is a 3D

augmented reality Augmented reality (AR) is an interactive experience that combines the real world and computer-generated content. The content can span multiple sensory Modality (human–computer interaction), modalities, including visual, Hearing, auditory, hap ...

shooter Shooting is the act or process of discharging a projectile from a ranged weapon (such as a gun, bow, crossbow, slingshot, or blowpipe). Even the acts of launching flame, artillery, darts, harpoons, grenades, rockets, and guided missiles can b ...

video game Video games, also known as computer games, are electronic games that involves interaction with a user interface or input device such as a joystick, game controller, controller, computer keyboard, keyboard, or motion sensing device to gener ...

developed by

HAL Laboratory formerly shortened as HALKEN (derived from its native name), is a Japanese video game developer founded on 21 February 1980. While independent, it has been closely tied with Nintendo throughout its history, and is often referred to as a seco ...

and published by Nintendo. It was released as preloaded software on all systems in the

Nintendo 3DS The is a handheld game console produced by Nintendo. It was announced in March 2010 and unveiled at E3 2010 as the successor to the Nintendo DS. The system features backward compatibility with Nintendo DS video games. As an eighth-generati ...

line of hardware, and was first released in 2011.

Gameplay

''Face Raiders'' is a

single player A single-player video game is a video game where input from only one player is expected throughout the course of the gaming session. A single-player game is usually a game that can only be played by one person, while "single-player mode" is usuall ...

shooter game Shooter video games or shooters are a subgenre of action video games where the focus is almost entirely on the defeat of the character's enemies using the weapons given to the player. Usually these weapons are firearms or some other long-range ...

that uses the

handheld A mobile device (or handheld computer) is a computer small enough to hold and operate in the hand. Mobile devices typically have a flat LCD or OLED screen, a touchscreen interface, and digital or physical buttons. They may also have a physical ...

's gyroscopic controls and

camera A camera is an optical instrument that can capture an image. Most cameras can capture 2D images, with some more advanced models being able to capture 3D images. At a basic level, most cameras consist of sealed boxes (the camera body), with a ...

s. It was first released with the

and has been preloaded on all devices in the family. The game is an extended tech demo with a total of two modes and nine

level Level or levels may refer to: Engineering *Level (instrument), a device used to measure true horizontal or relative heights *Spirit level, an instrument designed to indicate whether a surface is horizontal or vertical * Canal pound or level * Re ...

s. Six of these are the primary experience for players, with the three stages in the secondary mode designed to be shown to friends unfamiliar with the game. After taking pictures of people's

face The face is the front of an animal's head that features the eyes, nose and mouth, and through which animals express many of their emotions. The face is crucial for human identity, and damage such as scarring or developmental deformities may aff ...

s, the game uses the faces to create enemies that attack the

player Player may refer to: Role or adjective * Player (game), a participant in a game or sport ** Gamer, a player in video and tabletop games ** Athlete, a player in sports ** Player character, a character in a video game or role playing game who is ...

, who must shoot them. The background of the game is the rear camera's viewpoint, which enemies will break through and hide behind. As people walk by in the background, the game takes their pictures, adding to the faces the player must shoot, and adding to the player's score. There are also combos for repeating an action, which multiply the

score Score or scorer may refer to: *Test score, the result of an exam or test Business * Score Digital, now part of Bauer Radio * Score Entertainment, a former American trading card design and manufacturing company * Score Media, a former Canadian m ...

every time (e.g. if the player hits enemies in the mouth continuously). There are

butterflies Butterflies are insects in the macrolepidopteran clade Rhopalocera from the order Lepidoptera, which also includes moths. Adult butterflies have large, often brightly coloured wings, and conspicuous, fluttering flight. The group comprises t ...

which can be hit in order to refill health and

bomb A bomb is an explosive weapon that uses the exothermic reaction of an explosive material to provide an extremely sudden and violent release of energy. Detonations inflict damage principally through ground- and atmosphere-transmitted mechan ...

s to collect to be used to destroy all enemies on the screen. At the end of each stage, the player battles a

boss Boss may refer to: Occupations * Supervisor, often referred to as boss * Air boss, more formally, air officer, the person in charge of aircraft operations on an aircraft carrier * Crime boss, the head of a criminal organization * Fire boss, a p ...

. When the boss is defeated, its

helmet A helmet is a form of protective gear worn to protect the head. More specifically, a helmet complements the skull in protecting the human brain. Ceremonial or symbolic helmets (e.g., a policeman's helmet in the United Kingdom) without prote ...

will transform into an

afro The afro is a hair type created by natural growth of Afro-textured hair, kinky hair, or specifically styled with chemical curling products by individuals with naturally Hair#Curly hair, curly or Hair#Classification systems, straight hair.Gar ...

. Local

high score In games, score refers to an abstract quantity associated with a player or team. Score is usually measured in the abstract unit of points (except in game shows, where scores often are instead measured in units of currency), and events in the ...

s are record on a leaderboard. By pressing Y on level select screen the player can hear some advice, and the player can turn on surprise snaps which take photos for you on levels.

Development

The game was developed by

alongside other built in software for the Nintendo 3DS. The team wanted to create a game that would interest people who had played the training software. The idea for the game started with using the faces of the player and others to create a comedic experience. HAL first started building prototypes using the face montage and other filters you could apply to photos, which ended up being included as a way to attack enemies. The merge lens was popular among developers, where two faces would be combined which ended up being part of the final game. At the end of development, HAL added a feature where you could point the outer camera of the 3DS at someone, and their face would become an enemy in the game. The game's AR features were created with the Nintendo 3DS Camera Team.

Reception

Prior to release with the 3DS, ''Face Raiders'' received generally positive feedback when it was shown at E3 as a tech demo with blocks instead of faces. When the use of faces was included, reviews were even more positive, with reviewers enjoying the fun and humor created by using faces and a live background. The

point-and-shoot A point-and-shoot camera, also known as a compact camera and sometimes abbreviated to P&S, is a still camera designed primarily for simple operation. Most use focus free lenses or autofocus for focusing, automatic systems for setting the expos ...

gameplay Gameplay is the specific way in which players interact with a game, and in particular with video games. Gameplay is the pattern defined through the game rules, connection between player and the game, challenges and overcoming them, plot and pla ...

with gyroscopic controls was said to be novel and easy to use. The free price was also cited as a positive aspect of the game, though some noted that it would be worth an eShop purchase if it had instead been offered there. The varied tactics to defeat enemies and bosses were applauded. However, the shortness of the game was also cited as a downside. Reviewers also felt that the 3D effect could be compromised by using the motion controls. The game was also seen as a good way to showcase the features of the 3DS to unfamiliar audiences.

References

{{Nintendo 3DS 2011 video games Nintendo 3DS games Nintendo 3DS-only games HAL Laboratory games Nintendo games Video games developed in Japan Shooter video games Video games scored by Shogo Sakai