# Nintendo 3DS AR Cards Revealed



## Vigilante (Feb 18, 2011)

Ever since the system was first revealed at E3 2010, AR – augmented reality – has been one of the 3DS’s most tantalizing new features. Nintendo has been wooing visitors to its preview events with a special AR card depicting a ? Block from the Mario franchise, showing off how the 3DS is able to identify the card in 3D space and construct a convincing game world right on your tabletop. As impressive as the effect is, this card is only one of a set of six included with the 3DS; but until now, no one knew what the other 5 looked like.[/p]





Source


Finally we all get to see the Augmented Reality cards that the 3DS' camera uses.So hope they release allot more of these.


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## CarbonX13 (Feb 18, 2011)

Kirby!! I'm actually excited to see what all of these will do.

Edit: Ah, nevermind. Apparently the other ones just make the characters pop up. No games.


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## UltyBomber77 (Feb 18, 2011)

IMO having any one of those characters walking around me sounds pretty cool. Just imagine a couple of pikmin walking around on your lap, or having Mario stand on someone's head.


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## Thesolcity (Feb 18, 2011)

Wasn't there a snoopy christmas card that did this with a webcam?


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## TheTwoR's (Feb 18, 2011)

Wow, these would be wonderful to own


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## notmeanymore (Feb 18, 2011)

I have a feeling that Nintendo prepared for this to be revealed early, and made the other 5 cards not work until an update. That's my guess at least. It doesn't make sense for them to only have 1 card with games. At least 1 other card has to have games.

Or they better make a working pokemon fight in the future. Like Invisimals, but actually fun.


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## Cloak519 (Feb 18, 2011)

Looks kinda gimmicky imo. The kind of thing I'll use once out of curiosity but never again.


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## RupeeClock (Feb 18, 2011)

Judging from the Nintendog's trailer, the ? block AR card is going to be a universal card, that individual game cards can take advantage of.


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## KingAsix (Feb 18, 2011)

CA519705950 said:
			
		

> Looks kinda gimmicky imo. The kind of thing I'll use once out of curiosity but never again.



Yeah but this could become a great game play mechanic if developers actually use it like aforementioned pokemon. Maybe instead of wifi events you can include a AR card with pokemon games to get rare pokemon or such or trainer data and such...


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## TheTwoR's (Feb 18, 2011)

I cannot wait to get my 3DS!! 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	



Why does it have to be >1 month away?
And all this leaked info.. the unboxing images... the AR cards... everything...
OMG

Hey a question just suddenly popped up in my mind:
Can we just photocopy an AR card? 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




EDIT: Sorry double-post


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## shakirmoledina (Feb 18, 2011)

there was a guy who made a software to produce such cards by simple printing. it may be possible to photocopy them but i saw on tv tht cards contain some encrypted info within them which the camera detects


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## spinal_cord (Feb 18, 2011)

JinTrigger said:
			
		

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...Or just to fight your pokemon on your own table or floor...


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## Sterling (Feb 18, 2011)

The cool thing that could come out of this, is if they let you create your own AR cards out of plain sheets of paper. Take pokemon, 1 - 6 is your team, and you have a double battle. You then rearrange your cards on a table (They are labeled 1 - 6). Then you put 7 - 12 on another set of cards when are then distributed accordingly. After this is done, the whole landscape for the battle arena would be recreated on screen and your pokemon would appear and begin to duke it out, but one a 3d Field, and with 3d attacks in realtime.


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## deathking (Feb 18, 2011)

are they going to sell these cards ???
if so - piracy with a printer


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## TheTwoR's (Feb 18, 2011)

deathking said:
			
		

> are they going to sell these cards ???
> if so - piracy with a printer



Well, it doesn't matter if they'll be selling them or not because the 3DS COMES with them so why would you need to pirate?


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## redact (Feb 18, 2011)

deathking said:
			
		

> are they going to sell these cards ???
> if so - piracy with a printer


They come with the handheld


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## Densetsu (Feb 18, 2011)

TheTwoR's said:
			
		

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If the cards come with the 3DS, then there's only one way around this problem...



Spoiler



Pirate the 3DS itself


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## deathking (Feb 18, 2011)

i dont mean those ones i mean if they start selling new ones


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## TheTwoR's (Feb 18, 2011)

deathking said:
			
		

> i dont mean those ones i mean if they start selling new ones
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> Sorry mate but I don't get you. You just answered your own question.
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If they're sold, they're sold.
If they're not sold, they're not sold.
I don't understand your question at all


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## Blaze163 (Feb 18, 2011)

I was playing around with these in GAME no less than an hour ago. At present on the test model the images pop out but they don't animate. You can change their poses so Samus is firing her cannon or in Morph Ball mode or whatever, but that's about it. Although i will say the Kirby 3D model is as cute as buttons 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




 I'm assuming the system will be updated after launch with new firmware or something that makes these cards actually do something 'cause right now the novelty wears off after about 20 minutes. It has great potential for things like Pokemon (why no Pikachu card?) but right now it's just a gimmick. Give it time and we'll surely see it go somewhere. Hopefully. Unlike say, the six-axis controls on the PS3, which I've not seen used in a game since Uncharted 2...

Incidentally, if anyone's concerned about the 3D effects still, I did a little test today. I've had next to no sleep, so my vision was kinda wonky already this morning (not the best time to have to go to work). Figured now's the time to test the 3DS at its worst, right? Well, to be fair when I had the 3D on full it wasn't easy for my tired eyes to adjust, so adapting to it took a little longer than normal. It's usually damn near instant for my eyes to adjust but when I'm tired it takes a few extra seconds for them to focus on the 3D screen. But when I turned the 3D down to about 60% it was fine, worked quite nicely. So it's handy having different settings on the effects, it means you can find your own level depending on the state of your eyes at the time. 

The battery life is still a minor concern, but it's only a huge drain when using the advanced features like the AR cards. Playing the games doesn't seem to be as draining, even with the 3D set to a decent level. The staff at GAME have been conducting constant tests on it (by which I mean you can't get Ayla off DOA) and they've found that the cameras and the AR cards are by far the most draining. With the 3D set to about 60% which is about right for most people's eyes, the battery lasts a little longer in their experience.

Funny how there's a big poster on the tills saying the test model is for staff use only, no customers are to use it in case of theft. Ayla's reading it out loud before she signs it and I'm 3 feet away from her messing about with the AR cards. I could abuse that trust SO bad if I ever went evil...


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## Densetsu (Feb 18, 2011)

TheTwoR's said:
			
		

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I think he means that if the set of 6 cards that comes with it is like a "starter pack" of sorts, it's possible they might release new cards (like booster packs) that do different things.


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## deathking (Feb 18, 2011)

Densetsu3000 said:
			
		

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new augmented reality cards like they did with those ereader cards for gba they sold in stores


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## TheTwoR's (Feb 18, 2011)

Oooohhhhh..
Sorry I TOTALLY misunderstood that.
I guess so. I mean, they wouldn't put an entire AR feature into the system and only provide 6 cards forever.
I don't know; that's just my prediction.


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## Guild McCommunist (Feb 18, 2011)

Meh, I don't see how AR is really a "tantalizing" feature.

I mean it's just a great way to market stuff. Like look at that new Spyro game. It has AR features with toys. But you have to buy the toys to use them in the game. So kids will buy the game and want to get the toys and crap. Plus I don't see anything really interesting, game wise, to come out of these cards.

Just give me your standard games that don't use these crazy gimmicks and I'll be set.


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## Hop2089 (Feb 18, 2011)

I'm afraid this will catch on more in Japan than the US or Europe, however the advantage of that eventuality is that third parties may get into the fun which will yield vastly superior AR games and at the bare minimum very decent AR support for other games (Chocobo in a Chrono Trigger 3DS port anyone?)


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## Deleted User (Feb 18, 2011)

I only like the first one.


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## SamAsh07 (Feb 18, 2011)

AR...wow, can't wait for the 3DS!!! Only one month and some days to go!!! So near yet so far!!


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## KingAsix (Feb 18, 2011)

Guild McCommunist said:
			
		

> Meh, I don't see how AR is really a "tantalizing" feature.
> 
> I mean it's just a great way to market stuff. Like look at that new Spyro game. It has AR features with toys. But you have to buy the toys to use them in the game. So kids will buy the game and want to get the toys and crap. Plus I don't see anything really interesting, game wise, to come out of these cards.
> 
> Just give me your standard games that don't use these crazy gimmicks and I'll be set.



Yeah...I see your point, but honestly sometimes these gimmicks can make a game fun (if used properly though)


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## ProtoKun7 (Feb 19, 2011)

RupeeClock said:
			
		

> Judging from the Nintendog's trailer, the ? block AR card is going to be a universal card, that individual game cards can take advantage of.


That was going to be my guess too.

AR interests me; I'd love to wait a few years and see if the idea of augmented reality contact lenses ever becomes mainstream.


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## RupeeClock (Feb 19, 2011)

ProtoKun7 said:
			
		

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Well Sony have already done a lot of augmented reality stuff with invisimals and the eyepet, Nintendo is late to the party here.

Oh by the way, I saw what the Mario AR card can do.
The 3DS I demo'd yesterday had a 3D photo of Mario sitting on his AR card.


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## BORTZ (Feb 20, 2011)

Ok its official. Nintendo has known what they are doing with the Wii and the DS the entire time. Now they are just waving their dicks around in the air.


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## GameWinner (Feb 20, 2011)

Am I the only one who thought of Action Replay when clicking this thread?


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## imz (Feb 20, 2011)

Vigilante said:
			
		

> Ever since the system was first revealed at E3 2010, AR – augmented reality – has been one of the 3DS’s most  _pointless and unnecessary_ new features.



fix'd


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## pocchama1996 (Feb 20, 2011)

imz said:
			
		

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pointless and unnecessary? 
are you mad?


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## Guild McCommunist (Feb 21, 2011)

pocchama1996 said:
			
		

> imz said:
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I'll agree with imz, I doubt anything good will come out of it.

I mean first off, there's those cards the 3DS ships with. Guess what they do. OOOOH LOOK A 3D MODEL ON THE CARD! That's enjoyable for all of 5 seconds. Anything that will use the AR will probably just try to encourage people to waste more money on cards or objects that use AR. Kinda like that new Spyro game. It's one great marketing scheme.

Even then, if it had any serious gameplay applications, do you really want to carry around a stack of cards or whatever they'll use to go play some mediocre AR games? Yeah, screw that, I'm gonna play SSFIV or something.

I'm sure they'll be as successful or exciting as those e-Cards or whatever they're called for the GBA. 

Any idiot dev can call a game "revolutionary" for using new gimmicks. Only a skilled dev can make a game revolutionary by using the basics. Basically, if you're trying to get a Wow factor out of something like motion controls or AR cards or 3D, then you're doing it wrong. If you're trying to get a Wow factor out of the quality of the game, then you're appealing to good gamers.


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## KingVamp (Feb 22, 2011)

BortzANATOR said:
			
		

> Ok its official. Nintendo has known what they are doing with the Wii and the DS the entire time. Now they are just waving their dicks around in the air.
> ikr!
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You assuming skilled dev can't used "features" like motion controls or AR cards or 3D to make revolutionary, good quality game. 
And you know what sense Nintendo gave them those "features" they have a chance to.


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## Laughing Stock (Feb 22, 2011)

I thought they meant action replay so I was like, "OMGWATTHEFACK FAEK!!!!!1"

Sounds cool. I hope it doesn't lag behind like all of the other examples I have seen in the past.


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