Nintendo president, Satoru Iwata, has announced a brand new 3D-enabled handheld console to succeed its 125 million-selling DS. Incredibly, the new system will work without the need to wear special glasses too.

 

Mr. Iwata dropped this bombshell during an investor call overnight, during which it was revealed that the 3DS (working title) is scheduled to launch before the end of March 2011. Other details were scant, although Iwata also confirmed that the new handheld will be fully backwards-compatible with existing DS and DSi games. Whether that means they’ll be playable in 3D too remains to be seen.

 

So how will the 3DS actually work? Alas, we can’t answer that for sure, but we can certainly speculate. Indeed, a recent downloadable DS game for the Japanese market might point the way forward. Entitled “3D Hidden Image,” the game utilises the DSi’s front camera to work out the console’s orientation and adjusts the perspective of the onscreen images accordingly – players then tilt the DSi to locate hidden items. The effect is a convincing sense of depth, rather than the visuals leaping out of the screen, so to speak (see video below).

 

This may or may not be how the 3DS operates, but it at least demonstrates what’s possible using current technology. We await further developments with great interest. Meanwhile Nintendo is expected to reveal all at the forthcoming E3 tradeshow, which takes place in Los Angeles in June.

 

 

http://uk.video.yahoo.com/watch/7202929/18764408

Another Nintendo gimmick. Maybe one day they'll make decent consoles with decent games again.

A 3D Darkstar for my house? :lol

You really don't want one of those Matt

he's in mah house, eatin' mah foodz. :lol

W0bbleLOLZ!~

:lol

 

Bastards.

You love it Paul. By the way, I just saw your age on your TWO profile... 29... LMAO. And the rest :P_

I am 29 thank you very much!

 

Now back on topic before I go all global mod on your disrespectful arse. Bloody whippersnapper.

I owned an original DS, didn't buy any games for it and traded it in. Soooo... if any misguided person gives this to me as a gift, it'd most likely head down the same road. Give me a DS without the touch screen, microphone stuff and I'll probably love it... Although it didn't quite work for my PSP.

Give me a DS without the touch screen, microphone stuff and I'll probably love it...

That's called the GameBoy, I hear they were all the rage in the 90's

Yeah.....I'll sell you my Gameboy colour if you really want a handheld console without the jazz of an NDS. Or I'd recommend the Sega Gamegear (much better screen IMHO).

 

I LOVE my NDS, it goes everywhere with me (as do my crayons and colouring books-big big kid, I know). I had no clue about the Hidden Image game, and it has made me drool and want to upgrade to a DSi. The 3DS sounds good too though, so may save up some pennies for next year instead. :)

I bought my gf a DS the Xmas before last, cost me a fair bit with some games and whatnot. Then got an R4 card for it, really the only option. It only got played at this Christmas because I managed to get Guitar Hero for £6 from HMV for it, with adapter. It never gets played at all. May trade it in next week when we get our 2nd Wii.

I love my DSi XL, I really don't know why people say there's no good games or it's touch/dual screen is just a gimmick as there are absolutely loads of great games that make good use of the touch screen like WarioWare, GTA: Chinatown Wars, Professor Layton, and most of the Mario games too plus the really inventive stuff like Cooking Mama and Under the Knife.

As for the DS 3D, it sounds good but I think I'll wait for more details before getting too excited.

I'd take a PSP with Gran Turismo anyday of the week over anything on the DS. Other than Pokemon. I love Pokemon.

I like the DS but there really are a piss poor selection of games for it. The only reason I even bought it was because they had MegaMan games on it. Other then that everything I see that I might be reasonably interested in either has painfully crappy graphics or is too kiddy. HeartGold or SoulSilver (when get around to getting one) might be the first non MegaMan game I've bought for the thing and the first I've even considered buying for it in almost a year.

 

Though the PSP is no difference. Wad of Gore: Chains of Olympia and already I've exhausted anything remotely interesting for the thing. his generation of handhelds has really been piss-poor.

I just don't get handheld consoles at all. The battery life is shit, the screens are too small, the controls are either too small for my hands or too big for the device. And a PDA with a decent SD (or mini/micro SD) card makes a better media player.

 

Speaking of PDA's, unless you've got custom apps for job logging etc. or you use the internet alot, a portable media player (and GPS navigation) is the best use I've ever found for one.

That's called the GameBoy, I hear they were all the rage in the 90's

 

Would you like to re-read my statement? A DS without the touchscreen and all that jazz = A GBA with enhanced graphics, a web browser, downloadable content, etc.

Edited March 25, 201015 yr by ViciousPrism

My girlfriends DS is about to be used as a way to knock some money off a pre-owned Wii for her, as she'd rather have wii Fit that a DS. Luckily, my friend also mods Wii's and will do mine for free :)

I bought a DS not long ago, and I love it. Dragon Quest IV, Dragon Quest V, Final Fantasy Tactica A2 etc are the games I bought it for. :)

My DS helps with my boredom. Usually sat on the toilet playing some puzzle game. I really find taking a dump boring!