I have mentioned before how much I hate to fly. It takes a lot for me to commit to packing, removing my shoes, getting an x-ray, buying overpriced water, being crammed into a seat, sitting next to a man who smells like washer fluid for 4.5 hours, watching a bad English film and getting tossled about at 30,000 feet.
But, when Nintendo asked me to attend an event in Seattle surrounding the release of the Nintendo 3DS, I didn’t even stop to think about all of that when I told them to count me in.
It’s no secret that my family likes to play games. All of us. We have a well-used Wii, apps on our phones, Nintendo DS’s (my son is on his second one) and computer games galore. We’re on our third Super Mario Bros. Wii game because we play it so much that we actually kill the disc.
There are very few reasons that I would be excited about getting on a plane, but the new Nintendo 3DS is one of them.
And, you know what? Sitting on that plane was totally worth it. This is no ordinary game system. Remember how Wii technology wowed us when it first came out? Yeah, well trump that.
After a brief presentation by Nintendo COO, Reggie Fils-Aime, in which he clearly stated the 3D technology is not for young children, I was escorted with my group (Team Toad!) to play the amazing AR Games. I pointed the game system at a card laying on a table, slid the Depth Slider from 2D to 3D and watched as the card came to life. Out of the table popped a box with a target inside. Before I knew it, the target was enclosed in a dragon’s mouth and the dragon was coming out of the table.
Before I left for Seattle, I had read a lot of reviews about this particular game. I didn’t really understand it and I know that if a nationally syndicated columnist can’t use words to describe how cool this is, I know I can’t. You’re going to have to trust me. It’s way cool.
After that, we toured Nintendo Headquarters. A true gem in the scheme of all things green, with a roof covered in plants that help control the building’s temperature and a drainage system that collects rainwater. The bamboo floors are a rapidly renewable resource and lights run on motion sensors and/or dim when sunshine fills the many windows. It was interesting and made me proud to be a Nintendo Brand Ambassador.
But, I have to be honest, I couldn’t wait to get back to the games!
I spent the rest of the rainy afternoon trying out:
Pilotwings Resort (loved it, bought it)
Super Street Fighter (my personal favorite, going to buy it and hide it from the kids because I want it all for myself)
Nintendogs + Cats (loved it, bought it)
Steel Diver (saw lots of people buying this one)
Asphalt 3D (so fun and I was the high scorer!)
…and one more game which hasn’t even been released yet.
AR Games and the hilarious Face Raiders are built in to the system. Did I mention there’s a 3D camera and that you can put yourself into a picture with the game characters, that you can watch 3D videos, create a Mii from a photo, exchange Mii data with your friends and more? This little game system packs a great big punch.
I am nearly 40 and the Nintendo 3DS is as fun for me as it is for my kids (and when I showed my 76 year old mother a picture of herself playing Face Raiders, she laughed out loud). This system is all kinds of fun and it will, undoubtedly, impress you with its incredible technology.
Thanks to Nintendo for a once-in-a-lifetime experience and especially for the giftbag with my very own Nintendo 3DS! Now, if my kids would just give me a chance to play it.
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