At Nintendo’s media briefing at the Nokia Theater on June 15th, company President and COO Reggie Fils-Aime told eager attendees that a troop of models would show off the new alluring 3DS handheld for the first time ever, immediately following the briefing. As we at The Tanooki made our way back towards the entrance of the theater, we were able to get our first peak at the no-glasses 3DS technology through a series of images. Nintendo chose stills from some of their popular video game franchise titles, including Super Mario Galaxy and Pikmin, to illustrate the capabilities of the 3DS. I, like many in attendance, suffered from the same noticeable physical impression of the 3D implementation; a dropped jaw. My personal 3DS model described my reaction as “cute,” which made me realize just how much of a tech nerd I am. Little did I know, my reaction to 3D images on the 3DS was just the beginning of an explosion of excitement Nintendo had in store.
Across the street from the briefing at the Los Angeles Convention Center, Nintendo had each of their big E3 Wii and DS announcements in demo form right on the show floor. Noticeable in the back was an elevated booth that hosted dozens of 3DS devices (each with a model) only accessible through a long line. As you can imagine, no other device or software title had a line as monstrous as the 3DS. On the second day of E3, I waited decided to jump in line, hoping to get a glimpse of some 3DS titles in action. After about an hour, I made it through the heavily guarded entrance, only to find out I wasn’t getting a glimpse, I was getting 20-minutes of playtime.
Nintendo had set up different rows with different software titles on each 3DS, for attendees to easily walk around and see as much as possible. The only problem was, you really didn’t know what game was where. Like a mad scramble, I was off. My first stop was at PilotWings: Resort, a brand new PilotWings adventure set on Wuhu Island, the backdrop of Wii Sports Resort. The game is great, and features the same great fly planes through ring and jetpack gameplay from the previous N64 title. But more importantly, the 3D effects are stunning. Your character appears well into the foreground compared to some of the scenic island elements in the background. You just can’t really believe what your seeing, because you’re not wearing glasses, something that’s been firmly recognized as an unbreakable rule of achieving 3D. Yet, Nintendo broke it.
Graphically, the game also looks amazing for a handheld. I had a hard time noticing a real difference between the graphics of the 3DS title versus any given Wii title. I should also note that there was no eye adjustment time for 3D. When watching films like Avatar in 3D, it took my eyes about 10 minutes to really adjust. Probably due to the small of the screen, that just wasn’t an issue. You’re instantly immersed in the new dimension, and you don’t ever want to leave.
Eager to see more, I dashed over to the Mario Kart demo. Instead, Nintendo placed a slideshow of images from a brand new 3DS Mario Kart title. The kart racers looked like they were miniature LEGO pieces that must have been sitting on the screen. While the game didn’t look as impressive as I had hoped graphically, the 3D effects were wild. Again, you really just can’t believe what your seeing.
Another great game I got to see was nintendogs + cats. The game features facial recognition, so as you pull your face towards the screen, your puppy will come near the screen and lick your face. This was great to try out, especially in 3D. The game also features cats, but ever since my real cat peed relentlessly over every square inch of carpet in my room, I’ve been off the cat-bandwagon. I don’t think any pet simulator, whether the original nintendogs or the 90s phenom the Tamagotchi, can come anywhere close to this type of immersion. You feel as though your pet isn’t just some developer’s creation, but rather a living, breathing creature set in a real world. That feeling is all thanks to the mix of 3D technology with impressive graphics.
At this point, I had heard the news that Nintendo was taking older classics, and giving them the revamped 3DS treatment. While The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time was announced for a 3DS release, it was not available to view on the showroom. Luckily, another classic title was there ready to be played; StarFox 64 3DS. I darted over to an open 3DS and began my play-session. This game is the handheld’s shining star. No title better showed the benefits of adding a new dimension of depth to a video game than StarFox 64 3DS.
Because you fly your Arwing away from your body, the trees, structures and items you pass come towards you. And as you shoot your enemies, your laser beams moves away from you. Instead of just getting smaller to represent moving through space, it actually appears to be moving through space. This is where 3D technology thrives for gaming. You’re able to better navigate your ship, learning how to precisely time a barrel-roll, shoot enemies, or launch a bomb at the right distance. I can’t wait for you to all see this game in action.
During Nintendo’s press briefing, Fils-Aime broke news that the company has made exclusive partnership deals with companies such as Warner Bros. and Disney to bring 3D movies to the 3DS. At the booth, trailers for Disney’s upcoming film Tangled and DreamWorks’ How to Train Your Dragon were viewable. The image quality was top notch and the 3D effects were, once again, stellar. It takes you a bit of time to wrap your head around just how this whole no-glasses thing can be happening. In fact I’m still not clear that this isn’t just some sort of magic. It has not been revealed just how Nintendo plans to releases these 3D films, but I’m guessing a hugely revamped online store or brand-new Nintendo Internet store, accessible through Wi-Fi or your computer, that will boast a wealth of content.
Some 3DS models walked around the booth, asking us if they could show us their specific demos. One of which was a collection of 20 NES titles revamped in 3D. Talk about a total nerdgasm. Super Mario Bros., Duck Hunt, The Legend of Zelda, Mega Man 2, Punch Out!! and Metroid. A true who’s who of top notch franchises. The origins of Nintendo’s software collection, shown in the newest technology. You will be so impressed by what 3D technology does for older games. This demo proved that 3DS technology is not exclusive to 3D open world games. These 2D NES titles benefited from the technology, adding depth and a fresh take on games that have been untouched for decades. If available, I would have gently slid my credit card into any machine in order to purchase the entire collection right then and there.
At this point, my 20-minute time limit was up, and Nintendo staff started to walk us out of the booth area. Near the exit, a group of 3DS models were demoing one of the new handheld features, the 3D camera. Players will be able to take 3D images of themselves, their dogs, anything they want. Though I was being ushered out, I got a quick glimpse of a 3D image of a guy with his hand extended. For the effect to work well, you need to have some depth in image, so his hand served as a great way to test out the technology. The image insanely cool, making this feature the most drool-worthy feature I’ve ever seen a video game console have on the non-game front. You’re going to be amazed.
I find it hard to believe that anything the 3DS offers will grow stale, ever. These features are so new and so cutting edge. Seeing the 3DS live and in person, I can say without a doubt I am a believer in the technology and a believer in what Nintendo has created. And I’m not alone. Developers Warren Spector, Hideo Kojima and several others have been blown away by what Nintendo has created. And Nintendo has already announced an incredible lineup of third party titles, including Super Street Fighter IV 3D, DJ Hero 3D, Ridge Racer and Metal Gear Solid: Snake Eater 3D.
I sincerely apologize to you all that there isn’t a way to show you the technology, through images or video. But the handheld is promised to launch prior to March 2011, which likely means this holiday season.
Demos for the technology will likely be in local retail stores long before the product launches to give consumers as impression of what this product does, considering no one is buying it if they can’t see it first.
I urge you all to trust us that it does work, it works well, and you will undoubtedly be blown away. 3D has officially become as important as motion controls to the future of gaming. You’ll all be believers too in just a few short months, I promise.
