We got our Nintendo 3DS systems on Tuesday, many days in advance of the machineās March 27 North American release. Today is Friday and, wow, have we been working hard!
Weāve had a few days to form opinions and notice some things about the 3DS that we love and some that we could do without. We need to share.
From Stephen Totilo, using the 3DS in New York City:
The 3D hasnāt blinded me yet: The 3DS box warns that kids under 7 shouldnāt use the 3DSā glasses -free 3D effect. Iām over 7 and my eyes are doing ok. When I play submarine game Steel Diver, I keep the slider at halfway and feel no eye strain. The effect gives the game a couple of inches of simulated depth ābehindā the upper-screen and I can keep my focus just fine.
On the other eyeball, itās hard to keep good 3D focus on the flight-sim Pilotwings Resort. Rocking the system left or right just a tad kills the 3D effect and makes the image on the top screen blur. Iāve been getting around this by reducing the sliderās intensity to about 25%, which still produces an effect I prefer to flat zero 3D. I like the effect overall and hope I can become more acclimated to it. I also hope that developers find ways to program increasingly comfortable 3D, if such a thing is within their means.
Iāve been playing Okamiden, a DS game, on my 3DS. Okamiden is a sequel to Okami, a PS2 game in which you controlled the three-dimensional movement of a wolf with an analog stick. On the DS, youād have to do this with a d-pad, which produces all sorts of aggravation when trying to trot diagonally. On the 3DS, I make the wolf run in all directions with the circle pad. The circle pad is so good, it makes me want to find my copy of Super Mario 64 DS and play it the right way.
Been relying on cradle for the worryingly short battery life Iāve been worried about the battery life of my 3DS, which is supposed to last only about five hours. So far, Iāve not suffered an awkward shutdown, probably because Iāve been religious about putting the 3DS in its charge cradle when Iām not using it. In fact, I probably should let the battery get closer to zero before doing that, but I find the charge cradle an irresistible convenience.
https://lastchance.cc/this-is-the-useful-little-bed-packed-with-every-3ds-5782284%3C/a%3E%3C/p%3E
Iāve set up a team of Ryu, M. Bison, Vega and two other Street Fighter brawlers to automatically battle any other 3DS Street Fighter team my system sniffs out. Iāve set up my Mii Plaza to absorb nearby Miis so I can recruit them to battle through the light role-playing game Find Mii. I do love the idea of my 3DS exchanging data with hundreds of 3DS-owning New Yorkers, but for now itās all hypothetical. Nintendo could transform my expectations for portable gaming if this catches on.
From Brian Crecente, using the 3DS near Denver:
The 3D hasnāt wowed me yet: I too remain sighted after days playing 3D games on the 3DS, but I also remain mostly unimpressed. Itās not that the 3D doesnāt deliver that third dimension adequately, itās that it hasnāt yet made the visual argument to convince me that it is at all necessary. I had high hopes for LEGO Star Wars III. I expected that the latest in the LEGO franchise, which has historically struggeled with platforming because of the lack of depth, would finally fix the issue. Unfortunately the 3D hasnāt really helped. While the effects in most of the game I play can add a bit of depth to play, Iām still waiting for the game thatās going to show me why 3D isnāt just neat, itās required.
https://lastchance.cc/a-new-perspective-on-super-street-fighter-iv-5783032%3C/a%3E%3C/p%3E
Iām a fan of the controls: The circle pad is a wonderful, sublime addition to the 3DSā control suite. The direction pad and X, Y, A and B buttons all remain functional (if not a tad stiffer), but none preform as well as that oversized faux-thumbstick. I was delighted to find how easy it was to play games like Super Street Fighter IV 3D Edition and pull off moves with almost no problem. I do find the Home, Start and Select buttons a bit off-putting, but theyāre so rarely used that it doesnāt bother me that much.
Suspending software is a necessary pain: I love the idea of suspending a game, allowing myself to hop right back in without worrying about save points, but I hate the limitations and extra button pushes that entails. Every time you press the Home button to return to the 3DS main menu youāre warned that the game is suspended. Every time you try to start virtually anything else youāre warned that youāre going to lose your suspend. It would have been nice if they had allowed for multiple suspended games. [Note from Stephen: ā¦ or just allowed us to quit an application instead of suspending it!]
The joys of a pedometer and Street Pass: Iām really loving the few things Iāve been able to test out with the Street Pass and built-in pedometer. I love the notion of a gaming device that doesnāt just ask you to get outside, walk and mingle, but rewards it. Hopefully there will be a lot more to come as developers sink their teeth into these new tools.
Slow transitions drive me insane: The 3DS seems to take its time transitioning between the menu and anything. Itās a minor delay, but itās already starting to bug me. Hopefully an update or tweak can iron this minor nitpick out.
The built-in games are the best: From the fabulous AR Games to Face Raider to that fun little Mii-centric role-playing game, the tiny little freebies that come with your 3DS are the best choices for gaming so far on the system.
https://lastchance.cc/these-magic-cards-are-the-holy-shit-moment-of-nintend-5782646%3C/a%3E%3C/p%3E
A stylus-dependent touchscreen is annoying: Iāve got an iPhone and an iPad. That means Iām officially over using a stylus to do things on a touchscreen. Unfortunately the 3DSā screen doesnāt seem quite ready to ditch the stylus. You can use your finger still, but the games I tried that on werenāt that responsive. So I find myself digging around behind the console, pulling out the stylus, extending it and then using it, all in the middle of a game like LEGO Star Wars III. Not good. [Note from Stephen: Agreed! In this iPhone era, my reflex is to touch a touchscreen with my fingers, not a stylus. I keep forgetting and smudging my 3DSā lower screen.]
Whatās missing: Internet browsing and the e-store still isnāt here. Nor is the ability to transfer your purchases from your DSi. Theyāre promised, but not yet delivered. Iād also love to see a built in video player on here and maybe a music player that has a better user interface then does the one found on the DSi.
Those are our impressions so far. Weāll continue to have more on the 3DS as we approach its March 27 launch in North America. If there are things we havenāt covered that youāre curious about, let us know.
