So ya wanna know about video game genres? Let's start with the platfomer!

When I first subscribed to Nintendo Power magazine many years ago, I was an ardent gamer, yes, but there were a few terms that frequently came up in the magazine that I didn't have a clue about. Most of them related to video game genres in one way or other. FPS, RPG, platfomer...what?!

Nintendo's most famous franchise being Super Mario and all, I thought it prudent to begin with the category that Super Mario belongs to: the platform genre. Even though we all know what a platform is, the idea of a platform video game is a little vague. Why can't Mario games just be "save the princess" games or something like that? Well, video games are different from other mediums because they can be controlled, right? So video game genres revolve around how the games are controlled. Platform games involve platforms. The player controls the character and uses jumps or other forces to land on platforms and avoid pitfalls. It's really important that platformers have some way for the player to jump at will, otherwise you'd be hard pressed to correctly identify a game as a platformer.

And, really, it's as simple as that. Super Mario games are of the platform genre. Some other examples include Rayman Origins, Donkey Kong Country Returns, Kirby's Return to Dreamland, and Mutant Mudds. Play a platformer for yourself today!

Nintendo 3DS Perplexities: Augmented Reality (AR) Games

I hate to use Wikipedia, but the definition it provides for "augmented reality" is the following: "...a term for a live direct or an indirect view of a physical, real-world environment whose elements are augmented by computer-generated sensory input, such as sound or graphics."

With that general idea, I'll give you the run-down on how Augmented Reality is used by the Nintendo 3DS system. Every unit comes packed with six cards. No, not game cards. Not SD cards. They are, literally, paper cards with images on them, like any ordinary playing cards. The image in this post may give you a sense of them.

After opening the AR Games application of the 3DS, the system's two outward-facing cameras (two cameras allow for a real-time 3D view) can recognize the images on the AR cards. By this method, the 3DS is able to accomplish a huge number of mind-boggling tricks. Turn any surface into a fishing pond that ripples and churns. Or watch Nintendo characters come to vivid, 3D life on the dining room table. Nintendo has provided a sizable handful of entertaining diversions within this built-in 3DS software.

Still have questions about AR Games? Let me know in the comments and I can respond to them!

Nintendo 3DS Perplexities: Mii Maker, Mii Plaza, and StreetPass

I'm still waiting for someone to "Find Mii."

Many aspects of the Nintendo 3DS are shrouded in mystery to those who haven't experienced it for themselves. So I've begun a campaign to encourage understanding...starting with the Mii Maker, Mii Plaza, and StreetPass features.

One of the first tasks a Nintendo 3DS owner should accomplish is to create a Mii. The idea of Miis began with Wii. Mii characters can be created and customized to resemble just about anyone. The Nintendo 3DS offers a short-cut to creating Miis by allowing the creator to begin with a photograph of the subject, leaving most of the work up to the system. After a first Mii is created, the Mii Plaza and the opportunity for StreetPass encounters open up.

The Mii Maker is where Miis are made. The Mii Plaza is a built-in game that revolves around StreetPass use. So what is StreetPass, you ask? StreetPass is a feature of the Nintendo 3DS by which it is possible for information to be exchanged between 3DS users as they come close to one another. The system can be powered-on or in sleep mode for this to occur. Lets say I go to a busy place: a mall. I carry my 3DS around in sleep mode. I walk by someone who has done the same. I don't even know the person, but I've now had a StreetPass encounter. The information that has been shared between us is totally harmless and includes our Mii creations, our first names, and our answers to questions such as "Cats or dogs?" and "What is your greatest hobby?" This person is a guy named Bob. His favorite piece of 3DS software is Face Raiders. He prefers cats. His dream is to have power. His favorite hobby is playing video games. (This is all made up, of course, so any resemblance to a real person is purely coincidental.)

Bob's Mii can now be found and utilized in my Mii Plaza. The Mii Plaza is composed of two basic games. In "Save Mii", my own Mii is trapped in a cage and in need of rescuing. After my fateful StreetPass encounter, I welcomed Bob as a warrior who could help to find me by defeating enemies in a series of stages. The second game in Mii Plaza involves collecting puzzle pieces to complete several different scenes from iconic Nintendo games. Bob shared the Zelda puzzle with me, which I wouldn't have been able to get without a StreetPass encounter. Pieces of this puzzle can be acquired by spending play coins: the currency of the Nintendo 3DS. They are earned by walking with the system (it has a built-in pedometer).

StreetPass plays a role in a few of the full-fledged, $40 3DS games. If I pass someone who has Nintendogs+cats, for example, we can share pictures of our pets and more. Super Street Fighter IV: 3D Edition also has StreetPass functionality. It is clear that this unique Nintendo 3DS feature will be utilized in creative ways in future games.