Nintendo Launches Handheld 3-D Gaming Console

The company says the 3DS is the world’s first mass-marketed 3D device.

Remember the Virtual Boy? That was Nintendo’s first foray into 3-D, a gaming system unveiled in 1995 that consisted of clunky headgear that only showed images in red. Predictably, nobody bought it. But the 3DS, which went on sale Sunday, is compact and requires no glasses to view the 3-D images, and analysts say it should be flying off the shelves for the next year or so. The 3-D feature can be adjusted or even turned off completely for those susceptible to headaches. With movies and television embracing 3-D technology wholeheartedly, Nintendo is attempting to stay ahead of the 3-D gaming curve. AT&T and Sprint Nextel have both announced they will soon introduce gaming-capable smartphones with 3-D screens.