Yesterday, Mario Kart 7 was released for the Nintendo 3DS but I could only get around to buying it earlier today. For those who don’t know, Mario Kart has been one of the main titles for Nintendo consoles since the Super NES was released (one each for the SNES, N64, GameBoy Advance, Gamecube, Wii, Nintendo DS and now the 3DS making seven in total). Strangely, this game has taken a cue from Microsoft and its latest consumer version of Windows and gone for a simple version number (being “7″) instead of going with the norm of tacking “3D” on the end.
Anyway, the name issue is relatively minor in the grand scheme of things. Nintendo could have called it “Mario Kart Hyper Fighting: The New Challengers Second Remix Edition” and apart from maybe running out of room on the box to fit it in it still wouldn’t matter.
So what’s new in this game?
Well, the karts themselves are different. You can now customise the chassis, wheels and flying/gliding apparatus. Depending upon the combination you choose the performance of your vehicle will also be affected (things like speed, acceleration, off-road driving, etc). You can unlock more of these kart components by collecting coins as you race. The character you select will also impact these stats (with hidden characters also unlockable as you progress through the game).
Of course, there are also new tracks (sixteen in all). I won’t spoil the surprise for you but things have come a long way since the original Super Mario Kart and is a good leg up from Mario Kart DS. There’s also a stack of classic tracks that make a comeback complete with cosmetic updates and original soundtracks from their respective platforms.
Another thing worth mentioning is the almost mandatory “3D” mode for a 3DS release of a staple title. So far, I have played with the 3D turned on and all the way up and apart from a couple of instances where my view has fallen outside the sweet spot going around some tricky tracks (damn you, Rainbow Road) it’s been quite enjoyable and comfortable.
Anyway, I am going to be playing this alongside The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D for the time being. I was probably going to buy this title anyway but, in my initial opinion, this is a great release for the 3DS.
Finally, my university semester drew to a close yesterday after a tough exam which meant I could finally play a Nintendo 3DS game I picked up two months ago, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D. Whenever I restart my studies I put gaming on hold to minimise distractions and to provide myself some encouragement to do well.
I have played this game in its original incarnation on the N64 and its collector’s edition release on the Gamecube with Windwaker and at the time it was an instant classic and demonstrated how great an RPGs could be with the right focus and attention to detail. To be reliving it again on the 3DS brings back fond memories of the original not to mention the many hours of gameplay ahead of me to gather every last Skulltula token and heart container.
It looks the the graphics have received a bit of a facelift even before you consider the 3D capabilities of the latest version. There is an interesting comparison of the N64 version against the 3DS version here and another here. Environments, enemies and characters don’t look so “squarish” or “polygonal” with noticeable smoothing put in place. Some of the textures have been updated as well to perhaps give certain areas the feel that the original developers would have gone after if they weren’t restricted by memory and processing power back in the 90s. At any rate, it does show what the 3DS can do with a good quality game (albeit it ten years old).
Anyway, I am enjoying my study break and a new game to keep me amused in those down times here and there.
Okay, so this is the second “how to” guide on the blog and perhaps something handy for early adopters of the Nintendo 3DS who have been looked after by Nintendo after the $100 price drop in Australia (and similar drops around the world). As promised, Nintendo has released a number of Virtual Console titles for free just for “ambassadors” (i.e. early adopters) and the NES lineup is now available.
So, how do you access them?
The video below will explain how to do it. It is a little counter-intuitive but once you know where to go in the Nintendo eShop it should be a piece of cake.
Hope you find it handy!
FYI – the video will be available in up to 720p (YouTube can take a little while to process the higher resolutions) if you right click on the video and choose “Watch on YouTube” and change the resolution setting.
Early adopters shouldn’t be so surprised by a price drop on new gear after it has been out for a while but the Nintendo 3DS will have it’s price cut by just under 30% after a mere four months after its release in Australia (a saving of $100 for new buyers). It’s not the first time Nintendo has cut the price of a console as I remember when the Nintendo 64 had a price cut six months after its release and Nintendo offered a free game to existing owners to make up for the price drop.
Competition in the handheld and casual gaming arena has heated up quite a bit these days with Sony releasing the PSP Vita soon and various smartphone platforms spruiking all sorts of games like Angry Birds for around a few dollars a pop (more or less). So maybe we can’t blame Nintendo for trying to strike before any more competition enters the market.
Anyway, if you are yet to buy a Nintendo 3DS your decision may be influenced by what Nintendo has to offer as compensation this time around.
In a nutshell, existing owners (or “ambassadors” as Nintendo calls them) will be able to download 10 NES (Nintendo Entertainment System) Virtual Console games prior to their official release in the Nintendo eShop, including:
Balloon Fight,
Donkey Kong Jnr,
Ice Climber,
Super Mario Bros,
The Legend of Zelda,
… and 10 Game Boy Advance Virtual Console games for free in the Nintendo eShop (with no plans for a public release outside of 3DS ambassadors), including:
Mario Kart: Super Circuit,
Mario vs Donkey Kong.
Mega Microgame$.
Metroid Fusion,
Super Mario Advance 3,
Warioware Inc,
Yoshi’s Island.
So what’s the catch? If you have a 3DS then you need to have connected to the Nintendo eShop at least once before 11th August, 2011 @ 2359 hours (that’s 11:59PM) Eastern Time in the USA. Initially, the NES games will be rolled out from 1st September, 2011 whilst everyone else will have to wait until later in the year for these games. Later on in 2011 the GBA games will be released.
As for how this stacks up from a numbers perspective you might need to decide for yourself but with some popular titles in there it might not be a bad deal at all. You’ve got about two weeks to consider what to do so don’t leave it too late!
Here’s something that might be of interest to guys of second hand games or people who like to get rid of their used games.
Capcom, well known for its Street Fighter games, has not provided the ability to delete the save games from its latest release, Resident Evil: The Mercenaries 3D. Whilst most public speculation about this decision seems to centre around Capcom attempting to put a dent in the second hand market (from which Capcom doesn’t see a cent) and force people to by brand new copies of the game if they want to start the game from scratch.
Capcom has yet to provide any sort of direct or concrete reasons as to why they have made such a move but did cite that the second hand games market was not a consideration.
However, what isn’t clear is where the save game information is stored. If the save games are stored on the SD card in the 3DS it’d be fairly trivial to wipe it or replace it with a fresh one. However, I think Capcom would have already anticipated this by stashing the save data either on the game cartridge itself or in the internal memory of the 3DS.
It remains to be seen if annoyed gamers can create some sort of change on the part of Capcom through the various social media channels but it does look like Capcom is on the back foot already over this issue.
A few days ago, a new update for the Nintendo 3DS was released that incldued some new features including the Nintendo eShop and an internet browser as well as the opportunity to download a couple of free games including a 3D version of the original NES Excitebike.
So, I dutifully kicked off the update process:
Nintendo 3DS - System Update
Unfortunately, that little bar would move slower than a week of wet Sundays or refuse to budge at all before encountering an error saying:
“An error has occurred. Unable to update. The system will now be restarted.”
It seems that there are issues with the Nintendo end of things as I am not the only person encountering this error. Basically, this leaves you with two options, specifically:
Keep trying, and trying, and trying, and trying…
Wait until Nintendo sorts things out (which I hope is sooner rather than later).
As I am writing this the progress bar on my Nintendo 3DS is now up to 75% after having sat there for about fifteen minutes now so hopefully it will go through without a hitch (I hope I didn’t just jinx myself by saying that though).
Update:
The update went through fine after my nineteenth attempt.
Earlier this week, I showed off the video unboxing the Nintendo 3DS. Today, I am releasing the preview video to show you around the Nintendo 3DS itself as well as a look at some of the basic functionality, the included AR cards and the recharging dock. You’ll also get a peak at Super Street Fighter 4!
As with the previous video it is available in high definition for those of you who would like to watch in the best possible resolution.
As you will expect with previous gadgets the review period is now underway. Having played a lot of Nintendo consoles all the way back to the original Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) through to the Wii and the Nintendo DS I have high expectations of the Nintendo 3DS. The 3DS is very much akin to the Wii with its menu layout, the inclusion of the Mii (your avatar of sorts) and social interactivity.
I’ll make sure I include a side-by-side comparison of the 3DS against the original Nintendo DS in the final review video.
If you are interested in the specifications of the Nintendo 3DS, you can check them out here.
For those of you following the blog you would have read about my first impressions of the Nintendo 3DS and my decision to purchase an Australian model given the news of region locking for this handheld console. Well, launch day has arrived and I have gotten my hands on one of these devices for myself – the “cosmic black” model to be precise.
As is the tradition around here, I have made an unboxing video to give you a look at the device itself as well as the various contents of the box. If you are after a closer look at the Nintendo 3DS itself I will be releasing a preview video that will cover that off as well as some of the notable features (which I will try to show in 2D mode on YouTube). The video is available in high definition for those of you who would like to watch in the best possible resolution.
There were several booklets in the box including a quick start guide and an operating instructions manual plus some AR (Augmented Reality) cards and a small Nintendo club booklet. All of these are in colour compared to a lot of other devices that have their manuals printed in black and white – perhaps not a big deal but something easy for the eyes.
In the meantime, I am charging up the 3DS before I give it a go but please enjoy the video and I will work on the preview video as soon as I can!
Recently, I posted a first impression of the Nintendo 3DS after having had a play with it during my trip to Japan with my wife just under a week ago. I was lucky enough to get out to Yodobashi Camera (???????) in Osaka on the morning of Friday 11/03/2011 before the 9.0 magnitude earthquake struck in the afternoon.
Anyway, I placed a pre-order for the Nintendo 3DS at JB Hi-Fi which seemed to have the lowest price at the moment at $298. I am also holding on to my original Nintendo DS for a comparison between the first iterations of these successive generations of these consoles as well as taking up residence in my archive of old gadgets. For the record, I have ordered the black model as I didn’t like the two tone look of the blue model when it is opened up.
As always, stay tuned for the unboxing, preview and review videos of this device!
Last Thursday, I traveled to Osaka in Japan with my wife to go on a brief holiday and I planned to do a few things including getting a ride on a bullet train and checking out the Nintendo 3DS. Unfortunately, due to the earthquakes and ongoing aftershocks, I wasn’t too keen on trying the bullet train especially after I learned that many people had been stuck on bullet trains without food and water for extended periods of time.
Anyway, I did manage to track down a department store close to The Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Osaka that was stocking and displaying the Nintendo 3DS, specifically Yodobashi in Umeda.
One of the Nintendo 3DS displays in Kodobashi
I visited on Friday morning which is a work day in Japan and several hours before the earthquake hit. The launch of the Nintendo 3DS in Japan had also occurred back on February 26th. As to whether or not you would expect people to be lining up on a weekday several weeks after launch is hard to assess in another country.
Some of the Nintendo 3DS launch titles
There is a fair number of games available at launch with notable inclusions being Winning Eleven Soccer and Super Street Fighter 4 3D Edition.
Promotional video for the 3DS
Video units with promotional videos were also nestled in one of the displays however it was very much lost on me.
Nintendo 3DS
The display model was fairly sturdy when I played a couple of games for about ten minutes (Ridge Racer 3D and Super Street Fighter 4). The top screen contains the lenticular 3D screen which does not require special glasses to view images in 3D. The lower screen, like the original Nintendo DS and its various revisions, is a touch screen. The unit also comes with an adjustable stylus.
The circle pad above the digital pad looks a bit like the analogue stick that made its first appearance in the N64 controller but feels quite different. The circle itself sits flush against the top surface instead of being on top of a stick on the N64 control and slide around in the wider recess surround it. I actually found the placement and the feeling of the circle pad to be more comfortable and usable than the traditional digital pad but it does come down to personal preference.
Nintendo 3DS in its display cradle
For a first go, I didn’t mind it at all and I loved the fact that I could potentially have a device that can play the latest and greatest version of Street Fighter 4 in my pocket or my backpack and also has physical controls that are up to snuff (as pure touchscreen devices are terrible for the beat ‘em up genre and other types of games). I still have my original Nintendo DS (the grey chunky one) which has held up well for the many years I have owned it. Of course, Nintendo makes good profit on its hardware and we will see later revisions in the coming years. Nonetheless, the 3DS will rely upon quality titles from developers making appropriate, creative and innovative use of the 3D screen instead of just making use of it as a gimmick which would damage the reputation of the platform.
Two things that held me back from buying one in Japan was the unknown direction for region locking for 3DS specific titles. If I had continued to brush up on my Japanese after I left school I might have gotten away with this and buying Japanese games but alas that fell by the wayside. The other factor was that the price in Japan wasn’t going to be significantly better priced than a unit bought in Australia (even when bought duty free). In the end, I figured I could wait and get one in Australia and avoid the whole dilemma.
