3ds

6 things the Nintendo 3DS needs to beat Apple at its own game

Not so long ago, Nintendo was king of the hill in video game land--especially when it came to handheld games. Back in those magical days, the Nintendo DS was the pinnacle of kid-friendly fun, and even casual gaming for those who normally didn't find games appealing.

Then came Apple. While some might debate the quality games in the App Store versus offerings for the Nintendo DS or Sony PSP, the success of Apple's seemingly endless supply of cheap games has been undeniable. Nintendo even acknowledges that Apple is its chief rival, now.

Enter the Nintendo 3DS, Nintendo's next-gen 3D handheld. Can it change the equation and recapture the Nintendo magic--and, most notably, kid appeal--that's worn away a bit in the wake of shiny gadgets like the iPhone and iPad?

The 3DS goes on sale in America on March 27, and it's been on shelves in Japan for weeks. We've reviewed the system already at CNET, and I've been playing around with one for the last six days, along with a handful of launch games.

At this year's GDC, Nintendo delivered a keynote literally across the street--and on the same day--as Apple's iPad 2 unveiling. Nintendo's focus on handheld gaming has had to take into account the meteoric rise of Apple's App Store. The App Store redefined the landscape of game pricing and effectively stole some of the casual-gaming crowd from Nintendo. Now that the 3DS is about to arrive, can it help fix what Nintendo's been missing?

After a week playing with one, my feelings are mixed. The 3DS has technical tricks up its sleeve that no iDevice can lay claim to yet--namely, its 3D camera and glasses-free 3D screen--but 3D is a divisive technology. Some people prefer their entertainment without a third dimension forced onto it. Also, Nintendo has been intent on not using 3D as an essential element in its 3DS games, making it a less integral technology than motion control on the Wii. The system has its advantages, and it has impressively improved graphics, but that alone isn't enough.

If the Nintendo 3DS is to effectively answer back to the juggernaut of affordable, diverse iOS gaming and offer up a convincing alternative, this is what I think it still needs to stand a chance.… Read more

Digital City 120: AT&T-Mobile; Nintendo 3DS postmortem; plus, telephone trivia

This week we debate the merits of the proposed AT&T/T-Mobile merger, and Dan and Scott give the Nintendo 3DS a prelaunch postmortem. Also, listeners can play along as we quiz each other and the chat room with some brain-twisting telephone trivia.

If you'd like to play our tech trivia game and win some cool prizes (video games, rare promo items), drop us a line at digitalcity@cnet.com or tune into the show live each week, then hop into the chat room and volunteer to play.

Bonus: You can download the show's theme song as a free MP3 here for a limited time!

… Read more

Nintendo playing nice with 3DS developers

With the U.S. launch of the Nintendo 3DS just days away, the game company wants to be clear that it's doing its part to help third parties succeed on its newest portable-gaming device.

Charlie Scibetta, Nintendo of America senior director of corporate communications, told IndustryGamers in an interview published Friday that his company is doing "everything we can to help [third parties] promote their products, to get their products visibility" on the Nintendo 3DS.

The 3DS, which allows gamers to play 3D titles without the need of special glasses, is scheduled to hit U.S. store shelves on Saturday for $249. … Read more

The 404 780: Where we throw the trolls a bone (podcast)

The 404 Digest for Episode 780

Scott Stein sits in for Wilson. Jeff feeds trolls in his Nintendo 3DS blog post. Check out the 3DS review in its 4,000-plus word entirety. TL;DR? The gist: 3.5/5 stars for impressive 3D experience with a weaker-than-usual launch lineup and inactivated online features. Check out this bamboo iPad 2 case by Grove! Video voice mail by Luke from Austin.

Record your own video voice mail on YouTube and send the link to the404(at)cnet(dot)com or leave an audio voice mail by calling 1-866-404-CNET (2638).

Have a great weekend, everyone!

Episode 780 Subscribe in iTunes (audio) | Subscribe in iTunes (video) | Subscribe in RSS Audio | Subscribe in RSS Video… Read more

preGame 44: Nintendo 3DS in-studio; Yakuza 4; Homefront

A very special afternoon delivery from Nintendo just makes it on today's show. Live today in the studio is the brand-new Nintendo 3DS portable gaming system, the first of its kind to display a 3D image without the need for special glasses.

It may not be available in stores until March 27, but the Nintendo 3DS has already arrived at CNET's New York offices and makes its debut on today's preGame. We'll show off the console from every angle and demo a few titles including the bundled AR Games and Mii Maker as well as Super … Read more

The Nintendo 3DS has arrived at CNET

The Nintendo 3DS arrived at our CNET New York offices this afternoon escorted by a group of lovely ladies with tethered 3DS' in-hand.

Of course the 3DS is the highly anticipated follow-up to Nintendo's insanely popular DS product line and is the first portable gaming system that can display a 3D image without the need for glasses.

Follow along with our unboxing slideshow to see what exactly to expect on March 27 when the 3DS goes on sale in North America for $250. We were given a Cosmo Black console, but the 3DS will also be available in Aqua … Read more

Nintendo kicks off 3DS demo tour around U.S.

The Nintendo 3DS is going on tour.

Starting tomorrow, Nintendo will offer demos of its upcoming portable game player in four U.S. cities. The company will have what it calls Demo Pods and Demo Squads available to let folks play titles and ask questions about the device.

The 3DS is easily one of the most anticipated products of the year. The device comes with the ability for gamers to play titles in 3D without the need for special glasses. In addition, it comes with built-in cameras capable of snapping 3D photos. It's scheduled for a March 27 launch in the U.S. for $249. … Read more

Sony: NGP's graphics won't match PS3's

All this talk of Sony's Next Generation Portable gaming device having graphical quality on the same level as the PlayStation 3 is overblown, Sony says.

In a talk at the Game Developers Conference yesterday, David Coombes, platform research manager at Sony Computer Entertainment America, made it clear that the company's upcoming NGP will offer much better graphics than those of the current PlayStation Portable, but won't come close to matching the graphics of Sony's home console.

"Some people in the press have said, 'Wow, this thing could be as powerful as a PS3,'" Coombes said, according to a report in Kotaku. "Well, it's not going to run at 2GHz, because the battery would last five minutes...and it would probably set fire to your pants."

The NGP's graphical abilities will be "halfway" between those of Sony's PlayStation Portable and the PlayStation 3, Sony engineers said, according to Kotaku.… Read more

preGame 42: Dragon Age II

Today on preGame we demo just a fraction of what there is to experience in the epic sequel from BioWare, Dragon Age II! Tune in to see how the improved combat system plays, and check out the advanced automation features that are available.

But first, we'll talk about last week's Nintendo 3DS sell-out debut in Japan and whether we think the 3D portable system will have similar success here in the States. Also, we'll try and make sense of the European PS3 seizing that has begun because of a patent infringement claim filed by LG.

Right before … Read more