Nintendo 3DS Released in Japan!
For months, Lusipurr.com has faithfully been following the development of the first handheld system with a 3D interface, and by following, I mean mocking endlessly. In the beginning, the speculative performance made it sound great, but as time wore on, we learned about the 3D headaches, the price, the battery power, and other things that made us lose our Nintendo fanboy erections, or at least put us at half-staff while we waited. So now that we have reached the fated day of release, has Nintendo given us the glorious system we so desired?
A swing and a miss. For starters, as with every system, pre-orders are taken to give the more eager fans the chance to get their system while others go about it at a more leisurely pace, with the company’s desire to be that as many people as possible buy it. The sound logic would be to ensure you have made plenty. Instead, Nintendo’s logic was to make sure that there was a media barrage and constant commercials being shown in Japan, but also ensure that people knew there would only be enough systems available at launch to cover the pre-orders. This point was so driven home so bluntly that unlike previous DS launches with lines stringing along for hours, the customers were taken care of within minutes. A Destructoid writer in Shinjuku saw only about fifty in line, all of whom were gone in a mere ten minutes. No crazed fans, no scalpers, nothing. The humble Japanese did not even feel it necessary to try because they knew that the 400,000 sold were all pre-order only. This is a glaring contradiction to Nintendo’s projected 1.5 million sold by end of first quarter 2011, but surely the system must just be so fantastic that it will be bought right away when more become available, right?
Leading up to the release of the 3DS, reports were flung back and forth over what the health advisory on the system should be. Many speculated that the 3D visuals would lead to eye strain and headaches, such that doctors were even recommending that children under age six should not use the device for fear it could damage their developing vision. Now that the system is out for public use, the reaction is shockingly clear: it hurts like a bitch. For every thirty minutes of 3D play, users are recommended to take a ten to fifteen minute break just to let their eyes rest. Some users are even reporting that the onset of pain is a mere five minutes after using the system. This could simply be that our eyes are not used to the graphics and would need some time to adjust, doubtless what Nintendo’s legion of fanboys is hoping, or it could be that the Virtual Boy will soon have a partner in death. But wait! There must be something to save the livelihood of this technological achievement!
Err…maybe? We have already covered that the line-up of launch games for the 3DS is meager, with another Professor Layton and RRRRRRRRRRidge Racer being the only notable ones, though there are many more promised between now and June. Can these games alone save it? What about…other methods? Immediately prior to release, Nintendo was making some proud statements about the DRM they have added to the latest incarnation of the DS, boasting that the flashcarts previously used to play illegal copies of games were now unusable. My Lusi-darlings, what have we learned about companies declaring they have unbreakable anti-piracy measures?
Of course, these things really are not much of a challenge anymore, especially not to the industrious Chinese. Amusingly, the R4 was the most recognized of the flashcarts used for DS piracy, and the Chinese site youku.com released a video of the R4 being used on a 3DS. Seeing as the 3DS is still JAPAN ONRY, the legitimacy of this video is in question, but even if this is a fake, there is no doubt that the gauntlet has been thrown and it will only be a matter of time before you can hack your Nintendogs.
Can Nintendo Do ANYTHING Good Anymore?!
Well yes, just not actually relating to their systems…or their games…or anything that Nintendo actively did. One uplifting story found in Nintendo Power magazine this week describes one woman’s struggle and the ability to overcome it with the inspiration of Metroid’s blonde protagonist. Michelle Perl, a 25-year-old artist living in New York, found herself unable to overcome losing her mother in 2007 to cancer. All her life, Michelle had been like the rest of Lusipurr.com, lazy and fat, ballooning up to 200 pounds during her high school years, with self-esteem that would make even Oliver Motok look chipper.Vowing to her mother that she would improve herself, Michelle found strength in Samus Aran. She plastered her room with tons of Metroid paraphernalia to keep herself motivated by the positive self-image of the Nintendo’s first non-princess. Exercising regularly and eating healthier, Michelle kept track of her progress with the Wii Fit and ultimately lost fifteen pant sizes and now weighs a respectable 110 pounds. “Sometimes, even a fictional character is enough to give you a powerful dose of inner strength.”
