Nintendo 3DS Review

It's been a week and a half since I got my 3DS and I think it is time to share my views on it.

Design

I own the black model and am disappointed by the glossy finish. A matte finish would have been preferred because this way I leave fingerprints all over it. But aside from that it is a very slick looking system. It isn't a lot different to the newer DS models but it does look snazzier than the DSi with a wider screen, an analog stick and an overall sleeker look.

Hardware features

The 3DS comes equipped with dual-screens like previous systems, the top one being slightly larger and the bottom one having touch functionality as always. There is an analog stick along with the control pad that plays a lot smoother than the Playstation Portable's nub. There are three cameras on the system; two of which on the outside and one on the inside. The dual cameras on the outside are for taking 3D videos and photos, which brings me to the next point, being there is a slider on the side of the system that allows you to switch between 2D and 3D at any point in-game or on the menu.

:omg: One flaw that must be mentioned that, although the addition of an analog stick is welcome, there is just one which means for FPS's we will have to use the touch screen to aim, unfortunately.

Other mentions:

:notbad: SD card slot, with an SD card provided :awwyeah:
:notbad: Earphone jack socket
:notbad: Wireless activation switch
:notbad: Volume slider
:notbad: Cartridge/game socket
:notbad: Stylus

Myth:

Apparently the battery life is short :derp: but in actual fact this is only the case if you have the volume on, have brightness set to high and have 3D switched on. Even with 3D on the whole time, I was able to get approximately over 4 hours gameplay time.

Bonus:

:freddie: Full backwards compatibility with Nintendo DS games.

The 3D

The 3D features, I must say, are incredible. The 3D effect is not without fault and I will elaborate upon this but first I must say that the 3D is more or less on-par with the 3D you will see in the cinema and furthermore there are no glasses required, which is revolutionary!
But here are the drawbacks.
:cerealguy: One is that you must be positioned directly in front of it at a certain range of distance for the 3D to look perfect, otherwise you might see ghosting on the screen.
:cerealguy: The 3D also brings out the jaggies. When playing in 2D the game looks a bit smoother (but this also means the image is clearer and more vibrant).
:cerealguy: I noticed there is a small blind spot on the screen when playing in 3D but this is barely noticable and you may only just about notice it when you move past an object that is up-close to the screen, and even then this is just nit picking.

Myth:
People say that playing in 3D for a while will make you dizzy. I actually was able to play Mariokart and Zelda for about 4 hours with 3D turned on the whole time with one or two breaks in between just to eat or drink and my eyes were fine. Position the system right and it should be fine.


:sweetjesus: Overall the 3D effects are stunning and you will find it hard to return to 2D after getting used to 3D. It is no longer like you are looking at a game but now you are looking right into it. It definitely helps with immersion and it gives you that little bit more enjoyment when you play the game.

Power

Finally we can shut those android and iphone 4 fanboys up. The 3DS has the best handheld graphics out there so far. The Psvita will no doubt show it up but honestly, Ive never seen visuals so stunning on a handheld before... and we've seen just a glimpse of what's yet to come.
Here is a summary:


:freddie: The graphics not only rival but completely slaughter those seen on the gamecube and other systems last generation. The draw distances, textures, polygon count and level of detail is astounding. Even on Ocarina of Time, an N64 title remake the visuals are beautiful. Resident Evil is comparable to the 360/PS3 game Resident Evil 5 in terms of graphics, specifically in terms of character models which are superbly done. Mariokart 7 also looks incredible and looks better overall than Mariokart Double Dash on Gamecube. Some upcoming games also appear to look arguably about as good as early Xbox 360 titles.

:cerealguy: The visuals do not have the best anti aliasing (if any), in terms of smoothness they look just a bit better than Playstation Portable but are possibly inferior to the Iphone 4's smoothness.

On the whole the visuals are excellent, and although they will be put to shame when PsVita comes out, they are still fantastic for a handheld.

Games

The main subject of debate. Here's the thing though, I don't always support nintendo but when I do it's always because of the games. :mostinterestin
And this is entirely the reason why I bought a 3DS over a Playstation Vita. Although there are less games in the pipeline for 3DS, the games definitely appeal to me more. And the promise of a Rollercoaster Tycoon game just sealed the deal for me.

There are only a small number of games out for the 3DS at the moment and they range from the utterly excellent to the downright awful. But the vast majority are full, decent budget retail titles, rather than simple downloadable mini-style games.
Also it must not be ignored that all standard DS games can be played on the 3DS, so already there is more reason to own one.

:notbad: There are already three games rated AAA, and that is definitely a strong start. One of these games is a port of, what is widely considered, the greatest game ever made.

:stare: However, there are household name games that ended up with some truly mediocre scores.

:content: The games lineup does look rather promising, with several titles of big-names or respectable companies and even some remakes of classics.

:amazing: The 3D does also mean that remade games are already much more compelling and make them worth a punt.

The Software

The systems menu is easy to navigate and use. There are many in-built features like the sound recorder, the camera and 3D image/video maker, mii creator, the friends list, the store and so on.

There are some free downloads in the store including

:notbad: Legend of Zelda the Four Swords
:notbad: Pokedex
:notbad: Video downloading application ... and so on.

:notbad: There are also some games built in, both of which are augmented reality games and they work well for the most part and are rather intriguing for a while.
:notbad: There is also streetpass, which allows you to recieve and send data to and from people you pass by in a street.

And the list goes on.

:cerealguy: The interface is nice but better customization options would have been well recieved because over time people are going to get very bored of the simple, understated layout.

Value and final thoughts

The system recieved a massive cut by Nintendo. The price was knocked off by about 1/3rd. Now you can pick a 3DS up for just over £100 quid, which is really just a tiny bit more expensive than a DSi, to put it in proportion. So really, there is no reason to not buy a 3DS if you are considering getting a DS, especially since it has backwards compatibility. But also for a system that has 3D, top notch graphics and everything you need right out of the box, there are no complaints here and in fact I must praise Nintendo for this. The price is shockingly good value and I'd be surprised if it did not sell well.

Overall any complaints I have for the 3DS are minor as hell. It is perhaps the best gaming handheld out there...and perhaps will continue to be that way even after the PsVita's release. Only time will tell, but as it stands, the 3DS is an excellent portable gaming system and an all round decent system in general. :truestory:

Whew that was long.

Might pick one up eventually. PS Vita looks all around much better.

Good review tho.

Lykos wrote:

Whew that was long.

That's what she said.

Mecha wrote:

Lykos wrote:

Whew that was long.

That's what he said.

Had to fix that typo.

Well spoken review.

The thing about the 3DS needing to use touch screens for FPS i completely agree with that it sucks. Playing metroid prime hunters on the DS was a fucking bitch because of it. There is the additional second analog you could buy tho if you don't mind the bulky design.

Toxicmaniac wrote:

Well spoken review.

The thing about the 3DS needing to use touch screens for FPS i completely agree with that it sucks. Playing metroid prime hunters on the DS was a fucking bitch because of it. There is the additional second analog you could buy tho if you don't mind the bulky design.

Thank you kind sir :content:

Yeah, to be honest it is a bit of a drawback. For any other style of game the 3DS is perfect but games where the camera movement is important, like an FPS or a fast paced game like assassins creed, well... a touch screen isn't the best alternative.

If it's that bad yeah I guess the second analog is a decent enough idea. The best third party device for it though I think is the Nyko battery extension, that can pretty much double the battery life.