Nintendo 3DS Invite Only Preview Video!

On February 12^th Nintendo held a Nintendo 3DS preview experience in Bristol to give gamers the opportunity to play their new handheld glasses free 3D device several weeks before its general UK release (March 25th). I was there, with a camcorder, to capture the theatrics of the event and I got the chance to play some games on the Nintendo 3DS including PES 3D, Streetfighter 3D and Pilotwings Resort 3D.

I was taken a bit by surprise as to how much effort the PR agency had invested into an event where guests were asked to ‘believe their eyes’. I think we were all expecting to simply walk into a room filled with Nintendo 3DS consoles for us to use but it was all much richer and entertaining than that. First we were shuffled into a gallery showcasing a timeline of Nintendo’s handheld gaming devices since the  original Game & Watch. A futuristic Nintendo 3DS interactive pad which used infra-red technology to project graphics of connected squares onto the floor (it will become clearer in the video!) highlighted the StreetPass functionality. We were then led into a set were two Streetfighter characters fought it out followed by a woman with a quasi American accent shouting at us to run because there had been an outbreak of the T-Virus (somebody in rags presumably riddled with the infection grabbed my leg as we ran through a pitch black corridor). Finally, a video of Jonathan Ross topped off the feeling of exclusivity as he told us we were part of a select few who will get the chance to play the Nintendo 3DS before its general release.  The curtains open and we finally get the chance to play Nintendo’s next big thing. The theatrical build up was really good fun (especially as none of it was expected) and I guess that is what PR agencies are for – to create excitement and buzz of which they succeeded.

We were led into a dark room with loads of Nintendo 3DS consoles housed in futuristic strobe lit pillars. A thumping house track added to the excitement and there was a really impressive range of games on offer. I was prevented from filming the games but you can watch what I have just described on the following video. After watching the video, keep reading and I will share with you my first impressions of the Nintendo 3DS!

Nintendo 3DS First Impressions – the 3D Screen

The 3D screen is what I was most interested in and I had slightly mixed thoughts after experiencing it. The Nintendo 3DS has two screens and like the DSi – the bottom smaller one has touch screen functionality (which now includes a stylus). Of course what is very new is the top screen is 3D. My first thoughts were that it would have been nice if the screen were a bit larger and filled more of the space on the console’s ‘lid’. On a more positive note, the 3DS screen is 10% larger than its equivalent on the DSi and to be fair, there may have been size limitations to retain the 3D effect but I felt it was a tad small for 3D viewing. The glasses free 3D effect itself worked well however and in many ways it reminded me of the Fujifilm W3 camera. It was easy to find the 3D viewing zone but there were problems when playing games that required quick responses. Every time you hit the buttons in quick succession the 3D effect would disappear as you shook the console out of the 3D viewing zone. I found myself concentrating on holding the Nintendo 3DS steady as much as concentrating on playing the game which is not ideal. Also, there appeared to be less room for manoeuvre in the 3D sweet spot before cross talk appeared unlike the Fujifilm W3 which was odd. However, for less frantic games such as Pilotwings Resort 3D and driving games where you are not constantly hitting the buttons, the 3D effect worked really well. Most games I played were heavy on the positive parallax (3D that goes ‘into’ the screen) and there was very limited and very subtle 3D coming out of the screen during most games (apart from Super Monkey Ball 3D which sent 3D graphics out practically hitting my nose). With the 3D Depth Slider on max, the 3D effect goes back a very impressive distance. The roads in Ridge Racer 3D and Asphalt 3D seemed to go on forever. The 3D Depth Slider was a really good feature. When I was playing Pro Evolution Soccer 3D, I felt the players were too far away (although this does not make sense as the players are the same size in 2D). Reducing the 3D effect made the experience more comfortable.

The 3D screen has a resolution of 800 x 240 meaning each eye gets a resolution of 400 x 240. This is low but surprisingly it did not appear to be a problem. Perhaps the Nintendo 3DS 2(?) will have a higher resolution screen but for now, its adequate.

Nintendo 3DS Short Form Video Content

Both Sky 3D and Eurosport 3D have agreed to provide short form 3D video content for the Nintendo 3DS. During the event, they had one console with a Sky 3D trailer playing on a loop which included clips of Flying Monsters 3D, Avatar, 3D football etc. The resolution of the screen was sufficient although straight lines sometimes looked jagged. I am not 100% sure people will watch 3D video content on the Nintendo 3DS due to the size of the screen but if the console sells as well as can be expected, it coud open up a whole new market for 3D short form content. When watching 3D video, the 3D Depth Slider does not have the same effect as it did with the games – it effectively becomes a 3D on/off switch. With a its SD cardslot, there is no reason you could not use the 3DS as a 2D video player too.

Using its two outward cameras the 3DS can take 3D photographs. I was less impressed with the Nintendo’s 3DS onboard 3D cameras, especially after using the dedicated 3D camera – the Fujifilm W3. The resolution of each camera is very low (equivalent to a 0.3 MP camera). I imagine the two outward cameras (there is a third inward camera) will be more suited to third party gaming applications rather than for capturing great 3D photos – if you want that, go for the Fujifilm W3 with its two 10 MP cameras. You can’t take 3D video using the Nintendo 3DS which is surprising considering there is a SD card slot meaning you could add sufficient memory to allow for 3D video. This might come later with software upgrades but to be honest, the low resolution of the cameras would mean the video quality would not be very good.

The Nintendo 3DS Games

For a start, the graphics of the games varied dramatically in quality from ‘okay’ to stunning Nintendo Wii quality. We live in a world where even mobile phones can now match the quality of graphics of dedicated gaming devices so it is hard to be impressed with graphics. However, the 3D aspect genuinely enhanced some of the games – some more than others. For example, I switched between 2D and 3D mode whilst playing Streetfighter IV 3D and personally preferred the 2D version, especially as the 3D effect dropping when shaking the console during a fighting frenzy with Ken plus I just felt that the game did not warrant the 3D effect. I thought Pilotwings Resort 3D was excellent and the 3D environment of Wuhu Island was truly enhanced with the stereoscopic illusion. The sense of space and scale was incredible. I played two driving games – Ridge Racer 3D and Asphalt 3D, both of which were genuinely enhanced by the 3D too. It will be interesting when games developers discover what works and what does not work in 3D and the 3DS will be the perfect platform to find out.

I did not get the opportunity to play Nintendogs 3D – another launch title but heard really good feedback about it and it sounds the ideal game for 3D to make the pet dog more real and lifelike.

In another room was a gallery of 3DS handhelds playing non playable demos of games that wont be ready until after the console launch date. The two that grabbed my attention were Mario Kart and Starfox 64 which looked great.

Nintendo 3DS day one launch titles are …

• Pilotwings Resort (Nintendo)
• nintendogs + cats: Golden Retriever & New Friends (Nintendo)
• nintendogs + cats: French Bulldog & New Friends (Nintendo)
• nintendogs + cats: Toy Poodle & New Friends (Nintendo)
• Super Street Fighter™ IV 3D Edition (Capcom / Distributed by Nintendo)
• The Sims™ 3 (Electronic Arts)
• PES 2011 3D – Pro Evolution Soccer (Konami Digital Entertainment)
• LEGO® Star Wars™ III The Clone Wars™ (LucasArts)
• RIDGE RACER™ 3D (Namco Bandai)
• Super Monkey Ball™ 3D (SEGA)
• SAMURAI WARRIORS: Chronicles (TECMO KOEI)
• Asphalt™ 3D (Ubisoft)
• Tom Clancy’s™ Ghost Recon® Shadow Wars (Ubisoft)
• Tom Clancy’s™ Splinter Cell® 3D (Ubisoft)
• Rayman® 3D  (Ubisoft)

Nintendo 3DS Augmented Reality Games

This was the biggest surprise for me and I thought this is where the 3DS really excels the most. AR is nothing new but this is the first time I have been convinced and entertained by AR.

I placed an AR card onto a table and once the 3DS had locked onto its location (which only took a few seconds) the card disappeared and a hole started to appear in the middle of where the card was. A CG character popped out and the idea of the game was to shoot the targets it was defending which requires the player to frantically move around the table.

For such a small device, the processing power behind the AR game was really impressive. The tracking was accurate and fast and because the screen is stereoscopic, the virtual components inserted into the screen looked in-place rather than the 2D augmented reality applications currently available on smartphones. It was difficult to tell where the real table ended and the graphics started- it was  that good.

Another fun application called Face Raiders converts a picture of your face into an augmented reality shooting game. The 3DS converts your face into a 3D ball which then floats off into the room you are stood in, augmented reality style. The idea is then to shoot other Face Raider players in the room enabled by the connectivity of each 3DS device.  It sounds naff but was genuinely fun and also, like the Nintendo Wii, was possibly a new way to get fit!

Several cards/augmented reality games are included with the console.

Overall Nintendo 3DS First Impressions

I have to admit I was a bit cynical about the 3DS as I had yet to enjoy a 3D gaming experience after playing some really poor demos but I was genuinely impressed and pleasantly surprised after 30 minutes with the Nintendo 3DS. As 3D glasses are not required, the gameplay is a bright, immersive experience.  Some games worked better than others in 3D but what I really took from the event (and this might surprise you) is that the 3D aspect is actually just one part of a package  - the amount of features Nintendo have crammed in is highly commendable. For me, the augmented reality games were even more impressive than the 3D games. The Mii characters and StreetPass features will probably become very interesting and right now, it is the only way to watch glasses free 3D video on the move without buying additional overlays like the Grille.

For less than £200 you are getting something that covers a lot of bases – you can play DS games due to its backward compatibility. The built in accelerometer and analog circle pad will bring a whole new level to gaming. The augmented reality works like a dream and the stereoscopic graphics of the 3DS are the first time I have been convinced by stereoscopic gaming. Would I buy one? Yes.

Only time will tell whether Nintendo made the right decision to go 3D with their new handheld console. Sony recently announced it was not the right decision for their forthcoming PSP replacement (NGP) . However, I think Nintendo have packed enough into the 3DS for it to be immune to any drop in 3D popularity as it is a great console in its own 2D right – They have not put all their eggs in one basket which was a wise decision!

Try the Nintendo 3DS yourself as Nintendo Launch a UK Wide Tour

Some good news  - Nintendo have announced a UK wide 3DS tour for people wanting to try the 3DS before its general release on March 25th. You can then decide for yourself! The dates are as follows …

February 22nd – 28th: St Andrew Square, Edinburgh
March 1st – 7th: Williamson Square, Liverpool.
March 3rd – 6th: MetroCentre (Exhibition Square) Gateshead, Newcastle.
March 8th – 14th: Old Market Square, Nottingham.
March 10th – 13th: Westfield (South Atrium), London.
March 15th – 21st: The Forum, Norwich.
March 17th – 20th: Lakeside Shopping Centre, Thurrock.
March 17th – 20th: Cabot Circus (Site G), Bristol.
March 24th – 27th: Westfield (Centre Management Suite), Derby.
March 29th – April 3rd: Armada Way Piazza: (City Centre), Plymouth.
March 31 – April 3rd: WestQuay, Southampton.

FREE WEEKLY 3D NEWS BULLETIN –