But enough about pricing--Nintendo held a big 3DS press event this morning, and that means new trailers, screenshots, and product details we’ve been anxious to hear more about.
No one ever liked passwords . Thankfully, you won’t have to keep track of friend codes for each individual game. Your 3DS console will have one friend code attached to it, which you can use to build a single friend list that will be accessible in any game you play. Even better: if you’re on the same Wi-Fi network, you won’t need friend codes at all.
The new friend codes actually tie into one of the biggest changes to the 3DS: the underlying OS that is accessible in any game, any time. We talked a bit before about StreetPass when discussing 3DS battery life. The always-on wireless feature will work in any game that supports it, and you’ll be able to pop out of any game to access some basic system utilities like the notepad or friends list. You can also access StreetPass notifications to see what kind of Miis or game-specific data you’ve accrued simply by walking around.
Nintendo hopes to have 30 games on store shelves by June to help sell its aqua blue and obsidian black units. We’re still hopeful about the Game Boy Advance and Game Boy Color digital downloads, which Nintendo hasn’t said much about. With any luck, the store won’t go the way of the Virtual Console and release a pitiful selection of games no one cares about after a year or two. A 2GB SD card for storage and a docking cradle will ship with the 3DS. Also in the box: six augmented reality cards for fun times with the cameras.
Now for the fun stuff: the games. Nintendo still has quite a few titles pegged as “2011,” but expect to see Pilotwings Resort, Nintendogs + cats, Street Fighter IV 3D, and the submarine game Steel Diver. Resident Evil: The Mercenaries 3D is slated for summer, and we hope Nintendo finishes up Star Fox and The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time posthaste. Expect firmer launch title details to come out in March; now we can only wait for the inevitable Sony response. In the meantime, enjoy some video!