Nintendo scheduled a marketwide $80 price drop beginning August 12. The idea is to reward those who purchase the system before the price drop and provide those people with 20 free NES and GBA games. Users who purchase the system before August 12 can log on to the eShop and be automatically entered into the, now dubbed, Ambassador program.

Now that Walmart has dropped the price early, customers can reap both benefits by getting the $80 price drop in addition to the free games so long as they’re online with the system by August 11 at 11:59pm. Now, it’s time to stop reading this post and go get a system! Hopefully they’re not sold out at a Walmart near you.

Ever since the release of Avatar it seems like every big budget title needs to be released in 3D. 3D in the home has also been climbing since the demand for 3D enabled televisions are on the rise and the decrease in price over the last two years. Whether you like it or not 3D is becoming somewhat of a standard in production and will soon see it being offered on some of your favorite television programming. For now however not much is offered and the question is what if you wanted to watch your existing 2D programming in 3D? 3D-Bee Home unit looks to be owners solution for enabling any of their 2D programming directly to 3D especially for gaming. So does it work? We’ve tested many of its features especially for gaming on a Panasonic GT-30 and here are our thoughts.

Hardware:

3D-Bee Unit: Has four 3D enabled HDMI ins and one out.

Remote: Has two 3D depth settings.

3D-Bee is a 2D to 3D real-time video conversion unit . Essentially it’ll make anything your watching in 2D into 3D. You maybe asking the question “well my tv already has a 2D-3D feature” but it is not like this. The unit knows how to correctly bring objects seen closer or solely in nature to the foreground while the rest appears in the background but that is just a quick example. Most if not all built in TV’s 2D-3D conversion mode has some deformity in the picture since the process of making it is not manual, it is automatic. The 3D-Bee while not processing anything either is using a estimation technology for the unit itself to produce a high quality 3D image.

Our testing began with some television programming. We watched True Blood, talk shows and sports. The unit has a great way of keeping things in line and giving you clarity in 3D from a picture that was originally 2D. Even golf which gets tricky with the TV’s built in converter since the grass pans across the entire screen, it seems to do well on the 3D-Bee.

Movies tested well for the unit. We tested Iron Man, Transformers and Kick Ass all on Blu-ray. These seem to do better in object separation and had moments of really coming together as a 3D image when converted. An example is when Iron Man was trying to outrun the jet fighters half way in the movie you can clearly see him as the foreground object while the jets were in the background.

Now our most important test was for gaming and the unit did fairly well as some did better then others. Since there are barely any games in 3D period this would seem like the perfect product to take advantage of. The games we tested were Split/Second, Halo Reach, L.A. Noire and Mortal Kombat. Split/Second and Halo Reach seemed to add depth in areas where you wouldn’t think of but in a good way, while Mortal Kombat added little depth with no real advantage of playing it converter.

The biggest advantage you can get from gaming with the unit is since it’s automatically converting to 3D none of the quality is being sacrificed as all the games that are 3D enabled do. That is because those games need to produce a left and right image for the 3D which is essentially processing the game twice and the 3D-Bee doesn’t actually process anything. Play with your Television’s 3D settings along with the 3D-Bee’s two setting to achieve a depth that suits you.

The unit isn’t without its faults and in most cases things that we would have liked to see in it. First thing to mention is that this is not going to replace content that is native to 3D as it does not compare well to the depth of watching something that is already in 3D. The unit seems to merely give you some depth and while there are two settings to add we wished there were even experimental modes of sorts to play around with. What you would want to pop forward or back for different content.

Since there is different forms of content you would be possibly using it for, it would have been great to see modes complement such. A TV, Movie and Game mode would have been great since they would act different. Gaming for example most the time has a fixed object in the center of the screen like racing and FSP’s. A mode where it would know or ask what it was to really pull forward could rival some things that were actually produced in 3D.

We’ve also found that the set-up for the unit should be done in a particular matter. When plugged in to our 3D enabled receiver it would not transfer all the audio sound from the content? So the best solution was to plug it in after the receiver then into the TV. The sound would also cut out on some of the TV content after you enabled the 3D on the unit but this wasn’t all the time. Since this is a new product some of this can actually be avoided in future models or updates.

3D-Bee is for alot of different people that want to enjoy 3D content they either can’t or that are looking for the best way that isn’t natively supported. I have already played some games and watched some movies in full with the unit on and am pleased with the results I get. The unit is currently priced at $399 which may be steep for those wanting 3D that is better then Tv’s built in 2D-3D converter but not near native 3D content. If your into 3D and have alot of content you would like to see that has no 3D options then this unit might be up your ally. I personally am impressed with it as 2D comes to life with the 3D-Bee like never before. I see myself using the unit for quite sometime and hope more options and features become available soon. For more information go to their official website here.

With Nintendo announcing the 3DS at E3 last year it almost didn’t come as a surprise that they unveiled their newest console to be making its way into homes soon. Officially named Wii U, the focus is not on the console itself but on the controller. They had playable tech demos along with some games to be arriving for the consoles launch next year, we got a chance to check out what this new device is all about at Nintendo’s booth at E3.

The controller boasts a 6.2″ touch screen, a gyroscope, accelerometer, microphone and speakers. It has a camera on the front, triggers in the back and standard buttons on each side making the whole thing resemble a tablet. The first thing we noticed was how light it was, weighting in at no heavier then the 360 controller. The idea is to have a seamless interaction between the TV screen and the controllers touch screen. We here at LVLONE played some of the early tech demos showcasing what the controller can do.

Shield Pose
Pirates on a boat are trying to hit you with plunger tipped arrows and the only way to block them is by using your shield at hand. The concept behind this was to show and call out a set of actions on the TV screen which will then be executed while holding the control tablet. The pirate shouts out commands of where he is launching the arrows from at which point you need to place the control tablet in that section to reflect them, all at a timed beat. With the help of the controllers gyroscope you will almost get a 360 degree view of your surroundings which is how it allows you to block the attacks. As you progress it gets faster, harder and even asks you to dance. This showed an array of promise to games that would have you perform actions to neutralize enemy attacks and so forth.

Chase Mii
This demo played like tag giving all the players the task to chase and catch one person. All of them were dressed like toad with mushroom hats, as the one being chased was dressed like mario. The concept here was how five players can play on one console effectively, while not all having the same experience. Everyone played with Wii-motes looking at the 4-player split screen, while I played with the Wii U controller. When I played the character that needed to be caught on the Wii U controller I not only had my own screen but it also had a map of where everyone was. Everyone was to communicate to catch me while I do what I must to stay away and survive. I don’t remember the last time I had five people play a game in my house at the same time if ever!

Battle Mii
This demo had a Metroid style to it and it was a two vs one battle. The people holding the Wii-motes were these Samus styled shooters split screen on the TV, while the one holding the Wii U controller is a spaceship trying to gun them down in the air. Being the shooter on the ground first your able to collect power ups and turn into the ball to navigate around the arena easier while also trying to find the ship to shoot down. Being the ship with the Wii U controller felt a little awkward as you had to use the accelerometer to control the ships navigation. I got somewhat used to it but still felt clunky at the end.

Since the announcement of the Wii U at Nintendo’s press conference some people including myself had been skeptical on how this thing would play out. I see the promise and ideas of where Nintendo is trying to go with this. It is to early to tell if all gamers will accept the concept but expect more info and news of games to surface in the future. I’m thinking this is only the tip of the iceberg for the Wii U and the avalanche is coming soon!

E3 is almost upon us and we’re getting ready for some really big announcements. In part two of our pre E3 2011 coverage we talk about Microsoft and Sony along with some other big name games coming our way. Who will take at this years show?

Apologies as some of our audio got a little messed up but still a worthy podcast none the less.

Hit the link for part 1.

E3 is almost upon us and we’re getting ready for some really big announcements. In part one of our pre E3 2011 coverage we talk about Nintendo and a little of Microsoft. Will they deliver and claim the thrown for E3 supremacy?

Discussion of Legend of Zelda had come up and we are still waiting on the game that was a tech demo for Game Cube in 2000!

http://youtu.be/wBtAvX4Pkyk

Hit the link for part 2.

There are currently hundreds of accessories for gaming. Most claim to give you an advantage over others but almost none will actually benefit your well being. The most used part of our body for gaming is our eyes and if your anything like me then looking at a computer monitor and LCD screen takes its toll after a couple of hours. Gunnar Optiks Digital Performance Eyewear is for the gamer in mind and is said to help you be the best gamer you can be but do they actually work? We got our hands on a pair of their PPK Gunnar shades and have been test driving them for more then week so here are our thoughts.

At first the thought of having to use glasses to enhance your gaming sounds a bit like a gimmick. You have been gaming this whole time without anything so why would you start now? Because they do a good job at what they advertise. The pair that we took a look at with their signature Amber lens tint is said to offer the best enhancement of contrast and visual performance while minimizing screen glare and diminishing the harshest parts of the color spectrum.

Here are the features and claims of Gunnar Optiks:

• fRACTYL lens geometry hugs the shape of the face closely, creating an ocular microclimate that traps in humidity and blocks evaporative air currents, alleviating dry-eye effects.
• diAMIX lens material provides high quality, distortion-free optics in a durable, flexible and lightweight lens that allows Gunnar to design a variety of styles and be extremely comfortable.
• i-Fi lens coatings keep your lenses clean and vision clear via an anti-reflective, protective barrier that resists scratches finger smudges and fogging.
• iONik lens tints enhance contrast and are specifically tuned to environments for maximum visual efficiency and a sharper viewing experience.
• Neoscopic lenses are specifically tuned for close viewing applications. This lens gives the greatest visual enhancement, but is a limited in variable viewing distances. Engineered for the most demanding computer users who spend long hours in front of a monitor.

The obvious thing you will notice off the bat is that they are very stylish. Even the package was a white box which was simple yet elegant in design. When I put them on they actually feel comfortable and I sometimes forgot that I have them on. The frames are made from a lightweight alloy so they don’t feel heavy or bulky. The PPK’s had their thin lightweight flat temples to allow for the best overall comfort when used with gaming headsets. These had a medium lens coverage and the bands spread out enough to fit a variety of faces. The end bands can also be interchanged as well which is neat to give off your own flair. The quality of the frames could improve as they do feel like they possibly can be damaged easily but other then that all was well with them.

The most important thing is how the glasses perform and we can say that they work pretty well. The amber lens give you a slight yellow tint that is suppose have anti-reflective properties specific to fluorescent lighting. While everything does appear a shade of yellow you do get used to it and is not as bad as once thought. The lenses themselves actually magnify what’s in front of you just enough to notice. The best use you will get out of them is in front of a computer screen. Everything onscreen appeared much brighter and clear. We did a couple of gaming sessions of Portal 2, Onlive and WoW with the same outcome, which is the harsh light that normally comes from hours of gaming seems virtually gone. Separation of color from contrast was also good when I had them on. Whether it was surfing the internet, playing games or doing other kinds of work it seemed like I can wear the glasses without the slightest bit of eyestrain.

The test on console gaming isn’t as apparent in its effectiveness as on a computer. Since things are slightly magnified, depending on how far you are from a TV or LCD things tend to appear a little blurry. They used to make Transcopic technology lenses but no longer carry them, hopefully we see a return in the future for viewing further applications. The glasses are also only really effective when they are clean. Any smudges or dust need to always be removed before use. If you do suffer from overall eye fatigue or strain then it doesn’t hurt to have them on when you are simply watching something from a monitor like screen.

Gunnar Optiks have a great approach when it comes to advancing visual performance while gaming. It has also become the standard for professional gaming such as MLG. Will it make you a better player? It depends, but mostly in the sense that longer sessions can be had to improve the quality of your performance. It is important to note that the use for the glasses can extend for about anything being viewed on your PC or Monitor. It will depend on what kind of gamer you are overall, while the yellow tint will need some getting used to and hopefully the technology will extend on clear lenses, these no doubt approve the quality of sight over time. I know I won’t take them off when in front of a monitor as they are my go to accessories. For more information on Gunnars take a look at there website and to check out our particular style we reviewed you can also buy them at BestBuy.

The Nintendo 3DS has been one of the most hyped products in a while, not only is it Nintendo‘s next generation handheld system but it’s also glassesless 3D. The first thing most people will notice about the 3DS is that it physically looks a lot like a regular DS however there a plenty of changes on the system. The top screen is now a wide screen format, a new circle pad is added alongside the traditional D-pad and there is a 3D slider on the right side of the top screen.

The body of the 3DS feels solid, similar to the previous DS. The buttons click down and the d-pad feels like any other DS. The circle pad works really well, it adds a lot better handle on controls. The shoulder buttons also click too so overall the buttons feel good and is an improvement over the regular DS.

The screens on the 3DS have nice look to them, the bottom one is like the previous DS with it’s touch screen. The top screen which is in 3D is widescreen so it looks bigger then the previous DS. The screens are bright and very colorful, the resolution of both screens are both higher then the original DS.

There are three cameras on the 3DS, one front-facing and two rear-facing for the 3D pictures. The cameras are very low in quality and almost always look grainy, but for basic pictures and AR games they are good enough.

The actual interface of the 3DS is a big improvement over the DS the home screen is an expanded version of the DSi’s, players can scroll through the applications and games loaded onto the 3DS. The 3DS comes with a variety of software already loaded a new Mii maker allows you to create a Mii like the Wii, and a new feature called Mii Plaza allows you to use street pass and play a few mini games with your Mii. There are also a few games that come with the 3DS, one is AR Games that allows you to play an augmented reality game using a special card, the other game is FaceRaiders which is a basic shooter that has you shooting at face through the 3Ds camera. Both games are good ways to show of the hardware‘s power but they are tech demos so they won’t keep your interest for too long. One thing to point out about the 3Ds software is that not everything is available yet, the virtual console store isn’t accessible yet as is a few other things Nintendo promises will be coming up soon.

The battery life of the 3Ds is probably it’s weakest point, with 3D enabled you’ll probably get about three to five hours, without 3D enabled you’ll get about five hours however this is definitely on the low end of portable devices, although it’s not very big draw back it you will notice the 3DS drain it’s battery much faster then the old DS did.

The 3D is the big draw of the 3DS of course and it does work, seeing games playing in 3D without glasses is definitely an interesting experience. The 3D effect is different for all people, so you’ll have to play around with the 3D slider which controls the depth of the 3D until you find a good spot for you. But when you effect the 3D screen aligned perfectly the effect is really nice.

Overall the 3DS is a good follow up to the DS but it has some issues, mainly it has a relatively short battery life. Also the price of $250 might be too high for many people, especially considering the launch line up isn’t very strong. However it’s a big technical achievement, the first portable system that gives players 3D games without glasses. The 3DS isn’t for everyone at the moment but if you want to experiences glassesless 3D gaming the 3DS is highly recommended.

Hello everyone it’s about that time where we start bringing you guys what you want, Games! And what better way to do that then with a live cast of gaming on Justin.TV. Today at 8pm eastern our own Editor-In-Chief Remdog will be casting three games for your viewing pleasure. First up will be The Dishwasher: Vampire Smile which is slated to release on Xbox Live Arcade tomorrow, Halo Reach’s Defiant Map Pack and DC Universe Online. While we are making the announcement for this cast it should be noted that casting at our lvlone Justin.TV channel will be more frequent so stay tuned at all times for your chance to win cool prizes and swag. Head on over to http://www.justin.tv/lvlone at 8pm Eastern to get in on the fun, get a first look on what’s new and just pass the time. Don’t forget to follow us on Justin.TV and sign up for lvlone.com, who knows maybe a couple of cool shirts will be given away to our followers.

There are now countless third party companies developing controllers, and accessories for the Wii. Most of these products can range from good alternatives to needless and broken. However Snakebyte might have made one of the best deals a third party developer can make with the Premium Wii remote XL.

One of the main aspects about the product that will grab your attention is that this remote has the Wii MotionPlus technology built into it, already making it a good deal. After trying out the controller on a few games we’ve noticed that it works exactly as it should, a feature that is sometimes uncommon with third party hardware. However after opening up the box we realized that the remote came with it’s own batteries and not just the cheap kinds either, the remote is packed in with two rechargeable batteries. The batteries themselves are high quality ones, but what surprised us more was that a usb cord was also packed in with the remote that allows you to recharge the batteries while they are in the remote. This is a clear example that the developer wanted to really stand out from the crowd.

The design of the remote itself is surprisingly close to the design of the actual Nintendo Remote, the buttons don’t feel different even though there are a few minor changes to the design, it’s still close enough that you won’t really feel the difference when using it. One other main thing that caught our eye was that this remote had an external sync button meaning you don’t have to open up the remote to press the button every time you need to sync up the remote to the system, a simple feature that makes a big difference.

Overall the Snakbyte Premium Wii remote XL is one of the best deals you can get when looking for a new Wii remote, it has the Wii MotionPlus technology already built in and has rechargeable batteries. On top of this features its cheaper than the official Nintendo Wii remote making it highly recommended.