10 Ways Nintendo Can Keep The 3DS Successful In 2012
The Nintendo 3DS has gone from a shaky launch to become one of the best selling consoles of 2011. How can Nintendo keep the momentum going in 2012 ?
3D Movies
Youd have thought that being the worlds first device to offer glasses-free 3D, that the 3DS would be swamped with 3D Movies. Sadly, thus far all weve had is a few trailers of fare such as Puss In Boots 3D and The Green Lantern without any full length features. Considering that 3D TV technology is out of the price range for many of us, having full 3D Movies on the 3DS in 2012 would give the handheld a significant boost of attention and another good reason to own the 3DS. If Nintendo do eventually offer us the ability to download and watch 3D feature films, we can only hope that theyll also go one step further by offering us more than just recent blockbusters like Tintin and Hugo. Sitting on a train and watching Jaws 3D or Friday The 13th: Part 3D - as they were originally artistically intended - is an amazingly tempting proposition, no matter how shameful. A Bigger and Better Virtual Console
While the eShop Virtual Console has offered us up some classic titles since its launch, the slow release schedule, minimal variety and suspicious pricing of the content has been discouraging. So far, despite promises of games from such consoles as Segas GameGear and the NeoGeo, all weve had from Nintendo are a range of Gameboy games. Sure, theres been some truly classic titles such as The Legend Of Zelda: Links Awakening and Super Mario Land 2: Six Golden Coins, but did we really need dated ports of Trick Shot or Breakout ? If Nintendo wants us to keep spending our hard earned cash in the eShop, 2012 will need to bring more frequent updates of varied retro classics, all from a variety of different consoles other than just the Gameboy and NES. It doesnt need to stop at portables either. Give us Master System, Mega Drive, SNES and maybe even Dreamcast titles - the 3DS Virtual Console could easily become the definitive retro museum.New StreetPass Games and Features
One of the most addictive and unique features of the 3DS is StreetPass, which allows the console to communicate with other 3DS systems while in sleep mode. Theres something oddly satisfying about seeing that little green light appear, meeting other users youve passed and finding out what theyve been up to. The in built mini-games - StreetPass Quest and Puzzle Swap - are also fiendishly addictive, giving us much incentive to take our 3DS into the wide open world and keep playing anywhere. With so many possibilities, we can only hope that Nintendo are planning on bringing brand new StreetPass features to the 3DS in 2012. Whether its brand new games, or simply refinements to whats already available, we cant wait to see where Nintendo are going to take StreetPass in the future. YouTube 3D
With phones and other portable devices all capable of streaming YouTube content through web browsers and dedicated applications, its entirely fair to expect the same of Nintendos 3DS, which currently is unable to display YouTube on the limited web browser. Furthermore, with YouTube now integrating 3D as an upload option for video, being able to view these clips on the 3DS would be a fantastic feature for the console. For those who cant afford the latest 3D televisions and mobile devices, being able to view 3D video from YouTube would be another unique selling point for Nintendos console. When you also consider the possibilities of 3DS users being able to upload and share their very own 3D videos shot using the in-built camera, bringing YouTube to the 3DS seems like a no-brainer.Fewer Remakes and Ports
To be fair, the quality of many of the remakes weve currently seen on the 3DS have been of a very high quality. Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time - with its impressive updated visuals and added features - was a joy to behold, as was the decent port of StarFox 64. The upcoming Metal Gear Solid: Snake Eater 3D also looks incredibly promising, boasting a huge storyline and some of the prettiest visuals seen thus far on the handheld. However, while the constant stream of remakes has been an acceptable aspect of the console finding its footing, wed like to see a year which brings forth more unique titles, rather than another year full of revamps. Its not that theres no room for more classics - especially if theyre given the considerable respect weve already seen - but the 3DS needs solid new titles if its going to stay successful in 2012. Worldwide Streaming Services
While the U.S has Netflix on the 3DS - giving subscribers a library of streaming and downloadable video content - here in the U.K and other areas of the world, weve got no such feature. With applications like LoveFilm and Netflix recently launching on consoles such as the Xbox and PS3, its a shame that most 3DS users currently arent able to enjoy films and TV shows on the go. In 2012 wed like to see Nintendo give us more apps like Netflix and perhaps TV on-demand services like the BBCs iPlayer and 4OD. Such applications would hopefully begin a series of exciting new features for the 3DS eShop. If the 3DS is going to continue to prove itself as a worthy competitor with mobile devices and Sonys Vita, its certainly going to need them.New AR Card Functionality
One of the biggest features which was heavily touted with the launch of the 3DS was its inbuilt Augmented Reality technology. Coming with a selection of AR cards, the 3DS allowed us to play a selection of inventive mini-games which would - through use of the 3DS camera - take place in the real world and alter the surroundings as we played. As awesome as it was first playing AR trick shot next to a disgruntled pet, or fishing on your living room floor, the novelty of these initial games soon wore off. For such an initially hyped feature, it seems strange that Nintendo havent expanded on the feature for anything other than the occasional AR functionality built into games like Nintendogs. Why not give us new AR games with a future system update, or even start including brand new AR cards with upcoming retail releases. Imagine an AR card bundled with Metal Gear Solid: Snake Eater 3D which would give you a selection of stealth mini-games. More First-Party Games
Despite a troublesome launch, the Nintendo 3DS managed to turn itself around at the end of 2011, becoming one of the biggest selling consoles at Christmas. This was all thanks to Nintendo finally giving us some quality first party titles in the form of Super Mario 3D Land and Mario Kart 7 - with Link also laying the groundwork with Ocarina of Time. These three games all helped make the 3DS worth owning, offering portable gaming experiences which go well beyond what youd find on a mobile phone app store. However, they also go to show that without Nintendo's own games, the 3DS could potentially suffer. Its not that theres no strong third-party games - the upcoming Resident Evil: Revelations looks as good as anything Nintendo have provided for the 3DS - but its the Nintendo titles that draw in gamers and keep the 3DS unique to other consoles. 2012 needs to be a year of new adventures for Mario, Link, Metroid and Donkey Kong, and wed certainly also like to see Nintendo create something entirely new for the 3DS.Full Sky 3D Content
When it was announced that Sky would be providing 3D content to the 3DS, many of us were excited at the possibility of something similar to the Sky Player service on the Xbox 360. Sadly, so far all weve had are short trailers and clips of full 3D programming, uploaded sporadically to the Nintendo Video application. Its nice to watch a 3D clip of Peter Gabriel in concert or a scene from a David Attenborough documentary, but it basically leaves you wishing that you could access the full show - and perhaps thats the idea. Wed like to think that plans are underway to offer Sky subscribers full Sky 3D content on the 3DS in 2012, rather than simply teasing them with glorified adverts.