Nintendo took a stab at Sony’s NGP today in announcing new details about multimedia features their upcoming 3DS portable gaming system will support.
During Nintendo President Satoru Iwata’s keynote ‘Video Games Turn 25: A Historical Perspective and Vision for the Future’ at GDC earlier today, it was announced that 3DS would include Netflix so that subscribers to the streaming video service could download movies and more to watch on their 3DS systems. This functionality already exists on Wii but will for the first time appear on a Nintendo hand-held device. According to Nintendo, you’ll be able to start watching a movie on Wii and then pick it up at the same spot on your 3DS. Look for Netflix to arrive on 3DS sometime this summer.
To aid in tapping into Netflix’s library while on the go, Nintendo has struck a partnership with AT&T that will grant 3DS owners automatic access to free Internet access at more than 10,000 AT&T Hot Spots around the country. This functionality will become available during a May system update.
The big news for prospective 3DS owners is confirmation that Nintendo is working on a new Super Mario Bros. game for 3DS. Mario creator Shigeru Miyamoto is leading the development utilizing the same team responsible for developing Super Mario Galaxy and Super Mario Galaxy 2 for Wii.
It is always widely assumed with any new Nintendo hardware launch that the studio’s core franchises Mario, Zelda and Metroid will make an appearance. With this news we can safely cross one off that list.
Nintendo 3DS is priced at $249.99 and arrives in stores on March 27 in Aqua Blue and Cosmo Black colors. If the Japanese launch is any indication, it will be sold out shortly after becoming available.
Click here to pre-order and secure a launch day 3DS at Amazon.com.
