Nintendo 3DS launches in Japan, sells out 400,000 units

The Nintendo 3DS launched in Japan on Saturday, with the initial shipment of 400,000 units sold out by mid-morning and more stock promised before the close of the weekend.

The Nintendo 3DS portable gaming system hits North America on March 27, just about a month after yesterday’s February 26 launch in Japan. The new handheld promises glasses-free gaming on the go with a form factor that mirrors the company’s popular Nintendo DS. A reported 400,000 units shipped in Japan this weekend, and just about every one of them sold out in what can be described as a busy launch, though not overwhelmingly so.

Many stores saw line counts rise into the hundreds as shoppers gathered to pick up a mix of pre-order purchases and same-day sales, Andria Sang reports. The Yamada Denki Labi electronic retail chain offered only same-day sales; the store in Tokyo’s Ikebukuro district had a line of 400 by 6am, a number that eventually grew to 900 by the time the retailer stopped issuing pre-order tickets. The scene was similar throughout Japan, with long lines and very little product left for the latecomers, though more shipments were expected to arrive before the close of the weekend.

The 3DS arrived in Japan with eight games available at launch, including Nintendogs + Cats, Professor Layton and the Miracle Mask, Combat of Giants Dinosaur 3D, Ridge Racer 3D, Samurai Warriors Chronicle, Super Street Fighter IV 3D Edition, Winning Eleven 3D and Puzzle Bobble 3D. Layton, Ridge Racer, Winning Eleven and Street Fighter were the most popular sellers among them according to Japanese gaming news outlet Famitsu (also via Andria Sang). North American territories will get 18 3DS games at launch, including every one of the Japan releases with the exception of Professor Layton.

Expect a similar scene here in the United States when the 3DS launches next month. The $250 handheld costs more than both the Nintendo Wii and Xbox 360 consoles, but the allure of glasses-free 3D gaming has helped keep excitement levels high. With Sony’s competing, and considerably more powerful, NGP coming closer to the end of the year, not to mention Nintendo’s well-established base of die-hard fans, it’s looking like the company isn’t going to have any problems hitting its target of 4 million units sold worldwide by the year’s end.

Source: digitaltrends

Nintendo 3DS will not prevent R4

Nintendo 3DS consoles will be one of the safest in the landscape due to their more recent output is the Japanese market.
With the rise of piracy, Nintendo has worked on this aspect even more than previous models and have been able to achieve what they wanted, vulnerability.
Nintendo 3DS shall not prevent the R4, memory card which allowed the previous portables  known as  DSi and DSi   XL to be pirated, the two consoles most vulnerable through this attack.
The previous memory card of consoles used to load the game from the previous console and may increase piracy of the new console as it just arrived in Japan and soon in Europe.
You can only load games of Nintendo DS  but not Nintendo  3DS said  Destructoid .
Source: dailynewsengine.com

Preview: Hands-on with the Nintendo 3DS

By Brett Molina, USA TODAY

The battle in the handheld video game market is about to heat up.

Apple continues to make inroads with its line of devices and army of titles. Sony is preparing to launch the successor to the PlayStation Portable and a PlayStation phone later this year.

Then there's Nintendo, the current handheld champion thanks to the DS. The publisher will bring 3-D to the small screen with the launch of the 3DS on March 27.

Recently, Game Hunters spent some time with the 3DS and, so far, found it to deliver a fun and sometimes stunning experience.

The 3DS is very close in size to the DSi, which is impressive considering how much Nintendo has crammed into the 3DS. It's just over 5 inches wide and less than 3 inches thick when closed. It also weighs about 8 ounces.

Readers are likely aware of the two external cameras for 3-D images, the internal camera, circle pad controls, motion and gyroscope sensors, and the widescreen 3-D display with adjustable slider.

But the 3DS also sports some subtle yet interesting tweaks to the device's design. A flat panel sits underneath the touch screen where the home, start and select buttons reside. Since 3DS cartridges are slightly bigger than regular DS titles, the cartridge slot is larger too. The device also plays standard DS games for those users with a large DS collection. The 3DS adds a nifty extendable stylus, making it a bit easier to work with the touchscreen.

The 3DS home screen experiences a slight overhaul as well. Software choices are laid out a lot like apps on a smartphone, and users can tap certain icons to pull up the game or software they choose.

A scene from 'Face Raiders.'

CAPTION

Nintendo

The Nintendo demo focused primarily on games, starting with Face Raiders, which is pre-loaded onto the device. Players start by snapping a picture of themselves. The face is then animated (similar to what JibJab does with e-cards) and slapped onto a propeller-powered contraption that floats around the screen. Players notch points by shooting down their flying faces.

The 3DS will also include augmented reality cards players view through the device's cameras for additional mini-games. The card features a block with a question mark, which users might recognize from the Super Mario Bros. franchise. After locating the card with the cameras and maintaining a certain distance, a box pops up initiating the game.

A scene from one of the augmented reality games for the Nintendo 3DS.

CAPTION

Nintendo

The game was brief but fun to explore. A series of bullseyes pop up that players must shooter, culminating in a showdown with a dragon. Through the view of the 3DS, players will see the surface beneath the card move and bounce around. It's not clear how many of these cards are included, but the AR games are promising.

Of course, all this is happening in 3-D, so viewers will watch the dragon lunge toward the screen or the goofy flying faces in Face Raiders zip back and forth. The glasses-free 3-D works great, and the slider lets users tailor the 3-D experience to their liking.

I also viewed a movie trailer for the documentary Born to Be Wild in 3-D. It looked good, but it's still hard to tell whether the 3-D video experience delivers the same impact on a smaller screen.

Nintendo's demo included three launch titles: Pilotwings Resort, Steel Diver and Capcom's Super Street Fighter IV 3D Edition, which Game Hunters will explore in separate previews starting Wednesday.

FIRST IMPRESSIONS: Steel Diver for 3DS
3DS LAUNCH TITLES: Nintendo confirms 18 games, prices

The success of the 3DS will likely hinge on how well Nintendo and other publishers or partners capture 3-D depth in games or video. If it's anything like this recent demo, then Nintendo could have an upper hand in the portable games battle.

Readers, looking forward to playing the 3DS? Also, feel free to ask any questions.

First Nintendo 3DS launch game review scores

The first few Nintendo 3DS review scores and analysis have hit the net, taking aim at the launch line-up.
The scores come from Japanese mag Famitsu ahead of the release of Nintendo's handheld over there on Saturday.

Here's the full verdict on the 3DS launch line-up along with closing comments on some of the titles from the mag.
They're translated by Andriasang but we've totted up the totals at the end (since we can't be sure what each individual number refers to) to save your head from some maths:

• Super Street Fighter IV 3D Edition: 9, 8, 8, 9 [34/40 - 85%]
  "Graphics are good. The 3D versus option is a show for the system's 3D, but it can be a bit hard to see. The touch controls are convenient."
  
• Samurai Warriors Chronicles: 9, 9, 8, 8 [34/40 - 85%]
  "There's a lot of volume, and the missions are enjoyable. The 3D makes it easy to grasp enemy position. The game's real time simulation elements are enjoyable."
  
• Winning Eleven 3D Soccer: 8, 8, 8, 8 [32/40 - 80%]
  "The game is lacking in terms of modes, but the standard modes are there. The feeling of distance and closeness is increased because of the 3D depth. The text is a bit hard to see."
  
• Puzzle Bobble 3D: 6, 6, 6, 6 [24/40 - 60%]
  
• Nintendogs cats: 10, 9, 9, 10 [38/40 - 95%]
  "The fur is realistic and the wireless elements are good. The game can be enjoyed by anyone."
  
• Ridge Racer 3D: 8, 8, 7, 9 [32/40 - 80%]
  "There are few modes. Beginners can easily drift, but the rival car difficulty is high. Good points include the BGM and the inclusion of many old courses."
  
• Combat of Giants Dinosaur 3D: 6, 6, 6, 5 [23/40 - 57.5%]
  
• Professor Layton and the Miracle Mask: 8, 8, 8, 8 [32/40 - 80%]
  "The puzzle solving doesn't use 3D too much, but investigating a screen with depth feels good. The game is enjoyable in 2D as well."
  
• Shanghai 3D Cube: 7, 7, 7, 5 [26/40 - 65%]
  
• Super Monkey Ball 3D: 9, 8, 8, 7 [32/40 - 80%]
  "The gyro-based controls don't fit with 3D. Playing with the gyro controls is fun, but when the 3D is turned on for this, it's a bit difficult to play."

Yesterday reports emerged of an amazing 3DS GAME deal, which essentially lets you try before you buy.
You can also let us know which 3DS launch titles are preparting to float your boat in the comments field below.

[ Source: Andriasang ]