The nintendo 3DS
The Nintendo 3DS was released in the UK on Friday, prompting 600 stores nation-wide to open at midnight, and was officially launched at HMV’s flagship Oxford Street store.
The handheld gaming device allows players to see the action in cinema-style stereoscopic 3D, without the need for special glasses. The effect works, but how it will benefit 3DS games in the long run remains to be seen.
Upon its launch in Japan last month, the 3DS sold almost 400,000 in two days. Whilst no official hardware figures for the handheld in the UK have been released, the highest a piece of 3DS software reached on the Gfk Chart-Track charts was Capcom’s Super Street Fighter IV 3D Edition at number four, followed by Nintendo’s own Pilotwings Resort at number six and Ubi Soft’s Rayman 3D at nine. Pokemon Black and White, two titles for the original DS released earlier this month, reached seventh and fifth respectively, outdoing most of the next-generation 3DS titles.
Thirteen titles were available on launch day, the flagship title among a largely forgettable line-up being the next iteration in the wildly successful Nintendogs series. Three versions of the game were available, but only one reached the top 40 – the golden retriever edition at 20 - showing that the series may now be more bark than bite.
It’s worth nothing, however, that the device, which retails for £229.99 RRP, was in very limited demand and early adopters may have been content with the several pre-loaded Augmented Reality (or AR) games which came with the system.
David Yarnton, General Manager of Nintendo UK, said at the launch event: “The reaction to Nintendo 3DS has exceeded our wildest expectations. The launch is already bigger than Wii, and by a distance.”
Tagged in Nintendo