Nintendo 3DS

[CrispyXUK]

I don't think there's much doubt the console was rushed out now. I'm willing to bet they were planning a late May release date when the console was in development. Whether it was the NGP which spooked them or the plummeting sales of the Wii (and its barren line up) is up for debate but Nintendo weren't ready on a software front for this launch.

I could understand Zelda not making the launch, they're putting a lot of effort into it (things that were sprites are polygons, 2D backdrops are now 3D, big chunks of remodelling and retexturing) but Star Fox 3D from the trailers was nothing but N64 assets and they even kept the rubbish draw distance (but without fogging effects to mask it). It could still be they're adding new modes and stages (Internet multiplayer please Nintendo!!!) but I'd bet it was originally planned for launch. No first party games for a console launch is odd (Pilot Wings is second party).

You must have a bad memory as most of the textures on the SF64 vid I saw were completely redone.

[abigsmurf]

Looked the same to me, just with far superior texture filtering so they weren't a blurry mess.

[BIG EDD]

Anyone know how much Gamestation and Blockbuster are offering for games?

I can't believe CEX are paying ?200 cash for the machine, that's mental... Though according to the website it's either ?180, then it says discounted and only ?165, but ?175 for an unboxed one - makes no sense what so ever! Why list it both as discounted and non-discounted, and offer more unboxed than for the discounted boxed one? And then apparently offer ?200 in store, which it makes no mention of on the website...

I got ?35 trade in at game on Monday

[briareos_kerensky]

Zelda, Mario Kart and Mario 3DS will provide massive boosts but that's 3 titles over what's likely to be a year long period. If Nintendo ae smart, they'll pay Capcom to do a Monster Hunter 3D

Maybe with a proper online mode instead of adhoc/local.

I still wish that Nintendo would concentrate on delivering a new Zelda and a new Starfox like they are doing with a new Super Mario rather than rehashing old games, even with properly updated graphics.

[Neon Ignition]

It'd be nice to see consistent releases but as a company they've no need to. Sure Zelda and Mario Kart will surge sales through the rest of the year but it's a bit early to state it has it harder than the NDS. The NDS had it much harder, it launched with so much more negative hype and titles like Brain Training and Nintendogs were out of the blue fluke successes which it's too early to say they won't repeat this gen with something else. It's clear that they're holding all their cards for E3 given the release schedule goes up to almost exactly the day it takes place.

We've certainly seen nothing yet from the format.

[Dogg Thang]

Is Streetpass game-specific? I know some games have Streetpass features - so those games have to be loaded up and in sleep to register, right? If you have SFIV and pass someone with RR, for example, will a Streetpass encounter register?

[hudson]

Is Streetpass game-specific? I know some games have Streetpass features - so those games have to be loaded up and in sleep to register, right? If you have SFIV and pass someone with RR, for example, will a Streetpass encounter register?

I just asked same question in the SSFIV 3D thread.

[Flabio]

Streetpass works like this:

You start up the game, if it has StreetPass features it'll ask you if you want to register the game with the system.

You can have up to twelve 'things' registered with StreetPass at once (most people will have Mii Parade registered).

I'm pretty sure (but not 100% certain) that you don't have to actually have that game in the machine, it just has to be in sleep mode.

Whenever you pass someone, the machines exchange packets (this is why there's a max number of simultaneous things you can have registered, it's a fixed max packet size).

If a game has picked up new streetpass data it'll appear with a little green dot on the front end screen next time it's inserted, start the game and it'll pull that data in and do whatever it does with it.

So in theory, if you pass someone that has SF4 registered, and you do too, then you'll exchange data regardless of which games you have in your system at that time.

I don't know for sure, cause the only game I have other than the Mii Parade with StreetPass is Samurai Warriors, and no bugger else here has it...

[Brad]

Combine the pedometer with street pass and you have a paedophile detector!

[hudson]

That's what I thought, but I'm still not sure as you're not 100% on it

[InvisibleKid]

Streetpass works like this:
You start up the game, if it has StreetPass features it'll ask you if you want to register the game with the system.
You can have up to twelve 'things' registered with StreetPass at once (most people will have Mii Parade registered).
I'm pretty sure (but not 100% certain) that you don't have to actually have that game in the machine, it just has to be in sleep mode.
Whenever you pass someone, the machines exchange packets (this is why there's a max number of simultaneous things you can have registered, it's a fixed max packet size).
If a game has picked up new streetpass data it'll appear with a little green dot on the front end screen next time it's inserted, start the game and it'll pull that data in and do whatever it does with it.
So in theory, if you pass someone that has SF4 registered, and you do too, then you'll exchange data regardless of which games you have in your system at that time.

That is EXACTLY how it works - and it'll even work when you're playing something else.
I got a StreetPass notification for a Street Fighter Street Pass match while playing Ghost Recon last night.

[Phar]

It's easily the best feature of the system so far for me, can't wait to see what they do with Animal Crossing.

[gizmo1990]

I don't think there's much doubt the console was rushed out now. I'm willing to bet they were planning a late May release date when the console was in development. Whether it was the NGP which spooked them or the plummeting sales of the Wii (and its barren line up) is up for debate but Nintendo weren't ready on a software front for this launch.

Eh? I think there's a lot of doubt about what you're suggesting! Imo, if anything, the release was postponed to give Nintendo more time to stockpile units. Certainly, it was apparent summertime last year that Nintendo hoped to at least launch in Japan before Xmas.

[Number45]

It'd be nice to see consistent releases but as a company they've no need to. Sure Zelda and Mario Kart will surge sales through the rest of the year but it's a bit early to state it has it harder than the NDS. The NDS had it much harder, it launched with so much more negative hype and titles like Brain Training and Nintendogs were out of the blue fluke successes which it's too early to say they won't repeat this gen with something else. It's clear that they're holding all their cards for E3 given the release schedule goes up to almost exactly the day it takes place.

We've certainly seen nothing yet from the format.

How much was the DS at release? The 3DS at the moment is at the very top end of the "impulse buy" range for most people I would think (and way outside of it for many others). That said I'm sure it'll be a success (there's already awareness in people that wouldn't know of a new PS/Xbox console until months after it had released). I do think that the people that bought a console just for Brain Training/Sudoku and all that other crap are going to be difficult to sway to new, expensive hardware just because they can play the same games with 3D in them.

That said, I find myself with new hardware fever. I seldom play handhelds, the launch line up looks poor (reading the Monkey Ball impressions made me :'( this morning) and it's expensive but... I'm struggling to resist. >_<

[EDDIE M0NS00N]

Just a little note, but if you dont fancy GAMEs trade-in offer of ?20 for Rayman, Madden & Ridge Racer 3D, then CEx are offering ?26 cash or ?28 exchange