14 DAY TRIAL // When the Nintendo 3DS launches, on February 26 in Japan and about one month later in Europe and the United States, one of the most intriguing and little talked about features will be six augmented reality cards which will allow players to engage in gaming experiences which blend the virtual and the real life.
An anonymous source offered information about them to the technology-oriented magazine Wired, detailing the games which are set to use them.
It seems that the names for the titles are not final and that the information comes from an earlier stage in the development of the Nintendo 3DS, meaning that when the new handheld actually launches some of the details might be different.
Here are the five detailed games:
AR Shot – a game which aims to blend mini golf and pool, with the player trying to navigate a tricky course in order to score; Fishing – the player will have to tilt the 3DS in order to control the fishing pole and bag as many fish as possible; Graffiti – a drawing game which uses depth to add an extra dimension to the created material; Star Pics – will allow a player to use the 3DS to interact with a cast of characters drawn from important Nintendo made games, with the Augmented Reality cards marking their spots in the world Mii Pics – an experience that is similar to the one above but using character Mii avatars in place of the characters.
In order to pay for these games, players will have to use the two front-mounted cameras that the Nintendo 3DS has in order to read the cards placed in front of the device.
It's not clear whether these games will be available when the Nintendo 3DS is launched or whether the company pouts them out in the coming months.
It's likely that Augmented Reality will be just a sideshow to the real breakthrough that the 3DS makes, the three-dimensional gaming experience that does not require any glasses.