The last time a critically-acclaimed DS game (Scribblenauts) jumped to iPhone, it was a kick in the gut for Nintendo fans, because the 3DS library wasn’t exactly stellar at the time.

This time around, things are rosier. Not only is 3DS picking up steam with terrific cartridge games, but the fledgling eShop has been delivering gem after gem in recent weeks. Today, the well-reviewed and great-looking Sakura Samurai arrives for 3DS download, and that takes most of the sting out of the North American iPhone debut of Capcom’s Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective. (more…)

Imagine: suddenly you’re in charge at Nintendo. You’ve got just 24 hours to order any course of action, and the deal is, once you’ve ordered it, the company will do its best to carry out your wishes for the next year, no matter the cost or consequences.

Here’s what I’d do, right now: (more…)

Scribblenauts Remix, a “best of” blend of DS’s two well-reviewed Scribblenauts releases (plus some new levels), just hit the App Store for $4.99. And it’s awesome–one of the strongest titles in the iOS library. This is no lazy port of the DS series, but a full-featured entry in the Scribblenauts line, looking sharper than ever and playing brilliantly.

So, why bring this up? Because this release hits close to home for Nintendo fans, and you couldn’t ask for a clearer example of the changing handheld game market, as a popular series previously only available on Nintendo hardware makes the leap to the Apple world, radically changing its price model in the process. The first two Scribblenauts games hit DS at a price point of $29.99. And they were worth it. The iPhone edition (which loses part 2’s joypad/button support but gains sharper graphics and faster loading), at five bucks, seems like the bargain of the year. (more…)

There’s an interesting free app available for iPhone called i3D. An experiment in face-tracking via the front camera, it shifts the perspective of several demo objects as if you were looking at three dimensional scenes. It’s interesting and fun, but (and even the app’s creator admits this) it still looks flat. The effect doesn’t come close to the what the 3Ds achieves, but it’s still worth checking out.

The funny part comes when you find two of the included demos feature a gaggle of Miis! I can only assume that the app’s creator is a Nintendo fan; he could have used any other images in the world. Perhaps he hasn’t heard that Nintendo counts the Miis among their copyrighted characters.

Sometimes I wonder how closely Apple really screens their app store submissions.

Nintendo 3DS Blog discovered (via YouTube) that you can use iPhone earbuds to pause or skip tracks on the 3DS music player. Kind of a neat feature that hasn’t been touted by Nintendo. Just another reason, like SpotPass, StreetPass, and the pedometer, to get you to take your 3DS everywhere you go.

I know it isn’t a really big deal, but is anyone else surprised we haven’t heard about this hidden feature until now?