Ever since Apple got serious about handheld gaming with the launch of its App Store two years ago Nintendo has had exactly two choices. It could give up. Or it could try to compete with the iPhone's ability to download games over the air.

Instead Nintendo has opted for option number three: do something really, really weird. Are you ready for 3D handheld gaming?

In a short, cryptic release, Nintendo said Tuesday it plans to introduce a new handheld gaming device that will give gamers a 3D experience without the goofy glasses. The device will be released in Japan before March of next year. The company said it will offer a public peek at the new device at the E3 Expo in Los Angeles in June. Brian Caulfield