Glasses-Free 3D Gaming System Comes Packed with Features at Suggested Retail Price of $249.99
NEW
YORK, Jan. 19, 2011 - The company that changed the world of video games
with touch-screen gaming in 2004 and motion-controlled gaming in 2006
now pioneers the next dimensional shift. On March 27, Nintendo
introduces portable entertainment in 3D - without the need for special
glasses. The Nintendo 3DS™
system will be available in either Cosmo Black or Aqua Blue, and will
have a suggested retail price of $249.99. Pricing outside the United
States will be established by the local markets, but offer similar
consumer value.
"Nintendo 3DS is a category of one - the
experience simply doesn't exist anywhere else," said Nintendo of America
President Reggie Fils-Aime. "You have to see Nintendo 3DS to believe
it. And it's like nothing you've ever seen before."
Nintendo 3DS
includes two screens. The bottom touch screen makes use of a telescoping
stylus that is stored in the unit itself. The top screen displays 3D
visuals to the naked eye. Looking at the screen is like peering through a
window into a world where characters and objects have true depth. The
system also has a 3D Depth Slider that lets players select the level of
3D they enjoy the most. The 3D effect can be ratcheted up to the highest
level, scaled back to a more moderate setting or even turned off
completely, depending on the preference of the user.
In addition
to the familiar + Control Pad and button controls found on previous
Nintendo hand-helds, Nintendo 3DS now also includes a Circle Pad, which
provides a full 360 degrees of direction, giving it the freedom and
precision needed to play games in 3D worlds. It brings the same degree
of responsiveness that gamers enjoyed when Nintendo introduced an analog
control stick to navigate Mario™ through Super Mario 64™ on the Nintendo 64™ system.
A
built-in motion sensor and gyro sensor can react to the motion and tilt
of the system, so whether players are twisting their systems side to
side or moving them up and down, their motion-compatible Nintendo 3DS
games respond instantly. No other system includes so many tools for game
developers to create new and fun experiences for players.
Two
features will allow owners to stay connected in new ways. Both deliver
bonus content to owners as they move around during their daily lives, so
users might open up their systems at any moment to find new surprises.
For owners who choose to activate it, the StreetPass™ feature is capable
of exchanging game information with other Nintendo 3DS systems as
owners pass one another. Small packets of information can be exchanged
using this data-transfer method, such as Mii™ character data, maps for
games or high scores and custom character data for different games. The
SpotPass™ feature can connect to compatible public hotspots and through a
wireless broadband Internet connection at home, even if the system is
in Sleep Mode. Once connected, the Nintendo 3DS system will receive new
content and updates on a regular basis.
Each Nintendo 3DS system
comes pre-loaded with a variety of fun games, applications and features,
such as Nintendo 3DS Camera. Nintendo 3DS has three cameras. One camera
points at the user, while two additional cameras point outward. These
two outer cameras take photos in 3D. The fun, built-in game Face Raiders™
asks users to shoot at funny depictions of their own faces. Nintendo
3DS, when put into Sleep Mode, can act as a pedometer, while letting
users earn Play Coins for the steps they take that can then be traded in
for additional content in compatible games and applications. By
accessing the Activity Log, users can check their steps as well as their
play time. With Nintendo 3DS Sound, users can enjoy sound-manipulation
tools or rock out while listening to their MP3 or AAC music files. An
upgraded Internet browser will also be available via a system update.
The
Mii Maker™ application gives users new tools to create Mii™ characters
even more easily: Users can either import Mii characters from their Wii
systems using an SD memory card or use the camera to take a picture of a
person and have an automatic Mii character created. Users can even save
their Mii characters to an SD card as pictures, which enables them to
be used any way a digital photo would for personal use, such as a
profile picture on social-networking sites.
The Nintendo eShop,
through a system update, will offer access to downloadable games,
including Nintendo DSiWare™ and ones specifically made for Nintendo 3DS.
Also, just as the Virtual Console service on Wii makes retro games
available for download, the Virtual Console games on Nintendo 3DS will
be pulled from classic Game Boy™ and Game Boy Color games. Players will
be able to view game videos, download demos for select games and see how
other consumers rated the games. The Nintendo eShop will use a
cash-based system. Users can either input credit card information in the
shop or purchase a Nintendo 3DS Prepaid Card at retail locations.
Nintendo
3DS comes with six augmented-reality cards, called AR cards. When the
two outer cameras are pointed at the cards, they read the cards and
superimpose images and animations onto the scene. So users shouldn't be
surprised if they see a dragon popping out of their kitchen tables.
Developers can also use this technology to add creative new experiences
to their games.
Built-in parental controls can be used to limit
Internet access or some of the wireless functions. By using a PIN code,
parents also can turn off the 3D function altogether, or limit the
ratings of the games that their kids can play.
Fans of online
play will be happy to learn that the friend codes for Nintendo 3DS are
specific to each Nintendo 3DS system, not each game. Once friends trade
hardware codes, at any time they can check their friends list to see
which of their friends are online and what they are playing.
Nintendo
3DS can also play Nintendo DS game cards with their original 2D
visuals. The system also includes a slot for an SD memory card. To help
users get started, every system comes with a 2GB SD memory card (though
owners can provide whatever size they like). Using a service that will
be provided after the hardware's launch, Nintendo DSi™ and Nintendo DSi
XL™ owners will be able to transfer games downloaded from the Nintendo
DSi Shop onto their new Nintendo 3DS systems.
During the
launch window (between the March 27 launch date and the E3 Expo in early
June) more than 30 games will be available to Nintendo 3DS owners.
These include Nintendo-created games like Pilotwings Resort™, which has players soaring acrobatically over iconic Wuhu Island; nintendogs™ + cats, a new version of the Nintendo DS classic with a feline enhancement; and Steel Diver™,
a side-scrolling submarine adventure that gives the illusion that the
player is peering into an aquarium. Other Nintendo 3DS games in the
works include The Legend of Zelda™: Ocarina of Time™ 3D, Star Fox 64™ 3D, Kid Icarus™: Uprising and new installments in the Mario Kart™, Animal Crossing™ and Paper Mario™ series.
Nintendo
3DS also enjoys some of the strongest third-party support of any system
launch. A partial list of titles coming soon to Nintendo 3DS includes Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Survivor Overclocked from Atlus; Super Street Fighter® IV 3D Edition and Resident Evil®: The Mercenaries 3D from Capcom; Madden NFL Football from EA SPORTS; The Sims™ 3 from Electronic Arts; Pro Evolution Soccer 2011 3D from Konami; LEGO® Star Wars® III: The Clone Wars™ from LucasArts™; Ridge Racer® 3D and Dual Pen Sports™ from Namco Bandai Games America Inc.; Super Monkey Ball™ 3D, Thor™: God of Thunder and CRUSH™ 3D from SEGA; BUST-A-MOVE™ UNIVERSE from Square Enix, Inc.; Samurai Warriors® Chronicles and Dead or Alive® Dimensions from Tecmo Koei America Corp.; and Asphalt™ 3D, Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon® Shadow Wars, Combat of Giants™: Dinosaurs 3D, Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell® 3D, Rayman® 3D and Rabbids® Travel in Time from Ubisoft.
For more information about Nintendo 3DS, visit http://www.nintendo3ds.com.