After over a decade in development, the 3D NES emulator project 3dSen has reached its official version 1.0 release. As its name suggests, the emulator transforms classic NES games into fully realized 3D versions, giving fans a whole new visual experience while playing. With the potential fully realized in this latest release, classic video fans are already demanding similar kinds of emulation projects for other retro consoles and gaming platforms.
Unlike traditional emulation, where games are converted to a playable form on another platform, 3dSen’s NES titles had to be manually rebuilt and handcrafted to accommodate the introduction of 3D environments. This was made possible thanks to the efforts of the development team and their community, utilizing a tool called 3dSenMaker.
The fully realized project makes good on the dreams gamers had with earlier Nintendo products that promised a truly immersive experience for their favorite games. The team behind this 3D emulation feat strived early on not to settle for transposing layers or implementing convincing parallax to achieve a 3D effect. Instead, they constructed “true 3D environments” from the 2D sprites in the games themselves.
“This isn’t just a version number. It’s the result of 10 years of exploration, perseverance, and belief in something weird, personal, and wonderful. Thank you for being a part of this journey. Let’s keep pushing the boundaries of retro gaming — together,” wrote Truc of developer Geod Studio in the 3DSen release post on Steam.
Due to the method used, not every NES game is available to play immediately upon release. However, the Steam Page boasts compatibility with currently over 100 titles, including classics like:
- The Legend of Zelda
- Super Mario Bros.
- Duck Hunt
- Final Fantasy
- Megaman
- Castlevania
As this product is merely an emulation tool, playing any of these games will require owning a digital copy of them and a method to convert them into a readable ROM that the emulator can utilize.
The full release is split into two versions, one for regular PC flatscreens and one for Virtual Reality (VR). 3dSen also features free downloadable content to optimize the emulator for Looking Glass Portrait (LGP) devices, allowing the emulator to take full advantage of holographic displays. With the full release also comes a host of fully functioning features and quality-of-life improvements that include:
- Animated Skyboxes
- Real-Time Lighting & Shadows
- Zapper Light Gun Support
- Motion Gesture Support
- Save States
- Rewind & Fast Forward
- Native Support for PC, Linux, and macOS
- Customizable Camera
- 3D File Exports
- Custom Game Cover Art Library
NES enthusiasts were thrilled with the possibilities and hoped this full release could breathe new energy into the classic gaming scene. Many saw 3dSen recapturing the original magic that Nintendo had in the 80s with their stellar game library and ambitious, forward-looking software and hardware design.
“That 3D rendering feels like this is what a Virtual Boy was supposed to look like back then (without the red theme). If we could have such software or technology, Virtual Boy could become one of the successful Nintendo consoles,” wrote YouTube user KozyKrow in response to 3dSen’s official 1.0 trailer.
The Steam version, as of the time of this writing, has already achieved a “Very Positive” 90% review score. Reviewers praised the 3D camera tilting and zooming for truly transforming the way these classic games are played. Players can pick up one of two versions of the emulator on Steam or Itch.io, which is currently set at a special discount promotion that ends on July 10th.
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