by Jeremy Kahn

A retrospective of video game art will be running at the Smithsonian American Art Museum from March 16 to September 30. The exhibit will span five eras of video game history broken up into categories detailing each generation of video games. From arcades, to 8-bit consoles, to 16-bit, to the transition between 16-bit and the current generation. In all, the exhibit will be covering 40 years of video games as well as the technologies behind them.

Fan involvement was a major part of the exhibition since its planning stage. Fans voted on 80 games from an initial 240. These 80 games got the honor of being displayed as part of the exhibit.

Recently, as stated on their flickr page, a new contest has been opened for fans. To help showcase the artistic evolution of video games, the museum is looking for fans to submit “photographs that show how video games can inspire creativity!“ From inspired drawings, to sculptures, costumes, even food, the possibilities are endless. To submit and see more info check the flickr link above.

There has been quite a lot of discussion on whether or not video games qualify as art (Film critic Roger Ebert is perhaps the most famous voice against the idea). Thing is, video games are a new medium so there is a lot of room for discussion. If we compare video games to film we can make a lot of comparisons to the earlier days of film. As video games evolve and become more mainstream we might just get to the point where it can be considered art. This exhibit is definitely a step in the right direction.

If you’re in the area, be sure to check out this exhibition and enjoy the art (not to mention the playable games).Finally, if you’re in the area at the time be sure to check the exhibit out (especially since there will be playable cabinets for the games there). Good luck to all who enter.

Another game generation brings with it another Nintendo portable game system. This time Nintendo offers an intriguing new feature. Nintendo’s new 3DS delivers the ability to play games in 3D without glasses. I’ve found the 3D effect interesting to say the least. While it doesn’t hinder gameplay, it also doesn’t really add much. If anything it is more of an addition, adding a layer of enjoyment to the game beyond what is already there.

Of course people that have problems with 3D (those that get headaches or can’t see 3D well) might not find the effect very enjoyable. Fortunately, and to their credit, Nintendo included the option of raising or lowering the 3D effect. For a lot games, it seems to make no significant difference.

This isn’t to say the 3D doesn’t work, it does. It adds a surprising amount of depth to games. It’s an immersive experience very much unlike previous Nintendo handhelds. Sadly, it still leaves the player wanting a little more.

The device itself fixes a lot of problems consumers had before. With a recent update for example, the e-shop (the online shop you can purchase games from) allows you to buy games using an exact amount. This means if a purchase costs $3.99, then instead of buying $5 worth of credit like you were forced to in the past, you can just spend the exact amount needed. Another thing improved upon is the fact that games are allowed to have downloadable content (one of the first to do so will be a Fire Emblem game coming out in Japan).

The system also functions as a camera that taks both 2D and 3D pictures. The only problem is that the pictures come out very grainy. Don’t expect any high-quality photos here.  A recent update also allows for video capture (also option to video capture in 3D). There is also a built in music player that you can play music straight from a SD card. While the built in speakers are pretty decent, it’d be wise to use headsets.

While not live in the US as of this article, Japanese gamers can download demos for recent and upcoming games. So far what we have here are videos that can be downloaded to the SD card for playback. Also, there is a video download station that automatically downloads new videos every now and then. These new videos are specially made for the 3DS (be sure to check out Dinosaur Office).

Nintendo also made sure to carry over their virtual console. While they were a bit slow at first in pumping them out, some real goodies have been starting to come out. They also have been revamping some of their classic titles in 3D, Kirby’s Adventure for one and coming soon Kid Icarus.

Despite a few hiccups, it’s clear that Nintendo put a lot of work into the 3DS, making it a worthy purchase.