Nintendo 3DS
The Nintendo 3DS and games hits stores on 3/27, but Nintendo sent mine today, which basically means I’ve got a fight on my hands when the rugrats get home. Ah well, at least I have something to do until school ends. Hey! It’s a 3DS plus a few games! This is what I do for a living. This is work!
I’ve been behind the DS curve for a while so the sleekness of the package comes as a bit of a surprise. This DS is slim and smaller, sporting a shorter stylus and all kinds of plugs and bays. It even has a docking station for charging or computer interfacing. I’ve never seen one so I was leery of the 3D quality. During the walkthrough, the machine has you turn this on and it’s a pleasant surprise. The 3D effect is crisp and looks good, but how will it affect actual games?
Nintendo included an assortment from their partners. Nintendo throws in a new Nintendogs (with Kittens) and this one has a Basset Hound, EA contributes Madden, there’s LEGO Star Wars III and Street Fighter 4. A nice range of game styles and presumably chosen because of how well they use the 3D. The third dimension enhances all of the games in unexpected ways, but there’s nothing here that’s a real breakthrough. The games are just as good in 2D, the 3D mainly just looks cool. The breakthrough comes from software in the machine itself – and the applications of the future. Nintendo has already announced that May will see an update that lets us watch 3D movie trailers in 3D. This is step one in bringing 3D movies to devices.
I don’t recommend parents rush out and get the 3DS, especially if the kids already have a DSi. Wait a bit, the technology is promising and Nintendo has already shown us, with the Wii and DS, that game companies will figure out what to do with wacky new control schemes and ideas. The 3DS is a machine of the future.
It is cool. And it has a built in program that lets you mess with recorded music. It can take 3D pictures. 3D pictures are pretty awesome.
Maybe get a 3Ds if the kid’s DSi breaks… you know… things break sometimes. Wives (husbands) understand that, you know?
“Sorry honey, I sat on Junior’s DSi… that’s just a shame isn’t it but… heeeey, maybe we should look at that 3Ds?”
Good luck!
March 28th, 2011 at 12:21 am
I played around with a 3ds at Pax East and was surprised with how powerful the machine was for its size. It’s small, I can’t say with confidence but it feels smaller than my DS and certainly smaller than any DS or DSI XL, but the graphics are smooth and crisp. For younger gamers the size should not be an issue, however when Daddy borrows it ………..
One major drawback is the battery life. The 3DS takes over 3 hours to fully charge the battery. A full charge should last 4 to 4 and a half hours. This is with the 3d turned on and the speakers on, also this is rough estimation based upon the reviews I’ve read. It does have a slider switch to turn the 3d on and off, and honestly, with the games I played at Pax East, it only made a huge difference in one game, Resident Evil, and I’m not sure how kid friendly that is (Protip: not so much).
Overall, this system looks amazing. I’m not gonna lie. The zelda game looked fantastic, as did Kid Icarus and Street Fighter (again, maybe not the most child friendly). It certainly has power, but that’s also its largest drawback. I, personally, would consider this like an Apple product and wait until the 2nd or 3rd offering if you can (or if your child can). The cradle will be useful due to the battery. I would expect many solid kid-friendly titles as this is a Nintendo console.