Top Five 3DS Games for the Holidays 2011

 The Nintendo Lifeline welcomes today's guest columnist, Sean:

2011 has been a great year for 3DS fans in terms of new games. Now that the holiday season is in full swing, you may be wondering what games to get the 3DS enthusiast in your life. There are certainly plenty of excellent games to choose from. So, you might be feeling a little overwhelmed by all your options. Don’t worry. You can narrow down your choices by checking out the five 3DS games that are certain to please any handheld gaming fanatic this holiday season. Here are the five 3DS games that will make the best holiday gifts this year:

1. Aliens: Infestation – This side-scrolling game challenges players to defeat the xenomorphs, an evil species of aliens that have taken over the world. This game is inspired by the Aliens film series and includes all the weapons from the movies. Players get to use flamethrowers, smart guns, and rifles to try to defeat the menacing xenomorphs.

2. Mario Kart 7 – Fans of previous Mario Kart games will love this new version. You get to race on tracks from older games and some new tracks with impressive graphics. Players also get to race underwater with the help of a propeller that’s attached to all of the karts. 

3. The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D – This is probably the most popular 3DS game that came out this year. It’s a remake of an original game made in 1998 with better graphics. Zelda fans will love being able to carry this game around on their 3DS.

4. Star Fox 64 3D – This is another remake of a popular Nintendo 64 game. It’s a scrolling shooter game set on a group of imaginary planets. The object of the game is to stop a mad scientist from destroying everything. This is a pretty challenging feat, which will please gamers who are looking to play a relatively difficult game.

5. Super Street Fighter IV: 3D Edition – This edition of the popular Street Fighter games takes things to a whole new handheld level. You get to choose from 35 different characters to fight with, and you get to fight other players around the world when you connect your 3DS to a WiFi connection.

So, consider gifting the games above, and make the holidays special for the 3DS lover in your life!

Author’s Bio: Sean is a guest post writer on the subjects of 3DS games, retro video games, and locating an HP coupon for your holiday gift.

2012 Nintendo Lifeline Awards: Nominees

Well, it's that time again. The time when we look back at all of the best moments of the year. The purpose of the Nintendo Lifeline Awards is to celebrate the best moments in the world of Nintendo. First, however, I feel it necessary to offer this disclaimer: I will never have the time or money to try every worthwhile game in any one year, so my experience is quite limited. The Lifeline Awards are for entertainment and reflection only.

That said, here are the categories and corresponding nominees:

Best Overall Game

• Super Mario 3D Land (N3DS)
• The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D (N3DS)
• The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword (Wii)
• Mario Kart 7 (N3DS)
• Wii Play Motion (Wii)
• Star Fox 64 3D (N3DS)
• Super Street Fighter IV: 3D Edition (N3DS)
• Lost in Shadow (Wii)

Best Overall Graphics

• Super Mario 3D Land (N3DS)
• Star Fox 64 3D (N3DS)
• The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D (N3DS)
• The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword (Wii)
• Steel Diver (N3DS)
• Lost in Shadow (Wii)

Best Get-up

• Tanooki Mario (Super Mario 3D Land)
• Ghirahim (The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword)
• Metal Mario (Mario Kart 7)
• Kirby Hat (Nintendogs+cats)

Best Method of Travel

• Loftwing (The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword)
• Tanooki Tail (Super Mario 3D Land)
• Cannon (Super Mario 3D Land)
• Propeller Block (Super Mario 3D Land)
• By Shadow (Lost in Shadow)
• Submarine (Steel Diver)
• Arwing (Star Fox 64 3D)
• Horse (The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D)
• Hang Glider (Pilotwings Resort)
• Customizable Kart (Mario Kart 7)

Best Use of Stereoscopic 3D

• Super Mario 3D Land
• Steel Diver
• Nintendogs+cats
• Pilotwings Resort

As you can very well tell, there isn't a whole lot of variety in either my categories or the nominees therein. You'll also notice that the "Best Method of Travel" category easily packs in the most nominees of all, so my advice is that you take all of this with a grain of salt. Please feel free to give your favorites shout-outs in the comments, because I will certainly take them into consideration as I decide the winners. Check back in early January for the results!

A real StreetPass encounter...finally!

So I get home from work one day and flip open my Nintendo 3DS case in order to put the system in the charging cradle, as I so often do. To my utter surprise, the notification light is lit. And...it's green. That's important, because it's not blue. Now I'm thinking wildly, 'Could this really be a StreetPass? Can a green light indicate something else? Nothing comes to mind. It must be a StreetPass! I certainly haven't arranged one. This is the real deal!' I flip the system open and, sure enough, I've had a genuine StreetPass encounter!

As usual, I get to use my newly acquired Mii character in the game Save Mii. But the real treat is that this encounter unlocked a whole new puzzle. There are seven in all, and each 3DS owner starts out with just one of them. The only way to get new puzzles is to StreetPass with other 3DS owners who have the missing ones.

So I had my 10 minutes of fun with my new friend. This got me to thinking about StreetPass as an application. I own Super Street Fighter IV, which is StreetPass able. Does the cartridge have to be in the system in order to have a successful StreetPass transfer? I hope that's not the case, because it is unlikely that I'll pass someone else who owns the game, let alone that they'll have it in their system. I own a second StreetPass-capable game: Ridge Racer 3D. I guess this particular 3DS owner doesn't have either game. I look forward to a day when the 3DS system is more common, and StreetPass encounters will abound.

How Super Street Fighter IV: 3D Lost My Respect: A Review

After expressing my frustration about the poor online experience I had with SSFIV, I feel I should give the whole game a review. It deserves that much.

This is probably a great game. However, being relatively new to the series, and also being a huge Super Smash Bros. fan, this game just seems mediocre to me. The courses, for one, could be a lot more interesting. They're all the same size and nothing that happens on them effects gameplay. And don't get me started on the controls. I'm gonna get started on them anyway. First of all, the player can opt for "Lite" controls. What kind of gamer wants to take that kind of shortcut? It seems rather absurd, if you ask me. On the other hand, "Pro" controls are insane as well. Insanely difficult. After a few hours' worth of practice, I still can't figure how complicated combos are performed. As far as I can tell, they are performed through chaotic, orderless mashing of the buttons and control pad. Any newcomer to this series will be begging for a tutorial. I resorted to the web for assistance, but, alas, I found nothing. Apparently the only people who need help where this game is concerned are ones who already know how to perform a move like this: > v > v  > + KKK (in air). Well, I'm sorry, but I don't even know how to do that. In fact, I don't even know how to do "Stand LP, Stand MP", because I can't see the hidden code that turns two simple moves into something that'll get me through Trial Mode.

I'll continue to get mild satisfaction from playing this game, because everything else about it is quite polished. I just have to ignore the burning rage that grows inside me when I realize that I'll never know how to do C. Viper's Burst Time, let alone Burning Dance. Oh, and forget about getting through 19/24 stages in Trial Mode, even using "Lite" controls.         

Super Street Fighter IV: 3D Edition Online Play: A First

The beating of my heart gradually crescendos until it feels like it's in my throat. I've just initiated an internet fight in Super Street Fighter IV: 3D Edition. My excitement peaks when the battle finally begins. I start by flicking the circle pad upward to jump into the air. My character does nothing. I guess my thumb slipped? A split second later, my character jumps straight up. Something funny is going on here. But I keep at it.

Long story short, I don't stand a chance. I land one or two punches, but otherwise struggle to not get clobbered by repeated special attacks. The action that takes place in the game is about a second or two slower than my physical actions on the buttons and control pad are. It ends in total failure on my part.

Is this typical? Is this sluggishness the price to pay for online play? I'm genuinely curious, so if you're reading this and have played SSFIV over the internet, enlighten me, by all means. (Helpful note: I checked my internet connection, and it was perfectly fine, all bars filled.)

Needless to say, I won't be playing this game over the internet at all anymore. But that doesn't mean I can't rant about it a bit here. I've played Mario Kart Wii over the internet many times, and it runs as smoothly as if I were playing locally. Why can't SSFIV be the same? What's different about it? Please, feel free to comment, I'm asking for answers here!

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.

Super Metroid and Expectations

On a scale of great influences in my early life, the Super Nintendo is second only to the Nintendo 64. Donkey Kong Country, Super Mario World, X-Men: Apocalypse, Street Fighter 2, Donkey Kong Country 2...all considered, is it really surprising that my love of Nintendo has lasted so long?

One game that never made it into the family Super Nintendo library was Super Metroid. What a great game, right? I had some serious expectations prior to playing this. Apparently it's one of the best games in the entire Metroid series. Possibly due to all of this praise, Super Metroid fell short for me. The same happened with The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past.

Here's what really mystifies me though (and keep focused, this could get messy): A Link to the Past didn't keep my attention very long for obvious reasons. I mean, I grew up on Ocarina of Time, so I'm partial to 3D Zeldas. As for the Metroid series, I began with the NES original. Super Metroid blew that game out of the water, right...? RIGHT?! Then why do I seem to like the original Metroid better than Super Metroid? I may never learn the answer.

I'm happy to say that I at least found a boss battle to enjoy on Super Metroid, which is more than I can say for Metroid. Also, the atmosphere of Super Metroid is genuinely awesome, thanks to eerie sound effects/music and creepy enemies. Given a choice between Metroid and Super Metroid, however, I would rather play Metroid. Call a doctor if you feel you must.

First Nintendo 3DS TV Spot for North America

I just finished viewing the first official TV Spot for the Nintendo 3DS. I myself am waiting for the release of Nintendo's new handheld with great excitement.

The spot begins with a bit of Steel Diver content, which gives way to a demonstration of the augmented reality feature of the system. For those of you who don't know, augmented reality will allow the owner of a Nintendo 3DS system to play games right on their own table, counter, desk, or other flat surface (in my case, I can't wait to see a game come to life on the circulation counter of the library where I work). Super Street Fighter IV: 3D Edition is the final game to be showcased in the ad.

This TV commercial is impactful in at least two ways. First and foremost, it emphasizes the single most exciting feature of the 3DS: its ability to immerse gamers through full, stereoscopic 3-D graphics. The Steel Diver segment shows the player's reflection within the game, as if he is truly at the controls of a submarine. The same goes for Street Fighter, during which the player is seen in the background, controlling the game while watching the fight unfold. The augmented reality portion hints at the second reason why the spot strikes me: the constant feeling of motion. This corresponds with the motion-sensing capabilities of the Nintendo 3DS system. It's also what makes the TV spot really exciting. The transitions among and within the three main attractions are smooth and pleasing to the eyes.

Overall it's a great advertisement. It hits on the very best features of the 3DS system in 30 short seconds, creating a lasting impression.