Nintendo 3DS Review!

It's something i've been hopping off the walls for these past months since it was first announced. Yesterday I went out to get it and boy was I excited. I may have skipped off 2 hours of school to get it but I don't regret it. It might seem odd that i'm already writing a review after getting it yesterday but I haven't put it down for the 24 hours i've had it and took a small break for food and 7 hours for sleep. So where to start...

The 3D:

Everyone has been curious about the 3D this machine is supposed to have. Well it does work and very well I might add. A lot of sites have been spurting out nonsense saying the 3D is awful and a waste of money and it's better to have it off. This couldn't be further from the truth. If you've seen the ads of the 3DS with a bunch of randomers going crazy over seeing 3D for the first time you essentially saw my first reaction to the 3D. There was one thing these sites got right. The "Safe Area" of 3D. To get the 3D effect you must look at the screen head on. If it shifts about 10 degrees to the left or right it makes the screen go blurry. It's not really an error on Nintendos part, more on human genetics. Human eyes aren't meant to see 3D for too long. However the slight shaking that everybody has (although it may not seem like it) no effect. There was one problem I had and that's when I was trying to play it in the car. Didn't work that well at all because of the shaking. As I said humans aren't meant to view 3D. After a while I did get minor head aches. This was after 3-4 hours of 100% 3D so Nintendo and IGN may have exagerated on that part. Thankfully the 3D can be turned down easily and the console can still be enjoyed in 2D. I'll speak on the various games and apps 3D as I get to them.

The Physical Aspect:

The DS has improved vastly since the silver block that was originally released. So how has it improved from the previous DS, The DSI. The Dsi I found was too rectangular and uncomfartable. Also I found that it showed moisture easily. The first DS didn't have any problems and the DS lite have the fingerprint issue. The 3DS... has repaired these issues. It's off a simaler glossy and comfartable material simaler to the DS lite but without the Fingerprints. The new stylus is also more comfartable and a cross between the orignal and the DSi XL, by that I mean it's extendable. I find that it's easier to use at full length but you do what you want. The Analog stick is next. This is something I was sceptical of. Now there's 2 methods of moving around, On a Playstation controller it worked but this I wasn't sure. Now I am sure that it is brilliant. It's really responsive and smooth. It's also compatiable with the original DS games. What I also love is the 3D camera. There's 3 Cameras on this, 1 on the inside for 2d and 2 on the outside for 3D. It works well in the 3D aspect but the camera hasn't increased in the aspect of the quality it can produce. Pics end up being blurry sometimes but it's still nice to have 3D pics of my Dog, Figurines etc. The Buttons themselves too have been improved. They now properly click giving a real response and very little of the mushy feeling that came with a few of the DS forms. There's also a Wireless switch on the side which can be turned off or on in order to save power. There's a FREE 2 GIG SD CARD with all purchases so that's handy and nice of them.

The Digital Side:

The first thing I'd like to talk about is the Battery. As a lot of sites say there's a very small amount of juice in this machine. With all the power at max your battery is drained in about 2 and a half hours. The menu has yet again been improved and has a lot of customizable features. Various built in apps such as the Activity Log are welcome. The Activity Log is constantly recording what you do and ranks games out of things like "Time Played", "Amount Of Times turned on" and keeps a chart of what you do. There's a reward scheme in the 3DS that encourages you to go for a walk. There's a pedometer inside your 3DS, while in stand-by mode, that detects how much you walk and for every 100 steps you get 1 play coin. Then you can spend you play coins on mini games or add ons in game. I've walked 5000 steps with mine from walking my dog twice. I did try, at first, to just shake the 3DS in stand-by mode and it was infrequent so I do recomend going out side and walk about 250 meters or so so that you get close to 1000 steps. Another amazing feature is the one use friend codes. Now you don't need one friend code a game and you can see what your pals are playing when your in the friend menu. Trouble is there's no way to talk to them but it's been hinted at in future updates along with 3D movies, and Classic game store.

Apps and Games:

The first i'll talk about is the "Mii Maker". For those who are unfamiliar with the nintedo Wii, Mii's are essentially avatars, simaler to the ones from the Xbox in every aspect apart from clothes. This works for the 3DS with it being a handheld console but not for the Wii, which shall not be ranted about now. There's actually more stuff on the 3DS version than the Wii which only makes the Wii look worse. With these Mii's you can play little games or take fun pictures with them. The Mii picture app as part of the AR Card games (Which i'll speak more of soon) where you can make artistic or just plain silly pictures with your Mii's. The AR games are another really interesting bit about the 3ds. The gist of it is you place down some cards you get with your 3Ds and you can play games with them. 1 of them is filled with games then there's 5 well known Nintendo characters that can be used in other games. The AR games are really ingenious. In some you can go fishing where ever you put the card down. Another opens up caves, islands, jungles and the occasional dragon statue so that you can shoot targets. Another is a large of pool then there's making 3D pics and there's more you can buy and so many more!. It's truly magnificent these cards. As I said in a recent 3DS update, "Even If I don't like the games i'm sure I can enjoy all the minigames" and boy was I right.

The Dsi Sound returns with better file compatibility and 3D animations of course and so does the picture editing in the photo viewer except with just different layout and features. There's also the Streetpass feature where when your 3DS is in standby it automatically trades data with any nearby 3Ds's such as your Mii, Friend Data and Play log data. Sadly I haven't met anyone while walking my dog who had a 3Ds but there is a solution. Around the world Streetpass events are being held so you can just look them up to see if there's one in your city/ town... or you could start your own ^_^.

DS Download play is still here just without it's old pal pictochat and the myth about region locking is a lie. I turned on my American Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin and it ran fine. There certainly is a lot of features and more are to be arriving in the coming months such as 3D movies, and Classic games.

TIME FOR SOME OF MY PICS :p!

5 hero cards in action

My dog in Sepia

My Dog in Sepia 2

The Dragon Boss in AR: Shooting

Ar Shooting Level 1, Played on my floor.

AR card Main Menu

Sony VS. Nintendo!

Normally when people dig behind my sofa they find pennies, Link here found 20 ruppes...

KILL THE NON BELIEVER!
Hero Card line up

AR Card Game Loading

AR Game Main Menu

Geronimoooo!

Cosy by the fireplace

Scaling my fireplace

Suicide off my coffee table

IN CONCLUSION:

The 3DS should you get it? In my humble opinion I suggest you do. It's worth the €250 to get and it's only going to get better and with no 3DS lite or an equivelant of that announced, I suggest you don't wait around for something that may not be coming out for another year.

THINGS I LIKE

• The 3D
• Huge amount of apps and minigames
• Improved style of console AND stylus.
• WAY better online and soon to be better!
• 3D movies (Short clips come out with the latest update)

THINGS I DISLIKE

• Launch titles (Although I have been enjoying my Lego Star Wars III despite my earlier scepticism)
• Safe area to get the 3D effect
• Stylus location (Hard to get out and awkward area)

AND THE RESULT IS:

 9.5 /10

It's not perfect, nothing is, but the half mark is removed for the general failing of the 3D safe area and the lack of some of the big launch titles announced at E3.