SAN FRANCISCO – 3D HDTVs are practically here, which means 3D videogames should be making a slow creep into the mainstream soon enough. A new Nintendo DSi Ware game, however, doesn’t need any fancy polarized LCD screens or expensive shutter glasses to make those eye popping images come to life. Clever use of the DSi hardware’s mechanics and that quintessential MacGyver spirit proves 3D can be achieved on almost any device, if you try hard enough.

The game is called Rittai Kakushi E Atta Koreda, which loosely translates to “3D Hidden Images: Found it! Here it is!” Using the DSi’s inward facing camera, the game tracks the player’s eyes to create the 3D effect, according to Gizmodo. The onscreen image will move according to the position of your face creating a sense of depth, similar to looking at a diorama.

Because the 3D effect doesn’t require glasses to filter light, this should produce a 3D image that will be easy on your eyes and reduce instances of strain.

The actual game itself doesn’t seem like it’s going to win any awards. It’s billed as an “image and letter finding game” on the Japanese Web site, and being that it’s a 500 point DSi Ware game it might also be a short-lived experience. Nonetheless, it is refreshing to see game developers maxing out hardware capabilities and proving that 3D doesn’t need any fancy hardware to be effective.