Window eShopping.

With the lastest update of the 3DS & releasing the eShop, Nintendo have gave away two lots of free downloadable content. Excitebike 3D & the Pokémon Black/White 3D Pokédex.

I have both of these (duh, they’re free!) and whilst the Pokédex is undeniably, incredibly aesthetically impressive, I did find it a little pointless to be honest. Don’t get me wrong, I am a huge fan of Pokémon, & always have been. No shame. But in my opinion it’s much easier (and more entertaining) to play the games & learn about the new monsters as you go along. It’s much more entertaining & satisfying, rather than trawling through a totally separate application that just looks pretty.

Saying that, I must admit I did have fun scrolling through what was initially available. And the ability to use the 3DS’ QR code reader to receive & register new Pokémon is a pretty cool use of technology. Also the fact you can print out your own AR cards to use with the augmented reality function & see the Pokémon coming out the screen at you is very impressive. If only our printer had ink, I would be all over that. It's just a shame that a 2D screenshot doesn't do it justice, it does look incredible in 3D.

But for me, Excitebike was the much more impressive game on offer. It’s had a whole new lease of life. An original NES classic from 1984, remade in 3D, giving it depth, sharper graphics & vivid colours. Sure it’s nowhere near as visually impressive as anything made these days, but it is one hell of an addictive game. A high score seeker’s dream. I also think it’s an absolutely fantastic way to get younger gamers interested in Nintendo’s heritage.

It has the potential to unlock a whole new (old?) generation of games, as well as keeping older fans happy. To be honest even I missed out on these NES & SNES games, considering I was only born in 1990, & we didn’t have either of those systems. I really hope Nintendo releases more of these retro 3DS classics, it is such a good idea. (Especially if they’re still free!)

Since I originally started writing this (I’ve resurrected it from a previous post) there has been a plethora of different items added to the eShop. A 3D Green Lantern trailer, the Robin & Zelda Williams Ocarina of Time adverts, trailers for 3DS games announced at E3, the original Super Mario game, the original Donkey Kong game, Kirby’s Dream world, more Game Boy originals & a huge range of DSi Ware games already. 

Now I know this might not seem like much of a revelation to most gamers in the era of Xbox Live & the PlayStation Network, but I’m not much of a console gamer. This world of downloadable games, movie trailers & many other cool things on offer is whole new experience for me. It’s the most engaging, interesting & just plain fun thing I’ve come across for a while. And I’ve fallen in love with it.