Today at the Game Developers Conference in San Francisco, Nintendo has announced some juicy new features that are coming to the 3DS. In summary, 3DS owners will be getting a new 3D Mario game, AT&T Wi-Fi hotspot access, and Netflix streaming services—among many other features to come. All of these were announced by Nintendo President Satoru Iwata, in what was dubbed “Video Games Turn 25: A Historical Perspective and Vision for the Future.”
As a true Mario game was noticeably absent from the 3D handheld’s list of launch titles, Nintendo has rectified this with a 3D Super Mario game. The game was described as a traditional Mario game, so expect the bright and colorful platforming antics that were seen in the New Super Mario Bros. games on the NDS and Wii. Also, expect some 3D-inspired gameplay tricks up series creator and game designer Shigeru Miyamoto’s sleeve.
Going along with Nintendo’s march to make the 3DS as social of an experience as possible with bountiful connectivity options, Nintendo has partnered with AT&T to give 3DS owners free access to AT&T’s Wi-Fi hotspots. Over 10,000 of these access points exist, and can be found in many public places such as coffee shops and airports. Users will have to opt into the system’s SpotPass service to have this access.
The next major feature that 3DS users will have access to is the Netflix video streaming service. Already in use on the Wii, this summer 3DS owners will also be able to watch videos on the fly. At about $8 a month, it’s hard to say no to unlimited streaming videos—especially now that the 3DS will be able to access the AT&T hotspot network for free.
Could "3D Classics" mean seeing games like Mario 64 remastered in 3D?
Finally, Nintendo has announced a whole slew of other nifty goodies the 3DS will be getting starting in May after a software update. The first is a video service that offers trailers for Hollywood movies in full 3D, as well as game trailers, screenshots, background information, and more. The Virtual Console, made famous on the Wii, is also being extended to the 3DS and will include Game Boy, Game Boy Color, Sega Game Gear, and TurboGrafx-16 system games. There will also be a series of “3D Classics” games that will be re-released and remastered in 3D, which is something to look forward to nostalgic-filled fans. Finally, DSiWare and an internet browser will be available, as well as a way for DSi owners to transfer their DSiWare games to the 3DS.
I have to say that I am fairly impressed with all these new features Nintendo is going to squeeze into the 3DS. I was already planning on picking one up based on my experiences with it during E3, but these just take the cake. In particular, I’m interested in the Netflix support and what these so-called “3D Classics” will be. Also, the 3D movie trailers will be a fun (and cheap) way to try out the 3DS’s 3D movie viewing abilities. The 3DS, which launches March 27, may not be cheap at $249.99, but this does help make up for the steep asking price.
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