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The Nintendo 3DS is an eighth generation video game handheld console by Nintendo, the successor to the Nintendo DS. On this console, three Shantae games are to be playable: the first Shantae game, already rereleased on the Virtual Console, Shantae: Risky's Revenge, straight from the DSiWare, and Shantae and the Pirate's Curse, also released in the Virtual Console. It was created by Hideki Konno (紺野 秀樹) and the Nintendo Research & Engineering Department, and first released in Japan on February 26, 2011. In July 2012, a first revision called the Nintendo 3DS XL was released, which was a larger model. In October 2013, a simpler version without the 3D and with a different shape was released, called the Nintendo 2DS, aimed at younger players.

History

Premises and development

Virtual Boy

The Virtual Boy, an early attempt at stereoscopic 3D.

Nintendo had long been experimenting with stereoscopic 3D before the console: the Famicom 3D system was an accessory for the Famicom released only in Japan at the end of the 80s, and featured such effects but was ultimately a commercial failure.[1] The next attempt was Gunpei Yokoi (横井 軍平)'s Virtual Boy system, which indeed featured stereoscopic monochrome 3D effects[2] and was meant as a successor to the original Game Boy system, but proved to be a commercial failure as well.[3] Later, the GameCube system was conceived with such a capability but development for 3D-capable games on it was considered too expensive and only one game, Luigi's Mansion, was ever capable of it.[4] The last attempt before the Nintendo 3DS was at the Shigureden exhibition in Kyoto, where people could use Nintendo DS to navigate a specifically-conceived floor with stereoscopic 3D effects,[5] but Nintendo gave up during the development process. However, they garnered much data over LCD technology that could be reused later.[6]

In late 2009, rumours began to appear about Nintendo developing a successor to the Nintendo DS system, and nVidia subsequently disclosed that they had won a contract to supply the 3D processor for such a console.[7] In early 2010, a minor controversy arose when the Asahi Shimbun newspaper reported in an interview with Nintendo's CEO Satoru Iwata (岩田 聡) some claims

Hideki konno

Hideki Konno, director of the Nintendo 3DS.

regarding the graphics power of the new system and the presence of a motion sensor, which Iwata declares were misinterpreted.[8]

It was later revealed that the man in charge of developing the Nintendo 3DS was veteran software developer Hideki Konno,[9] mostly alongside the Nintendo Research & Engineering Department.[10] Konno claimed he was approached for the project by Shigeru Miyamoto (宮本 茂) and was surprised to be selected for the job. Konno specifically mentioned earlier attemps at stereoscopic 3D by Nintendo as having contributed to their decision to implement it in the new system.[9]

Launch of the Nintendo 3DS

Kid Icarus Uprising

Kid Icarus: Uprising, the first game announced for the 3DS.

Nintendo officially announced the new console in March 2010, with a timing that was criticized by the press as "poor" as it came very early after the release of the Nintendo DSi XL. However, they also admitted that the DSi XL had been released for a little while already in Japan and also that since rumours about the 3DS were begin to grow, Nintendo had not much choice.[11] In June 2010, IGN reported that some developers had a chance to test the console in its then-current state, and that it showcased graphics power far superior to Nintendo's home console Wii, including stereoscopic 3D, and that it actually did not use nVidia technology for graphics. The console was also revealed to be backward compatible with Nintendo DSi games.[12] The console would be subsequently revealed at the E3 the same month, with Kid Icarus: Uprising as the first revealed title, alongside demos and promises of other games.[13] The final design of the console was revealed at a conference in September 2010.[14]

3DS ambassador programme

The 3DS Ambassador Programme was an attempt to bolster the 3DS disappointing sales.

The console subsequently launched on February 26, 2011 in Japan,[14] on March 25 in Europe and on March 27 in North America.[15] Some months later, in July 2011, Nintendo made an unprecedented step by cutting by almost a third the retail prices of the console, admitting in the process that sales numbers were disappointing, and that it suffered from a lack of major games so far. To compensate for it, people who bought the system before the price cut were offered to be part of a "Nintendo 3DS Ambassador Programme", getting the right to buy ten NES games and ten Game Boy and Game Boy Advance games for no extra cost on the Virtual Console feature of the 3DS. These games included Super Mario Bros. or The Legend of Zelda for the NES, and Yoshi's Island, Super Mario Advance 3 or Metroid Fusion for the Game Boy Advance, among others.[16] The Nintendo 3DS subsequently launched on April 28, 2012 in South Korea,[17] and on September 28 in Hong Kong and Taiwan.[18]

Redesigns: the Nintendo 3DS XL and Nintendo 2DS

Mario kart 7

Mario Kart 7, one of the 3DS early hits.

The cut in price of the Nintendo 3DS helped boost the system's sales, and the releases of Mario Kart 7, Super Mario 3D Land and The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D at the end of 2011 also helped the console reach better numbers.[19]

In June 2012, an article in the Japanese magazine Nikkei stated there were rumours about Nintendo conceiving a bigger version of the system. Although Nintendo initially dismissed the article as "speculation",[20] they subsequently unveiled the Nintendo 3DS XL (called 3DS LL in Japan), which featured bigger screens and batteries with longer durations, among other new features. The console was subsequently released on July 28, 2012 in Japan and Europe and on August 29 in North America.[21] The release managed to boost the sales of the system further and by the end of the year 2012, the Nintendo 3DS XL had outsold its main competitor on the handheld market, Sony's PlayStation Vita.[22]

In August 2013, Nintendo unveiled a new iteration in the line, the Nintendo 2DS. It lacked the 3D effects characteristic of the 3DS, and was aimed at younger players, Nintendo claiming that people were afraid of letting stereoscopic 3D systems in the hands of children under 7. Reception to it was mixed, with some critics noting that it would more probably appeal to a niche category of players,[23] and some lamenting the loss of the clamshell design and the puzzling issue of protecting the screens without it. However, the console has also been called "comfortable"[24]

Pokemonx y

Pokémon X and Y, the biggest-selling games on the 3DS.

and some said that it could help Nintendo increase the line's sales by solving the pricing issue, the 2DS being cheaper to produce.[25] The console was launched in North America and Europe on October 12, 2013,[26] and on December 7 in South Korea.[27]

In late 2013, Nintendo revealed that the sales numbers for the hardware were growing, the console being the best-selling system in the United States in 2013. The good results were also helped by the releases of high-profile games like Pokémon X and Y or The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds.[28]

New Nintendo 3DS and New Nintendo 3DS XL

On August 29, 2014, Nintendo announced yet another redesign for the Nintendo 3DS. This new system will come in two models, the New Nintendo 3DS and New Nintendo 3DS XL (called New Nintendo 3DS LL in Japan). The console features redesigned and new equipments, while some others are moved to new locations. It notably has an automatic lighting adjustment feature and improved 3D. Furthermore, in an unusual evolution, the cartridge slot has been moved to the front of the system.[29]

Shantae and the Nintendo 3DS

Logo-PC

Logo of the planned Shantae and the Pirate's Curse.

Since the Nintendo DS and several other systems started to feature online downloadable games, WayForward Technologies had been able to release content without the need for a publisher, such as the Mighty! series or a new Shantae opus, Shantae: Risky's Revenge, on the Nintendo DS, which was successful enough to greenlit a sequel.[30]

However, the first confirmed release in the Shantae series on the Nintendo 3DS eShop was a re-release of the first game in a July 2012 issue of Nintendo Power.[31] The game was released on July 18, 2013.[32]

Subsequently, in the November 2012 issue of Nintendo Power, the new game in the Shantae series was announced: it was called Shantae and the Pirate's Curse and planned for a Q1 2014 release.[33] In early March 2014, WayForward announced that the game was delayed until Q2 2014,[34] before a further delay to late Summer 2014, as well as the announcement that the game would also be coming to Wii U.[35]

Specifications

Original model

  • Size: 74 mm x 134 mm x 21 mm
  • Weight: 8.1 ounces approx.[36]
  • CPU: 1GHz dual core ARM11 CPU chip
  • Graphics: PICA-200 GPU approx 15.3 million polys/sec
  • Memory: 128 MB RAM
  • LCD top screen: 3.53" LCD autostereoscopic 3D screen, 118 DPI at 800 x 240 WQVGA resolution.
  • LCD lower screen: 3.02" LCD resistive touch screen at 320 x 240 QVGA resolution.
  • Battery life: 3-5 hours (Nintendo 3DS games), 5-8 hours (Nintendo DS games)
  • Storage: SD Memory Card, 2GB card included, progress saved on individual game cartridge
  • AR functions: six bundled AR cards
  • Connectivity: Wi-Fi via home access point and BTFon free Wi-Fi points.
  • Cameras: one front-facing VGA camera that can capture images; two rear-facing WQVGA cameras capable of capturing 3D video and images at 480p. Resolutions are 640 x 480 for each camera. All cameras are 3MP
  • Controls: one analogue thumbstick; three-axis accelerometer; three-axis gyroscope; 3D depth slider; four face buttons; direction pad; dual shoulder buttons; stylus; start, select and home buttons
  • Internet browser
  • 3D video playback[37]

Nintendo 3DS XL

Nintendo 3DS XL

The Nintendo 3DS XL.

  • Size: 93 mm x 156 mm x 22 mm
  • Weight: 12 ounces approx.[38]
  • CPU: 1GHz dual core ARM11 CPU chip
  • Graphics: PICA-200 GPU approx 15.3 million polys/sec
  • Memory: 128 MB RAM
  • LCD top screen: 4.88" LCD autostereoscopic 3D screen, 800 x 240 WQVGA resolution.
  • LCD lower screen: 4.18" LCD resistive touch screen at 320 x 240 QVGA resolution.
  • Battery life: 3-6.5 hours (Nintendo 3DS games), 5-8 hours (Nintendo DS games)
  • Storage: SD Memory Card, 4GB card included, progress saved on individual game cartridge
  • Connectivity: Wi-Fi via home access point and BTFon free Wi-Fi points.
  • Cameras: one inner camera and two outer cameras. Resolutions are 640 x 480 for each camera. Lens are single focus and use the CMOS capture element. The active pixel count is approximately 300,000 pixels.
  • Controls: one analogue thumbstick; three-axis accelerometer; three-axis gyroscope; 3D depth slider; four face buttons; direction pad; dual shoulder buttons; stylus; start, select and home buttons
  • Internet browser
  • 3D video playback[37]

Nintendo 2DS

Nintendo 2DS

The Nintendo 2DS.

  • Size: 127 mm x 144 mm x 20.3 mm
  • Weight: 9 ounces[39]
  • CPU: Dual core ARM11 CPU
  • Sensors: accelerometer, gyroscope
  • Touch screen type: resistive
  • GPU: Digital Media Professionals, PICA 200
  • Controls: D-Pad, shoulder buttons, stylus
  • Connectivity: 802.11g, 802.11b Wi-Fi, IR, headphone jack 3.5 mm
  • Audio: built-in stereo speakers, microphone.
  • Storage: external storage support for MicroSD
  • Game media type: cartridge, downloads
  • Video resolution: VGA
  • Camera: rear and front 0.3 megapixels cameras, 3D capture capabilities[40]

Sales

As of January 31, 2014, the combined sales of the Nintendo 3DS, Nintendo 3DS XL and Nintendo 2DS were of 42.74 million units, of which 15.21 million were 3DS XL and 2.11 million were 2DS. By region, the Nintendo 3DS had sold 15.76 million units in Japan, 14.36 million units in the Americas and 12.62 million units elsewhere.

The combined sales of Nintendo 3DS games summed up then to 152.29 million games.[41]

Reception

The Nintendo 3DS in all its iterations is currently the fifth best selling handheld console of all time, and the twelfth best selling console overall.[42]

References

  1. http://kotaku.com/5527760/nintendos-first-3d-technology-shot-a-spaceship-at-marios-face
  2. http://betanews.com/2010/03/23/nintendo-wants-to-try-its-hand-at-3d-again/
  3. http://uk.ign.com/articles/2009/07/27/ign-presents-the-history-of-game-boy?page=4
  4. http://iwataasks.nintendo.com/interviews/#/3ds/how-nintendo-3ds-made/0/2
  5. http://www.forbes.com/global/2006/1225/053.html
  6. http://iwataasks.nintendo.com/interviews/#/3ds/how-nintendo-3ds-made/0/3
  7. http://www.brightsideofnews.com/news/2009/10/13/nvidia-tegra-wins-contract-for-next-gen-nintendo-ds.aspx
  8. http://kotaku.com/5462023/nintendo-vs-japanese-newspaper-it-continues
  9. 9.0 9.1 http://www.theguardian.com/technology/gamesblog/2011/mar/10/nintendo-3ds
  10. http://iwataasks.nintendo.com/interviews/#/3ds/how-nintendo-3ds-made/2/0
  11. http://www.cnbc.com/id/36087758
  12. http://uk.ign.com/articles/2010/06/04/e3-2010-everything-we-know-about-the-3ds
  13. http://uk.ign.com/articles/2010/06/15/e3-2010-3ds-our-first-hands-on
  14. 14.0 14.1 http://web.archive.org/web/20110107040747/http://www.wiinintendo.net/2010/09/28/nintendo-conference-2010-coverage-3ds-japanese-launch-details-revealed-at-1-am-est-tonight/
  15. http://www.gamesradar.com/nintendo-allowing-retailers-to-set-3ds-price-in-europe-good-luck-if-you-have-a-pre-order/
  16. http://www.theguardian.com/technology/gamesblog/2011/jul/28/3ds-price-cut-nintendo-loss
  17. http://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/168879/Nintendo_brings_3DS_strong_launch_lineup_to_Korea_on_April_28.php
  18. http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/news/30968/new-3ds-colors-coming-to-taiwan-and-hong-kong
  19. http://bgr.com/2012/01/03/nintendo-3ds-sales-surpass-4-million-units-u-s-wii-sales-top-4-5-million-consoles-in-2011/
  20. http://www.engadget.com/2012/06/04/nintendo-may-have-supersized-3ds-with-4-3-inch-screen-at-e3/
  21. http://www.polygon.com/gaming/2012/6/22/3109564/nintendo-3ds-xl-comes-to-north-america
  22. http://www.siliconera.com/2012/11/21/this-week-in-sales-animal-crossing-hits-1-million-3ds-xl-outsells-vita/
  23. http://kotaku.com/introducing-the-nintendo-2ds-no-thats-not-a-typo-1214807721
  24. http://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/gaming/2013/08/28/nintendo-2ds-impressions/2718421/
  25. http://www.wired.com/gamelife/2013/08/nintendo-2ds/
  26. http://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2013-08-28-nintendo-cuts-wii-u-by-USD50-announces-2ds-handheld
  27. http://www.siliconera.com/2013/11/18/nintendo-making-pokmon-x-pokmon-y-2ds-bundles-korea/
  28. http://www.nintendo.co.jp/ir/pdf/2014/140129e.pdf
  29. http://kotaku.com/nintendo-just-announced-a-new-3ds-1628389333
  30. http://gamercheeese.com/2012/11/07/shantae-is-coming-an-in-depth-look-at-where-shes-been/
  31. http://www.nintendolife.com/news/2012/08/wayforwards_shantae_heading_to_3ds_virtual_console
  32. http://www.hardcoregamer.com/2013/07/10/shantae-headed-to-the-3ds-virtual-console-july-18th/47629/
  33. http://www.destructoid.com/shantae-and-the-pirate-s-curse-coming-to-3ds-eshop-238117.phtml
  34. https://twitter.com/WayForward/status/440582896156278785
  35. http://www.nintendolife.com/news/2014/06/exclusive_shantae_and_the_pirates_curse_is_also_coming_to_wii_u
  36. http://www.nintendo.com/3ds/features/compare
  37. 37.0 37.1 http://www.nowgamer.com/features/1587195/ps_vita_vs_nintendo_3ds_vs_iphone_5_tech_specs_compared.html
  38. http://www.nintendo.com/3ds/features/compare
  39. http://www.nintendo.com/3ds/features/compare
  40. http://www.gamerheadlines.com/2013/11/nintendo-2ds-full-specs-price/
  41. http://www.nintendo.co.jp/ir/pdf/2014/140129e.pdf
  42. http://www.vgchartz.com/analysis/platform_totals/Hardware/Global/


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