Nintendo is one of the most iconic gaming companies not just because of their hardware but because of their in-house developed games as well. Video game franchises like Kirby, Zelda and most importantly, Super Mario Bros have become household names. Add the success of these franchises to the success of Nintendo’s consoles like the Wii and DS and you can see why the company gets such good press.

However, with the Nintendo 3DS just around the corner many have wondered what exciting new titles Nintendo will be giving us. Well, if you had any doubt in your mind that Super Mario Bros would be making the jump to 3D, you can now lay those doubts to rest. Shigeru Miyamoto himself came forth today to say the following:

“In the interests of adopting new technology for the Super Mario Bros. tradition, I am now making a new Super Mario Bros. game for the Nintendo 3DS.”

Seeing how he has went on record as saying he’s currently making the game we’re going to assume that it won’t be a launch title. However Mario in 3D is certainly coming, don’t you worry.

via wired

The ultimate evolution of video games is the sci-fi scheme where there’s no necessary equipment. Whether it’s on a projected holographic interface or via a direct neural shunt into the brain, it’s the ultimate in virtual reality with players only being limited by their imagination. Unfortunately we’re ages away from that sort of immersive experience, but the Wii has spurred the industry a little closer to that idea.

After being called a gimmick by both industry types and gamers alike, the Wii has shown that motion controls are the future- or at least one possible future. Both Sony and Microsoft have unveiled their own version and the latter’s Project Natal does away with controllers altogether, utilizing a camera and motion-recognition technology.

Though industry members aren’t saying it’s a doomed proposition, some are saying that controllers will always have their place. Miyamoto in his interview with Wired said that holding a tangible item in your hand which gives you some sort of physical feedback and sensation is essential to creating a truly interactive experience. Ubisoft’s Yves Guillemot points out that while the idea of a more physical game can be fun, gamers don’t always want to play something that’ll have them panting for breath after a few battles. While some could make a quick jump from this argument to the stereotype of overweight gamers chowing down on junk food while playing marathon gaming sessions on the couch, many gamers look to their hobby more for relaxation.

This essentially boils down to one of the big difference between casual and hardcore games. Most casual games are quite simple in their premise, being played for nothing more than their own sake. Hardcore games often feature a storyline which can go on for hours, meaning that if gamers only sat and played for ten minutes a day or so it’d take months or even years to complete some games. Throw in the grind factor on many games and you’ve got a recipe for long hours of playing. With all the more slow, strategic types of games on the market as well which won’t exactly benefit from motion controls and you’ve got a whole ton of reasons why the controller is here to stay.

With Wii sales beginning to drop off it’s no surprise that Nintendo revealed new games were on the way for their big three: Mario, Zelda and Metroid. The only thing we’ve seen so far was Mario Galaxy 2 and New Super Mario Bros. Wii, but it’s been a foregone conclusion that the Wii would be getting another Zelda game sometime soon.

In an interview with Wired, Shigeru Miyamoto said that in developing the next Zelda game they’re considering whether or not to go with a Wii MotionPlus control scheme. While the extra peripheral would enable even more intuitive control schemes and more realistic inputs, Miyamoto and co are worried about forcing people to use the peripheral since it has only recently launched and its popularity is still unknown. While they hope that the new Zelda game will be exciting and appealing enough to get people to buy the peripheral on its own, their concern is that things will go the other way, with some gamers not playing the title because they’d have to get the accessory.

Ultimately though I’d guess that the Zelda game will include the peripheral since the MotionPlus would allow for a more robust combat system and Zelda fans are rabid enough to pick up a peripheral, especially if there’s a bundle available.