Nintendo discusses challenges of classic 3D conversions

Nintendo's Satoru Iwata and Takao Nakano discuss the unexpected challenges of converting classic games to the 3DS, particularly in the case of Xevious and Tennis.

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Nintendo is retrofitting classic titles for the 3DS, like the already available freebie 3D Classics Excitebike. But as the company reveals in the latest Iwata Asks, they've run into their share of difficulties converting the old titles.

"In the original [Xevious], the game unfolds on a flat surface," said Takao Nakano from special-planning and development. "The moment we made Solvalou float in midair, all sorts of discrepancies arose. For example, when an enemy on the ground fired at Solvalou in the original version, everything was on the same plane, so it didn't seem unusual if the bomb appeared at the same altitude as Solvalou the moment it was fired and then hit Solvalou right away. But with the Nintendo 3DS system, Solvalou is floating in midair. If the bomb suddenly appears at the same time as Solvalou... we were like 'huh? Something doesn't feel right!' Everything was off!"

In the end, Nintendo had to redo the graphics and programming to make it function properly. Other games, like Tennis for the NES, just seemed underwhelming in 3D thanks to its original effect. Excitebike also used a visual trick in its original incarnation, but Iwata says in 3D "the world really expands."

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    July 13, 2011 10:07 AM

    Steve Watts posted a new article, Nintendo disccuses challenges of classic 3D conversions.

    Nintendo's Satoru Iwata and Takao Nakano discuss the unexpected challenges of converting classic games to the 3DS, particularly in the case of Xevious and Tennis.

    • reply
      July 13, 2011 1:02 PM

      Don't mean to sound like a troll here, but who is designing this website? It's becoming less and less attractive, friends!

      • reply
        July 13, 2011 1:17 PM

        Whenever someone starts a sentence with "Don't mean to sound like a troll" I think, "What does this troll have to say?"

        No, I'm kidding. I don't read trolling comments.

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          July 13, 2011 1:27 PM

          something is fucked up though. the comments section is stuck way down at the bottom of this post and there's a lot of blank space. i dont think it's supposed to look like this

          • reply
            July 13, 2011 1:40 PM

            When we don't have an article image, it will have extra white space. We're still playing with it all.

            • reply
              July 13, 2011 1:54 PM

              Looks like you guys fixed it, before there was a huge white space because of all the latest news blurbs on the right.

      • reply
        July 13, 2011 1:42 PM

        Webpage looks fine on Lamp

      • reply
        July 13, 2011 1:50 PM

        Meh its starting to grow on me, at first I was like AHHHH Web 2.0, then after a bit I kinda relaxed and realized times change.

    • reply
      July 13, 2011 11:51 PM

      Heh i love how the comments have nothing to do with the article.

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