E3: Nintendo announces 3DS, games

Nintendo just unleashed the beast: 3DS!

Satoru Iwata took to the stage, holding the new unit aloft dramatically. It has a 3.5 inch widescreen display, and will be full 3D without the need for the glasses, a point reiterated constantly.

The 3DS features a 3D depth slider, that can minimise or maximise the 3D experience the top screen offers (the bottom screen is still touch-sensitive). As expected, the unit boasts improved graphics, and also has a 'slide pad', essentially an analog stick.

As if that wasn't impressive enough, the 3DS has two cameras, allowing you to take photos and view them in 3D. This functionality extends beyond static images however, as Iwata was proud to announce that 3DS is capable of showing 3D ready Hollywood movies from Disney, Warner Brothers and Dreamworks, referencing the movies How to Train Your Dragon and Tangled, which he stated was the first time such content could be shown without glasses.

Iwata then mentioned the following list of games and franchises in development for the console:

-Project Sora, which encompasses Kid Icarus Uprising

-3D Nintendogs + Cats

-DJ Hero

-Kingdom hearts

-Saints Row

-Madden

-Resident Evil title

-Assassins creed

-Ridge Racer

-Metal Gear Solid

-Golden Sun

More news to come about the 3DS in the next few days.

Nintendo 3DS more powerful than Wii?

IGN.com are reporting that Nintendo’s upcoming successor to their DS; the 3DS will be more powerful than the Wii.

Yep, according to the rumours, Nintendo’s new handheld will not only be more powerful than the other handhelds on the market but also more powerful (graphically at least) than the biggest selling console of this current generation; the Wii.

IGN claim to have info from several developers that the 3DS performance capabilities are closer to the Xbox 360 and PS3 than any other gaming device currently on the market.

So, what can we make of this rumour?

We’ll no doubt have more info to play with at E3 but for now I’m going to remain sceptical about the 3DS.

'Pokemon Black' And 'White' Become The Series' Next Two DS Titles

"Pokémon Black" and "Pokémon White" will be the names of the two new titles Nintendo hinted at in an announcement earlier this year. Dropping any reference to precious metals or stones, the barons at The Pokémon Company instead opted to stay clean and classy by limiting their fifth installment in the core series to tuxedo colors.


Very few details have been let out out into the open but Pokemon.co.jp anticipates having more details available on April 15, which is not all that far away. The game has previously been reported to included new Pokémon, as well as a new setting and some fresh gameplay mechanics, though Pokéwalker functionality has not been confirmed.

Zorua and its advanced form Zoroark, a dark Pokémon from the film due out this year in Japan, will be a part of the mix, though, according to Andriasang. Though the movie, titled "Phantom Ruler: Zoroark," comes out in Japan in July and "Black" an "White" have been tagged for 2010 releases there as well, their U.S. fates have not been set in stone, so those of us on this side of the Pacific may have to sit tight for a another week or longer before we find out when they land.

In the meantime, get ready to bring your A-game when "Black" and "White" launch, and maybe you will be the one to take down Russ.

Do you like the two new Pokémon titles? What new features would you like to see? Share your reactions in the comment section below.

Nintendo to launch 3D game console

Nintendo has unveiled plans to launch a handheld 3D video game console that does not require special glasses, seeking to harness surging interest in images that appear to jump out of the screen.

The Japanese electronics giant, which competes with Sony and Microsoft in the multi-billion dollar video game industry, said the new machine, tentatively called the Nintendo 3DS, would be introduced some time by March next year.

The device will succeed Nintendo's DS series - the best-selling portable video game console ever with sales of more than 125 million units since its launch in 2004 - and will be compatible with DS games, the company said.

The announcement comes as handheld game consoles face growing competition from games available on mobile telephones such as Apple's iPhone.

Nintendo, the maker of the hit Wii games console, did not say how much the 3Ds would cost, promising more details in June at the annual E3 videogame convention in Los Angeles.

Consumer electronics makers are battling for a share of the market for 3D televisions and other gadgets, aiming to ride a new wave of interest in the technology thanks to recent movies such as sci-fi blockbuster Avatar.

Sony is also aiming to make its PlayStation 3 compatible with 3D games but, unlike Nintendo's planned device, users are expected to have to buy a new television and special glasses to enjoy 3D images.

Many experts think consumers are unlikely to rush to buy the premium-priced 3D TVs due to the need for special glasses and because many people have already upgraded to high-definition sets in recent years.

Nintendo is striving to reverse a decline in sales of the DS as well as the Wii home console, which has easily outsold the PS3 and Microsoft's Xbox 360 since its launch in 2006 but has struggled recently due to a lack of new games.

Nintendo DS 2 Rumours

Website RPAD dig up information on Nintendo's handheld successors at the Game Developers Conference, they spoke with several third-party developers, and according to their findings the DS2 look a lot like current Nintendo handheld, only with better screens and better performance.

•The system has two screens, just like the DS, but they are bigger and higher resolution. I’m sure most of you could have guessed that, but the interesting part is that the gap between the two screens is negligible. Developers will be able to use them as one giant screen.

•The next Nintendo handheld has an accelerometer.

•The dev kit is similar in power to the GameCube. Developers that worked on GameCube or Wii games will find it easy to create with. I found this information unusual. The DS successor is rumored to use an Nvidia Tegra chip, while the GameCube and Wii have PowerPC CPUs and ATI GPUs. The people familiar with the dev kit made it sound like there wasn’t much of a learning curve on the new system.

•The developers I spoke with will be finished with their games before the end of the year. The Nintendo DS is still going strong and the company could delay the next handheld’s release if it wanted to, but it looks like an E3 2010 announcement and a late 2010 release.

Take this as a rumor, since the info is not coming from Nintendo, but as of right now these DS2 rumors sounds very interesting and on the same line of previous rumors. E3 is at the next corner, so stay tuned!

DS2 dev kits are in the wild

Claims that select Japanese developers already have access to Nintendo’s handheld prototype

Development kits for Nintendo’s successor to the world-conquering DS handheld not only exist, but they’re also in the hands of key Japanese studios – that’s the claim being made by CVG.

The website states that The Pokemon Company, amongst others, was the first outfit to get their hands on the prototype tech, though apparently Nintendo has stressed to all involved that the hardware is still work-in-progress, with future revisions dependent on the feedback it receives.

“It's genuinely the best thing I think I've ever worked with,” the unnamed source is said to have claimed. “I can tell you that it's got a 'tilt' function that's not dissimilar to iPhone, but does a lot more.”

The source adds that Nintendo is unlikely to unveil the rumoured tech any time soon, ruling out a GDC reveal.

When asked about the rumours by MCV, a Nintendo spokesperson told us that the company – as we’ve become accustomed to – does not comment on rumour or speculation.

Zelda Sequel Confirmed For 2010 / DS 2 Hint

You are now less than 365 days away from a new console Zelda game. Nintendo CEO Satoru Iwata confirmed to Japan's Asahi Shimbun daily today that the Wii Zelda sequel, first revealed at last year's E3, will be released this year.

Iwata was pretty open for this particular interview. He also revealed that Nintendo will be announcing Vitality Sensor games in July, with an aim to release product as soon as possible (not very specific, for sure, but better than nothing!)
DS also got some mention. Actually, make that DS 2! Iwata told the paper that a successor to the DS would require high resolution visuals and sensors for detecting player motions.

He wouldn't share a time frame for the successor's release, though, instead pointing to the DS's success in 2009. According to Iwata, 2009 was DS's best year ever in North America.