You’ve heard by now that the 3DS will be coming to the United States on March 27 for $250. That’s great, with some pretty fantastic titles on the way. However, some neat information has been leaked about this handheld, and a lot of it is pretty nifty.Â
- 3DS Friend Codes are on their way. However, unlike the Wii or DS titles, this code is locked to the system (and maybe a profile?), so once you become friends with someone, you don’t have to enter a new one for each game. It’s even better if you’re physically next to someone, as you can “bump” your friend code information. So. Easy. Additionally, the 3DS can multitask, allowing players to send games and applications into stand-by while they search the web, take notes, or–excitedly–see what friends are online and what games they are playing. It might not be Xbox Live, but it’s a step in the right direction.
- Twenty-three titles will be out by June. Some of these are big name titles, like nintendogs + cats, Pilotwings Resort, and Dead or Alive: Dimensions, and some of them are kind of lame. What the heck is a CRUSH 3D? Unfortunately, big name franchise titles like Ocarina of Time, Paper Mario, and a Metroid title are not here.Â
- Interestingly, it looks like there is an Other M stage in DoA: Dimensions, and there is a good chance Samus is a fighter. Don’t believe me? Check it out here.
- DSiWare titles are transferable. This one is something everyone is thinking about with WiiWare too. When a new console comes around, what happens to the downloadable games purchased? Nintendo doesn’t have a unified account system yet. Thankfully, Nintendo has gone on the record saying DSiWare titles will be transferable, and while they didn’t say how (I bet it’s through an SD card, which the DSi has a slot for). It’s not a perfect system, but hopefully once titles are locked down, they will be tied to an account. Unfortunately, it’ll be coming after the system launch.
- The 3DS is region locked. A major bummer, I know, but Nintendo claims this is to implement parental controls. Booo.
All in all, there’s some cool details about the device. The price is pretty high, but I’ve got to be real, the 3D effect is amazing. For me, $250 is a steal. March 27 can’t come quickly enough.
