)
Samurai Warriors 3D (name not final)
Naruto Shippuden Action
de Blob 2
Kung Fu Panda
Kaboom of Doom
Marvel Super Hero Squad
Infinity Gauntlet
The Penguins of Madagascar
Puss N Boots
Saints Row: Drive-By
Assassin’s Creed: Lost Legacy
Battle of Giants: Dinosaur Strike
Driver Renegade Hollywood 61 (name not final)
Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon
Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell Chaos Theory
Batman franchise
LEGO franchise

Whats the spec of the screens ?

The Nintendo 3DS has two screens; the top screen is a 3.53-inch 3D screen with a resolution of 800×240 pixels (400×240 pixels per eye) that is able to produce a stereoscopic three-dimensional effect without 3D glasses, while the bottom screen is a 3.02-inch non-3D touch panel with a resolution of 320×240 pixels.

How much does the 3DS weigh ?
The 3DS weighs approximately 8 oz. and, when closed, is 5.3 inches wide, 2.9 inches long, and 0.8 inches tall.

What are the controls like ?
The system features several additions to the design of the original DS, including a slider on the side of the device that adjusts the intensity of the 3D effect, a round nub analog input called the “Slide Pad”, an accelerometer, and a gyroscope.

Is the camera any good ?
The 3DS has two cameras on the outside of the device, capable of taking 3D photos, as well as a camera positioned above the top screen that faces the player; both cameras have a resolution of 640×480 pixels (0.3 Megapixel). The system will also have a “Movie Record Mode”, and will have the ability to play 3D video content.

Is there many games being developed for 3DS ?
3DS is compatible with both Nintendo DS and DSi games, and a new generation of 3DS games, launch titles include, Kid Icarus, Uprising and Mario Kart 3DS and more than twenty companies have signed on to develop for the 3DS, currently supporting a list of over seventy 3DS titles.

What about Wi Fi ?
The 3DS possesses Wi-Fi capabilities and periodically searches for Wi-Fi hotspots and other 3DSs without user input; there will be no monthly fee for Nintendo’s 3DS online access.

Does the Nintendo 3DS come in black ?
The system has been shown in three color schemes: black and blue, black and red, and black and grey, although black and purple, and black and gold 3DSs were also seen at E3 2010.

Nintendo 3DS Features

Something that’s very cool about the 3DS is its 3D slider — a small toggle on the right side of the device that allows you to seamlessly “zoom” up to higher levels of 3D all the way from regular old flat 2D. Not only is the visual transition itself impressive, but the option to play any of your favorite titles at various 3D depth levels is a welcome amount of customization.

On the left side of the bottom screen you also have a slide pad that allows you to control the camera angle relative to the action on the screen. This too is a great add-on to your customization options, in addition to being an impressive way to access various vantage points for viewing the on-screen action that you simply would not be able to see in regular 2D gameplay.

Beyond that, the 3DS felt comfortable and well built, and generally similar to its brothers the DS Lite and DSi — although Nintendo cautioned that in terms of the hardware, the final design is still TBA. We’re also sadly still missing two key ingredients here, namely price and confirmed release date for the handheld.

We will be looking forward to checking out more about the 3D functionality of the device, including 3D gameplay, as well as 3D movie playback and 3D still shots with the two outer-facing VGA cameras. We’d also like to hear more about the passive Wi-Fi features that will be able to pull down content automatically when the user gets near a hotspot.

Have you any questions about the Nintendo 3DS hand held?

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