Nintendo Introduces Glasses-Free 3D Gaming [Images]

At the E3 Expo today, Nintendo gave the world the first look at a portable system that lets people view games in 3D, without the need for special glasses. Nintendo also announced a substantial list of upcoming games for Nintendo 3DS, the Wii console and the Nintendo DS family of systems – a lineup that reads like a who’s who of some of the greatest franchises in video game history with a completely new look and feel.

Nintendo 3DS comes with a 3.53-inch top screen and a 3.02-inch bottom touch screen. It has three cameras – one inner and two outer – to deliver the 3D effect and take 3D pictures. It includes a motion sensor, a gyro sensor and even a Slide Pad that allows 360-degree analog input. At the E3 Expo, Nintendo showed attendees a range of games and applications for Nintendo 3DS that reinvent some of the industry’s most beloved franchises.

These include:

* Kid Icarus™: Uprising, the long-awaited franchise follow-up to the NES™ classic.
* Mario Kart™, which shows off the potential of driving and tossing bananas in 3D.
* nintendogs™ + cats, a new version of the best-selling nintendogs franchise that lets players interact even more with their virtual puppies – and kittens!
* PilotWings Resort™, a flying simulation that lets players soar above Wuhu Island.
* Animal Crossing™, a new installment of the charming community-building franchise.
* StarFox 64™ 3D, a game that demonstrates the true distance and depth of outer space using Nintendo’s well-known franchise.
* Steel Diver™, a new submarine-navigation game from Nintendo.
* Paper Mario™, which brings paper-based 2D environments to life.

Nintendo 3DS also comes to market with the strongest third-party support of any video game system in Nintendo history. Games on display at the Nintendo booth at the E3 Expo include:

* DJ Hero® 3D from Activision
* RESIDENT EVIL® REVELATIONS from Capcom
* The Sims™ 3 from Electronic Arts
* HIDEO KOJIMA’S METAL GEAR SOLID SNAKE EATER 3D “The Naked Sample” from Konami
* Professor Layton and the Mask of Miracles (name not final) from LEVEL-5
* RIDGE RACER® (name not final) from Namco Bandai Games
* KINGDOM HEARTS franchise game from Square Enix
* DEAD OR ALIVE® 3D (name not final) from Tecmo Koei Games
* SAMURAI WARRIORS® 3D from Tecmo Koei Games
* Battle of Giants™: Dinosaur Strike from Ubisoft
* Hollywood 61 (name not final) from Ubisoft

A sampling of other Nintendo 3DS games already in planning includes SUPER STREET FIGHTER IV 3D Edition (name not final) from Capcom; Madden NFL and FIFA Soccer games from Electronic Arts; CODENAME: Chocobo Racing® 3D and a FINAL FANTASY ® franchise game and from Square Enix; a NINJA GAIDEN® (name not final) game from Tecmo Koei Games; Saint’s Row: Drive By from THQ; Assassin’s Creed™Lost Legacy, Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon™ and Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell Chaos Theory™ from Ubisoft; and a Batman game from Warner Bros. Additional games are in development by Atlus, AQ Interactive, Disney Interactive Studios, Harmonix, Hudson Soft, Majesco, Marvelous Entertainment, Rocket, SEGA, Takara Tommy and Take-Two Interactive.

Nintendo also announced a substantial slate of games on the way for its Wii console and Nintendo DS family of systems, with a list of characters and franchises that appeal to all types of gamers.

More info, images coming soon…