Wed, Sep 29, 2010 | 08:40 BST
Conference report: Nintendo 3DS dated for February 26 in Japan, March in US and EU
3DS will launch on February 26 in Japan and March in America and Europe, Nintendo said in a Japanese showcase today.
The price given for it was 25,000 yen for Japan. No price was given for America and Europe.
Specific launch plans for both US and EU will be announced “later.”
Nintendo will be bundling a 2Gb SD card with the system at launch come February.
Company president Satoru Iwata also confirmed that Game Boy and Game Boy Advance titles will be sold as VC games.
He also said Nintendo will sell “classic games” that are viewable in 3D.
Kicking off its conference by vaunting Pokemon Black and White’s success in Japan last week and dating Mistwalker’s The Last Story for next January, Nintendo president Satoru Iwata got into the meat: 3DS’s launch details.
Iwata told the audience that Nintendo has been pursuing 3D tech with the hope of allowing gamers to move through gaming spaces free at will.
“If you don’t have software that makes use of the 3D display, you cannot show the charms,” he said.
“If there is no expectation for hardware spread, people will not develop software.”
He went on to show screenshots of upcoming games for the console, such as Resident Evil and Metal Gear Solid, before showing a promo movie which featured an augmented reality game.
Knowing Mii, knowing you
Miis were announced for 3DS, and a Mii creation studio was shown during the presentation.
The console allows you to take a picture of your face and adjust it to turn it into a Mii. You can convert it into a QR code which can go onto an SD card to share with other 3DS systems.
Iwata said 180 million Miis have now been made since the feature debuted with Wii in 2006.
He then introduced something known as the Tag Mode Mii Plaza, and explained in detail 3DS’s tag functionality, where games can communicate together while the console is in sleep mode.
A light on the upper right of the 3DS will tell you if you have passed a nearby 3DS unit and have shared data.
Namco Bandai then took to the stage for Ridge Racer 3D, with the publisher saying it would like to use tag mode for the title.
Capcom’s Yoshinori Ono then showed off Street Fighter IV 3DS, where he explained he wanted to make a game where you can fight anywhere.
You’ll be able to use Wi-Fi to receive requests to fight.
Next up was Konami with Love Plus 3D. The guy on stage for the game said he’d like to use tag mode to allow you to tell lies to your girlfriends.
No, we don’t get it neither.
3D TV for all
Nintendo also announced a partnership with Japanese TV channel Fuji TV, where it would provide free and daily 3D clips on an experimental basis.
Following the announcement of the launch timing, a video was shown of games for the system including MGS, Zelda: Ocarina of Time, Animal Crossing and more. Watch it below.
Iwata then showed a video of third-party developers who have pledged its support for 3DS, including Kojima Productions, Level 5′s Akihiro Hino and Square Enix’s Tetsuya Nomura.
Capcom showed its support by announcing two new games: Resident Evil: The Mercenaries, which is separate from Resident Evil: Revelations, and Mega Man Legends 3 Project.
And there we are. Classic titles in 3D, new games and a worldwide 3DS launch next spring.
15 
Posted in: 3DS, Hot, Nintendo
Tags: Nintendo 3DS press event
15 comments
#1
manamana
29/09/10, 7:06 am
That’ll be 249,-€ then, when adding some Europeextracharge on top …
#2
justiceblob
29/09/10, 7:44 am
I’m looking forward to having every Pokemon game ever on one console.
#3
Blerk
29/09/10, 8:35 am
“Nintendo will be selling a 2Gb SD card with the system at launch come February.”
Hmm…. selling? As in ‘you need this, but it’s not included in the price’?
A little later than I expected for Japan, a little earlier than I expected for Europe, so it all balances out. No doubt they won’t build nearly enough units and it’ll be as rare as rocking horse shit anyway.
Including Miis in there is inspired. My kids love making Miis more than they love playing actual games on the Wii.
Edit: £199 looks like a good bet based on that price.
#4
Johnny Cullen
29/09/10, 8:40 am
I’ve fixed it. They’re bundling it, not selling it.
#5
Blerk
29/09/10, 8:42 am
Good show, Mr C. Do we know if these are ‘standard’ SD cards or ‘magic Nintendo-shaped ones’?
#6
trav
29/09/10, 9:12 am
By the way they are calling them SD cards, I would image they are the standard. Other wise they’d be called save cards or memory modules or some other stupid name.
#7
Johnny Cullen
29/09/10, 9:32 am
I’d imagine they would be standard SD cards, otherwise Nintendo’s missed a trick with compatibility and shit with 3DS and Wii if it was anything else
#8
Blerk
29/09/10, 9:43 am
A bit of a mixed bag graphically in the video. Some of that stuff looks fantastic, other stuff looks little better than a normal DS game. But promising for what’s to come – launch line-ups are usually pretty patchy.
Is the Zelda rejig a proper remake, then? With redone graphics and stuff? I was expecting just another N64 emulation but if they’ve actually done it properly my interest levels are somewhat raised.
#9
cookiejar
29/09/10, 9:51 am
This will be my first Ninty console in years. Looking forward to it. Although, I’m waiting on Sony too now..
#10
Callum
29/09/10, 1:00 pm
Can’t wait! So excited for one of these bad boys. I think I saw lylat wars on there too? Epic!
And yes, I am keeping an eye on Sony too, ptoentially their launch line up could be quite good ?
#11
frostquake
29/09/10, 1:12 pm
As long as you can turn the 3D all the way off, the wife will be happy. I have big hands and trying to do that little stylus just is way to frustrating for me. The PSP is almost too small, but I tolerate it because I hate Stylus. So I play the PSP way more much. So I will get the PSP2 and the Wife will Get the 3DS and all will be right in the world…though we may wait for a substantial line up that doesn’t include a bunch of recycled games, for both hand-helds.
Also determined by the Economy in the US, and by the look of things, it may be even worse by Spring 2011, So I may not be getting anything… So Sad
#12
2plus2equals5
29/09/10, 1:19 pm
Beautiful games, better than i expected, but the thing that i hate the most of nintendo remains.
Call me fanboy but wow a new mario kart, wow a new zelda etc… what? Are a lot of them remake? Double wow!
PS:
i bet 3ds will be the console of 3d boobs! lol
#13
Happy Hardon Harry
29/09/10, 1:30 pm
I’ll hold off and get the 3DS Lite…you know it’s inevitable.
#14
Michael O’Connor
29/09/10, 1:32 pm
Any word on backward compatibility with this device?
I certainly won’t complain about being able to play DS games on it, although that widescreen on the top would probably make them look a tad awkward.
#15
Dr.Ghettoblaster
29/09/10, 5:06 pm
$300 USD for a handheld are you kidding me? LOL
That’s the same price as a PS3 for christs sake!