So I'm an ambassador now

[Crisis]

Weren't investors calling for Nintendo to start releasing their products for iOS? I'm not sure why - it would be a complete 180 against Nintendo's entire business strategy for the last 2 decades and the profit margins for phone apps would be a lot smaller than for Nintendo's own consoles.

If Nintendo really was interested in the smartphone market, presumably they'd make their own. If they sold it at a reasonable price and didn't pretend it was more than it actually was (realistically, they're not going to be an iPhone competitor), I think they'd have a good shot at a successful gaming smartphone.

But the more I hear about the 3DS the harder it is to take seriously. Styluses, headaches, bulky hardware, fluctuating price point, expensive software, and now this slide pad monstrosity. It's a bit embarrassing.

[Green Gibbon!]

So is the slide pad from Nintendo or Capcom?

[Neo]

Word says it was Capcom-ordered, Nintendo-manufactured, but we're sure to learn more with the news conference next Tuesday.

[Farmer]

I think they'd have a good shot at a successful gaming smartphone.

I doubt this is ever going to happen. Consider that Nokia couldn't do it with the N-GAGE, and now even Sony are making massive losses on the Xperia Play. I doubt anybody but the most devoted Ninty fans would make their phone choice based upon a handful of exclusive titles.

[Jingles]

Monster Hunter 3G is Japan-Only.

[Dr. BUGMAN]

Capcom isn't bringing it Stateside, but there's nothing to say Nintendo isn't. It's not unprecedented.

[Team Mecha]

I think they'd have a good shot at a successful gaming smartphone.

I doubt this is ever going to happen. Consider that Nokia couldn't do it with the N-GAGE, and now even Sony are making massive losses on the Xperia Play. I doubt anybody but the most devoted Ninty fans would make their phone choice based upon a handful of exclusive titles.

Ngage was horrendously designed & before its time. Xperia was too half hearted, give it actual analog nubs & PSN support & it might be worth something. Not the best of examples.

[Farmer]

They're the only examples, unless there's more that I can't think of off the top of my head.

[Crisis]

All Nintendo would have to do is start developing first-party software for it. Nintendo fans will literally buy anything that comes with a new Mario game featuring the Tanooki suit, just like Apple fans will buy anything white and shiny. Then the evangelists spread the word, and if the product has any merit at all, it'll sell.

I think it's unlikely too, though. Nintendo's a little too conservative as a business, and the smartphone market is really not a fun place to be in right now. But in a few years time, I don't think it's out of the question.

[gr4yJ4Y]

I'm sure 3DS sales will spike around November 13th, when Mario is released. Will it be too little too late though? It's not like this one game will make it have an outstanding library. I guess the fate of the 3DS depends on how prolific Sony's Vita games are at next week's show - it sounds like it will be the closest handheld race Nintendo has ever had.

[gr4yJ4Y]

Nintendo announced that the second slider thing will be about $19 in Japan and be used for a bunch of games including Resident Evil, Kingdom Hearts, and Metal Gear Solid. There's another problem with the add-on that we didn't know about before - it takes AA batteries. So now we have to make sure that both the system and add-on have batteries with power in them to play games.

I want to like the 3DS, but Nintendo keeps on giving me more reasons to wait until the next version of its hardware or go with Vita.

[K2J]

-Four Swords for DS was talked about, but appears to be different. I didn't play the original Four Swords, but the fact there's Minish Cap references in this one must mean this isn't just a port of the GBA Four Swords.
-Skyward Sword was shown. You can collect bugs for potions. Beedle's in the game. You can use your bird for target challenges. This game has a bunch of amazing bosses, with one looking like a Shadow of the Colossus fight. The puzzles in this game seem to focus more around machines than past Zelda games.
-Some release dates for Japan: Kirby Returns to Dreamland, 10-23. Skyward Sword, 11-23. Fortune Street, 12-1. Mario and Sonic in London, 12-8.
-A pink 3DS will be released Oct. 20th. Apparently, Nintendo wants more girls to buy the 3DS.
-Mario 3D Land releases Nov. 3. Propeller block is in the game. Red coins return.
-Mario Kart 7 releases in 12-1. Fireballs are an item? The global Mario Kart channel from the Wii game makes a return in some form.
-Mario Tennis in 2012. Lots of camera movement in this one.
-Paper Mario in 2012. Cool new enemy formations abound.
-Luigi's Mansion 2 in 2012.
-Mario and Sonic in London in 2012.
-Animal Crossing in 2012. Looks better than the Wii game.
-A Mii-based life-sim with odd computerized voices being made for the 3DS? Don't ask me what's going on here. @_@
-A blocky-styled soccer game for the 3DS.
-A turn-based strategy game that looks like FFTactics mixed with Yu-Gi-Oh.
-Fatal Frame for 3DS.
-FIRE EMBLEM 3D! Looks awesome, too.
-Looks like a Dynasty Warriors "VS" game is coming for 3DS.
-A new Square Enix RPG IP??? Called Bravely Default, it looks and sounds pretty good.
-New Gundam fighting game: Gundam Generation G 3D. Kinda reminds me of Super Robot Wars.
-RE Revelations releases in 2012.
-Ace Combat is getting a 3DS game.
-Tekken 3D gets mentioned. This is the game that comes with a 3D movie, if I recall correctly.
-Theatrhythm gets mentioned. Meh. =/
-DQ Heroes 3 releases Nov. 2nd.
-MGS 3D gets a mention.
-More footage for Kid Icarus: Uprising. Pushed back to January 2012. Oh, Sakurai. =P
-Animated Kid Icarus features coming to Nintendo Video. I hope these get dubbed.
-Cool trailer for MHTriG; new footage. This is gonna be one impressive-looking 3DS game. Hopefully this leads into talk about that analog expansion.
-Iwata interviews one of Tri G's creators. Releases Dec. 10th.
-Another trailer for Monster Hunter. Looks intense. Monster Hunter 4?!? 'Guess Nintendo truly got a hold of this franchise after all.

Trailers

[Green Gibbon!]

Mario and Zelda look good as always, but these guys are in dire, dire need of some new IP.

[Dash]

The Rolling Western is looking like it might be pretty sweet. But yeah, old IP is being dried up quickly. In a time where the future of portable games is in question though, I don't blame them for sticking to their guns for a little while.

Hope the "3D edition" trend cools off pretty soon. Heck, I love Starfox 64, but I would have been massively excited for a new StarFox game in the spirit of it. Might take a nice port of F-Zero GX though, if they don't trust a new one to sell these days.

[G.Silver]

I keep wondering how many potential new IPs have been turned into Kirby titles instead.

[Jingles]

The Rolling Western is looking like it might be pretty sweet.

I've never seen anything like that before.

[G.Silver]

Never anything like it.

[Crazy Penguin]

Not a thing.

[K2J]

Sounds like regular Link, too. They might as well make it a Majora's Mask sequel or something. Or maybe a Kirby Air Ride one where you're constantly the wheelie powerup.

Actually, that looks pretty intriguing. Looks to be downloadable - I don't know how that will affect its quality, when it comes to Nintendo being somewhat Internet-antagonistic.

[Dash]

Yeah thought that as well, considering the dude looks rather slow when not rolling(and as mentioned before, sorta sounds like Link). Looks more tower-defensey and less platformer, but maybe Nintendo just wanted a good Sonic game too!

[Dr. BUGMAN]

Never anything like it.

I was gonna post this earlier, but was afraid of the names I'd be called.

You're the nerd!

[G.Silver]

You're the nerd!

According to Wikipedia, the protagonist's name is "Billy the Shell."

[Jingles]

More free stuff: The Legend Of Zelda: Four Swords is out now in Europe.

[K2J]

US, too.

[G.Silver]

Fed up with 3DS "is it safe to buy one yet" ambiguity, I just went ahead and did it. The final straw was the unveiling of a Mario 3D Land bundle which isn't even announced yet for the US. Would it have come out here? Would it have been a slightly cheaper way to get it? Who knows! All I know is that come hell or high water I was gonna get one next month when Mario and Shinobi hit anyway, but Fred Meyer offered me a $25 gift card if I bought one today. I can't say I'll miss watching Nintendo come up with new reasons for me to not buy one. It's really kind of a relief, like yanking off a band-aid.