Shigeru Miyamoto talks about upcoming 3DS titles

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British news publication The Guardian recently received the opportunity to sit down with Shigeru Miyamoto and question him about all things Nintendo 3DS. The best news from the interview is that Super Mario 3D is still on track for this year, but it seems as though Mario Kart 3D has slipped to a 2012 release. We will find out more about these titles at E3 in a couple of weeks. Anyway, here’s a number of choice extracts from the surprisingly in-depth interview for your reading pleasure.

“Now, we are focusing more on games for the 3DS – we want to release lots of games for it this year.”

“The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time will be released in June, Starfox this summer and Super Mario 3D, which is completely original, is coming this year. I am involved with these titles and Mario Kart.” Which, alas, implies that Mario Kart for the 3DS won’t be ready until 2012.

“Starfox uses the gyro-sensor and the joystick; the combination is the key to its gameplay. Because it’s 3D, you have the depth in the screen, so you can aim perfectly.”

“Super Mario 3D will be a combination of Super Mario Galaxy and Super Mario 64, although that doesn’t exactly convey what it is like – if you play it at E3 you will see what I mean.

“For example, when floors are floating in space, in 2D, it’s difficult to judge distances, but in 3D, it is easy to.”

“If I tell you everything, I won’t be able to talk about anything at E3. But the power-ups you mention are what you think you are. And you probably know what is going to happen using those characters already.”

“[Zelda: Ocarina of Time] ran at 20fps on the Nintendo64, but on the 3DS, it runs at 30fps, so there is extra smoothness of movement. The graphics, too, have been strengthened: you can feel the immersiveness of its world in 3D. Plus, the touchscreen lets you place items wherever you want them to be.

“In the original, it was really difficult, say, to change into your boots in the water dungeon, but now it’s easy. And in the original, it could be confusing when, say, using the bow, whether you were supposed to push the stick up or down to aim it – but now we have the gyro-sensor on the 3DS, it’s easy.”

Nintendo 3DS eShop: “Even if you download games via eShop, we will create games that are meaningful and valuable for the 3DS. We would like to create download games that are meaningful and always there with you.

“It’s not that I’m dictating methods to the third parties: they need to be open to the eShop as well, but I’m speaking for Nintendo.”

“The main software, we would create for packaged games. But if there are any meaningful ideas for download – if it was something that worked when it was always there [on the 3DS], then maybe. I think, for me, a download game would be something anyone could play and that is comfortable to play. So it’s not really about forcing a game into the hardware.”

“I’m not really involved with Spot Pass – more with Street Pass. But there will be several software updates. As soon as the server is ready, it will be done. For Spot Pass, without you knowing, things like films will be coming to you.” What other key things will the update bring? “The browser and the eShop.”

- Shigeru Miyamoto