The Nintendo 3DS has been on the market for quite some time receiving positive reception pretty much across the board. Quite obviously, the biggest selling point of the console is the fact that it features a glasses-free 3D display and a 3D camera. However, while this is certainly enough to lure people in, it’s going to be up to the game library to keep those people around.

As of now, the Nintendo 3DS definitely has some great games but hard hitting franchise like Zelda, Mario, Kirby and more have yet to make the jump. While we’ve known for quite some time that an Ocarina of Time remake would be making its way to the 3DS at some point in the near future, we haven’t heard of an official release date for a Mario 3DS title.

Luckily, Shigeru Miyamoto himself recently commented to Gamesblog.fr regarding the release date of Super Mario 3DS saying the following:

“I promise to do all I can to deliver the new Mario game this year.”

So, while that does not officially confirm that the game will be out this year, it’s nice to at least know the folks over at Nintendo are doing everything they can to get it out of the door.

We were uncertain how Nintendo’s new 3D handheld console, the 3DS, would sell, given that it’s quite new technology, but mainly, that it retails at $250 bucks. Now Nintendo has revealed that they’ve sold 400,000 3DS console during its first week on the market in the US, which pretty much mirrors the Japanese sales numbers.

Nintendo has previously said that the 3DS was the best selling handheld launch ever, but declined to give any specific sales numbers. While the 3DS sold 400,000 units, Nintendo made sure to have enough consoles on launch, and didn’t offer the entire inventory up for sale on day one, in order to make sure it wouldn’t sell out.

The Nintendo 3DS is out and just about everyone is loving it. Of the titles that have made their way onto the market, one that’s being talked about quite a bit is Super Street Fighter IV. If you’re a console gamer you’ll probably know that this game has been out for quite some time on platforms like the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. However, seeing how the Nintendo 3DS features a 3D display, Super Street Fighter IV 3D obviously features integration with the 3D display. Well, it seems that this formula is a proven success as it was just announced today that Super Street Fighter IV 3D shipments have passed 1 million units.

If you’ve got a Nintendo 3DS do you have Super Street Fighter IV 3D? If not, why?

As you’re sure to know the Nintendo 3DS has been out for quite some time with consumers everywhere applauding the device for its glasses-free 3D display and other interesting features. However, while the console itself shipped with a decent line up of games there aren’t any really hard hitting first party titles straight out of Nintendo. Luckily, we’ve known for quite some time that Nintendo would be going to release Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D for the Nintendo 3DS at some point in the future. If you couldn’t already tell, the game is a 3D remake of the N64 Zelda title with the same name which makes it easy to see why consumers are getting so excited over the title.

Well, it was announced today that Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D will be made available in the US on June 19th.

The Nintendo 3DS has hit the market giving mobile gamers access to a 3D display on the go without the need for those wonky 3D glasses. While some have argued that the autostereoscopic 3D display isn’t fit for a mobile device as it takes a specific angle to achieve the affect the Nintendo 3DS has generally been receiving positive reception across the board. However, we won’t know for sure how the Nintendo 3DS will be remembered until more game developers come forth with their offerings.

One very popular franchise that has appeared on both the Nintendo DS and the Nintendo Wii is Cooking Mama. If you’re not familiar with the series it essentially lets you use the touch and motion controls to simulate cooking racking up points for how similar you can get your dish to the recipe. Currently, not much has been said about a Cooking Mama title for the Nintendo 3DS but it’s just been assumed that the game will eventually be coming.

In fact, it was just noted today that Cooking Mama 4 for the Nintendo 3DS has been listed on GameStop’s website with a release date of October 3rd, 2011. Of course, this is subject to change and may not be even a resemblance of the real release date but at least it does confirm that the franchise will be making an appearance on the Nintendo 3DS.

We’ve had our 3DS for a while now, we’ve spent some time with it, played all the games we could get hold of, and we’ve gotten to know Nintendo’s the 3D capable portable console. Is it a gimmick? Or a portable revolution? It’s somewhere in between. Read on for our full 3DS review.

When Nintendo announced the 3DS, people mainly fell into two camps: the ones saying it was a gimmick and that Nintendo is just following the new hot 3D trend. Others were simply excited that Nintendo was trying something this new: a 3D capable console where one doesn’t need glasses to enjoy the third dimension. Not a bad setup. But does it pay off? What’s it like playing a 3DS? It’s hard to explain, but if you’ve played 3D games before (on a PS3 for instance), you get the idea. Only that on the 3DS, you don’t need glasses. Instead, though, you need to keep your eyes square on the screen, and adjust the depth slider to fit. If you go outside of that narrow boundary, the 3D effect is fizzled and disappears.

Hardware wise, the 3DS has the same iconic design as all DS consoles, and almost the exact size as a DSi, only a bit thicker. Besides the 3D screen, the other new hardware feature you instantly see is the new left control stick, which is now analog. All other buttons are as you expect. Under the hood, the 3DS packs a much more powerful processor and graphics chip, in order not only to deliver a 3D image, but to make some really nice looking games as well. The three inch lower screen has an updated resolution to 320 x 240, while the main, 3D screen is at 800 x 240 pixels, but since it’s in 3D, each eyes needs its own pixel, meaning the effective resolution is at 400 x 240 pixels. It may not sound like a lot, but it’s quite adequate. Other hardware features include 3 cameras, two at the back for 3D pictures, and one in the front for video calls.

Playing 3D games isn’t effortless, as there are a few rules, for one, it’s best if you keep the screen 12 inches or so from your face, and keep your eyes centered on the console. On top of that, you have to keep the 3DS as still as possible when playing, which was sometimes a bit hard to do when we were riding on the bus or in a car with someone. We played a number of games on the device, including Nintendo’s cool new Argumented Reality minigames. Some of the game were amazing while other lacked in both visuals and gameplay, but one thing is certain: the 3D works (albeit with a few caveats), and it clear to see developers taking great opportunities with this device. While some games were barely worth in 3D, others utilized the new feature greatly.

Overall: we can definitely recommend the 3DS for those who want the latest and greatest, because the 3DS is such a piece of hardware. However, at $250, the price is quite steep, costing twice as much as a DS Lite. On top of that, the battery life is anything but impressive, and the 3D effect requires you to keep a certain distance to the screen, and keep it steady. On top of that, you may be at risk of getting a head ache while playing it. We didn’t experience any issues of that kind. Bottom line: the 3DS is a hard sell for $250, but the hardware and 3D effects aren’t just gimmicks, they’re genuine selling points.

The Good:
3D effect is wonderful
Powerful hardware, great looking games (for the most part)
Lots of potential

The Bad:
Pricey at $250
3D effect has limits and requirements
Poor battery life

Overall score: 8/10

While there was some enthusiasm around the US for the new 3DS, with a few lines of folks here and there, it was mostly disappointing, as we didn’t see the huge extravaganza that usually follows a major Nintendo console launch, like the Wii or the DS Lite. But according to Nintendo, the 3DS had the highest day one sales of any Nintendo handheld console ever launched.

Which is certainly good news, but how many did they sell? No word on that. We’ll have to wait for the first week sales released by NPD early next month to see how well the 3DS fared in the states. In Japan, the console quickly sold out and there was a lot more buzz about it, but that’s always the case in Japan, whose gaming scene is pretty much owned by Nintendo these days.

The Nintendo 3DS’ March 27th US release date is just a few days away which means gamers everywhere are gearing up to get their hands on the console. While it’s not exactly the most expensive console in the world when you add its $250 cost to the library of $40 games you’re sure to buy costs are sure to get quite high. Luckily, various retailers are holding deals that look to sooth the woes just a bit allowing gamers to get their hands on the glasses-free 3D display touting portable console without break the bank as much.

For example, if you feel you can part ways with your Nintendo DS once you get your hands on the 3DS you may want to consider picking i tup at Walmart. The reason I say this is because it was just made known that Walmart will be allowing gamers to trade in their Nintendo DS consoles towards the purchase of a 3DS. Details are a bit scarce but they will apparently be accepting up to two DS consoles for a total of $200 credit. Of course, what you get will largely depend on which model you have as trading in a DSi XL is sure to fare much better than a first generation DS.

Who’s looking to grab the Nintendo 3DS on march 27th?

The tech geniuses at UBM TechInsights, an outfit that tears down consumer gadgets and estimates their cost of parts and manufacturing, took Nintendo’s new 3DS apart and had a look at the components. According to their estimates, the 3DS costs about $101 in parts, which surprisingly low, considering that it’s only $15 more than the DSi. For just $15 more, it buys Nintendo a 3D screen, a much faster processor and graphics chips, and a lot of other features. Not a bad deal, especially considering they’re selling the 3DS at $250. Of course, retailers take their cut, there’s taxes and VAT in the price, and there are marketing and R&D costs associated, but it’s safe to say that Nintendo still makes a hefty profit on every 3DS sold.

The glasses-free 3D display touting Nintendo 3DS is finally gearing up to be released here in the United States. This means that a device with an autostereoscopic 3D display has finally been brought to the masses which is sure to give game developers a whole new set of innovative tools to play with. However, after actually purchasing the $250 console you’re going to want some games to play which retail for $39.99 a piece.

Luckily, we’ve already heard of various promotions that give gamers a break when purchasing a game such as the $25 off a brand new game promotion from Kmart. If for some reason you don’t feel like grabbing a Nintendo 3DS from Kmart but still want to get down on a promotion Sam’s Club has a deal for you.

Sam’s Club will be offering a Nintendo 3DS bundle which includes the console itself, the Explorer Starter Kit and Pilot Wings Resort for just $299.98. Sure, you’re only saving about $15 but that $15 can go towards the purchase of another game.

Check out the pre-order listing for the blue Nintendo 3DS bundle here and the black bundle here.