Nintendo 3DS Ice White with Super Mario 3D Land Product Details

Released on 02-Dec-2011

• Nintendo 3DS sales reach 6.68 million

  Nintendo has expressed hope that sales of its 3DS console are back on track after reaching 6.68 million units at the end of September.

  Although the figure is below the company's expectations, it is ahead of the data for the device's predecessor the DS during the same period, reports MCV.

  Sales of the 3DS, which allows users to experience an innovative way of playing new and exciting games, increased during August as a result of a substantial price cut.

  Nintendo has also forecast strong sales during the festive period, with the reduced cost and an improved software line-up expected to attract customers.

  This comes after the Japanese technology firm announced the launch of a new coral pink 3DS console, created to mark the upcoming release of Nintendogs + Cats.

  Set to hit stores on November 18th, the new title will see the portable pooch accompanied by an adorable female friend to play with.

  Published: 04/11/2011

• Super Mario 3D Land

  Accessible Gameplay

   

  As the first Mario game on 3DS, Super Mario 3D Land has a lot riding on it, so we're thankful to say it more than lives up to many of the high expectations we had before playing the finished article. Perhaps best described as a blend of the more straightforward, accessible 2D Super Mario Bros. games for Wii and DS plus the Wii's more challenging 3D Super Mario Galaxy titles, it's a product that attempts to cater for players of all skill levels - and it just about succeeds in this aim.

  Classic Platforming

   

  Super Mario 3D Land's worlds are essentially made up of linear obstacle courses, left to right dashes which see you timing runs and jumps to master the environments with the aim of reaching a flagpole at the end of each level. Mario can wander around a little in the 3D levels, with side branches leading to collectibles like extra lives and hidden coins, but there's always a clearly set path to completing the stage.

  The majority of Super Mario 3D Land's levels are brimming with imaginative gameplay mechanics, new ideas, objects or enemy types popping into existence just long enough to make you smile and throw up a little challenge before making way for the next crowd pleaser.

  Power Up time

   

  Classic and new power ups help you navigate environments and defeat enemies. These include the Tanooki suit, which gives Mario a spin attack and lets him float briefly in mid-air, the Boomerang, which lets him launch boomerangs to collect items, Fire Flowers, which enable him to hurl projectiles at foes, and Starmen, which turn him invincible for a short period.

  Every so often, to pass from one world to the next, you'll face off against long-time Mario antagonist Bowser or one of his henchmen, Boom Boom, in airship or castle battles which require you to jump on your opponent's head three times to defeat them or navigate your way past them to hit a switch to compete the level.

  Game of two halves

   

  Super Mario 3D Land isn't a very challenging game, at least not to begin with. Set across eight worlds, its core 48 stages can be completed by skilled players in about three hours. This section of the game has been designed with less experienced players in mind and will prove an accessible experience for anyone who's struggled with the challenges served up by past 3D Mario adventures.

  After the credits roll though, there's a big surprise in store. Eight special worlds are unlocked, offering remixed versions of some of the levels in the main adventure alongside completely new ones. This more than doubles the length of the game by providing a much greater challenge, with new enemies, more of them, and time limits turning what might have been walk in the park stages into manic sprints and battles to the end. Finishing the entire game with all the collectibles is going to take seasoned Mario fans as many as 15 hours.

  3DS Milestone

   

  Super Mario 3D Land is a massively slick production, in which the developer's care and attention to detail is evident at every turn. The music is catchy and cheerful, the levels are stunningly presented, colourful, magical places, and the game makes fantastic use of the console's 3D capabilities, which is not only aesthetically pleasing but essential to completing some objectives. There are treasure rooms, for example, where the route can only be seen in 3D.

  Offering gameplay and production values that match or surpass anything seen on Nintendo's latest handheld system to date, Super Mario 3D Land is a must play title for newcomers and Mario veterans alike.

  GAME's verdict

  Good:
  + Varied, accessible, fun gameplay.
  + Fantastic production values.
  + Plenty of replay value.

  Bad:
  - Can be 'completed' in a short time.
  - First half could be more challenging.

   

  Review by: Tom 'Super' Ivan
  Version Tested: 3DS
  Review Published: 23.11.11

  Published: 23/11/2011

• Nintendo 3DS to introduce 3D video recording in December

  Nintendo 3DS to introduce 3D video recording in December

  Nintendo 3DS owners will be able to use their consoles to make their own 3D movies from next month onwards.

  On December 8th 2011, gamers will be able to download the latest firmware update for the console, adding a host of new features and functions for the popular handheld.

  Most prominent is the ability to shoot and save up to ten minutes of 3D video using the system's in-built cameras, while creative users can even put together stop-motion animations.

  Meanwhile, the StreetPass Mii Plaza will be bolstered by a range of new content, with extra puzzles for the Puzzle Swap game and all-new areas for StreetPass Quest.

  The update will also make it possible for owners of more than one Nintendo 3DS system to completely transfer all data, including downloaded games, between the two systems.

  Nintendo 3DS was released in March 2011 and has seen a surge in popularity thanks to a recent price reduction, plus the launch of games such as Super Mario 3D Land and the new Mario Kart 7.
  

  Published: 29/11/2011

• Super Mario Land 3D breaks US sales records

  Super Mario Land 3D breaks US sales records

  The critically adored Super Mario Land 3D is already the fastest selling portable Mario game ever in the US, following a Thanksgiving weekend sales surge.

  Speaking to USA Today, Nintendo top man Reggie Fils-Aime revealed that the game has shifted half a million copies in America since its launch there just over two weeks ago. This puts it ahead of every other handheld Mario game, all the way back to the original Gameboy.

  The 3DS itself benefited from having the plump plumber back on the shelves, as sales of the console were boosted by 49% when the game launched, rocketing to 325% over the weekend as American shoppers piled into shops for the lack Fridayspending spree.

  Link also had reason to celebrate, as Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword also broke records to become the fastest selling title in that series as well.

  Super Mario 3D Land is out now for 3DS. Mario Kart 7, also for 3DS, is out this week.
  

• GAME : 3DS update Round-up

  
  

  GAME : 3DS update Round-up

  If there's one thing the latest generation of consoles has taught us, it's that newly purchased gaming systems aren't the finished article when you first take them out of their shiny wrapping. Not to say they 're lacking anything fundamental, far from it in fact, but system updates now mean it's possible for platform holders like Nintendo to dramatically improve a console's functionality and boost the user experience post-launch.

  

  December's free 3DS system update is a prime example, introducing fresh game content, social features and hardware functionality to the console. Here, GAME runs you through all the major new additions.

  
  

  3D Filming!

  One of our favourite new features is the ability to make ten minute long 3D videos with just a few simple button presses. Icons on the 3DS touch screen allow you to select or fine-tune different recording features such as the 3D effect, altering the sharpness and brightness of your video, and choosing whether to film in regular colour, black and white or sepia. The quality of the recordings we've made so far is surprisingly good, although you obviously have to see them in person to get the full 3D effect.

  While the basic ability to record in 3D is a cool feature in itself, special praise is reserved for the three Trick Shot modes. Interval Shot takes still snaps at your choice of intervals, between every half a second and 60 seconds, before playing them in a rapid slideshow.

  Frame Pick, which essentially enables you to create stop-motion animations, is similar to Interval Shot except it lets you capture images of a physically manipulated object whenever you choose, creating the illusion of movement when the series of pictures is played as a continuous sequence.

  Meanwhile, Clip Link enables you to record various video segments which are then mashed together in the same video file. There's no doubt that budding animators and movie makers will spend a lot of time playing around with these simple to use but rewarding new video recording features.

  
  

  New Plaza updates

  The system update also introduces a range of new features for Mii Plaza, the place where 3DS owners can view the Mii characters they've met via StreetPass (which automatically swaps the Miis and gameplay profiles of players who pass each other on their travels). These include a follow-up to the free, in-built 3DS RPG-style game StreetPass Quest, and new 3D puzzles of famous Nintendo characters to complete by collecting pieces from other players.

  

  
  

  You now receive congratulatory messages in the Mii Plaza for achieving goals such as meeting a certain numbers of Miis or ones from different countries (which are displayed on a new StreetPass Map showing the locations of all the Miis you've encountered), or by working your way through StreetPass Quest 2. There are 78 accomplishments to get in total and a congratulatory message for each. They also unlock up to 35 different tunes to listen to in a new Mii Plaza Music Player.

  The new Puzzle Panel pieces we've collected so far are for Donkey Kong Country Returns and Legend Of Zelda: Ocarina Of Time 3D. The puzzles themselves are larger than the originals, with 24 pieces to collect instead of 15, including four pink pieces which can only be collected via StreetPass (others can be purchased with Play Coins, a virtual currency accumulated by carrying your 3DS around with you like a pedometer).

  
  

  New Street Pass Quest

  StreetPass Quest 2, in which you control a team of fighters made up of your friends' Miis, challenges players to save three fictional family members kidnapped by slimy monsters and placed in separate cages. It contains branching paths as well as brand new enemies, and even lets players make parties of Miis to carry out team attacks using weapons or magic. The game also offers players the chance to collect a total of 57 hats for their Miis, compared to the original game's 16, but the title's only accessible if you've completed the first one twice.

  
  

  Download Demos

  Additionally, the 3DS system update paves the way for players to download demos of 3DS games, although none have been made available yet, as well as making it easier to browse and pay for games and content in the Nintendo eShop. Players can now transfer games purchased from the eShop, as well as account funds and save data including photographs and audio files, from one 3DS system to another too.

  
  

  Summary

  All in all, the 3DS system update is an impressive release, adding great new hardware functionality, amusing new game content and cool new social features. It has been almost nine months since release and our 3DS feels like a fresher piece of kit than ever before, all of which leaves us eagerly awaiting the next major system update.

  

  Published: 14/12/2011

• New Eurosport content arrives for Nintendo 3DS

  New Eurosport content arrives for Nintendo 3DS

  Sports fans can now download special 3D content from Eurosport via their Nintendo 3DS consoles.

  Nintendo has teamed up with the broadcaster to launch a free Eurosport video player application via the 3DS eShop, with new videos to be released on a weekly basis from December 15th 2011 onwards.

  Content will include two to three-minute clips from the popular Watts show, which mixes footage of high-calibre action with amusing sporting bloopers from around the world.

  Laurent Fischer, managing director for marketing and PR at Nintendo of Europe, said: "We are always striving to bring fun and exciting new content to our fans and this new partnership with Eurosport will do just that."

  Nintendo 3DS owners already have access to all sorts of 3D clips via the Nintendo Video application, which offers content from the likes of Red Bull Media House and Aardman Animations.

  Furthermore, a firmware update released earlier this week lets users record their own 3D movies of up to ten minutes in length.
  

  Published: 16/12/2011

• What has Mario got planned in 2012?

  2011 has been a fantastic year for gaming most recognisable face, Nintendo Mario, and 2012 looks set to be another. From platforming to kart racing, tennis, Olympic sports, role playing and party games, the portly yet agile plumber is clearly a highly versatile character who can do it all. Here, GAME takes a look back at a couple of the best Mario games from this year, in case you missed them, and looks ahead to some of 2012 undoubted highlights.

  3DS hasn exactly been lacking in quality games in its first year on the market, but the arrival of Super Mario Land 3D (3DS) in November and the launch of Mario Kart 7 earlier this month have really made the portable console a must own system. Mixing the best elements of older Mario games with new ideas and technology, the former is perhaps best described as a blend of the more straightforward, accessible 2D Super Mario Bros. games for Wii and DS and Wii more challenging 3D Super Mario Galaxy titles. Its magical worlds are essentially made up of left to right dashes through obstacle courses, which see players running, jumping, hovering and gliding to master the environments with the aim of reaching a flagpole at the end of each level. With simple, intuitive controls, it instantly accessible and there always a clear path to completing each stage, usually littered with coins to collect, question blocks to bump and enemies to stomp. But Mario can also wander around a little in the game 3D environments, and only explorers and the most skilled players will locate all of the secret areas, items and unlockables ingeniously hidden away in the expertly designed levels.

  Mario Kart 7 is another must-play title for newcomers and series veterans alike, mixing old and new to great effect too. It offers 16 new courses and 16 classic ones from older MK games for players to compete on, all based on environments and characters from Nintendo Mushroom Kingdom. The best showcase of the console's 3D screen yet, theye absolutely gorgeous to look at and just as well designed, featuring exciting new airborne and underwater sections to compliment the on-track action. With basic accelerate, brake, fire and jump buttons, the game easy enough that anyone can pick it up and play instantly, but itl take months of practice to master the multi-route tracks, learn all of the shortcuts and become an online karting king.

  Looking ahead to 2012, Mario will be joined by a host of Nintendo stablemates as well as characters from Square Enix popular Dragon Quest series in January release Boom Street (Wii). A Monopoly-style board game that challenges players to play the real estate and stock markets to win,here are 27 characters to choose from 13 from Mario games, 13 from Dragon Quest and your Mii and over 15 boards based on memorable areas from each series, with different shapes and layouts providing loads of replay value. Players race around the board trying to accumulate wealth and hit a target value while buying, selling and trading property to see who can be the first to cash out, and with both beginner and advanced settings, it could be the perfect game to get the family huddled round the telly on those cold winter nights.

  Mario Tennis (3DS) also looks set to be a smash hit next year. If previous games in the series are anything to go by, itl do its best to nail the balance between realism and zany, fast-paced tennis action starring all of your favourite Mushroom Kingdom characters, as well as a few surprise ones. Wee expecting a mixture of tactical tennis gameplay, special moves and plenty of mini-games that should make a great title for Mario and sports fans alike.

  Mario and friends, including Sega favourites like Sonic the Hedgehog, will keep things physical in Mario & Sonic At The London 2012 Olympics on the Nintendo 3DS, which launches in February 2012. Players will go for gold in over 50 Olympic events that make full use of the handheld different control methods, serving up a wide variety of ways to play. Competing for the top of the podium alone or in head-to-head games with friends, players will frantically slide the Circle Pad round and round to row, tilt the system to keep their balance on the beam, and blow into the microphone to keep breathing at the right time while swimming.

  Also in 2012, players will see the moustachioed, genre-hopping plumber embark on an exciting new role playing adventure in Paper Mario also on the Nintendo 3DS. It will feature frantic, turn-based battles set in a colourful and varied 3D world that takes in weapons, locations and items from Mario past and present,. It will also require clever strategic use of a range of ability-giving stickers, which can be used to carry out attacks on enemies or to fill in missing parts of the levels.
  

  Published: 21/12/2011

• Pink and white Nintendo 3DS consoles launching next month

  The popular Nintendo 3DS will be available in two new colours from February 10th 2012 onwards.

  Nintendo has announced that it will be launching the hit handheld system in Coral Pink and Ice White shades next month, bringing the total number of available colours to five.

  Previously, these colours were only available as part of special bundles, with the pink unit coming with Nintendogs + Cats, while the white model accompanied Super Mario 3D Land.

  Now they are being made available individually, prospective 3DS owners will be able to take their pick of Coral Pink, Ice White, Cosmos Black, Aqua Blue and Metallic Red versions of the system.

  Since its launch in March 2011, the Nintendo 3DS has sold more than 15 million units worldwide, thanks to hit games such as Super Mario 3D Land, Mario Kart 7 and The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D.

  The console offers 3D photography and video recording, web browsing and online gameplay and shopping, as well as compatibility with more than 1,000 Nintendo DS titles.

  Published: 26/01/2012

• More Mario incoming for 3DS

  If you gorged on the excellent double whammy of Mario Kart 7 and Super Mario 3D Land over Christmas, rest assured Nintendo has more of the rotund plumber planned for 2012.

  As well as already announced titles such as Luigi's Mansion 2, Mario Tennis and Paper Mario for the 3D-enabled handheld, Nintendo big cheese Satoru Iwata revealed that another Mario game is planned for release sometime between March and early 2013. This game will be a "totally new side-scrolling action Super Mario in 2D" and is described as a "key title" in Nintendo's 3DS strategy.

  The news followed another rousing sales announcement for the 3DS, as Nintendo confirmed it is now the company's fastest selling console of all time, across the world. Over eleven million of the things have been sold in Europe, Japan and the US.

• New 2D Super Mario game coming to Nintendo 3DS

  Nintendo has confirmed that a 2D side-scrolling entry in its iconic Super Mario series is in development for Nintendo 3DS.

  Company president Satoru Iwata revealed that the previously unannounced title will be released for its newest handheld console at some point between March 2012 and April 2013.

  Expectations will be high for the new title, as recent 2D adventures New Super Mario Bros and New Super Mario Bros Wii have proven to be among the most popular titles in Nintendo DS and Wii, respectively.

  The news also follows hot on the heels of the successful launch of Super Mario 3D Land, Mario's first 3DS platforming adventure, which fuses gameplay elements from past 2D and 3D Mario titles.

  It has proven a major critical and commercial success, becoming the first 3DS game to sell more than five million copies, while helping the console itself to surpass the 15 million mark in terms of global sales.

  Published: 30/01/2012

• 3DS owners get free Wi-Fi access at 5000 UK hotspots

  Online gaming on the go just got a lot easier, as Nintendo has announced that the 3DS now has access to over 5000 free wireless internet hotspots across the UK. The locations include popular fast food outlets McDonalds, Burger King, KFC and Subway, as well as Ibis and Etap hotel chains.

  Firing up your 3DS in any of the hotspots will enable the console to automatically detect and open the connection. Features available over Wi-Fi on the 3DS include downloading game content via SpotPass, browsing and downloading new game content and, of course, using the web browser.

  "The access points are largely located in popular restaurants and hotels - places where Nintendo 3DS owners are likely to want, and to unwind in," explained Laurent Fischer, Nintendo's European director of marketing and PR. "We also urge all Nintendo 3DS owners to also take advantage of the latest System Update which has brought an array of new features and enhancements, including 3D video capture."

  The 3DS is out now, in case you hadn't noticed.

• Nintendo agrees 3DS connection deal with free-hotspot.com

  Nintendo 3DS owners will be able to enjoy online gaming at a much wider range of locations thanks to a new agreement between Nintendo and free-hotspot.com.

  The gaming giant has struck a deal with the free wi-fi network provider to allow 3DS users to automatically connect their console to more than 5,000 hotspots across 21 European nations.

  It means gamers will be able to easily browse the web on the 3DS systems at fast food restaurants such as McDonald's, Burger King, KFC and Subway, as well as at a number of leading hotel chains.

  Doing so provides users with access to a wide range of online content, including downloadable software from the Nintendo eShop or 3D videos via the free Nintendo Video app.

  Nintendo's Laurent Fischer said: "The access points are largely located in popular restaurants and hotels - places where Nintendo 3DS owners are likely to want to unwind in."

  Having also recently agreed a separate connectivity deal with Boingo Wireless covering many leading UK airports, Nintendo is ensuring it has never been easier to take their 3DS consoles online.

  Published: 02/02/2012

• Nintendo 3DS - Great Games Coming Soon

  
  

  The Nintendo 3DS has been with us for just over a year now - where does the time go? - and in that time it's really started to come into its own. With an array of features and controls that can't be found anywhere else, the latest games for this handheld feature some classic Nintendo icons as well as creating some new ones, and show that you can have console-quality gaming on the go, and that 3D is here to stay!

  

  Mario Tennis Open

  Mario once again proves that he's as adept at sports as he is with a plunger in a game that offers tactical tennis fun previous unseen on a handheld. With a choice of traditional controls or the use of touchscreen and gyro sensors, Mario Tennis Open offers players a chance to really maek use of what the 3DS can do. It also takes advantage of Nintendo's StreetPass, letting you play online with friends or with other players in the local area, as well as the chance to upgrade your player. Whether it's a friendly game or a fight to the championship, Mario Tennis Open and 3DS are a perfect match.

  

  Heroes of Ruin

  Heroes of Ruin is the first RPG designed specifically for the 3DS, and takes unique advantage of the handheld's interactive features. You can quest alone or with other players both locally or online using drop-in, drop-out gameplay. There are extra daily challenges online to earn rewards, you can meet and trade with other players using the 3DS social features, and even buy in-game items using StreetPass. And on top of all this, the game itself is fun and immersive, coming from the strong RPG pedigree of Square Enix.

  

  Luigi's Mansion 2

  The original Luigi's Mansion was a launch title for the GameCube back in 2001 and has become something of a cult classic. This follow-up promises more of the same, sending Luigi back into a haunted mansion to capture ghosts using his "Poltergust 5000" vacuum cleaner. Promising a more puzzle-based approach than it's predecessor, Luigi's Mansion 2 also makes use of the gyroscopic controls to move Luigi around the mansion, and will finally deliver the 3D ghost-chasing that they didn't quite manage for the original!

  

  Azada

  There aren't many games that suit a transfer from PC to 3DS, but Azada is just that. Following the misadventures of hapless magician Titus, this is a series of mini-games, hidden object games and escape the room puzzles. This may seem like a simpler, older style of gameplay, but it's one that suits the on-the-go nature of the 3DS and seems a suitable follow-up title for fans of Professor Layton and other puzzle games.

  

  Animal Crossing

  Another Nintendo franchise gets a 3D facelift as Animal Crossing arrives on the 3DS. The use of 3D is said to be subtle, giving a new depth and detail to the animal village, with the bigger changes coming in the form of how much more you can do within the game itself. Customisation has been enhanced for both your player and your home, allowing for more choice in type of house, furniture and clothing. For fans of the series looking to move from DS to 3DS, this "a bit more of everything" approach is really all the reason you need!

  Published: 08/05/2012

• A Brief History of Handheld Gaming

  
  

  

  This week saw the long-awaited UK release of the PlayStation Vita, the most powerful handheld gaming console ever. Despite a size that fits snugly into your palms, it's a muscular beast of a machine capable of giving its PS3 big brother a run for its money where graphics and processing oomph are concerned. But how did we get here? How did gaming on the go become such a big deal?

  The simple answer is that it's always been a big deal. Even way back in the early 1980s, when the best games were on giant arcade cabinets and the best home gaming had to offer was the bleeping blocks of the Atari 5200, Nintendo was cleaning up with its Game & Watch series of handheld LCD games. Simple in the extreme, they were a cultural phenomena - and Nintendo's first runaway gaming success.

  They were so popular, in fact, that their creator, Gunpei Yokoi, couldn't leave the idea of portable gaming alone. As well as designing classic games such as Donkey Kong and Metroid, he is best known as the father of the GameBoy.

  

  Launched in 1989, this chunky beige brick with a tiny monochrome screen was nothing short of a revolution. Gamers snapped the system up, along with portable versions of hit console games, movie tie-ins, the first entries in the evergreen Pokemon franchise and a certain little game called Tetris. Bundled with the GameBoy, the Russian puzzle classic helped to define handheld gaming as the natural home of simple yet addictive one-more-go game design. It also pioneered the world of multiplayer, using a link cable to allow two GameBoy owners to battle against each other.

  The GameBoy was such an enormous hit - shifting well over 100m units in its lifetime - that other electronics companies tried to ride the bandwagon. Atari released the Lynx, the first handheld with colour graphics, but it struggled to match Nintendo's efficient tech, draining its batteries at inconvenient speed.

  

  More challengers emerged from Japan, such as the TurboExpress, but it would be Nintendo's long-standing rival, Sega, that put up the best fight. The Game Gear launched in 1991, and shrewdly used the same technology as the popular Master System home console, allowing hit games to be quickly ported to the handheld. Although it never outsold the GameBoy, the Game Gear put up a solid challenge.

  GameBoy and Game Gear battled for handheld supremacy throughout the 1990s, with other - often technically superior - portables such as the Neo Geo Pocket and WonderSwan barely making a dent in their dominance. Nintendo's lead was so assured that they waited until 1998 before upgrading the GameBoy's grey and black screen to a colour model.

  

  As the 21st century rolled around, however, the home console experience was becoming so sophisticated that the handhelds were starting to look outdated. Nokia tried to capitalise on the rise of mobile phones with the ill-fated N-Gage, a clumsy hybrid of phone and console that failed to capture the public's imagination.

  It was Nintendo, once again, in 2004 that changed the landscape. The Nintendo DS at first appeared to be an act of supreme folly. Boasting two screens - much like some of the Game & Watch titles of yesteryear - as well as a stylus for touchscreen interaction, it was like nothing else around. And, as with the original GameBoy, Nintendo kept the DS fresh by constantly revising and relaunching the machine in different configurations - smaller, larger, and with more features.

  

  With Sega having long since abandoned the hardware market, the challenge to the DS came from a new rival: SONY. Having exploded into gaming with the PlayStation, SONY's take on handheld gaming was sleek, powerful and designed for the hardcore gamer on the go. The PSP, or PlayStation Portable, certainly made the cheerful DS look like a toy but, much like the Game Gear, it was never quite able to topple Nintendo from its throne, even with cult hits such as Monster Hunter making the system a must-have in Japan.

  

  Which brings us to 2012, where once again Nintendo and SONY are battling for the palm of your hand. Nintendo's 3DS continues the design approach of the original DS, with left field technical innovation and a breezy pick-up-and-play approach. The PS Vita, as we've seen, is the PSP on steroids, a desirable bit of beautiful entertainment technology that pushes the boundaries of what can be done in a small space.

  Looking from dazzling titles like Uncharted: Golden Abyss, all the way back to the rudimentary two-button Game & Watch experience, it's hard to believe only thirty years separate them and yet it feels as though handheld gaming is only just getting up to speed. Imagine where we'll be in 2042!

  Published: 22/02/2012

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