E3 2010: Nintendo 3DS Impressions

• by John Davison
• June 17, 2010 09:58 AM PT

No doubt the most talked about thing at E3 is Nintendo's new 3D handheld. It's one of those things that you really have to see first hand to truly appreciate, but here's what you need to know about it.

What we're talking about: The Nintendo 3DS, probably the most talked about thing at this year’s E3.

Where we saw it: We’ve had the chance to play the 3DS a number of times; at Nintendo’s press conference earlier this week, on the show floor of E3, and in a private meeting room at the show.

What you need to know:

• First things first; it’s 3D without the need for glasses.


• Everyone at E3 is buzzing about the 3DS. At a time when the mobile gaming space is going through a tumultuous and competitive time, with the whole market dynamic shifting because of the growth of the iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad, and Android devices, Nintendo has really stepped up their game.


• Conveying just how effective the 3DS is can be quite challenging. We can’t really show you screenshots or video, because you won’t get the full effect. The bottom line? Yes, it’s real 3D without glasses, and yes you do get a phenomenal sense of both depth, and extrusion from the screen.


• From speaking with Nintendo’s Cammie Dunaway at E3, Nintendo is being very smart about how it’s positioning the new device. They are very aware of the threat posed by the iPhone and iPod Touch particularly, but understand that the advantage Nintendo has is in its intellectual property. That’s why we’re seeing them really digging back into the back catalog and reviving some classics that we’re all very fond of.


• Over the course of the show we’ve seen a number of demos that have all been impressive for different reasons. We played Starfox 64, which is a perfect port of the classic N64 title, with a great sense of depth. The majority of the action in this title is what’s known as “convex” 3D; meaning all of the effects are pushed back into the screen, with just the main ship sitting proud when you view it. We played Pilotwings Resort as well, and that makes use of a similar effect. The demo for that game used to different types of play; a plane flying through rings, and a jetpack that you use to pop balloons. Nintendogs + Cats made use of 3D in a slightly different way; we noticed that when petting the dog, rather than trying to lick the screen (like the Kinectimals do, for example) to show appreciation, the new Nintendogs reach “out” of the screen to try and paw at you.


• There were a number of non-playable demos on show that allowed simple interactions to prove that they were being generated on the fly rather than being just 3D video. We saw Metal Gear Solid which appears to be a variation on Snake Eater. The demo showed Naked Snake creeping through the undergrowth in a jungle and allowed you to move the camera around to fully appreciate the scenery. The demo ended with a confrontation between Snake and Boss in a field full of white flowers. As they pushed each other around, the petals would come off the flowers, and get caught in the wind. The 3D effect on this was quite stunning.


• In case you’ve missed all the different news stories, there are a lot of third party games coming out; EA has FIFA Soccer, Madden, and The Sims 3. Activision is making DJ Hero 3D. Atlus has Etrian Odyssey, Shin Megami Tensei: Persona, and Devil Survivor. Capcom is bringing Super Street Fighter IV 3D Edition and Resident Evil Revelations. Harmonix has a “music game” coming. Konami is working on a baseball game, a Contra game, Frogger, Metal Gear Solid, and Pro Evolution Soccer. Level-5 have Professor Layton and the Mask of Miracle. Namco Bandai are bringing a bunch of their classics to 3DS; Ridge Racer, Dragon Ball, Gundam, Pac-Man, and Galaga. Sega has both Sonic and their “we put this on any new platform” game, Super Monkey Ball. Square-Enix is working on Chocobo Racing, Dragon Quest, Final Fantasy, and Kingdom Hearts in 3D. Tecmo is bringing Dead or Alive, Dynasty Warriors, Ninja Gaiden, and Samurai Warriors. THQ is rocking de Blob 2, a Saints Row game and several kids’ titles. Ubisoft is bringing Assassin’s Creed Lost Legacy, Battle of Giants, Driver Renegade, Ghost Recon, Splinter Cell Chaos Theory, and a game called Hollywood 61. Warner Bros is working on a Batman game and a LEGO game.


• Nintendo itself isn’t holding back either. From Miyamoto and his teams we’ll see Animal Crossing, Kid Icarus Uprising, Mario Kart, Nintendogs + Cats, Paper Mario, Pilotwings Resort, Starfox 64 3D, and Steel Diver.


• The device has three cameras, one on the inside and two on the outside that can take 3D images. They’re still just 640x480 images though. The 3D imaging allows for some interesting augmented reality applications.


• Something that people haven’t made as much fuss about is the fact that the 3DS has a full six-axis motion control system built in, the same as the iPhone 4. This, combined with the 3D screen will make for some interesting truly 3D game applications.


• The top 3D screen is an 800x240 3D display (400 pixels are allocated to each eye) and the field of view is fairly narrow. This isn’t a system you can “rubber neck” on. If you’re not directly in front of the screen, you get a blurred image.


• If the 3D is too much for you, there’s a slider on the top screen to dial back the 3D effect.

Point in development cycle: It’s pretty much done -- although Nintendo says that “the design is not final.”

My take: Just, wow. Pretty much everyone that’s seen the 3DS at E3 is blown away by it, and I’ve yet to hear anyone really criticize it. Though they've not announced retail plans yet, I've got to imagine that a big part of Nintendo's strategy for launch will be putting demo units into stores so you can see how it works for yourself. You really do need to hold it in your hands to truly appreciate it. Unlike all of the other 3D stuff on show, on 3DS we will definitely see games where the depth effect is used for gameplay purposes, rather than just cool cosmetic needs. Combined with the six-axis motion controls we’ll be able to manipulate 3D objects and see gameplay mechanics that we’ve never seen before, and that’s really exciting. All of the demos I saw blew me away, but I have to say that as someone who usually gets eyestrain from watching 3D movies with glasses, I was surprised how much more comfortable the Nintendo system is.

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