C3 Special | What We Want on Nintendo 3DS

Shane Jury, Reviewer

Whereas Clover Studios (R.I.P.) previously focused on the dual screen aspect with the sliding and touch powers in Viewtiful Joe Double Trouble, here I'd like to see Capcom/Platinum Games add a new background dimension with the 3D effect; keep the game on a 2D plane but make use of a new layer too. The hardware itself is plenty powerful enough to support a solid rendition of the game, unlike the original DS that had enemy limitations and slight framerate issues. With the recent handheld entry into the Okami series, I believe Clover's other top franchise is due a new portable outing, and Viewtiful Joe fans are due an answer as to who or what is in that castle.

Another title I believe that 3DS can do justice to, and one that isn't completely impossible considering Nintendo are clearly keeping the game alive, is Pokemon Trading Card Game. Konami have delivered a steady stream of decent Yu-Gi-Oh! games for Nintendo's dual-screened behemoth for many years now, but the device has yet to see a new entry into the playground phenomenon that sowed its roots on the original Game Boy with two solid entries. The use of the touch-screen speaks for itself, and with downloadable content and online matches, a new Pokémon Trading Card Game could easily captivate a whole new audience whilst reigning in the old crowd. The 3D effect would be more a cosmetic flashy addition here; it would be the rest of the 3DS’ features that would bring Pokemon Trading Card Game back to the forefront of attention.

Ross Marrs, News Writer

Ever since the release of the Donkey Kong Country games on the Super Nintendo, Rare have developed portable versions so fans could play on the go. Whilst these were satisfactory, the hardware limitations of previous handheld systems made the experience less appealing, with the lush visuals and high quality music stripped from them. Due to this problem, I had hopes Rare would re-port the three original Donkey Kong Country games onto the DS, with improved visuals. Those hopes were dashed though, and to be honest I’m now glad they are.

Nintendo 3DS seems like the perfect opportunity to make my dream come to life, especially since rumours are circling around that Rare might be developing games for the system. The system’s extra horsepower would mean they could remake the sprites using the same 3D modelling technique used in the originals, though they would be much cleaner this time. The same could be done with the games’ environmental backdrops and, as seen with Street Fighter IV: 3D Edition, 2D games can use stereoscopic 3D well enough, giving them more depth. What else could they improve? Well, one of my problems with the originals was the lack of a good save feature, wherein you had to get through a number of stages to get to a save point. This was later improved upon in the Game Boy Advance ports, where you had the ability to save after you completed each level.

Another thing I’d like to see more of on the 3DS: original games from Nintendo. The company constantly delve back into their hit franchises and occasionally dip their toes into something new, like Steel Diver, but that game did not appear very exciting nor was it content heavy. To put it briefly, I would like Nintendo to create something new and exciting, but with good quality and content to it.

Rudy Lavaux, Reviewer

Though the Game Boy Advance original is getting a free-to-download DSiWare port later this year, another series I can easily imagine working really well is a 3DS-specific entry into the The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords sub-series. In the past, playing Four Swords meant you had to gather players in the same room, or even that each player had to own a Game Boy Advance and a GBA-to-GameCube link cable to connect to the home console if you were to play Four Swords Adventures. Now, with the 3DS’ expanded online capabilities, each player could play from anywhere where the Internet is available, and chat with the other players via a voice chat system, or even video chat. The stereoscopic 3D screen could make a 3D game with a top down view look incredible on the handheld screen, giving the impression that the player sees the action from high up above. Of course, I don't imagine a game such as this being in 3D à la Ocarina of Time, as this would reduce visibility of where the other players are and hinder cooperation.

I'd really like to see a new Metroid Prime released on Nintendo 3DS too. It has more than enough processing power to produce a gorgeous experience, with gameplay similar to Metroid Prime Hunters which worked really well and proved that DS was capable of providing awesome gameplay in the FPS genre. Please don't put all the focus on the multiplayer aspect this time around, Nintendo! Give us a solo adventure at least on par with the original Metroid Prime, with a multiplayer part devoid of any lag and gameplay at least as good as on the DS (which should not be too difficult since they already have the Metroid Prime Hunters canvas to weave upon). That way fans of both aspects of the Metroid Prime series, solo exploration and multiplayer action, will be pleased. Make it happen Nintendo!

Stuart Lawrence, News Writer

AR Games could be expanded upon; I’d love to see more of them. Playing around with the AR cards that come with the system only made me realise the opportunities that companies could take with card based franchises. For example, in Yu-Gi-Oh! you could have five to ten cards that represent a whole host of monsters, or if you already have the cards, you could scan them in via camera recognition, instead of entering in the code at the bottom.

I’d like to see a 3D action-adventure RPG or beat-em-up akin to the likes of Devil May Cry, and since Nintendo has Pandora’s Tower on Wii, I think it’d work perfectly with the 3D effect on the 3DS as well. Instead of just simply porting the game, a sequel or spin off built for the system would be excellent. I could just imagine enemies being flung at the screen in 3D. In fact, I think MadWorld or a game like it would be great as well, if the story was longer and the gameplay was less repetitive.

Nothing on 3DS has impressed me as much as the Metal Gear Solid 3 demo I saw last year in terms of 3D, so I’m thinking that something slow paced and film-like would do the trick. Heavy Rain was critically acclaimed on PlayStation 3, so if something in the lines of that could be made for the 3DS, I think it would look fantastic. Hopefully a developer will catch on to this and produce something similar.

Adam Riley, Senior Editor

However, taking a step back and looking at some of the more interesting Nintendo DS releases of late, I cannot help but turn to that casual classic, the Hidden Object genre. There have already been some amazing examples of how the genre does not have to reach out to the lowest common denominator, with City Interactive leading the way with Vampire Moon: Mystery of the Hidden Sun and the new release Murder in Venice mixing together traditional scenarios of searching for items cleverly mixed into the background of the numerous locations visited, with a gripping storyline and plenty of extra mini-games to keep players on their toes.

The thought of having these perplexing stages transformed into three-dimensional environments is definitely of personal appeal, with the prospect of being able to move objects in 3D space to uncover elusive objects, delving deeper into a room to investigate further, all the while coming across mini-games that use 3D trickery to keep the stakes high at all times.

If City Interactive decided to bring its big guns to the Nintendo 3DS, such as Chronicles of Mystery and Crime Lab: Body of Evidence, which both focus more on the adventuring side with hidden object and mini-games as a nice aside, I would certainly be there on Day One!

Mike Mason, Reviews Editor

Tetrisphere would work well with 3DS’ stereoscopic key feature also. Tetrominoes would float immediately before players as they rotate the playfield to select the best places to slot them in, before sinking the pieces in towards the sphere positioned deep into the screen.

Then, of course, there is the Pokémon Snap suggestion, a game that seems to tip from my fingers every single time a new system comes out. Nintendo have proven that Augmented Reality works well with Pokémon with Pokédex 3D’s model positioning and QR code reading, but what if you could search around your living room with 3DS’ cameras, searching under sofas for that Caterpie to add to your photo album, or taking to the garden on the hunt for an Eevee? Using 3DS’ in-built clock, the game would be able to set which Pokémon are available to photograph according to the time of day, and colour detection as used in AR Games’ Fishing could determine what sort of monster you’re likely to find. Want a Magmar? Find lots of red. Of course, the standard Pokémon Snap on-rails sections would have to be present - in which your camera could be controlled with 3DS’ gyroscopes.

Jorge Ba-oh, Founder/Editor

Link's boat bopping across the water in the foreground, with seagulls elegantly sailing towards the back, with hurricanes and deadly sea creatures teasing in the distance. It would be epic! It would sit nicely with previous DS entries Phantom Hourglass and Spirit Tracks, and given how well the 1998 Nintendo 64 game translated onto the hardware, a new adventure in third person with the Wind Waker action would be worth every rupee!

Taking a step back in time, Majora's Mask would certainly benefit from being re-told in 3D - could you imagine how disturbing the moon would look peering back at you in 3D, or how some of the more trickier platforming moments could be approached easier with 3D making it easier and more natural to judge distance With Nintendo already having most of the remade assets from Ocarina of Time, a 3DS version of its sequel should be a given!

What the 3DS hasn't done yet is the first person genre, especially shooting games. We keep looking back at the Nintendo 64 era for inspiration, but some of the most loved gems could be given new life if brought back in 3D. Despite all the licensing issues, imagine how brilliant Goldeneye 007 or Perfect Dark could look redesigned in 3D, really taking you closer to the action and giving that sense of truly being the person behind the gun. Bullet sprays, tank action, planes and space-ships looming from above would be the stepping stones for some immersive new experiences in first person. It wouldn't necessarily have to be shooting either - swordplay, fishing and archery...ah, we're stumbling back into Zelda territory here.

Link's Crossbow Training would be an excellent addition, given how Ocarina of Time benefitted from motion control in first person (with 3D off, regardless!)

So that's what I would love to see more of on the 3DS - first person and adventure games, beautiful 3D worlds that truly make you part of the experience.