A new year dawns upon us, and with the Nintendo 3DS soon celebrating its 15th anniversary since its reveal at E3 2010, CodeBound – a group responsible for preserving video game history by releasing prototypes, source code, documents, and more – is releasing a number of tech demos showcased at the event, including a look at some debug applications and unreleased Nintendo 3DS games!

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At E3 2010, Nintendo unveiled the Nintendo 3DS for the first time to the public, showcasing the console itself with a number of playable games, live auto-demos, videos, and tech demos that showcased the stereoscopic 3D effect on the little handheld. Games such as Nintendogs + Cats, Pilotwings Resort, and Star Fox 64 3D were hot topics at the event, but videos and auto-demos of games such as Kid Icarus: Uprising, Mario Kart 3DS (later retitled to Mario Kart 7) and Metal Gear Solid: Snake Eater 3D had the press’ attention. Alongside these previews, a number of eight short tech demos were shown at the event to really drive home how great the handheld’s 3D capabilities were. Two of these tech demos, Face Ace and Target Shooting, would later become built-in Nintendo 3DS software, having their names changed to Face Raiders and AR Games.

(Non-)playable demos of first-party titles shown at E3 2010. Note that these were not found. (Source: Mario Kart 3DS, Kid Icarus: Uprising, Nintendogs + Cats)​

Unfortunately, aside from a few write-ups from journalists and a few quick blurry glimpses from shaky cams, barely any footage of these games and tech demos existed online due to Nintendo’s policy on recording videos at the event, encouraging employees at the booth to block off the Nintendo 3DS’ screens if the cameras got too close, possibly because the 3D effect didn’t come off well on video. However, thanks to prototype Nintendo 3DS units acquired by @XX_750000 and March42, 5 of the 8 shown tech demos were uncovered, alongside debug builds of 3D Challenge, Face Ace, and an unfinished never before seen prototype by the name of Photo Dojo DX, a sequel to the cult classic DSiWare game Photo Dojo.

Tech demo images from @XX_750000's prototype unit, prior to dumping. (Source)​

For an in-depth video on these tech demos, Akfamilyhome put out a video showcasing them in full motion for the first time since 2010!

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Source

 

[NitroRevolutionNX]

That's really awesome to see. Preserving those for the future gens to come. That shouldn't be a task of the community but actually the companies who make the games. But of course, they wouldn't give a damn. Community is here to save the day once again.

 

[SylverReZ]

That's pretty cool that we now get to play some tech demos that never saw the light of day until now. It goes to show that the modding community thrives on preserving these relics.

 

[Robert Newbie]

I think it's great these tech demos get to see the light of day. They may not be as good as full fledged games, but many people will probably appreciate seeing content only intended for trade shows.

This reminds me of the Yoshi's Story GBA tech demo that was preserved. That one looked interesting in stills, but the reality was that it was a simple tech demo.

 

[SylverReZ]

This reminds me of the Yoshi's Story GBA tech demo that was preserved. That one looked interesting in stills, but the reality was that it was a simple tech demo.

There was this other game that got showcased by IGN, which gives a glace at a 3D Yoshi game. It later turned out to be fake as the GBA is not capable at rendering polygons that high, so it can be ruled as a 'mockup' to get people excited.

 

[mitcha]

Just an amazing news, thank you.

 

[Spider_Man]

Everyone remember another LIE from Nintendo, that its Switch console will NEVER be a replacement of the 3DS...... yet it silently phased the 3DS out, stopped supporting its main feature in their games, 3D games...... then nothing.

No replacement handheld console, its even shut down its store which is moronic why they haven't just used common sense and had one store for everything.

Just because you don't support it anymore, doesn't mean gamers stop playing.

This is why I could side with piracy because once nintendo says its had enough, its games become stupidly priced and harder to find.

Likely due to the fact it as a console company, it's game section in stores just keep getting smaller and smaller.

Id probably say the 3DS was a decentish console with a very few number of great games, but its key factor was its 3D screen.

 

[BlusterBong]

Everyone remember another LIE from Nintendo, that its Switch console will NEVER be a replacement of the 3DS...... yet it silently phased the 3DS out, stopped supporting its main feature in their games, 3D games...... then nothing.

No replacement handheld console, its even shut down its store which is moronic why they haven't just used common sense and had one store for everything.

Just because you don't support it anymore, doesn't mean gamers stop playing.

This is why I could side with piracy because once nintendo says its had enough, its games become stupidly priced and harder to find.

Likely due to the fact it as a console company, it's game section in stores just keep getting smaller and smaller.

Id probably say the 3DS was a decentish console with a very few number of great games, but its key factor was its 3D screen.

Dude what does this have to do with these tech demos? The "3D Mode" Gimmick was phased out becuase nobody was fucking using it in addition to the "3D VISUAL EFFECTS" pioneered by the first James Cameron Avatar movie literally falling out of fashion.

Is this an excuse for you to show your hateboner for a company that litterally does not give a rat's ass if you exist and is only benefiting form your piracy by keeping thier name burned in your brain?, because boy does it show here.


edit because I just noticed something a few minutes after making the post:

Everyone remember another LIE from Nintendo, that its Switch console will NEVER be a replacement of the 3DS...... yet it silently phased the 3DS out...

Where's the lie here? This is what the big 3 always did with thier consoles when they made a new one before this current gen + Covid threw a wrench in that. Nintendo literally did the exact thing with the original DS and the GBA where they supported the GBA for a few years after the DS released and silently stopped supporting it in favor of the DS and they did the same with the Gamecube to the Wii. It's what Sony did with the PS2 to the PS1 and what they did with the PS4 to the PS3, and what Microsoft did to the Xbox 360 to the OG Xbox and would half-assedly do for the XBONE.

 

[kijetesantakalu042]

Dude what does this have to do with these tech demos? The "3D Mode" Gimmick was phased out becuase nobody was fucking using it in addition to the "3D VISUAL EFFECTS" pioneered by the first James Cameron Avatar movie literally falling out of fashion.

Is this an excuse for you to show your hateboner for a company that litterally does not give a rat's ass if you exist and is only benefiting form your piracy by keeping thier name burned in your brain?, because boy does it show here.

I used it and the 3d

 

[BlusterBong]

I used it and the 3d

I was referring to the third-party devs who were making games for the 3DS, as the use of the 3D screen for major parts of the game or having the game be built around it a few years deep into it's lifespan compared to the first two or three where there was an effort made into using it, why else would Nintendo have made a 3D-Screen less version of the 3DS outside of extra console sales and less retina burning for people accidentally turning the 3D screen on.

 

[codezer0]

And Shiggy is throwing his morning tantrum in Kyoto as we speak

 

[Xdqwerty]

I can't care for this since my 3ds is still broken and I don't think i will ever get fixed

 

[kijetesantakalu042]

I sadly don't have a spare sd card to get this working. Photo dojo dx looks really cool tho.

 

[zfreeman]

Any Nintendo 3DS tech demos from E3 2011? Mega Man Legends 3?

 

[Jayro]

I still can't wrap my head around the 3DS being around for 14 years already. Absolutely legendary. Shame it took so long to get CFW coldbooting on it.

 

[Purple_Shyguy]

Wish they did more with the Augmented Reality stuff. It was SOOOOO COOL in 2012 and is still cool 13 years later

 

[LuigiXHero]

There was this other game that got showcased by IGN, which gives a glace at a 3D Yoshi game. It later turned out to be fake as the GBA is not capable at rendering polygons that high, so it can be ruled as a 'mockup' to get people excited.

View attachment 478439

Just from this screenshot it looks plenty doable to me. Yoshi and the creatures in the back being pre-rendered and then basic flat 3D for the ground and pre-rendered bill-boarding trees.

 

[SylverReZ]

I sadly don't have a spare sd card to get this working. Photo dojo dx looks really cool tho.

I've played through all of the games. They're really fun.

 

[pleasehelpme2]

There was this other game that got showcased by IGN, which gives a glace at a 3D Yoshi game. It later turned out to be fake as the GBA is not capable at rendering polygons that high, so it can be ruled as a 'mockup' to get people excited.

View attachment 478439

Where'd the news that it was fake come from? Far as I can remember, the true origin was unknown, though likely from some old IGN website.

 

[SylverReZ]

Where'd the news that it was fake come from? Far as I can remember, the true origin was unknown, though likely from some old IGN website.

It's unknown as to where this came from, but likely was a pre-rendered scene to fit in line with the rage of the GBA, that's my guess.