Justin’s Japan: Nintendo 3DS Comes to America March 27
By JQ magazine’s Justin Tedaldi (CIR Kobe-shi, 2001-02) for Examiner.com. Visit his NY Japanese Culture page here to subscribe for free alerts on newly published stories.
Nintendo announced at a press event today (Jan. 19) that its newest handheld video game console, the Nintendo 3DS, will be available in North America on March 27 for $249.99, hitting stores less than a month after its Japanese debut.
The 3DS is the latest incarnation of Nintendo’s portable DS series, which have sold more than 135 million units worldwide since 2004, making it second to Sony’s PlayStation 2 in total sales. Nintendo’s hook this time that should push them over the top employs a method called autostereoscopy, which provides gaming on a special screen without the need for 3D glasses.
Other features include special augmented reality games, backward compatibility with other DS titles, a Virtual Console service for users to purchase Game Boy and Game Boy Color favorites, 3D movie support, StreetPass and SpotPass mode for wireless and Internet gaming, and a Mii Maker that creates a Mii avatar based off a photo taken with the 3DS’ built-in camera. Other interactive functions, like a pedometer and a 3D camera on the back of the device, are expected to increase the console’s appeal to non-gamers as well, according to Nintendo of America’s president Reggie Fils-Aime.
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