I can’t remember a time before NES emulation was a thing. From our first Windows 95 PC until today I have always enjoyed an NES classic or 2 through emulation. The thing about NES emulation though is that it has been nearly perfected for years. The announcement and release of new NES emulators hasn’t been all that exciting or interesting because of this. That is, until 3dSen appeared on the scene. 3dSen is a newer NES emulator that first popped up on my radar 4 years ago when we covered it on GameTyrant. Rather than being just another NES emulator, 3dSen is offering up something truly unique. Complete 3D overhauls of classic NES titles using existing ROM files. After years of development and testing, 3dSen has finally come to Steam via Early Access with hopes of a full launch later in the year!

Gameplay

Yes, you heard that right, 3dSen offers you a way to play a number of supported NES titles in a whole new way. Tructv of Geod Studios has been able to get 3D renditions of roughly 70 NES titles up and running for this early access launch, including hits like Super Mario Bros., The Legend of Zelda, and Mega Man! Tructv has achieved this by utilizing custom frame data sampling, a voxel 3D engine, and LUA scripting to bring each experience to life. Now, this is an oversimplification of the process and work that has to go into each title but it does give you the basic idea of how it works! 

When you first boot into 3dSen you will be greeted by a very simple menu system that lists every supported game. There is also a 2D mode option but I will touch more on that in a bit. Now, here’s the thing: 3dSen does not come preloaded with any of these titles. While emulation has been legal since the late ’90s, thanks to the efforts of Bleem, distribution of copyrighted games without licensing is still very much not. That being the case, you will need to supply your own ROM files in order to play them. With the right equipment, it isn’t difficult to back-up your entire NES library. 

After you have your files, simply double click the game you wish to play and use the file browser to locate it. After the location has been set for a game, it will be remembered for subsequent play sessions. If you need to change the location for any reason, you can do so by right-clicking on the title. At any time during gameplay, you can return to the menu and right-click the in-game scene off to the right to give your game a screenshot to help pretty up the menu.

I have to say, this is a cool way to experience some NES classics! I have played the original Mega Man a number of times across multiple different platforms and this might be the most I have enjoyed playing it in years! While the game plays exactly as you would expect it to, which is a feat unto itself, the presentation is what truly steals the show! The added layer of depth to the environments and certain objects appearing in 3D are mesmerizing. At any point during gameplay, you can freely rotate the scene resulting in some truly unique game perspectives that have just never been available before. Some of these angles can make actually playing the game more difficult but they are still fun nonetheless!

The quality of the 3D graphics do seem to change based on the game and time spent with it. While I loved how Mega Man looked, it pales in comparison to how cool Zelda looks. With the slight angle on all the background objects and 3D reworks of various enemies, it could pass for a nice 3D remaster. I also love how items have been modified to spin. These effects also apply to the overworld in Super Mario Bros. 3, another game I have been absolutely loving in 3dSen. Honestly pretty much any game that uses a background gets an awesome shadow box design! 

For the games that don't, you can change the background between a number of different presets. I am digging “fantasy” myself and the fact that it changes color depending on the scene is a great touch. Another sweet benefit to the new 3D rendering is that a good selection of games that I have tested include new shadowing effects that obviously weren't in the original presentation. Shadow effects can be disabled in the settings if desired.

Ok, but enough about the way it looks; how does it feel to play the games in this new 3D environment? Well as I mentioned, it handles exactly how you would expect it to on any other NES emulator. Controls have felt great and I haven't experienced any sort of input lag. Input can also be done through a variety of options including Keyboard, and Xinput, or Direct input controllers. I have personally used an Xbox One and Retro-Bit Bluetooth Sega Genesis controllers during play. There are a variety of keybindings that can be set in the main menu for game and optional controls, so the number of buttons and thumbsticks can affect this. Oh and 3dSen does support 2 players, so be prepared to get your multiplayer on! 

I quickly want to cover some of the other options available in 3dSen. Save states are fully supported, and unlike other emulators that have per game slots, 3dSen lists everything right on the menu. This global system actually works well if you're wanting to jump between a number of areas in a game or multiple games in general. Game speed can be adjusted for both slow motion and fast forward. Lighting can be turned up and down to suit your preferences. A frameskip option is selectable to help lower-end systems maintain full speed at the trade-off of video smoothness. 

The framerate of the 3D engine can also be selected, and while it won't change the NES titles FPS, it can make the 3D presentation smoother. Antialiasing is available to be turned on and off with FFAA and SMAA options. Last up is the render mode that can be changed between direct and render tex. I have found direct to offer smoother performance on my machine but if you want access to a few additional features, like video scaling and windowed mode, you will need to use render tex.

Since these are NES ROMs in use, every quirk found in the original game is still present on 3dSen! This does mean that every speedrunning trick can be pulled off in your favorite supported titles. I will say a few of them might be a bit harder to pull off if you rely on visual queues though. Still, it's great to know that it can be done!

Now, let's touch on that 2D mode I brought up earlier for a minute. Any game that hasn't received a 3D profile can still be played traditionally within 3dSen by selecting the 2D mode. ROM selection and reselection will need to be used to accommodate this but it is a good feature to have nonetheless. By the way, 2D mode can be used on the 3D supported titles if you want to play them in their original format. As for the emulation quality itself, it appears to be fairly accurate. Sprite flickering and slowdowns during heavier scenes are present. Even in 3D mode, games present these typical NES traits due to the way the 3D conversion works.

Audio

Just a quick note on audio emulation; it sounds as good to me as any other top tier NES emulator. If you think emulation audio sounds fine you shouldn’t have any complaints here. If you do have issues with it, well, there you have it.

What It Could Have Done Better

While 3dSen has left an overall great first impression there are some things I hope to see improved as the project progresses. As much as I applaud accurate emulation, I would love to see an option added for overriding the sprite limit. The traditional sprite flicker in the 3D presentation is a bit distracting and in this case, I think it would better suit the experience. There are also minor moments where the screen just feels shaky, especially the edges in 2D mode. I think the menu could also use a bit of extra flair. While it is perfectly functional it is very minimalist and I have personally known a few people who get turned off by such things. 

Verdict

NES emulation has been practically perfected with few innovations to be seen for many years. What Geod Studio has done with 3dSen not only brings new innovation to the scene but also gives long time players a new way to relive their favorite games. Sure, the list of supported games at the moment is pretty small, but more will continue to be added over time. Plans to release the profile maker tools for 3dSen have also been announced to let the addition of more games be a community effort! I, for one, can’t wait to see what the future holds for 3dSen. Even though the emulator isn’t free, this type of innovation more than makes me happy to jump in and support it!