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Nintendo details 3DS launch lineup for Japan
Nintendo is holding a special “Nintendo World” 3DS event in Tokyo right now and the handheld’s launch is starting to become a little bit clearer. First, the hardware maker revealed that the 3DS’ battery will last between 3-8 hours. According to Nerd Reactor, playing a 3DS game on the dim backlight setting will give you 3-5 hours of playtime, on average. Swapping in a regular DS cartridge will allow players to reach the upper end of the playtime limit, with the 3DS’ battery lasting between 5-8 hours. These are just averages and turning the backlight off (or cranking it up to high) will obviously alter the battery life. It might be a good idea to keep a lamp handy… at least until the 3DS Lite arrives (you know Nintendo is working on one).
Now then, on to the good stuff. In addition to revealing the battery life, Nintendo used the event to announce the 3DS’ Japanese launch lineup. The American launch lineup will be revealed at a similar event in New York on January 19th, but here’s what the people of Japan will be able to play on the 3DS on February 26 (thanks Kotaku):
- Battle of the Giants: Dinosaurs 3D
- Nintendogs & Cats
- Professor Layton and the Mask of Miracle
- Puzzle Bobble 3D (US Title: Bust-A-Move 3D)
- Ridge Racer 3D
- Samurai Warriors: Chronicle
- Super Street Fighter IV 3D Edition
- Winning Eleven Soccer 3D (US Title: Pro Evolution Soccer 3D)
3DS launch day lineup will include 18 titles
With the 3DS’ March 27th release date a little over a month away, Nintendo has unveiled the 18 titles that will be available on day one alongside the handheld’s launch.
Nintendo themselves plans to release three games on March 27, although heavy hitters like The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D, Star Fox 64 3D, Kid Icarus: Uprising and Mario Kart 3DS will be released “later in 2011.”
Instead, gamers will be able to get their hands on Nintendogs + Cats, Pilotwings Resort and Steel Diver, each of which has been priced at $39.99.
“Seeing 3D visuals without the need for special glasses is just one aspect of Nintendo 3DS,” said Nintendo of America President Reggie Fils-Aime. “The real test of any system is whether the games and applications draw you in and keep you engaged. Through the launch window and beyond, Nintendo 3DS delivers.”
Third party publishers will add an additional 13 games to the launch day lineup including the very impressive Super Street Fighter IV: 3D Edition and these other titles:
- Asphalt 3D
- Bust-A-Move Universe
- Combat of Giants: Dinosaurs 3D
- Lego Star Wars III: The Clone Wars
- Madden NFL Football
- Pro Evolution Soccer 2011 3D
- Rayman 3D
- Ridge Racer 3D
- Samurai Warriors: Chronicles
- The Sims 3
- Super Monkey Ball 3D
- Super Street Fighter IV: 3D Edition
- Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon: Shadow Wars
The final two games will come pre-installed on the 3DS: Mii Maker, which is just what it sounds like, an application to make Miis; and Face Raiders, a game that makes use of the 3DS’ camera.
Posted in 3DS, News
Tagged Pilotwings Resort, Steel Diver
Nintendo will launch handheld-only Switch Lite on September 20
Analysts and fans alike have been waiting for a handheld-focused “Switch Mini” (and the death of the 3DS) ever since the launch of Nintendo’s newest console back in 2017. With the 3DS being put out to pasture earlier this year, Nintendo finally made good on the other half of that equation with the announcement of the Switch Lite.
Set to be released on September 20, the Switch Lite will be available in stores for $199.99 in three different colors (Yellow, Turquoise, and Gray). To reach this lower price, Nintendo crafted the Switch Lite as a system that can only be played in Handheld Mode. It features integrated controls, a smaller 5.5″ touchscreen, no HD Rumble, and no support for the Switch Dock.
Nintendo also managed to make some improvements to the platform with the Switch Lite. The handheld will be lighter (just 10 ounces) and with a better battery life (up to seven hours, according to Nintendo). By ditching the Joy-Cons, Nintendo was also able to add a real D-Pad to the left side of the Switch Lite. That said, if you’ve got a pair of Joy-Cons lying around, the Switch Lite will be compatible with the two-fisted controllers for games that can be played in Tabletop Mode (but beware, the Switch Lite won’t have a kickstand).
“Adding Nintendo Switch Lite to the lineup gives gamers more color and price point options,” said Nintendo of America President Doug Bowser. “Now consumers can choose the system that best suits how they like to play their favorite Nintendo Switch games.”
Pokemon fans interested in upgrading to the Switch Lite might want to wait until November 8, which is when Nintendo will launch a special “Zacian and Zamazenta Edition” of the handheld alongside Pokemon Sword and Shield.
You can learn more about the Switch Lite via Nintendo’s official website or by viewing the First Look video embedded above.
Posted in News, Switch
Tagged Pokemon Switch
Nintendo Switch is not a replacement for 3DS; Also “can’t say no” to possibility of VR support in the future
Nintendo’s Tatsumi Kimishima recently sat down with Bloomberg to talk about his first year as company president after the untimely death of Satoru Iwata, as well as what the future may hold for the 3DS, Switch, and virtual reality.
When discussing the Switch, Kimishima said that it wasn’t designed as a successor to the Wii U or the 3DS, instead referring to the hybrid console as a “new experience.” He also promised that the 3DS will continue “in its own form” because of growing sales:
Bloomberg: Will you discontinue the 3DS?
Kimishima: Thanks to our software, the 3DS hardware is still growing. So that business still has momentum. And certainly rather than being cannibalized by the Switch, we think the 3DS can continue in its own form.
Nintendo made similar comments back when the DS first launched (calling it a “third pillar”) and said it shouldn’t be looked at as a replacement for the Game Boy line. However, that’s exactly what happened, so Kimishima is possibly being diplomatic about the future of the 3DS.
The President was also rather diplomatic about Nintendo’s attitudes towards virtual reality, refusing to confirm that they have a Switch-compatible headset in the works, while also admitting that he can’t say it could never happen:
Bloomberg: Will Switch have VR capabilities? Are you developing VR that will connect to Switch?
Kimishima: If you asked as if this might be possible in the future, certainly we can’t say no. In terms of how it can be used for gaming, it’s something we must consider. It depends on the system specifications.
The Nintendo Switch will be released in March 2017, and Nintendo will fully unveil the console during a special presentation on January 12.
Nintendo launches a Super NES Virtual Console exclusively for the New 3DS XL
Nintendo is bringing a handful of Super NES games from their Virtual Console service to the 3DS… but only if you own the more powerful New 3DS XL.
Announced during the consolemaker’s latest Nintendo Direct presentation, three Super NES classics are already available to download on the New 3DS XL: Super Mario World, F-Zero, and Pilotwings. If you’re old enough, you might remember that trio of titles as the original launch lineup for the Super NES back in 1991.
Nintendo will further fill out the digital store shelves for the Super NES Virtual Console on the New 3DS XL with a number of additional releases throughout the Spring including Donkey Kong Country, Super Mario Kart, and EarthBound on March 24. They’ll later be joined by The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past, Super Metroid, and Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy’s Quest on April 14.
According to Nintendo, the New 3DS XL handheld enables “Perfect Pixel Mode” for Super NES games, which gives players the option to display the downloadable titles in their original resolution.
Posted in 3DS, News
Tagged EarthBound
Nintendo will bring Splatoon, Xenoblade 3DS, Puzzle & Dragons: Mario, more to PAX East
Nintendo has announced their PAX East 2015 lineup and I hope you like handheld gaming, because it is very 3DS heavy. Attendees will get a chance to play the already available The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask 3D, Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate, and Super Smash Bros. For 3DS. But for players looking for something a little more unreleased, Nintendo will also decorate their booth with demo units containing Code Name: STEAM, Xenoblade Chronicles 3D, and Puzzle & Dragons: Super Mario Bros. Edition. GungHo Online will also have a booth at PAX East with a playable demo of the other half of the Puzzle & Dragons package, Puzzle & Dragons Z.
A single Wii U game, Splatoon, will also be available to play at the expo. Nintendo’s colorful first person shooter will launch in May and its PAX East appearance will be the last chance gamers get to try it out before its release.
“We love giving our fans an opportunity to check out our latest products at PAX events,” said Scott Moffitt, Nintendo of America’s executive vice president of Sales & Marketing. “The newly released New Nintendo 3DS XL is sure to be popular with the many show-goers looking for StreetPass tags, and Splatoon will let attendees get their first hands-on experience with one of the year’s most creative games.”
The 2015 PAX East expo will take place next weekend, March 6th through the 8th, at the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center.
Square Enix’s E3 2012 lineup features Tomb Raider, Hitman, Sleeping Dogs, a lot more
Square Enix is using this year’s E3 Expo to show off all the shiny new toys it acquired from Eidos and Activision over the last few years.
Those toys include the rebooted Tomb Raider; Hitman: Absolution, Agent 47’s next mission; and Sleeping Dogs, the Activision open-world game that was previously known as True Crime: Hong Kong.
Also on hand will be a slew of handheld titles (correction… 3DS titles) including Theatrhythm Final Fantasy, Heroes of Ruin, and Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance. A new Final Fantasy game for iOS and Android, Final Fantasy Dimensions, will also make its debut at this year’s big show.
Finally, the publisher plans to showcase Quantum Conundrum, one of my favorite games from PAX East.
Hit the jump for Square Enix’s complete E3 lineup. (more…)
Nintendo sells 4.5 million 3DS systems in first year
As production of the 3DS nears the one year mark in America, Nintendo was proud to announce that the handheld has sold 4.5 million units in the US. A side-by-side comparison with the launch of the DS shows that the 3DS had stronger numbers in every category, including total units sold (more than double the DS numbers, actually), software sales, and overall sales.
Nintendo of America President Reggie Fils-Aime seemed to attribute this to the amount of software available and the addition of Netflix and 3D video services, saying: “With a massive lineup of first- and third-party games and more on the way, a budding library of entertainment options and an engaged and growing installed base, Nintendo 3DS has an incredibly bright future.”
The numbers certainly seem to support this theory. It took only 8 months for the 3DS to surpass first year sales of the DS, and games like Super Mario 3D Land and Mario Kart 7 were the fastest-selling games in their franchise.
This trend looks like it will continue into 2012, with good third party support from Capcom, Sega, and Konami, and a new installment in the popular Kid Icarus series.