Drool Worthy 3DS Pictures

Do Want.

How does the 3DS work exactly?

Sakurai says "Once you go 3D, you don't go back"

"Yes this is indeed my first 3D game but I have a feeling that it's going to be hard to go back [to 2D].

"For example when you watch Avatar in 3D you take notice of the 3D element initially but then as the movie goes on you forget about the 3D novelty as your eyes get used to it and simply enjoy it for what it is.

"That's the nature of the way we get used to things as they become familiar. The problem is that when you go back to 2D after 3D it feel sflat. So in terms of game development I would think that going back to 2D after working on a 3D project may be very difficult for me."

While I know there are plenty of people out there who weren't as thrilled with Brawl as they thought they were going to be, I doubt that Sakurai is to blame.  Honestly, when you play a game as much as some people played Melee, it'll be hard to follow it up, no matter who you are.

If there isn't a Super Smash Bros. game on the 3DS within the first two years, something has got to be wrong over there in Nintendo's ivory tower.

I'm Sold.

Honestly, I've been skeptical of the 3DS and the way it'll surely hurt my eyes to no end. 3D without glasses? I guess people are saying that it works, but we all know it'll have to be seen to be believed. Even in a dark theater, with massive IMAX goggles on my face, 3D can make my eyes cross and I get a little fatigued after two hours (maybe that'll keep my time on the portable limited!)

Still, it's hard not to say that I won't be in love after hearing some choice details. The 3DS will be able to turn on and off the effect of its top screen, effectively allowing vision-affected gamers, like me, some relief. Presumably, turning off the 3D will also allow for an extended battery life. Seems like the 3D is certainly a "back-of-the-box" selling point, but it won't exactly be a mandatory effect.

The 3DS will also retain its touch screen and backwards compatibility with DS titles. Nice! Its not that I have a ton of DS games that I'm looking forward to playing on a 3DS, but I'm guessing that a lot of people will find that a neat feature.

Furthermore, I can really appreciate the inclusion of an actual joystick. Honestly, the PSP joy-nub is a little too small for my adult sized hands, and this joystick seems like it'll fit my thumb nicely.

Let's be frank though. I'm not playing my DS all that much. Not a lot has come out that has me digging it out in my spare time instead of the controller to my Xbox 360. Even my commute time is spent on my iPhone doing productive things. Productive endeavors are not GAMING! Why am I not playing my DS? Its the lack of desirable software. 3DS seems to completely lay waste to that factor, with titles like...

STARFOX 64 3D (and others).

What? Yes! StarFox 64, arguably my favorite game EVER, is coming to the 3DS? About a week ago, I was listening to the Joystiq podcast, and Griffin McElroy brought up his yearly play through of Ocarina of Time. At first I balked at this idea. StarFox 64 is that game to me. It is as close to video game perfection as I can remember. Of course, the nostalgia glass if always full, but when I think about it, it's still my favorite game.

What did the 3DS really represent at this year's E3? A massive refocus on software for Nintendo. Did we hear anything about the Vitality Sensor peripheral? Nope. Nobody cares about that stuff. Gamers around the world know Nintendo, not for their motion sensing peripherals, their balance boards. Yes, hardware has always had a special place in the pantheon of Nintendo's successes, but the software is what people carry with them. I'm happy to see the 3DS leading this charge.

New 3DS Mock Up is Probably Fake, But Enticing

These (fake) images of a Nintendo 3DS sure do look neat right? When I first saw them the other day on Kotaku, my opinion of the 3DS did a complete 180. Of course, I also thought that the images might be real, but we can be sure that they aren't.

I won't bore you with the little details that give the photos away as fakes, but even just looking for yourself might give you the (correct) impression that these images are in fact, fake. Still, there are a few details I really, really like.

Firstly, I like the big, wide screen. I can just imagine the media you could watch on that thing. It would certainly be a device worthy of all the movies and television shows I'd rather not watch on my iPhone. It's odd to talk about the screen thinking about the possibilities and still know that it's a fake. How could such a beautiful device never come into being?

I also like the coloring and the little notches on around the edges of the screen. I like the idea of going back to basics and channeling the original Game Boy while still modernizing a few key aspects. Doesn't it look a lot like a Game Boy Pocket? My little brother got one of those before a flight to Michigan to visit relatives. It got lost in the rental car. Still, I really liked the metallic aesthetic and the black buttons really made that stand out. Seems like this mock up was slightly inspired by that look.

I also really like the screen's mobility, though a lot of people online have pointed out how ridiculous it would be to hold upright and use a stylus with in the orientation shown in the second picture here. When I really think about it, I'd have to agree, but I still think that this is a great mock up. How is it that an unauthorized imagining of what the 3DS will look like has done more for my interest than any of the already announced details or even the current DS landscape?

Nintendo Announces Next-Gen DS: 3DS

Gamers haven't had a new Nintendo handheld platform launch in a long time. The last was the Nintendo DS in 2004. No, I don't care what you say, the DS Lite, DSi and DSi XL were not platform launches. Still, the few details that have been revealed have me questioning whether or not the 3DS will be a true "next-gen" platform. Here's the breakdown:

//The Nintendo 3DS will offer games that utilize 3D effects "without the need for special glasses" and is also backwards compatible with Nintendo DS and DSi titles.
//The Nintendo 3DS will feature the same accelerometor technology that is currently found in today's Wii remotes and various mobile cell phone devices.
//The Nintendo 3DS is said to feature graphical abilities on par with the Nintendo Gamecube.

I just don't know. I already have enough doubt for Nintendo, Joystiq's Podcast Episode 0 reminding me of the absolute crap that lands on the Nintendo family of platforms, and fake 3D does not a new platform make. Let me refrain from too much bitching on the Internet and remind myself and the readers that more details and the hardware itself will be revealed in just a few months at E3 2010. I'll be sure to write more as more details are revealed.