Steel Diver • Eurogamer.net

Nintendo's first free-to-play game will be Steel Diver

World of Submarines.

Nintendo will dip its toe into the waters of free-to-play gaming for the first time with a fresh version of its submarine sim Steel Diver, a new report suggests.

Steel Diver first intended as DSiWare

Plus, Miyamoto ruled out adding content.

First party 3DS launch title Steel Diver was originally planned as a DSiWare download, Nintendo has revealed.

UK Top 40: Zumba Fitness ousts Portal 2

Steel Diver sinks without trace.

Zumba Fitness has toppled Portal 2 to regain the UK all format chart's coveted top spot.

Steel Diver

Holy diver, soul survivor.

I had a friend who spent about three months aboard a submarine, back in his Navy days. He told me how they operated on 18 hour days, had no personal space, and the condensed air prematurely aged you. It sounded like the last thing in the world I'd like to do. As Winston Churchill said, "Of all the branches of men in the forces there is none which shows more devotion and faces grimmer perils than the submariners."

Thank goodness there are video games to translate gruelling scenarios into good, clean fun. The Simpsons' joke about Bart being excited to play a yard work simulator when real yard work makes him run for the hills is becoming increasingly apt. It's certainly true of being a submarine commander, as the job sounds onerous, but in game form, it's curiously gratifying.

The story is hardly more than a haiku. A multinational group of heroes, the "Steel Divers", must stop a "power-hungry rogue nation" that's invaded its neighbouring countries. The script is so minimal that you'll likely forget there is one midway through.

Steel Diver gets UK 3DS date

"Awfully compelling" sub sim surfaces.

Steel Diver, Nintendo's 3DS submarine combat simulator, launches in the UK on 6th May, the publisher has confirmed.

Nintendo 3DS: Launch Title Lowdown

Mario! Zelda! Monkeys! Cars! Etc.

There's just one month to go now until Nintendo releases its shiny new handheld and everyone in the world throws their 3D specs in a bin. Yes, as of 25th March, we'll all be able to enjoy glorious, glasses-free, three-dimensional gaming with the Nintendo 3DS.

Providing we're willing to part with Ł230 first. And aren't one of those people whose eyes can't even look at a 3D screen without their eyes going all swimmy. But this is missing the point. The POINT is that this is the start of a magnificent new era. Soon we will be able to visit gameworlds where objects in the distance look not just smaller, but farther away. And what a wide range of worlds there will be to explore, right from launch.

As covered in our recent previews there's new Pilotwings and Kid Icarus to enjoy, not to mention Super Street Fighter IV.

VideoFirst Steel Diver footage for 3DS

Nintendo lets new franchise sink in.

Nintendo justifies Zelda-free 3DS launch

Talks up "awfully compelling" Steel Diver.

The 3DS remake of Zelda: Ocarina of Time will be out "when it's ready" and, in any case, there are more than enough launch games to satisfy the needs of core gamers picking up Nintendo's new handheld on day one, according to the platform holder.

In an interview with MTV, Nintendo US chief Reggie Fils-Aime explained, "Mario, Zelda - all of those titles are coming. From our perspective, we like to launch titles when they're ready. And so they'll be ready, they'll be ready soon. Just not in that initial time period of late March to early June."

Reggie added that the launch line-up is robust enough to satisfy the needs of serious gamers without the presence of Link and co.