The Nintendo 3DS, the Mario factory’s glasses-free 3D handheld gaming console, should be arriving in the US around March 27th 2011. Let’s have a look at some of the titles that have already been announced for the new handheld.
The 3DS with its non-glasses 3D display is bound to be one of the biggest gaming hardware launches of 2011, following this year’s high-profile launches of Sony’s Move and Microsoft’s Kinect motion control kit.
Glasses-free 3D joy
Games developer Andrew Oliver, one of the leading experts in 3D game development in the UK also thinks that we will soon see “3D Phones, using the same non-glasses tech as the 3DS” as well a “tablets and laptops also now adopting 3D” and streaming 3D movies.
“The technology is moving so fast that we’ll soon reach the point where all the claimed barriers to entry will be removed. Glasses-free will become the norm and prices will also drop to an affordable level. As time goes on there will also be much more content available and with that people will learn new tricks and make better use of the 3D experience.”
Nintendo is first to market with a true, affordable glasses-free 3D gaming handheld, but it is the games that we all really want to know about (and get our hands on).
NGamer editor recommends
“In terms of the games we’re most excited about on 3DS, most of the first-party ones are looking pretty good,” says Charlotte Martyn, editor of NGamer magazine. “Both in terms of the older games that are being ‘rebooted’ (Zelda Ocarina Of Time, Star Fox) and the more recent franchises that are continuing on the machine (Nintendogs and Cats).
“Paper Mario should be great, and it’ll be interesting to see whether Mario Kart can maintain the series’ high standards. The playable demo of PilotWings Resort impressed us, although the design aesthetic is more Wii Sports than old-school PilotWings, which may disappoint the original PilotWings fans.
“In terms of third-party stuff there are a few clear stand-out titles. Metal Gear Solid 3D: Snake Eater looks phenomenal – even if you’re not a fan of the series, you’d be hard pressed not to gape during the lengthy demo video. The graphical showboating is astonishing.
“Finally, Super Street Fighter IV 3D Edition is also looking great. And both Resident Evil titles – Revelations and The Mercenaries – should be impressive, though we’ve yet to go hands on with these, as we’ve only seen demo reels.”
The definitive 3DS top ten games
Blitz Games’ Andrew Oliver told 3DRadar when asked about the forthcoming 3DS line-up for 2011: “The 3DS also has a lot of great games coming out, like Mario Kart and Starfox so that’s one to watch for sure. We’re also working on our second 3D title right now so keep an eye out for that!”
There are sure to be plenty of more new titles announced by Nintendo and its third party publishing partners between now and the March 25th launch of the 3DS. But right now, with little in the way of further ado, here are our top ten definitive 3DS games we cannot wait to play in 2011.
Zelda Ocarina of Time 3DS is a port of one of the most sublime videogames made in the last twenty years, originally released for the N64. Yet the game has not been lazily ported, with this new 3D version offering a fully re-mastered world, map and inventory system and notably improved graphical quality.
It is the next best thing for any Nintendo fan, while we patiently await the arrival of the Wii’s upcoming Zelda adventure Skyward Sword. Link playing the Ocarina as he travels through time, will also be a great opportunity to use the 3DS microphone.
Nintendo’s Star Fox 64 was originally released on the Nintendo 64 way back in 1997, to almost universal acclaim.
The 3DS release will be the third time the game has been re-released, previously re-surfacing on the Wii Virtual Console and iQue Player.
Love it or hate it, Nintendo’s pet sim has an immense following and the new 3DS version is sure to be a major hardware seller when it arrives next year.
Nintendogs and Cats – as its name suggests – brings the dogs and cats together in one ‘game’ utilising the 3DS camera and facial recognition technology so that your puppies and kittens will react to your movements. Tilt your head and watch your pup do the same.
Any Mario game is always going to prove popular with the Nintendo faithful, and Paper Mario 3DS is sure to be a winner, despite featuring the ‘Flat Stanley’ style 2D paper-thin Mario!
Paper Mario 3DS will feature stickers which you will need to collect and place around the game map to unlock new paths, which will impact on the outcome of battles in the game.
Super Monkey Ball 3D is the latest 3DS offering from Sega and, following the massive success of the franchise on console, handheld and iPhone, the 3D version is sure to be a hit with the Sega hardcore.
Just as with the iPhone version of the game, Super Monkey Ball 3D will make use of the 3DS motion sensors by using tilt controls to move your on-screen monkey around the magical mazes in the sky. Sega is also releasing five other 3DS games next year, one of them said to be a new Sonic title.
Metal Gear Solid 3D: Snake Eater
CVG’s man on the ground at E3 loved what he saw of Konami’s new Metal Gear Solid: Snake Eater 3D, telling us:
“Playing Snake Eater, we also got to test out the new 360 stick control, which allowed full command of our vision – something very useful when there’s a full breathing world in front of your eyes. It’s a comfortable, instinctive control that is less ‘clicky’ than the equivalents seen on Sixaxis etc. And responds better to a gentle rub in any direction.
“We also got to test out the camera – yet another major step forward from anything we’ve seen before. Considering 3DS is effectively a knockabout, playground machine for all ages – and its camera is a tertiary function – it’s astounding.”
Resident Evil: The Mercenaries
Resident Evil: Mercenaries 3D for the Nintendo 3DS is the first of two Resi 3D titles from the good people at Capcom. Mercenaries was a special mode in Resident Evil 3, 4 and 5, and saw you trying to kill as many enemies as possible under a time limit.
Resident Evil Mercenaries 3D pulls together all the Mercenaries missions from both Resident Evil 4 and Resident Evil 5, and throws in some 3DS-exclusive modes and characters to enhance the overall gameplay experience.
Capcom’s Resident Evil Revelations, is the second of the two upcoming Resi games for the Nintendo 3DS.
You will be able to direct those old favourite characters Chris Redfield and Jill Valentine in various dimly lit, suitably creepy environments. The game is being developed on Capcom’s MT Framework engine, which has been previously used to create Dead Rising, Resident Evil 5 and Marvel Vs Capcom 3.
A new Nintendo console without a Mario Kart title is almost unimaginable. The new 3D Mario Kart is sure to not disappoint, going from the first impressions of the game from E3 this year.
“Of all the 3DS games on show floor, the Mario Kart demo is the most impressive and that’s not just our words – that’s the message resonating across the show floor,” said CVG of the new 3DS showcase title.
“The Mario Kart demo was amazing, showing off the incredible 3D capabilities of the 3DS’ upper screen and allowing us to drool desperately over Mario and Luigi powersliding their way through Mario Kart courses we’d never seen before.”
Professor Layton and the Mask of Miracle 3DS
Nintendo’s Mask of Miracle is a new 3DS outing for its latest blockbuster franchise, taking your through a mystery that takes place in a bustling European city.
Fans of the puzzle-solving skills in Professor Layton are going to love what Level-5 are promising with Professor Layton and the Mask of Miracle.
Want to see more of the new animated dialogue sequences and interactive 3D puzzles in the game? Check out the newly revealed teaser site now.
———-
You can see the full list of games confirmed by Nintendo as being in development at E3 earlier this year published over on Official Nintendo magazine’s website.