In an interview viewable in the latest issue of Nintendo Power, Hideki Konno, General Producer of the Nintendo 3DS, stated that, when designing the new handheld system, better graphics were a crucial priority.

For anyone simply glancing at screenshots for upcoming 3DS titles, such a statement would seem almost obvious. After all, Kid Icarus: Uprising, Pilotwings Resort and Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3DS all look stunning. Even Masahiro Sakurai, Producer of the upcoming Kid Icarus 3DS title, admitted to being impressed by Resident Evil: Revelations.

Nevertheless, when interviewed by Nintendo Power, Konno felt the need to reiterate the system's graphics boost:

“Yes, definitely [improved graphics were a priority]. We wanted to do things that were not possible on the previous handheld. For example, I’m developing Nintendogs + Cats, and I really wanted to realize the sense of fur on the pets.”

There's definitely a noticeable difference, too. As you can see in the image below, the puppy's fur is actually distinguishable amongst the rest of his body. Sure, you're not going to fool anyone that it's a screenshot from an upcoming PlayStation 3 title, but would you really want to? For a handheld console, I think it looks great.

I have to admit: As we inch ever closer to the September 29th 'Release date and Price reveal', my anticipation for the 3DS grows exponentially. Whether or not Pachter's correct with his $250 prediction, and whether or not the system will shutdown after excessive use -- all of these sorts of questions are irrelevant to me now. I want to see Miyamoto's new IP; I want to play the entire 3DS game lineup; I want the Nintendo 3DS, and I want it now.

So, how about you, readers? Are you excited by the Nintendo 3DS? What do you think of the system's graphical fidelity? What's your most anticipated 3DS game? Let us know in the comments below.

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