Iwata Louvre

Update

Nintendo of America has now confirmed that this app will be released in North America — it'll arrive in the region on 2nd December and cost $19.99.

Original Article

Way back in Spring 2012 we told you about the official Louvre 3DS tour guide application that was being offered to visitors of the iconic museum in the French capital. Today Nintendo has announced Nintendo 3DS Guide: Louvre for the 3DS eShop, and also released one of its most charming mini Nintendo Direct videos as an accompaniment.

The app will be available from today in Europe and will cost €19.99 / £17.99 to download. It recreates the same experience of the guide in the museum itself, utilising the 3D screen in particular to provide views and images of all of the major areas of the site — this includes "600 images of artwork, nearly 30 hours of audio commentary, and more than 400 photos of the museum interior including 360° panoramic 3D photos of gallery spaces". There's an interactive map, set tours such as the Family Tour and a Slide Show feature that you can set to display chosen images with a clock — rather like a stylish wallpaper for the 3DS.

The app will update with latest exhibit information just like those official units in the museum, and it means you can also use your own 3DS for the interactive guide if you ever visit the venue itself. Physical copies of the software are also available from the museum's gift shop, if you dislike download copies and fancy a trip to Paris.

Whether the app is inspiring your artistic side or not, the Nintendo Direct video below is a must-watch, as Satoru Iwata and Shigeru Miyamoto tour the museum and put the guide through its paces. We'll keep an eye out to see whether this app will also be released in North America.