StreetPass Network PAX East Panel

After a bit of work, we are glad to provide the full panel and some Q&A from the StreetPass Network PAX East Panel.

Now unfortunately, the audio is not as good as it could be (thanks, acoustics!), and our camera died before we get the entire Q&A sequence completed.  Hopefully next time, our camera battery will be more formidable.

Thanks to everyone involved, and enjoy!  StreetPass you soon!

PAX East 2012: StreetPass Network

Ever since the 3DS launched last March, a number of gaming groups have sprung up all around the world, all for one purpose: to play video games and have fun streetpassing each other!

StreetPass is a wireless feature on the Nintendo 3DS which causes 3DS devices to communicate with each other without direct contact or any effort on either side of the communication.  The primary program for this, the StreetPass Mii Plaza, collects this data and allows gamers to trade puzzle pieces and assist each other in an RPG game called Find Mii.  Over the past year, however, other games such as Dead or Alive: Dimensions, Mario Kart 7, and Kid Icarus: Uprising have utilized StreetPass functions in some way, and many more games are still on the way.

We attended the StreetPass Network panel at PAX East where we and other attendees got to hear about how the groups work and their opinions on the StreetPass function and how it brings gamers together.  We have a full video of the main panel itself, and that will be released in time.

For now, we wanted to post an interview with Joshua Lynsen and Jordan White, the founders of StreetPass DC and StreetPass NYC, respectively.  In our long but informative interview, we got to hear more elaborately why they created StreetPass groups, how they run the groups, and their personal opinions on the 3DS and games coming out this year.  For more information, you can go to their websites and join in the StreetPass fun, or if you are not nearby a current StreetPass group of your own, check out StreetPass Network's website for more information.

http://www.facebook.com/StreetPassNYC
http://www.facebook.com/StreetPassDC
http://streetpassnetwork.com/

NYCC 2011: StreetPass NYC

Our adventure into this year's New York Comic Con was not exactly as peachy as we would have liked, but when is a convention not stressful? We were only able to attend the Thursday and Friday events for both economical and physical reasons, but we got a handful of videos and impressions to make for you all.

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In our final run around the showfloor, we spotted a flag sporting a large AR Card symbol and the Statue of Liberty. Attached to that flag stood the founder of StreetPass NYC, Jordan White. While we were not capable of getting a full interview with him that instant (we DID interrupt his Super Mario 3D Land playtime and were heading out the door shortly thereafter), we did get a few quick comments on the show demos around as well as any particular activities being held by the group at New York Comic Con.

Speaking of the group, they are in fact having an event this Saturday in anticipation of the launch of Super Mario 3D Land. Funny how that was the game we caught him playing in the video. Watch and enjoy it in its brevity and candidness.

StreetPass Princeton: Event 5 Report!

The Nintendo 3DS is entering its first Fall season, and StreetPass Princeton is entering its first Fall season, too. StreetPass is the wireless communication between 3DSs and allows players to swap data without the need to directly connect with each other. StreetPass Princeton was formed to allow Princeton gamers a means to collect StreetPass data for their 3DSs and has since evolved into a regional gaming group for the 3DS and potentially other platforms in the future.

Since its inception, StreetPass Princeton has been to Princeton's Panera Bread,the Quakerbridge Mall GameStop for a Dead or Alive: Dimensions tournament, a park picnic just inside Princeton, and an online gathering in light of Hurricane Irene.

This month, StreetPass Princeton returned to the Quakerbridge Mall Gamestop to hold an event dedicated to Nintendo’s newest multiplayer 3DS title: Star Fox 64 3D. As people walked in, they could see a flyer for the event hanging on a promotional poster, and just below that stood the heads of StreetPass Princeton, holding their handhelds and playing a match of the title game’s Battle Mode. If attendees were a little hungry, free cookies and snacks were provided in the back of the store, where the other members gathered around.

No time for Zynga. More time for SNACKS!

Those who approached the event were handed a sign-up sheet, on which attendees could list contact information as well as opinions on the group and what they could do for the group in the future. From there, people joining the tournament were asked to provide a dollar for an entry fee in order to participate; otherwise, the event was free for gamers to have fun.

Here be dragons...er, or Star Fox Tournaments...

The Star Fox 64 3D Aerial Ace Tournament set players in groups of four against one another in Battle Mode, using random levels, new power-ups, and large health bars. Some of the matches were set to five kills, while others were set to seven kills. Those in last place would be eliminated, leaving the final group of four in a face-off in the Meteo battleground. The action got hectic at times, and those who were not there to witness the matches, StreetPass Princeton has created a video of the event on their Youtube page, which you can see below. The top winners received a five-dollar, ten-dollar, and fifteen-dollar gift card for Gamestop, although first place also had the option to select a used DS game for up to fifteen dollars. The tournament was a bit on the quick side, but at least it happened!

Even after the tournament was completed, Star Fox 64 3D remained the main meal of the day, especially for co-founder Nick Oehlberg, who proceeded to run through the game’s expert campaign and collect medals along the way (he even let us photograph the images of him beating this mode: here, here, and here. Other multiplayer matches were held for the fun of it, because as for a number of attendees, this was the first way to play multiplayer Star Fox 64 3D at all, and needless to say, it was quite fun. Furthermore, Agent Spectre, who runs the StreetPass Princeton forum, was selling Pokemon models and candy for five dollars apiece, which was quite a deal according to some of the people there. The money earned from the sales of said Pokemon items will be going into producing a banner for StreetPass Princeton’s future events.

I never knew Pokeball technology had been implemented into cardboard cartons...

As time progressed, the event moved outside of the store to the benches, and from there, other people looked at the handhelds to see what we were playing, and a few more 3DS owners new and old stopped by to see what was happening. A group photo was made just before the end of the event, with most of the attendees in the shot. It was a bit smaller than the Dead or Alive tournament in June, but considering the game of choice, I was not entirely surprised. Still, it was a fun event!

We barely escaped the Gamestop alive. We celebrated with games!

A jolly bunch of gamers, we!

The future of StreetPass Princeton is looking pretty intense for the rest of the year. On October 21st, the group will be heading back to Panera Bread on Nassau Street, where cosplay is encouraged, Just Dance 3 will be appearing, as will Skylanders and the Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Anniversary Edition! Then, come November 6th, the group will gather at Princeton's Palmer Square to witness the official tree-lighting ceremony, and probably enjoy 3DS gaming fun along the way! December is still floating around, but no doubt Mario Kart 7 will take the event by storm. As for next year, co-founder Rob Oehlberg said to expect some adventures outside of Mercer County for the first few months, as the group continues to grow.

Rob runs around setting up the event while gamers play on.


The paparazzi has become paparazzied. That's a word now. I made it. Copyright!!


Apparently Wolf is a Dunkin Donuts kind of a guy.

If you are interested in learning more about StreetPass Princeton and its events, follow the group on Facebook, Google+, Twitter, or join the Official Forums!

StreetPass Princeton Event #4

Not every meeting can be as planned, especially during Hurricane season! August's StreetPass Princeton's fourth event happened to be one such event, even though it turned out to be a fun time regardless of the situation.

StreetPass Princeton is a group of Central-New Jersey gamers who share their delight in the Nintendo 3DS and its games, including the usage of StreetPass, a proximity-based data-swap feature unique to the new Nintendo handheld. For the last few months, StreetPass Princeton has held events dedicated to the 3DS community: an early get-together at Panera Bread, a Dead or Alive Dimensions tournament at the local Gamestop, and most recently a Resident Evil: The Mercenaries 3D event at a small park in Princeton.

August was not the best month for 3DS owners, particularly with minimal releases to fill the gap. Without any new product to push, a retro event was planned at an apartment in Princeton but was shifted to Panera Bread as the date grew nearer. Unfortunately, Hurricane Irene prevented such an event from happening, so an online gathering on Google+ was created quickly as a substitute event.

The Google+ chat event was very much like most chatrooms, where people were able to use a text chat or camera and mic setup for more vocal and visual communication. While it could have focused on the older DS online titles, most of the conversations remained either 3DS-focused or drifted off into humorous obscurity.

The most recent retail release at the event was Devil Survivor: Overclocked from Atlus, although discussion on it was brief. Without much multiplayer to experience, all that could be expressed was how good it was, even if it is a port of the DS game. Meanwhile, Dead or Alive: Dimensions matches were fought over the Internet, and Friend Codes were swapped through the text chat in order to help spread StreetPass Princeton's community. The group even had someone from New York involved!

A screen of the chatroom, complete with Devil Survivor boxart!

Over the course of the event, a couple of the members downloaded and started playing through a new GameBoy Virtual Console game: Gargoyle's Quest. From my time playing it, I can say it is not the ordinary (or easy) platformer one might expect! Finally, before the event ended, I asked for impressions on Nintendo Video. Most were not positive; some had removed the application entirely by now. The general consensus was that the new R&B video was poor and the College Humor videos demonstrated the best use of the service, thus far.

Looks like someone is going to Comic-Con!

Hopefully hurricanes will stay away from the next events from StreetPass Princeton. On September 17th, SPP will be back at the Quakerbridge Mall Gamestop to hold a Star Fox 64 3D tournament (complete with a Dead or Alive: Dimensions bonus challenge for the brave). Taking preparations one step further, StreetPass Princeton is already setting up its October event; on October 22nd, a cosplay Halloween party is expected, including a fun run through Just Dance 3. At least one of the heads will also be attending this year's New York Comic-Con, although it will not be an official event for StreetPass Princeton. Still, bring around your 3DS, and who knows who you'll StreetPass?

Those interested for more information on StreetPass Princeton can check out its Facebook page, its Google+ Page, or its new Forums!

StreetPass Princeton's 3rd Event!

StreetPass Princeton is a group of gamers who all own 3DSs and want to not only come together to take part in StreetPassing but also to talk and enjoy gaming experiences between people in the local area.

Over the last two months, there were a great set of events from StreetPass Princeton. In May, SPP went to Panera Bread in Princeton to play with QR Codes and Super Street Fighter IV 3D Edition, and in June, SPP was at the Quakerbridge Mall GameStop to hold a Dead or Alive: Dimensions tournament. This month, StreetPass Princeton took part in a nationwide StreetPass Network event, and while there were some setbacks, the event made it through.

Group founder Rob Oehlberg met us with a few fellow members at Marquard Park, a small park complete with playground sets, softball field, and picnic areas. A canopy stood by the group's selected picnic table, and underneath it stood a table complete with the event's catering. At the picnic table, a selection of QR codes for Pokedex 3D were laid out, which was useful for getting a myriad of special stickers, in-game.

The setup was a miracle, Rob would tell us. The month of July came as a rush for the group, particularly with those who set up the whole event. Rob and his twin brother Nick had moved in the past month, the latter of which was in North Jersey and could not attend. Furthermore, a number of people had called out from the event in the last second, including the member in charge of the planned Super Street Fighter IV 3D Edition Tournament; the tournament was cancelled as a result. To make matters worse, the crew found that Marquard Park forbade barbeque on the grounds, with mere days before the event. Thankfully, they were able to improvise a nice spread of peanut butter and jelly, turkey and cheese, ham and cheese, and combination meat sandwiches. Cookies, chips, and a plethora of soda choices filled the gaps. Rob said determination and improvisation helped StreetPass Princeton's third event from the brink of cancellation.

Mario and the gang stood to defend the sammiches from the fly invasion.

The headlined event at the park was Capcom's "Stop the Swarm" campaign, a national StreetPass Network event in which players attempted to get an S or SS ranking on missions within Resident Evil: The Mercenaries 3D. Throughout the event, people went through missions to get those fabled scores, and while a number did go to the easier training missions, others pushed through more difficult missions filled with large zombies and other big baddies. Those who succeeded placed their name on a list to be sent by StreetPass Princeton to Capcom for public posting.

Proof that I got me an S rank and did it the easy way.

A Capcom-based Cosplay Contest was held at the event, and the winner came out as Detective Gumshoe from the Phoenix Wright series. For the prize, she walked away with a Platinum Club Nintendo Mario Statue from 2010.

A portion of the people hanging out and talking games. Check out Gumshoe to the left.

While these events took place, attendees discussed gaming in general, from the eShop's first month of release to other console releases in the coming months. Pokedex 3D was used by some to pass around pokemon and get much needed QR codes, while others picked on each other with Dead or Alive: Dimensions. Others took part in singular experiences, such as Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening DX or more Resident Evil: The Mercenaries 3D. Even disregarding the handheld, a number of small conversations erupted between people at the table and around the canopy as the afternoon drifted toward the evening.

Yes, some things did not go according to plan, but in the end, this event was a simpler, more relaxed meeting compared to the tournament-driven June event. No doubt, this event helped get members to know more about each other and bring StreetPass Princeton closer as a group.

Soda, conversations, and gaming. A great trio.

Now, the big question arises: What about August? Well, there are few games coming out between now and the next date, Rob says. Instead, he has plans for the first Retro Game event, that is, DS tournaments, including Mario Kart DS and Tetris DS. More details will follow on the StreetPass Princeton Facebook Page. Talk also emerged for potential online meetups and a forum; while StreetPass cannot be used, at least these meetings could allow more informal meeting and enjoyment in gaming with friends across the 'net. See you next month!

StreetPass Princeton's 2nd Event!

StreetPass is a feature for the Nintendo 3DS which requires 3DS users to be within close proximity to other 3DSs in order to gather new content and help complete a number of games in the 3DS's built-in software. Over the last few months, a myriad of StreetPass groups have been created for 3DS fans to come together, experience StreetPassing, and have fun playing recent releases for the Nintendo 3DS.

StreetPass Princeton began its monthly gatherings last month, and then, the event focused on AR Cards, a QR Code Challenge, and a Super Street Fighter IV 3D Edition mini-tournament. For the full write-up on that event, check it out here.

The new venue...

This second monthly gathering was different all around. Whereas last month took place at Princeton's Panera Bread, this month's event took place in the back of Quakerbridge Mall's Gamestop. Displays were pushed off to the sides, and a table was set up near all the attendees, complete with food for all, or at least most of the people there. We were told that hotdogs were available, but by the time we got there an hour later, all of them had been eaten. However, what we did get to eat was part of a large cake, complete with StreetPass Princeton's new logo!

The event's cake, beside StreetPass Princeton's new logo.

Around the store, people could see a number of black-and-white designs taped to displays and counters. These codes correspond with particular Pokemon which appear when using Pokedex 3D, which became freely available when the Nintendo eShop opened earlier this month. While there were no AR Cards or QR Codes for people to use, the Pokemon codes were welcome, even if there were a few which repeated themselves around the store. Attendees could also send other pokemon to each other using wireless connectivity.

I remember Snivy being a little bigger in the stats...

The main focus of the event was not Pokemon, nor was it the recently-released Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D. The event's top priority was a Dead or Alive: Dimensions tournament, and for a $5 buy-in, players fought valiantly for Gamestop gift cards. In the end, Sou Sol was able to reign supreme as La Mariposa, but everyone else still had a good time. From fourth place, winners received $5, $25, $50, and finally $100 in Gamestop gift cards. Even if people lost, there was also a redemption tournament to keep people playing, so long as they kept away from the boss characters!

A few gamers playing Dead or Alive and chatting up games.

After the tournament was completed, StreetPass Princeton raffled off a handful of Dead or Alive character cards, but the biggest raffle-off was a commemorative Mario Galaxy coin, complete with a small certificate of authenticity.

StreetPass Princeton was not the only one giving away stuff at the event, either. NintendoWorldReport's Neal Ronaghan arrived with T-Shirts and copies of Papaya Studio's Cartoon Network Punch Time Explosion, which he gave away with some trivia questions to some attendees at the show. He also initiated a few matches of the game through 3DS's Download Play, of which we took part. While Download Play consisted only of four characters and one level, it was enough to have a few fun matches while the Dead or Alive tournament concluded.

One aspect of last month's event remained the same: the musical choice. 2B A Master, a pokemon-focused music album, was still playing in the background, and occasionally StreetPass Princeton head Rob Oehlberg would start singing along, particularly with the PokeRap. The other attendees were perhaps not as enthusiastic about it, but the overarching attitude was pretty good, even as the show was heading toward the end.

The turnout was pretty good, considering how tight the location and how tournament-focused the event was. People from all ages and groups came to the event, whether they spoke with the rest of the attendees or not. We even got to see Jordan White from StreetPass NYC drop by before we had to leave. Overall, while there is room to improve and grow, it was still another successful event for StreetPass Princeton.

3DS owners young and old showed up and had a fun time.

Oehlberg told us that the event had just over forty people attend, and considering how cramped that Gamestop can be at times, that was quite a feat! There are plenty of interesting events coming up on the horizon for StreetPass Princeton, and he let us know what to expect. Next month's event is expected to come July 17th and take place back in the Princeton area. He said for us to plan for a barbeque at the park and to look out for zombies! There is something special coming soon for a later StreetPass event, but he told us to keep that secret.

In the meantime, here's hoping everyone enjoyed the event, and to those out there not near another StreetPass group, make your own! You never know what small community of gamers can arrive together with a common delight.

Hotdogs were available, but we could not prove it by the time we arrived!

A highlight for us: we found Victini, attached to Punch-Out!! for Wii.
Seems fitting, in a way.

StreetPass Princeton's Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/StreetPassPrinceton
StreetPass Princeton's Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/SPprinceton

StreetPass Princeton's First Event!

When Nintendo released the 3DS to the world, it anticipated people worldwide to travel past other gamers and exchange game information between the two in an act known as StreetPass. However, ownership is not universal right now, and even then many people in the United States do not wander around crowded places everyday. That is why a number of individuals are creating StreetPass groups in which local gamers can meet up, swap game data, and just hang out and talk about video games.

Friday May 13th was the first official event for StreetPass Princeton, a group of gamers in the area interested in meeting up for gaming discussion and gathering StreetPass data for the games currently out for Nintendo 3DS.

The event's locale was closed in, located within a private room of the local Panera Bread on Nassau Street, but the gathering was very welcoming and altogether friendly. As new people arrived, other attendees shouted hellos and gave warm cheers, both happy to see a newcomer and to see more activity within their 3DS systems. A charming number of individuals filled the area, including a nice cosplayer and Neal from NintendoWorldReport.

The event began at 2PM, and for those without lunch, there were bagels and cake available to enjoy while attendees introduced each other. Printed AR Cards and a large number of QR codes were attached to the walls within the two-roomed corridor, and sitting in the center of it all rested a number of Sonic dolls and real AR Cards to use for photos. In fact, there was a contest to make the best picture at the event. Contests were not in short supply here!

In particular, the biggest event was the QR Contest, in which everyone had to race to get all twenty six QR codes uploaded into the MiiMaker program. The first four to obtain them would match up in a miniature tournament in Super Street Fighter IV 3D Edition, one of the few games which uses StreetPass currently. Getting some of the codes seemed harder than anticipated, at least for me, but eventually four victors arose for some beatdowns. Videos of the bouts should be available soon. The winner of this event was Jordan White, the lead man for the StreetPass NYC group; funnily enough, he spent a while explaining how he was going to lose and ultimately won. As the winner, he received a $5 gift card to Gamestop and the Sonic-themed plushie of his choice.

While that was the only real active event at the meeting, there are other contests happening in relation to it. Those who can produce the best logo for StreetPass Princeton will receive a Gamestop gift card, as will the person who produces the best photo from the event. While there was not much more in terms of game-specific events, it makes sense as the 3DS lacks many multiplayer games thus far. However, there was a lot of discussion of games already out and those to come, particularly about what is expected out of the Nintendo eShop and Nintendo's E3 Press Conference, both of which are happening around June 7th, less than a month away!.

Rob stated that the next event would be held elsewhere in the area late June, and he explicitly mentioned Dead or Alive Dimensions would be played extensively there. In the meantime, we can enjoy the memories of the first get-together of Nintendo 3DS fans in the Princeton area.

Even Pikmin enjoyed the bagels!


Mario kept quiet, but he seemed to enjoy the seating.

Who is this guy? Darned if I know.

For those who want to know more about future events with StreetPass Princeton, go to the official Facebook page or Twitter account.

http://www.facebook.com/#!/StreetPassPrinceton
http://twitter.com/SPprinceton