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3DS “Only 8 Launch Titles” “Batteries Last Just 3 Hours”

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Nintendo’s latest promotional event for the upcoming 3DS reveals plenty of last minute detail, not all of which is being greeted favourably.

The latest round of announcements coincided with a hands-on event in Chiba which saw some 500 souls braving the chill…

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Most notably, Nintendo is saying the device’s batteries will only last for 3-5 hours in normal gameplay (5-8 with DS titles), and take 3.5 hours to recharge. By way of comparison, the PSP is rated at some 4-6 hours.

This, coupled with the various dire warnings about the 3D screen causing blindness and eye cancer in little children, has served to take some of the lustre off the otherwise outstanding hardware on offer.

The 3DS itself is due on the 26th of February, for ¥25,000 – other regions get it slightly later, in March and at about $300.

The (Japanese) release line-up is also attracting opprobrium – only 8 titles are on offer, retailing around the ¥5,000-¥6,000 mark:

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Most of the other top titles are dated 2011 “spring” and beyond – and MGS, Biohazard, DoA and Zelda are all undated save for “2011.”

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Its likely success does not really seem to be in doubt, but without so much as a Mario title the launch does appear to be rather weak…

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