Nintendo's New Line-Up Fail

The Nintendo 3DS is due to release March 27th in the US, making it the fifth release of a DS systme including the original. I'm not a major fan of 3D technology as I find it more of a gimmick than anything. What I've seen of the current 3D market I'm unimpressed, it is usually used to explain a gigantic price hike while eliminating the need for plot, character development, and everything else. Simply put 90% of the 3D market, at least in cinema, is pure crap. I've yet to play a 3D game since it's currently out of my budget to get a new 3D television.

However the 3DS has piqued my interest for the simple fact that it doesn't require glasses. To me this is an innovative feat considering even now you have to wear 3D glasses at the movies. But I fear that Nintendo is just trying to cash in on gimmicks in an attempt to make more money, i.e. Wii's motion controls, and 3D graphics. That's not to say that Nintendo doesn't make outstanding games still, but 90% of the third party games on either the current Nintendo DS or Wii are shovel-ware. The 3DS's release line-up seems to confirm that that's exactly what Nintendo is attempting to do.

Nintendo's current release line-up consists of three games actually developed by Nintendo, Pilotwings Resort, Steel Driver, and Nintendogs + Cats. The rest are third-party games, Street Fighter IV, the Sims 3, Madden NFL Football, Pro Evolution Soccer 2011, Lego Star Wars III: The Clone Wars, Ridge Racer, Super Monkey Ball, Bust-a-move Universe, Samurai Warriors: Chronicles, Asphalt, Combat of Giants: Dinosaurs, Rayman, Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon: Shadow Wars.

The current price point released for the games is $39.99 USD, at least for the Nintendo developed games. Not one of these games is something I would consider a console seller, nor would I pay $40 for any of these games, 3D or not. Yes, I'm extremely interested to see a 3D driving game or a 3D fighter, but is my interest piqued enough to spend the price of the console plus another $40 for the game, the answer is no.

Nintendo should have waited to release the 3DS until they had at the very least a decent first party game. This is the first Nintendo console without a Mario title being released at the same time. I think this kind of manuver will only hurt Nintendo until some of the anticapted titles are released like Kid Icarus, 3D Zelda, and a 3D Mario title.