Before going into the meat and potatoes of this thing one thing needs to be said. It WORKS. Today Nintendo has collectively blown the minds of millions as they've put 3D gaming in the palms of peoples hands across the world. It's a technical achievement that deserves respect an will probably spark an entirely new trend in the gaming industry as a whole.
The Look
The size of the machine is back to the dsi size, not the Xl. Some will see this as unfortunate, but the XL was fairly cumbersome so its good Nintendo decided to go back to the more pocket favorable design. The larger screens will be missed, but being able to carry on the go is a nice return.
A few other design differences for the 3ds include the new analog pad that allows for more precise 3d movements. Its a lot like the psp analog stick, but much bigger. As well as the analog pad, theres a home button on the bottom of the touch screen that will allow you go to the home screen of the 3ds at any point. This is a great new feature as the 3ds seems like it will have a very robust online set of features. While most of the features aren't ready yet, Nintendo has promised major updates in May for things like the web browser, netflix, DS Ware channels.
The Hardware
The 3ds is one powerful machine. The best example is Super Street Fighter IV 3D. SSIV:3D isn't a watered down handheld version of the fantastic console fighter, it's a carbon copy. Everything from the original xb360/ps3 release is here and a little bit more. The arcade modes, the online fight requests, the car crushing bonus stages, the titles, all 35 characters, the costumes, the icons, etc. And with some minor downgrading, it LOOKS just like the console versions too. (It even has spectator mode, and MVC3 on the consoles still doesn't. WTF Capcom) The 3ds feels more powerful than the Wii, and it's in the palm of your hands.
The 3ds effect is nothing to scoff at and after spending some serious time playing some of the games, it's more than a gimmick for certain. Pilotwings really gives you the feeling that you're flying towards the horizon since for the first time you have a sense of depth perception in a video game.
One of the most shocking facts of the 3ds is the new approach to online play. Nintendo is embracing the online. All you need to do is put in your friends 3ds friend code ONCE and after that, they're on your 3ds internal friends list. You can see what they're playing and everything. It's a new direction for Nintendo (albeit one that Microsoft and Sony have been on for years) and it's exciting to think of the new possibilities that may bring.
The only real flaw that can be found in the 3ds is the battery life. It's pretty weak as it only lasts for 3-4 hours in 3D mode. This is unfortunate because it's almost guaranteed The house of N will release a new model either later this year or early next that will have 3 times the amount of battery life.
The Software
The 3ds has a few good games on it at launch, but nothing spectacular. The fact that best game launched with the system isn't made by Nintendo, but rather Capcom, says a lot about how poorly planned this was for Nintendo. Pilotwings, Super Street Fighter, Bust-A-Move, Rayman 3D, etc. These games are all decent and not bad to have in your library but they aren't what we're waiting for.
Where's the re-re-release of Ocarina of Time? Where's Starfox 64 3D? Kid Icarus? Mario Kart 3d? Why couldn't they delay Pokmeon Black and White and make them for the 3ds? In the end, the launch games for the 3ds are simply weak because Nintendo could have done a lot better.
The Future
The future is very bright for the 3ds. Glowing even. With the promise of a Super Mario 3d, Mario Kart 3d, and many well beloved re-releases like Metal Gear Solid 3 and Star Fox, the 3ds's library is already making Sony insanely jealous.
Plus, most of the features that Nintendo's been showing off for the 3ds are not readily included yet. The promise of virtual console games being playable on the 3ds, the netflix support, the web browser, the DSi Ware games, streaming 3D movies, we're still waiting for all of them.
The Verdict
The 3ds will be a successful launch, and it will be a very successful machine. It's an incredible gadget and it's proof that Nintendo CAN change since it has online support and friends lists. The price is pretty steep but for those of you who simply have to be on the ground floor for it, it's worth it. If you're on the fence, you should probably wait for the inevitable upgraded 3dsi or whatever Nintendo calls it.
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