The Louvre's partnership with Nintendo means that 1,500 handheld 3DS consoles are now finding themselves repurposed as interactive audio guides for visitors to the Parisian art museum since April 11.

The 3DS's features mean that sightseers can listen to expert commentary in seven languages (English, French, German, Spanish, Italian, Korean and Japanese), and view both 2D and 3D images of the artworks on display -- handy on those occasions when the Louvre is rammed with like-minded art lovers.

The console's predecessor, the Nintendo DS, had already been put to good use at various Japanese attractions such as the National Museum of Western Art and the Shigureden poetry museum.

Other international attractions have embraced the iPhone revolution, with Singapore's Asian Civilizations Museum, the Guggenheim in Bilbao, the Museum of Modern Art in New York and London's Tate Modern all getting in on the act.

The Louvre's official website: louvre.fr/en/museum-audio-guide/louvre-nintendo-3ds-audio-guide