Nintendo 3DS Games Round-up

Pilot Wings, Mario Kart, Metal Gear and more.

For those who have yet to experience the machine with their own eyes, there are lots of questions hanging over the 3DS. Does the technology actually work? Are the graphics as good as we've been lead to believe? Will it avoid failing as spectacularly as the Virtual Boy did? At a Nintendo showcase held in London earlier this week, we got another chance to see the device in action.

The 3DS area of the event was centred around a long rectangular counter, with perhaps eight or ten consoles on each side. Each unit was propped in front of an incredibly attractive Nintendo rep, each demonstrating a different game or technology. The list that follows details each of those demonstrations, and what it'll offer the future of handheld gaming.

Pilot Wings Resort

Pilot Wings has been cooling its jets for the past fourteen years, patiently waiting for an opportunity to take to the skies once again. The 3DS has finally given the franchise that chance, making a lot of fans very happy in the process. The game is set on Wuhu Island, the very same island from Wii Sports Resort. The playable demo was split into two halves: the first plonked players in the cockpit of a biplane with a trail of hoops to fly through, while the second saw a little Mii-esque chap trying to pop balloons in a jetpack.

Visually the game was simple, but it looked more than competent with its vivid use of primary colours and fantastic draw distance. The plane (or jetpack wearing Mii bloke) popped out of the screen, while the Island sailed on by in the background. It looked great, and if you chose to ignore the task in hand you could jet off and explore a bit of the island – even carefully descending into the mouth of an active volcano. We’ve been waiting for a Pilot Wings sequel for a very long time, and Resort doesn't look likely to disappoint.