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[The Headliner]

It's official: the Nintendo 3DS will not be released this year - but will instead be launched in the U.S. and Europe in March, with Japan getting the portable console just a little earlier on 26th February.

There's no exact date or price for the Western launch yet, but in Japan the console will be priced at  ¥25,000 - which is £189. A standard DSi is  ¥15,000 (£113) in Japan but £150 here, which suggests the 3DS will be marked up to closer £250 when it's released in the UK.

All this was revealed at press conference in Japan earlier today, where it was announced that the 3DS would also include a Game Boy Virtual Console. This will work similarly to the Wii's Virtual Console, but with support for original Game Boy, Game Boy Color and Game Boy Advance titles - with Super Mario Land and The Legend Of Zelda: Link's Awakening DX mentioned specifically.

There's no other detailed information on the 3DS's online features, although Nintendo did talk again about its new Wi-Fi sleep mode, which allows it to download ranking data and free software (and fight requests from Street Fighter IV) even when it's turned off. The new tag mode also allows you to exchange data from multiple games at once whenever you pass anyone else with a 3DS.

The 3DS will come bundled with a fairly generously-sized 2GB SD card, although it wasn't entirely clear what this will be used for other than storing Miis (which can now be auto-generated when you take a photo of someone) and merging two photos together.

In Japan the 3DS will also allow you to view TV channels broadcast in 3D and no doubt Nintendo will be looking to offer a similar service in the West.

Nintendo didn't announce any new games but Capcom did: Mega Man Legends 3 Project and Resident Evil: Mercenaries. There was no real information on the Mega Man game, other than it's a sequel to the old PSone and Nintendo 64 series which remains the only real non-2D entry in the franchise.

Resident Evil: Mercenaries is a completely separate game to the already announced Resident Evil: Revelations and it sounds like it might be out first, as it reuses the graphics and maps from the popular bonus game from Resident Evil 4 and 5. The graphics look great on the 3DS and it's got an online multiplayer mode.

In terms of non-3DS related news Nintendo also confirmed the existence of the previously leaked Wii Remote Plus and revealed a new Super Mario 25th anniversary version of the DSi XL, which may or may not remain Japanese-only.

You can find our detailed preview of the 3DS console itself by clicking here, with a rundown of some of the biggest games here.

How 3DS works without glasses

    * Top half is made up of 2 LCD screens
    * They are layered on top of one another
    * One image is sent to user's left eye
    * One image is sent to user's right eye
    * This creates 3D image without glasses

The 3DS has got to be the most exciting console launch in years. I hope it's cheaper than £250 though or I won't get getting one straight away.

[The Headliner]

According to news coming out of the European launch event this week the 3DS will be priced at £220 to £230 in the UK.

The lower end of that range is certainly better than £250 as feared, but given the expected launch line-up I doubt I'll be jumping in on day one. There are definitely some interesting games there, but I might wait for Mario's proper debut (not counting his Kart or Paper series) before I bite the bullet. It won't be the only reason I buy a 3DS but it may be the tipping point that convinces me to part with that much cash.

[Matches Malone]

I can not believe it's 3D of any kind until I actually play it for myself.

[The Headliner]

I know what you mean. But literally everyone seems to be genuinely impressed by the 3D, doing all they can to convey their enthusiasm without being able to actually show you.

The online games magazine I read daily, GameCentral, are a pretty jaded and straight talking bunch, and here's their impression after a hands-on trial this week:

However boring Nintendo's presentation was the 3DS itself was the exact opposite. The stereoscopic effect is superb, at least as good as in the cinema or using a 3DTV, and yet without the need to use any glasses or goggles at all.

Round-up of 1st-party games (those by Nintendo)
Round-up of 3rd-party games (those by other companies)

The video here explains the machine's new features.

I've seen this up for pre-order for just under £200 on some sites like the one above, so I'm currently wrestling with account screens to put my name down. That seems to be about as good an offer as I'll find for some time so it's tempted me, but if they keep making it difficult for me to place my order then I might have talked myself out of it by the time I get the chance. (Edit: Pre-order placed. They don't have my money yet though so I can still cancel if I chicken out...)

[The Headliner]

The UK launch line-up has been confirmed. The US one probably won't be much different.

We'll cut to the chase here, the following are all the games you'll be able to purchase on 25th March, with Pilotwings Resort, Super Monkey Ball 3D, and Splinter Cell 3D amongst the more unexpected inclusions:

Pilotwings Resort
nintendogs + cats
Super Street Fighter IV 3D Edition
The Sims 3
Pro Evolution Soccer 2011 3D
Lego Star Wars III: The Clone Wars
Ridge Racer 3D
Super Monkey Ball 3D
Samurai Warriors: Chronicles
Asphalt 3D
Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon: Shadow Wars
Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell 3D
Rayman 3D

It's a solid if unexceptional line-up, which still puts it well ahead of many console launches. Pilotwings Resort is perhaps the closest to a killer app, although Konami will be hoping to do well with Pro Evolution Soccer 2011 3D and Capcom with Super Street Fighter IV 3D Edition.

Nintendogs + cats is also certain to do well, although like last time it's being sold in three separate versions. Each contains a different set of dog and cat breeds, with a Golden Retriever, French Bulldog and Toy Poodle acting as the respective cover stars. If the games work the same as the DS none of the breeds will be exclusive, you'll just begin with different ones unlocked from the start.

We've also high hopes for Ubisoft's Ghost Recon: Shadow Wars, a top down turn-based strategy which is one of the least visually interesting of the 3DS games shown so far. However it's being developed by Julian Gollop, creator of such classics as Laser Squad and X-COM.

Just as with the hardware itself (which seems to be settling down to a price of around £200) Nintendo has made no official announcement about the price of games. Most retailers though seem to be quoting a RRP of £39.99 - a fiver more than a first party Nintendo DS game.

The online stores are then discounting this by around £10 to £5 though, so we expect the average price to be around £30 or less pretty much from the start.

None that really interest me there, to be honest. I'd play Street Fighter but wouldn't pay £30 for it. Lego Star Wars is probably great, but I've never seen Clone Wars so the source material means nothing to me.

If the console's price looks set to remain around £200 after launch then I might cancel my pre-order, because I only really put my name down to save money in the long run. If I can buy one later for the same price when there's a must-have game available, then I might as well wait.

[Matches Malone]

After watching the videos they uploaded to the Nintendo channel, I have to say that I kind of want a 3DS really bad.

[The Headliner]

The price seems to have settled around the £195-£200 mark across Britain, so I've just cancelled my pre-order. The launch line-up doesn't interest me much, so I was only pre-ordering to take advantage of what seemed like a lower than average price at the time. I'll wait now until a must-play title comes out, like Zelda: Ocarina of Time or a new Mario game. There might even be a minor bargain to be had in the form of a bundle deal.

In the meantime I'm trying to resist this, which is tempting me but it's probably no better than what I can already do with my DS.

[Matches Malone]

MAME Arcade....I can see why it's a bit tempting.

[The Headliner]

Hands-on with the 3DS

Meanwhile, Nintendo has confirmed what nobody would have doubted - the existence of a Super Mario 3DS game. And it looks very Mario 64 from the few screenshots available, albeit with the hinted presence of a Tanooki suit as seen in SMB 3.

[Matches Malone]

I'm not going to lie, I'm looking forward to playing with those cards.

[The Headliner]

=

The Nintendo 3DS not only knows when you're using a pirated cartridge but it can automatically disable a console once it finds out.

Apparently illegal flash cartridges are already in circulation in Japan, variants on the infamous R4 cartridge for the Nintendo DS. These allow pirates to download 3DS games via their PC, put them on the flash cart and then play them as if they were a normal game - but no longer.

After sporadic reports 3DS consoles were becoming unusable after a flash cartridge was played on them, Japanese retailer Enterking put the following warning up on its website - as (roughly) translated by GoNintendo:

'In case if you use equipment which is illegal or unapproved by Nintendo or if you do customisation which is unapproved by Nintendo, there is a possibility that Nintendo 3DS become non-bootable by system update.'

In other words if you use pirated software and hardware Nintendo will disable your console via a firmware update (otherwise known as 'bricking').

This will no doubt cause pirates and Nintendo to enter into an endless game of hacks and updates but it does seem that the 3DS is going to be a lot harder to run pirate games on than the DS was.

[Matches Malone]

Nintendo is take no prisoners when it comes to pirates...

[The Headliner]

Nintendo has been showing off a giant-sized AR (augmented reality) card for the 3DS which allows you to magic up a full-size Mii if you view it through the console's cameras.

The AR Games software that comes pre-loaded with the 3DS has been turning heads ever since it was first unveiled, but the console only comes with six playing cards to use with it.

As we revealed last week five of these are just virtual figurines, while the sixth one is a simple, but technically impressive, mini-game.

What else Nintendo intends to do with the technology is currently a mystery, but the first clue has come from a new Iwata Asks feature on the Nintendo website.

Currently it's only in Japanese (we're sure it'll get translated soon enough) but it clearly shows Nintendo boss Satoru Iwata standing next to a life-size version of his Mii.

According to website Andriasang this is referred to as a 'special large-sized' AR card and is being given away as a bonus to Club Nintendo members in Japan - and hopefully elsewhere.

Last week at the Games Developer Conference (GDC) Sony were showing off essentially the same idea, with a giant AR card making a Tyrannosaurs Rex magically appear in the room if viewed through the lens of a NGP (aka PSP2).

The irony of using such a large piece of cardboard with such a small console isn't lost on us, but it's an interesting trick and we suspect neither company is going to leave it to remain merely a tech demo.

I'm struggling to think of practical applications for something so big, but hopefully developers are more imaginative than me.

[Hazzy]

You could put the card next to you, make it conjure up your fantasy man/woman, and then touch it...

[Matches Malone]

I don't think touching technology has been developed yet...