Super Mario to enter augmented reality on 3DS cards

Augmented reality is a technology that's truly in its infancy, but it has potentially huge applications. It could be used to leave messages for friends as they explore the real world, turn board games into fully animated, digital displays and now, have Mario and his friends, interact wherever you want.

You'll need a 3DS to see the little fellas in action, but it essentially works by placing the Mario AR cards on a surface and looking at them through the 3DS' camera. At that point, the little cards come to life, with a full 3D character running around on  whatever surface you put them on. They can then be transplanted wherever you want for photo and video opportunities. [yframe url='http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uGC1_naae8s#!']

Skip to the 8:00 minute mark for the AR footage.

There will be a necessary app too, to access this sort of hilarity, but downloading it will also allow the cards to interact, with Mario quickly hopping onto a passing Goomba or facing off against Bowser if their paths should cross.

Unfortunately, these little cards are not cheap, so don't expect everyone to own a whole set of these near launch. Goombas are the cheapest at 1000 yen (£7) with Bowser and Princess Peach at the other end costing as much as £21.

KitGuru Says: I really like AR developments. I can see a lot of wargames becoming far more exciting, with cards used instead of figures that when viewed through glasses, or your phone, actually begin doing battle in 3D, on your table.

[Cheers Cube3D]

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