Nintendo 3DS Review

Nintendo has come a long way in handhelds, always seeming to keep the market in the palm of it’s own hands.  From the days of Gameboy, Gameboy Color, Gameboy Advanced, Gameboy SP, DS, to the now 3DS.  So what does set this console apart from the already huge library of the DS, and the now looming PSV?  I’ll touch on what I feel about the 3DS, and how it stacks up.

The Look: The 3DS still features the clamshell body, touch screen on bottom but now a widescreen on the top.  4 button layout right of the lower screen have good feedback but feel a bit too solid like the original DS as well as the Dpad on the left has that cheap stiff feeling.  However the 3DS now features a comfortable smooth analog stick which is a huge welcome from me.  To the right of the top screen is a slider adjuster for the depth of the 3D feature.

The headset jack is oddly placed on the bottom.  I don’t know why handhelds choose to do that so often.  The Home/Start/Select are below the touch screen and feel like the cheap buttons from old remote controls.  This is a terrible design flaw that will see quick wearing if history has taught us with the remotes.

The shoulder buttons are nicely designed although having to hold them does feel off.  Perhaps I’ll get used to it.  It’s weight is surprisingly nice and doesn’t hurt to hold onto for a decent period of time.

Overall the design feels sturdy.  A huge change from the original DS models.  My only beef is the top screen doesn’t lock quite 100%, so if you are using the camera to aim with a game, the top screen can flop down slightly while looking upward.

Graphics: A huge improvement here.  I have to say originally I thought the 3DS would only be a minor upgrade from the DS.  I was surprised to say the least.  The graphics seen a huge improvement.  You would think a port of the original Zelda: Ocarina of time would be similar graphics, but it brought that massive game into graphics that put the Wii to shame.

Controls: As I said, the ABXY buttons have nice feedback but are rather stiff to press.  The analog stick is a wonderful replacement to the crummy Dpad and works amazing in games.  The only beef I’ve found with playing on the 3DS in general is the shoulders.  While playing Zelda3DS, it was difficult to press and hold the shoulder buttons while fighting.  I’m also disappointed to find the touch screen did not see any improvement.  While the software seems to handle it better, it seen to care put into it.

3D Element: When I seen that the 3DS featured glassesless stereoscopic 3D, I dismissed it as a gimmick.  While I still agree it’s a gimmick, I was thoroughly impressed at how well it was executed.  It does really look well done.  I can’t tell you how excited I was watching Navi fly through Kokiri Village in 3D.  While the objects don’t come popping out of the screen like it seems in some commercial, it’s best described as peering through a window at a deep immersive world.  It’s also safe to say you have to keep your head directly centered or it doesn’t work.  This is problematic when games require moving the 3DS around to aim or look around.  Thankfully, switching in and out of 3D is a snap with the slider.  Also, keep in mind this technology will wear your eyes out, so don’t go crazy.

Battery Life: The 3D has a standard battery life of 5 hours tops.  This is with WiFi off, screen low brightness and 3D turned off.  The huge drain here is of course the 3D.  Take into consideration that when using 3D, it’s rendering 2 displays, one to each eye.  So it’s no wonder it takes the batter life down to 3 hours.  Sad, but understandable.  Keep 3D to a minimal when on the go, and go crazy at home with it plugged in!

Outdoor Gaming: I’d like to point out how well this system is for on the go.  While sunlight bright outdoor light casted on the screen can cause a rainbow like coloration, it’s still very easy to view.  This is just awesome compared to so many other systems that require shade to really see all that well.  I have to give Nintendo a huge thumbs up for this.

Price: Originally the 3DS went for a whopping $249, and I scoffed.  After some bad sales recordings, Nintendo caved and dropped the price to a much lower $169!  A much easier price to stomach.  Shoot, it even can make you cry if you recently purchased a DS as that is about the same cost as the originally DS late in it’s life.

Game Selection:  This is probably the part that still hurts the 3DS.  It just doesn’t have a solid lineup.  However with the recent 1st party titles coming out, it does feel a little better.  At the moment my library consists of Mario 3D Land and Zelda:Ocarina of Time.  While I’m looking at Mario Kart 7 and Devil Survivor, I’m just begging for new titles.  Luckily for me, I have Resident Evil Revelation and Tales of Abyss 3D to look forward to (Eagerly!!).

Also down further down the road is a Monster Hunter title that I may grab.  Beyond the Labyrinth looks great.  Squareenix is releasing a Final Fantasy’ish title called Bravely Default that may hit the west.  Kingdom Hearts DreamDropDistance will be out sometime this year and looks like a blast.  Luigi’s Mansion looks cute.  Final Fantasy Theatrhythm looks.. interesting, while I hate beat games, I love FF music.  Lastly, Nintendo apparently has work on an original Zelda title for the 3DS.

Conclusion: While I don’t recommend buying any system without at least 3 solid titles, this piece of hardware is promising and definitely proved my doubts wrong.  While I still feel the 3D is a gimmick, Nintendo managed to put some amazing graphics on this handheld that puts their home console to shame.  The controls are a great improvement and the price is just right.  If you see some favorable titles on it, snag it up!