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2.6.2011

Well alright... this is much better than I was expecting. I've usually been reluctant to be an early adopter of Nintendo hardware given how long it usually takes for the real heavy hitter games to come out for them (My one ill advised exception to this was the Wii, as Twilight Princess was a launch title... even if it was a Gamecube port...), but seeing as I was just given a 3DS as a birthday gift the decision has been taken out of my hands on this occasion it would seem. Not that I'm complaining mind, as even though I had several reservations about the 3DS, the actual console itself is thus far proving a very satisfying piece of kit. Though there are some issues here still that give me pause.Looking like a much bulkier DS Lite,I was surprised by how heavy the 3DS was and felt in the hand. Nothing I didn't adjust to quick enough, but it is a jarring experience going from my DS lite to this. The shiny black finish looks and feels very similar to the casing of a PSP and sadly smudges just as easily at the touch as the PSP does. The touch screen's smaller size compared to the 3D screen makes the whole thing look a bit more disjointed than I'd have thought, and the sliders for the adjustable 3D and volume felt a tad 'loose' to me. The d-pad isn't quite as prominent as on older DS models and felt a little less responsive as a result, and the analogue stick still feels a bit off to me, but these are things I don't doubt will be less of an issue with repeated use and familiarity. I do have to admit I really like the more firmly 'locked' in place collapsable stylus that comes with it, as it doesn't feel like something that could just fall out the side of your console while you aren't looking as was the case with previous DS models. Most of the 'problems' here are easy to get past with time and use basically.The big improvements with the actual feature set and capabilities are the real star here of course, with some of the new functions being truly impressive to behold... though ironically I found the much hyped 3D that the console is supposedly built around to be one of the least impressive things about it. I was much more impressed with the gyroscope functions to be honest, though there are may not be many chances to try it out with the current run of software, I can see it being something that will add a lot to certain games down the line. The online functionality is also a dramatic improvement on anything I've seen accomplished on DS or PSP, and admittedly I'm using Super Street Fighter IV as my reference point here so it could vary from game to game, with fast, smooth online integration that is nearly a match for what you'll be familiar with on home consoles. To see Super Street Fighter IV's online features replicated so effortlessly on a handheld, including the superb fight request feature, was a real jaw dropper moment for me. It works, but again, we'll need to see how further games turn out to see how it handles more in-depth multiplayer games. It'll be interesting to see how the first person shooters turn out for instance. A neat, if somewhat pointless feature is the built in pedometer, that silly add on that used to come with DS Pokemon games is now part of the hardware and while it measures your steps taken while carrying your 3DS, it allocates you 'Play coins' depending how far you walk, and this is where things get interesting... Play coins can be used in games to purchase bonuses and unlockables that you would otherwise have to spend time working toward unlocking via regular gameplay. Example: Super Street Fighter IV lets you gather 'figure points' or 'FP' as they're known to use in a random action figure dispensing machine accessable from the bonuses menu (These figures are used for some neat stuff, but that's info for the SSF4 review), which costs 200 FP a pop. You normally get figure points for finishing the game and challenges and such, but you can also exchange your play coins for FP, with 1 play coin getting you 200FP. Other games I have seen have offered similar uses for play coins. Essentially they offer shortcuts to extras and bonuses in games, albeit slight ones, and while that may not SOUND all that great, I've already begun finding myself taking my 3DS with me to work every day to stack up my play coins. Frustratingly though, it only lets you build up 10 coins per day, and I've found that I get that many far too quickly. It's a great little idea. Better though is the 'Streetpass' functions that are used by the system itself and in games for various uses that prove to be a really novel way of interacting with other 3DS owners... often without even realising it. Have your 3DS in sleep mode while you're out and about, and if you pass any 3DS owners doing the same, your systems will instantly(Once you've set it up first of course) do stuff like 'swap' Miis (Those little cartoon avatars from the Wii, remember? They're here too), so you can not only see how many 3DS owners you met, but see who they are and what they've been playing lately and even utilise their Miis in decent little mini-games built in to the 'Mii Plaza' software included with the console. You can even set your 3DS up to swap music tracks you put on your SD card with other users. Additionally, 3DS games can utilise Streetpass to various effect and in some clever ways. It's a really really awesome, deceptively simple use of the console's wireless connectivity that also has the potential to do some incredible things as it is expanded and updated, and provides some good incentives for keeping your 3DS with you wherever you go. The camera functions are nice as well, but you really need a lot of light to take halfway decent pictures, and the 3D isn't so great on pictures you take from what I've seen.Speaking of the 3D, I have to say, it really isn't all that great so far as I can tell. The effect looks quite good on the system menu, but in the actual games it's a more mixed bag. In SSF4 for example, it again does look nice, but it hits the game's performance slightly, and then in Dead or Alive Dimensions it literally cuts the game's framerate in half, taking away all the smoothness and responsive that is the whole point of the DOA games. Plus, I found that after about 10 minutes it started to hurt my eyes slightly, nothing too bad, but it was enough to make me turn it off. The effect should be great for viewing movies and such, though such a small screen will dilute the immersion that is supposedly the point of 3D rather dramatically there I'd wager... and in games it seems a bit of a double edged sword, making things look a bit flashier, but hurting performance, sometimes massively so. I understand that this is still very early days for the console and I'm going off of first wave games, but sadly that's the only real reference I have here. You only get one chance to make a first impression as they say, and on the 3D front at least, the 3DS does not make a strong impression at all.The console has a few other issues and concerns of note... chief amongst them being the extremely poor battery life. I think when I was running games on full 3D I was getting in the region of 3-4 hours out of it before the battery was drained. Minimising the brightness and keeping the top screen set to 2D seemed to slightly extend things, but there's no getting away from it: The 3DS has an awful battery life.. most especially when remembering I was getting around 8-10 hours out of a full charge on my DS Lite. Additionally the design decision to go with a single analogue stick for the control scheme is something I could see becoming an issue down the line, as this same set up has plagued the PSP from day one, compromising otherwise great games by saddling them with serious camera issues. I've already seen control scheme issues render at least one 3DS game (Namely Splinter Cell 3D) nearly unplayable. I really hope Nintendo have something clever worked out by the time Mario 3D arrives next year. I also found the lack of a universal profile system rather offputting, as for one thing it makes it difficult to let people 'have a go' on your machine if they're going to have to use your save game or erase your saved checkpoint and such in order to play it. Profiles should be a standard console feature by now. Also, and this one is more a personal preference thing admittedly, I wish Nintendo had looked at including some variation on Xbox Achievements/PS3 Trophies on the 3DS. Would have made for some good replay incentives if done right. Also, the blatant false advertising on the box that claimed I would not need glasses to enjoy the 3D was NOT appreciated, as I once I switched the thing on I removed my prescription glasses and all I could see was a messy black blur in front of me. Nice one Ninty, you LIARS!Overall though, I'd say the 3DS is a very impressive piece of kit. There are some shortcomings here, but most of those could PROBABLY be described as 'teething' issues with only the battery life and control scheme being of any serious long term concern. I'm willing to give the 3D a chance to improve over time but for me the most impressive things about the 3DS are centred around it's communicative functions, with the Streetpass features being very nice with the potential to be truly incredible with the proper refinement and expansion. I don't want to sound like I'm trying to push "potential" here as a selling point for the console, as there is enough to make it worthwhile right now(the £165 odd price tag is pretty good, but prices above £200? I wouldn't) with at least 2 games available now being truly superb handheld titles (Street Fighter 4 and Dead or Alive), and the full backwards compatability with DS titles, which can be played using the analogue stick, means you can subsist on regular DS titles for a while yet if need be... not ideal, sure, but these are the gambles you take with early console adoption. I mean, it's not like any machine ever sees it's best game launch alongside it or anything, is it? Well... unless it's the N64 I guess...Very nice, but not exactly a revolution or even a massive step on from the DSi, but still... very very nice.
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3.4.2011

Nintendo has developed a real breakthrough in both the gaming and 3D market with the new 3DS. It succeeds the now "so last year" DSi. After lifting it up you will have hours of fun between you and the 3D world.IN THE BOX:1x 3DS Console1x AC Power Cable1x Charging Cradle6x Augmented Reality (AR) cards (5 characters + 1 ? card)1x Extendable stylus (now located at the top of the console)1x Toshiba 2GB SD Card (already in system)1x Operations Manual1x Quick Start GuideINTRODUCTION - THE CONSOLE:If you use a DSi XL then this will feel smaller but unlike the DSi, you will not miss the XL's big screens and overall size. I think this is partially due to the excellent build quality over the DSi.The 3DS has a larger upper 3D screen than the lower touch screen. The console has an excellent 'Circle Pad' which is much better than the PSPs tiny poor thumb stick. The Start and Select buttons are now located below the touch screen with the 'Home Button'. The Home Button will return you to the Home menu wherever you are. This has the same function as pressing the power button (not holding it) on the DSi. The headphone jack is located at the bottom of the console, near the power and charging LEDs which are also now located at the bottom. A notification LED (more info later in review) is now in the previous location of power and charging LEDs. There are three cameras - 2 on the outside, 1 on the inside. More on that later. An extendable stylus is now located at the top of the console near the port where you put your DS/3DS games in. Battery life is about 3hrs on the default highest brightness setting (5 if you chose the lowest). The 3DS also comes with a Motion Sensor and a Gyro Sensor.THE 3D EFFECT:When first switching it on I discovered you have to calibrate the 3D effect. This is a part of the setup. The reason for calibrating is so you can get the most comfortable setting for your eyes. You may discover this getting higher after using the 3DS for a while as your eyes get used to the 3D effect and adapt to it. Of course, higher is better but I would not use the highest setting from Day 1. Train your eyes then gradually, every so often, raise the 3D setting. This can be set using the 3D slider on the right of your upper screen on the 3DS.The 3D effect seem to be more of a "layered 3D" than a "pop-out 3D". The 3D is layered with the glass at the front and the game behind it. Nintendogs + Cats is a good example of the 3D effect. Although it is not a "pop-out 3D", the 3D effect is still amazing. In fact, I think I prefer this type of 3D better!(Although there has been stories of people being sick, dizzy etc., I have never received such symptoms. I have played for long periods of time without any problems. I think it is down to your 3D setting you are using and on the person itself. Everybody's different).THE PREINSTALLED SOFTWARE (and the Home Menu):The 3DS comes with plenty of software and games for you to enjoy. First is the Nintendo 3DS Camera. It has the ability to take 3D images using the two outside cameras. This is how it works. The left camera takes the left eye 3D image and right one takes the right eye 3D image. The 3DS then merges them together to make a great 3D photo. You can also take 2D images using the inside camera. You can also use the Nintendo 3DS Camera to edit your 3D (and 2D) images and add Graffiti to them.Next is Nintendo 3DS Sound with the ability to record any sort of sound and edit it. The first downside is that it can only record 10 seconds. The editing function allows you to make the recorded sound higher or lower, faster or slower, or into a different sound like a budgie or a trumpet. There is no real differences between the DSi version and the 3DS version.There is also a Mii Maker. It allows you to create a virtual version of yourself. Miis can be used in-game. This is very similar to Mii Channel on the Wii.As well as the Mii Maker, there is a software call StreetPass Mii Plaza. StreetPass is this. You set your Nintendo 3DS to Sleep Mode and carry it with you wherever you go to exchange game data like Mii characters, high scores, and custom characters with other users you pass on the street. You control what data you exchange and you can exchange data for multiple games at once, making virtual connections with real world people you encounter in your daily life. Now back to StreetPass Mii Plaza. This software has two mini-games. One of them is a jigsaw puzzle where you must collect pieces from other players, or purchase them using Play Coins (see more later). The other is a clever role-playing game that tasks you with assembling a party of Miis obtained through StreetPass. A few of the launch titles also take advantage of StreetPass, and you don't need to have these games in the system's cartridge slot. Super Street Fighter IV: 3D Edition lets you battle other players without opening the device. Meanwhile, Nintendogs + Cats sends pictures and notes from one dog owner to next, and Ridge Racer 3D exchanges ghost information. As with all things Nintendo and online, privacy is of the utmost importance, so you must enable StreetPass for every game that uses it.In addition to all the previous software, there is really good game called AR Games: Augmented Reality which uses the AR Cards included in the box. The 3D effect is amazing. Just try it for yourself. The surface on which your AR Card sits on can change shapes, make small hills and much more. There is also many other reasons why the 3D effect is so good on this game. The game itself has 6 games - 2 already unlocked at first. They are Shooting (where you shoot targets), AR Shot (like snooker or golf but with an exciting twist), Fishing, Graffiti (draw images which come to life on your table - in 3D), Mii Pics (project your Mii onto the AR Card, choose poses, and take pictures) and Star Pics (similar to Mii Pics but with classic characters like Zelda and Link). The only negative point about the game is that it can be tiring on your eyes, even at the lowest setting, so I would only play this in 10-30 minute bursts.Another preinstalled game is Face Raiders. After taking pictures of people's faces, the faces attack attack you. You must shoot them. This "rescues" the faces. The games is odd indeed but nevertheless, a fun game.Activity Log is basically a pedometer. That's all.At the top of the Home Menu is more software. First (which looks like a sun) sets the brightness setting. The next two if for customising your Home Menu. It allows you to choose how many rows of software you want. The default is 1. The fourth one (which looks like a pencil) is Game Notes. This allows you to takes notes while playing games on your 3DS. Simply click the Home button to "suspend" the software and press the pencil on the top of the screen. The fifth one (the smiley face) is Friends List. This is extremely lacking so I won't talk much about it. Basically it allows you add friends with a 3DS. It also shows you (if the friend turns the setting on)to see if they are online and what game they are currently playing. I think this will be one of the least used software on my 3DS. Next to Friends List is Notifications. This is where all notifications from Nintendo and your games come to. The notification LED (located where the power and charging LEDs were previously) will flash green when a notification arrives. During the first day of using a 3DS, you may receive several notifications about your 3DS and on how to use certain features. The last one is Internet Browser. This does not come preinstalled with the 3DS but you will see the icon. You can get this and the Nintendo eShop in a system update released in Late May.The 3DS also includes System Settings, Download Play (multiplayer with one DS/3DS card) and a Health and Safety Information notice.PLAY COINS:As mentioned earlier, Play Coins can be used in-game with a majority of 3DS games. You can exchange them for items that are usable in the game. You can get Play Coins by simply walking with your 3DS in sleep mode. For every 100 steps you get a Play Coin. You can get 10 Play Coins a day, 300 in total. You can track how many steps you've done on the current day and how many Play Coins you have in total by going to the Home Menu and looking at the top of the 3D upper screen.SUMMARY:The 3DS, despite being a constantly growing console, is a great buy for anybody. Although some features are yet to arrive (in a system update), the 3DS is already an excellent device - a must buy.Good Points:- Great 3D Effect- Amazing preinstalled 3D games (AR Games and Face Raiders)- Ability to take 3D Photos- The vast addition of features over the DSi- Nice Circle Pad- Build QualityNeutral Points:- Battery Life (is OK)Bad Points:- Internet Browser and Nintendo eShop are yet to arrive (will come in a system update in May).- AR Games can be tiring to the eye.- Few 3DS launch games.(As listed in the "IN THE BOX" section, the 3DS comes with a charging cradle. Many people are unsure on what it is. This is basically a quicker way to get your 3DS into charge mode. Make sure the AC Power cable is plugged into the cradle and simple place your 3DS into the cradle. Simple)
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9.5.2012

It's been over a year since Nintendo released the 3DS handheld console on a sort-of suspecting world, and I think it's fair to say that's it already had a fair number of ups and downs, what with price drops and 3D health issues and such. It's getting on towards a year since I got my hands on a shiny new black 3DS, so I've decided to make a fashionably late entrance and leave a review on the Amazon webpage.Like the DS before it the 3DS has two screens, a top screen and a bottom touch screen for using your finger or stylus on. It's got a flip design so you can fold it up and make it easier to carry around. On the left side you have the volume slide and the SD memory card slot for saving pictures and downloaded games.There's an analogue stick for more precise control in certain games as well as a traditional D-pad. On the right side you have a 3D slide to adjust the intensity of the top screen's 3D picture. There's also a wireless switch, four letter buttons and the power button.The start and select buttons are located just underneath the touch screen, along with a home button that will allow you to quit a game and go back to the 3DS menu. Finally we finish off our little tour around the back. There are two shoulder buttons, a stylus that's adjustable in length, a plug socket to plug the charger in, and the cartridge bay for your 3DS games. All in all it's a very nice setup. The controls are comfortable and the buttons have that convincingly sturdy and responsive clicky feel to them.Plus points. Well it's a fairly light handheld in terms of weight, so it's easy to carry around in your hand or store in your pocket. Another good point is that when you have charged up the thing and you turn on the power, you're presented with a nicely laid out menu screen where you can see several interesting options, such as the camera and the system settings.Like I said the menu presentation is nice. In fact, one of the latest software updates that Nintendo have released for the 3DS is that now you can create folders. You can label those folders and store whatever games or other features in those folders as you see fit. I've already created a couple for my Gameboy downloads and NES downloads, and the menu looks so much tidier because of them.So what about the 3DS games? After a slow start the 3DS has steadily built up a promising catalogue of games. Super Mario 3D Land is a brilliant platformer that proves why the mushroom-collecting plumber is still the king of video game characters; Dead or Alive: Dimensions is a brutal beat-'em-up with the smoothest graphics I've seen on the handheld so far; while Resident Evil: Revelations is scary piece of heart attack-giving action with gory monsters and a very impressive online game.The 3DS also encourages you to get off the sofa and go for a brisk walk (or run in my case) from time to time. How? Through Play Coins. The handheld has a built-in pedometer, and you can earn a coin by taking 100 steps whilst keeping the device in your pocket. You can collect 10 coins per day and hold up to 300 at any given time. These coins can be used in certain games to make their experiences more enjoyable. For example: in Resident Evil Revelations you can use the coins to buy new weapons to use in the online mode. Great, isn't it?And the orgasm of gaming offers doesn't end there. The wi-fi capabilities allow you to browse web pages, although I do much prefer a keyboard and mouse on a PC to search the web. But the main gaming port of call is the Nintendo eShop. Here you can buy and download numerous games onto your 3DS. To name just a few things on offer there are playable 3DS demos; classic and just plain OK original Gameboy games; and more recently SEGA Game Gear games. With new stuff usually added every Thursday you're bound to find something there that you like. Take all this gaming goodness into account, and add in the fact that the 3DS is backwards compatible with original DS games, and you've got a device that practically lets you play everything, included games about kitchen sinks!"Anything I can do on the handheld besides gaming?" Yes, there is the built in camera. You can use it to take pictures of yourself, others or scenery, and one software update has made it possible to record video footage as well. The picture quality is not the best, but it's still a nice feature to have. One problem I did have with the camera was that the camera mode can be activated with the shoulder buttons. There have been several occasions where I've adjusted my grip on the 3DS to make it more comfortable to hold and prepare myself for a game, only to accidently hit a shoulder button and end up turning the camera on. It does get annoying after a while and I would've preferred it if this mode was only activated by touching the touch screen icon with my stylus.The 3DS's biggest selling gimmick is its 3D feature, a slide on the right hand side of the top screen that allows you to view 3DS games in 3D without the need for special 3D glasses. So what's the 3D gaming like? Well honestly it's been something of a mixed bag. For racing games such as Ridge Racer 3D and Asphalt 3D the pace of those games are very quick and you're more focused on your car and the next corner rather than the background scenery. When you do slow down to take a look the 3D picture doesn't look that much different from the 2D picture.On the other hand some games have managed to make great use of the 3D feature and have come up with some really good 3D graphics. Examples: The fighters in Dead or Alive: Dimensions. Their hands and feet look like they're really coming out of the screen, particularly during their starting and victory poses. Meanwhile in Resident Evil: Revelations, 3D helps to make the gruesome monsters look even more gruesome. In my opinion the 3D feature is more suited to platform, fighting and adventure games rather than racers.There are some negatives that I should point out. The mini 3D games built in the handheld, such as Face Raiders, are initially fun to play. But once the novelty wears off (and it will do quickly) you'll find that they're just too simple and boring for grownups. I think these games are more suited to younger gamers. Another minus is that despite doing some online research and checking the wiring, according to my knowledge there does not appear to be anyway to connect the 3DS up to a PC or laptop. This means if you have any photos or film footage on the SD memory card that you want to transfer to your PC or laptop then you'll have to insert the card into a device that is compatible with those computers."And what about the health issues I've been hearing about?" you ask. Well there have been reports of players suffering headaches and even feeling sick whilst using the 3D feature on the 3DS. Me? I did have a couple of mild stomach aches when I first used it, but after that I was fine. No other problems. I guess the 3D feature affects some players more than others. But if you are concerned about this then perhaps you should speak to your local GP before purchasing one of these things. One more thing I should mention is that the battery's lifespan is not that great. Even fully charged it'll only give around 4-5 hours of life whilst you're playing 3DS games; a little bit longer than that if you're playing original DS games.There are a lot of pros and cons I've mentioned in my review, but overall I believe the 3DS is an excellent handheld console with a lot of potential. There are plenty of great games available to buy for it now, and I'm sure the strong catalogue will only get stronger. There's bound to be some features that I've left out of this review, but there's no harm in checking them out for yourself. I highly recommend that you buy one if you don't already have one. Remember: the 3D feature is only an optional thing.
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25.3.2011

Nothing prepared me for when I first switched on my 3DS, and was greeted by the 3D interface of the system menu. The 3D effect is slightly different to the effect I had seen on 3D t.v's in electrical shops. The 3D tends to be 'into' the screen, with some effects coming out at you (but not like I saw on the t.v's). Basically, you have to experience it for yourself to get the effect of the 3D as it's intended to be.The bundled software includes, MiiMaker, Mii Plaza, Augmented Reality (AR) games and Face Raiders. MiiMaker lets you design your own avatar (to be used in games), exactly like the Wii version, the difference with the 3DS version is that it allows you to automatically generate a Mii from a photograph taken from the 3DS's inward facing camera.You can then tweak your Mii to get it just the way you want it. You can also transfer Mii's from a Wii through a wireless connection. There is an option to turn your Mii into a sort of barcode, where you can put the barcode image on the internet, and other 3DS owners can scan it in using the outward facing cameras. Mii Plaza allows you to view Mii's that you have encountered on your travels through StreetPass (local wireless communication between 3DS owners passing by). You can use these Mii's to play an RPG mini game, and the more Mii's you encounter the better. Augmented reality involves placing a card with an image that the 3DS scans with the cameras and projects a computer generated image (character) onto a real world scene (like a table top), you can then play games that project objects onto your living room table. Face raiders allows you to take a picture of a face and then project the face onto the room your in, you then have to fire tennis balls at the faces before they cause you damage. If you destroy all the enemy faces without your health gauge going to zero, you can then fight the boss. You need to collect as many faces as you can to unlock later levels, and you can also let friends have a go with the share mode which wont affect your score on your own game file. This is probably my favourite bundled software on the 3DS.The system has much improved online abilities, with the already mentioned StreetPass, and also SpotPass. With SpotPass you can leave your 3DS in low-power mode (sleep-mode), and it will silently download software, game demos and game data for you. I found setting up the online very easy, and just required my Wi-Fi routers security key to get it connected to the broadband, very impressed with the setup.The usual X,Y,B,A and L and R shoulder buttons and D-Pad from the DS are back, but there is now a 'circle pad', which gives you 360 degree analogue input, which is perfect for a lot of games that require it. I use it instead of the d-pad for pulling of combo and ultra combo moves in Super Street Fighter 4, it's so much comfier and less clumsy than the d-pad. Another great innovation from Nintendo. There is also the telescopic stylus from the DS, and works exactly like the DS touchscreen does.There is full surround sound support, stereo and mono sound options. The sound on Super Street Fighter 4 was superb, and the punches and kick sounds gave the moves some weight and feel to them.The system comes with a cradle, which plugs into the Ac charger and allows your 3DS to charge in sleep mode. You can use just the Ac charger on its own if you wish. I have a silicone skin for my 3DS, and found that it wouldn't then fit into the cradle with it on, so I don't bother using the cradle for this reason. The battery life isn't great, about 3 hours on moderate brightness, sound volume and 3D settings. I found that a full recharge took a couple of hours, so it wasn't too bad. The battery life is acceptable if you only get to play the 3DS for a few hours on a journey, where you can then recharge it at your destination.There will be a system update in May that will allow you to take 3D videos, browse the web and allow you to buy downloadable software and games through a WiiWare style service and virtual console, where you can buy Gameboy and Gameboy Colour games (initially).Would I recommend spending nearly £200 on this system, I would say if you want affordable mass market 3D entertainment then YES, get it I have found it to be worth the asking price and has given me an outlet to get into 3D entertainment at a reasonable price (think of the price of 3D t.v's when they came out last year).There is a strong line-up of software for the 3DS in the next 3 - 6 months, so you shouldn't be stuck for something to play on the 3DS, and Nintendo have promised to keep the releases coming at a constant rate so there will be a good selection of games.In conclusion then, I would sum up the 3DS as the future of videogames, and would say that this marks a milestone in how we consume mass market entertainment for a portable device for the forseeable future. If you've already got it, then I congratulate you. If you're thinking about it, then think no more you should get it without delay!GRAPHICS: 94% The 3DS screen has a higher resoulation than the DS. The 3D effect will put a smile on your face.SOUND: 90% Catchy system menu and operating system music and sounds. The Street Fighter 4 sound was really good and helps the game.CONTROLS: 92% The added circle pad gives greater control and flexibility in certain games. The d-pad is responsive as well as the face buttons (X,Y,B,A).OVERALL: 95% A brilliant handheld, that improves on the DS in leaps and bounds. This is where portable 3D entertainment is at right now. I am VERY happy with the 3DS overall, and look forward to the next 7 years of using it.
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15.5.2013

Wow!I got my aqua-blue 3DS the day it came out: 25th March 2011. I was instantly amazed by the 3D effect, and I loved the new Circle Pad. Better still, unlike the PS Vita, the Nintendo 3DS is fully backwards compatible with all DS games (except Guitar Hero, as it requires a GBA slot, but that's only one game). All DS features work, multiplayer, online and all. It can also use DSi-only features such as DSiWare, the cameras and better Wi-Fi connectivity. The 3DS cannot magically make DS games 3D though, so remember that only 3DS games are in 3D.After a while, however, I grew bored of my 3DS, as no new games were being released. That took a while to change, but by 2012, many great games had been confirmed.Some examples of amazing games already out are:Super Mario 3D Land, Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D, Mario Kart 7, Luigi's Mansion 2, Kid Icarus: Uprising, Professor Layton: Miracle Mask, Fire Emblem, and many more.Loads of amazing games are coming out soon for it too, like:Pokémon X & Y, Professor Layton: Azran Legacies, Super Smash Bros. 4 (Don't hold your breath, it'll be a long time in development...), Donkey Kong Country Returns 3D, Animal Crossing: New Leaf, Zelda: Link to the Past 2, and tonnes more!And that's not it, either, as the eShop has quickly gained loads of great and innovative downloadable titles, as well as a sizable back catalogue of classic games from the NES and Game Boy Color! There a few fun free apps too, and if you had any DSiWare on your DSi or DSi XL, you can easily transfer the games over. You can also transfer 3DS eShop games to a new 3DS, if you choose to buy a new 3DS (don't forget to switch the SD cards AFTER the process, to get all the data back!).The hardware is also great. The 3D screen is of course the main feature, and works well. I never get headaches from it, and got used to the most intense setting quickly, but the 3D Slider is a great switch which can tone down the 3D effect, or turn it off completely, if you want to save battery or feel a bit queasy.The Circle Pad is really comfortable, and used by just about every 3DS game makes use of it. The +Control pad is a bit sticky, and the paint is starting to chip on mine, as they used an expensive paint-like substance which looks amazing - at the price of chipping. The SELECT, HOME, and START buttons are a bit rubbish on the original 3DS, but it has no effect on the gameplay, and the XL fixed this issue.The processor may not be the best, but Nintendo can get amazing graphics out of it, as showcased in Kid Icarus and Mario. It is also many times more powerful than the DS (about 50x), so it can make much larger and more immersive games with higher quality audio and graphics, as well as pack in better online capabilities and other features. The cameras are awful, which is a shame, as the 3D works surprisingly well with the photos and videos the twin cameras take. However, the 3DS is not a camera, and the cameras work fine with the games they are designed for, like the AR games that are built in, which are great fun. Bear in mind that the PS Vita's cameras are just as bad.The touch screen is responsive, and I got used to the new position of the stylus very quickly. The speakers are remarkably good for a handheld games console, and give a pseudo-surround effect, which is great, but if you want to plug in headphones, there's a standard jack on the bottom. The internet connection and local wireless work fine, but don't expect a great experience with the browser. Another nice feature is the 3DS Sound app, which reads music from your SD card (put .mp3 or .m4a files on with a computer), and lets you play around with voice recordings.The best thing about the SD card is that they are very cheap and easy to get a hold of. It comes with one inserted (a 2GB for the original 3DS, and a 4GB for the 3DS XL), but you can always upgrade later, just pop it into a computer, and copy the files over to the new one, for example, I bought a 32 GB card to hold lots of games and music, and it works fine.StreetPass and SpotPass are two other great features which let you exchange data with other 3DSs and Nintendo's online servers when the device is in sleep mode. New features and apps are added occasionally with wireless updates. The 3DS XL offers a better design, and bigger screens, but is the same internally, so it plays all the same games, just as well. You don't have to worry about having an outdated device, as Nintendo stick with a console for a good 5 years at least (the DS ran from 2004-2011, and got new games till 2012)The motion controls are also very nice, and there is also a pedometer, which records steps taken when you walk with the console in sleep mode, and then rewards you with Play Coins, which can be spent in games, you get 1 for every 100 steps, and for example, you can spend them on in-game money or collectibles. (THESE ARE FREE, YOU CAN ONLY GET THEM BY WALKING AND ARE NOT OBLIGATORY, THEY ARE A GOOD FEATURE, NOT AN "IN-APP-PURCHASE") The battery life is around 5-8 hours in my experience, which isn't great, but the XL gets an extra hour or 2 per charge. Oddly, the 3DS does come with a charger (and a cradle), but the XL does not. They are only £7 though, but bear it in mind.All in all, the Nintendo 3DS is set to be as popular as its predecessor, the Nintendo DS, and is a great console, with games a million times better than the ones on iOS and Android phones. Remember it is a games console, not a smartphone, so get it to play expensive (but excellently made at superior quality) games.Get one now! The 3DS is a great investment if you want top-quality games.
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5.6.2011

Its a little unfortunate that Nintendo decided to call this 3DS. Whereas this also has two screens this is about where the comparisons pretty much end. This is not just an updated piece of kit, this is a whole new handheld experience.Overall the machine looks like the orignal Dsi, its about the same size but is much thicker. People have complained that the casing is cheap plastic, but hey this is Nintendo, even the higher end products are made out of plastic, in nintendo land dont expect brushed metal and bulletproofing. Its all very shiny and your average CSI agents wet dream in fingerprints. But anyone who even owned a Nintendo product knows allready about build qualities so i wont go waffling on about that.Open the thing up and once again it looks like a DSI, the buttons have moved about, theres a joypad nub thingy and the top screen is much larger. So far an updated DSI, right ?Wrong.Because when you turn the 3DS on it suddenly strikes you that your beloved DSI will never get used again. The first thing that happens after you have set up date/time/etc is the first experience you will hav with glasses free 3D. You are greeted with a flat looking Nintendo logo with some crosses dotted around. Then there is a countdown from 3 to 1. And then it happens. In a split second the Nintendo logo is now bobbing about through what appears to be a window, the crosses now taper backwards into the distance, everything has depth. Its stunning and almost a little scary that something is happening that seems impossible. Its at this point that the 3DS becomes a gamechanger. The 3D effect is better than you could have ever dreamed of, it works. Yes there is a rather small window to view the 3d, but this is not anything as bad as you may have heard. Moving your head or the machine around too much will spoil the 3d, but it becomes second nature how to hold your 3DS to have great 3D without worrying too much about the sweetspot.Once you have picked up your jaw from the 3D you can delve deeper into the other joys this machine offers. The touch screen interface works very much like the Wii. All the icons you will need appear on the screen at once, this makes it very easy to find the app you want. Its much neater and sreamlined now, its the best version of an operating system Nintendo has offered to date. Even someone unfamilar with the DS system will be able to work out how everything works. The preinstalled software is all very high quality, there is no real bum app on offer here, they all do the job well, fast and are fun to use. The only app that really fills up space is Miimaker, which is pretty much what you get with Wii, you make a Mii you can use in games. You will use this app once, to create your Mii, and thats it, from now on it will just fill space. Wereas the cameras on the 3DS are not stellar by any standards the Photo App more than makes up for this when you can tinker around with photos so much, and yes said photos are in glorious ( if a little grainy ) 3D. There is a strange AR game where you shoot your own floating head called Faceraiders, Mii Plaza where you can meet all the people you've interacted with via streetpass, Ar games where you use little cards and the 3ds camera to play some games, finally there is a barebones Audio App. All good stuff and a great bonus considering what came preinstalled on your DSI ( pretty much nothing ).There is very little wrong with the machine itself, apart from pretty terrible battery life everything is hunky dory. Well there is one minor problem too....At this moment in time pretty much every 3DS game available sucks. There are 3 good titles, Ridge Racer, Tom Clancys Ghost Recon Shadow Wars and Street Fighter. The rest are dismal. Beyond dismal. This is the real thorn in the 3DS side. While writing this the first wave of high quality titles are just starting to hit. But even these titles are not original games, they are remakes. Yes they are good remakes but simply tagging on 3D is gonna get pretty old pretty quick. Its still early in this consoles lifespan so for software to be a little thin on the ground is expected ( the DS too was a slow starter ). But for people who bought this product at launch and played through the only 3 decent titles, they have simply had the console sat around collecting dust. A great breathtaking piece of tech became a very expensive paperweight. If you are the patient type who can wait for high quality AAA titles to appear then none of what i just said will be a problem.Overall the 3DS is a fantastic product. The 3D is amazing no matter how many times you see it. The only thing that lets everything down is the available software. When you buy a 3DS you are getting a very special piece of kit, just make sure you dont tarnish it with some terrible games that make you want to take your eyes out with spoons.
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9.4.2011

The 3DS is the latest generation of Nintendo's handheld gaming and fits neatly into the category of being a good launch product that is likely to be improved with subsequent iterations.It's a mistake to think of the 3DS as simply being a DS with a 3D screen. Processing power is up considerably from the from the DS Lite's ARM9 CPU and supplementary ARM7 processor running at 66MHz and 33Mhz respectively, to a more formidable PAIR of ARM11 CPUs running at 266Mhz supplemented by a 133MHz GPU. It has full backward compatability with DS games, but as the screens are different sizes and the top screen a different resolution, there are compromises with backwards compatability.After the ungainly original DS,the DS lite was a little gem, and so I suspect will be the next iteration of 3DS hardware. As it is, the launch hardware, whilst delightful in conception, is a little awkward in it's execution. At first impression, gone are the smooth curves and the close-fitting lines the the DS clamshell. They are replaced by bevelled edges, protruding shoulder-buttons, and a lid that doesn't seem to close quite fully. Closer inspection and useage reveals the 3DS to be a well-engineered device that would have benefitted from a slightly larger housing to allow it to preserve the clean lines of the DS lite. Oh well, maybe next time.That said, opening the 3DS is a cinch, thanks to the lid's "overbite", and when open the new 400*240 resolution display (up from 256*192) is revealed. Actually, the 400*240 figure is misleading as the screen is actually 800*240, but the resultion is halved, with each half sent to the appropriate eye for the 3D effect.3D: a great idea in theory and impressive in implementation, but in use? The unfortunate fact is that it does make most users feel slightly nauseous fairly quickly when playing, and both I and my 8 year-old generally play with the slider set to 2D. The problem is that the 3DS and the user must be aligned neatly in a 3D "sweet spot" to ensure the correct 3D effect. Otherwise the display becomes hard to make sense of. The brain can adjust to a variety of unusual information passed it by the eyes, but it requires time to adjust. And the small random movements of either the console in the players hands or the players head, makes this sweet-spot only achievable for those who remain fairly still during their gameplay. And if you're perfectly still when you play, I suggest you're not really getting into the game.So that's the big negative. But the positives are that the games play very well on the 3DS. Pilotwings looks glorious, even in 2D, and control is smooth and intuitive from the analogue slider, which is a vast improvement on the similar controller on the PSP. The D-pad has been unceremoniously shunted down to make way for the analogue controller and it sits sulking at the bottom left corner, stubbornly refusing to cooperate intuitively and requiring a little too much attention in use. The shoulder buttons work better than those of the DS, which means they work very well indeed. A little flat panel below the bottom screen holds the "SELECT" "HOME" and "START" buttons. This panel is are pretty unappealing and to make matters worse, the power button is where the start/pause button used to, and dare I say SHOULD be. This means experienced DS players will find themselves faced with the power-off menu, when attempting to quickly restart a game. Bah!It has been suggested on various forums that battery life is not great on the 3DS. I have only had gameplay halted once due to the red warning light, but I do charge the 3DS almost daily. This is facilitated by the neat charging cradle that it slips easilly in and out of, but plugging the DS XL type charger is as easy as ever it was. I don't think battery life is as good as the DS, but it's not the deal-breaker it's been suggested in some quarters. Don't go thinking the Atari Lynx has been reincarnated! ;-)Supplied with the 3DS are some pretty cool little games. The Augmented Reality cards (6 printed paper cards, nothing too fancy!) allow games characters to interact with your environment using the 3D camera on the lid. Oh yes! You can also take 3D photographs with the 3DS. Additionally there is a game where the enemies are avatars of faces you have photographed for the game, neatly animated with facial expressions while you chase them round the room and shoot them. A fun diversion for a while. I haven't tried connectivity to the internet and have no interest in the promised films that are promised "real soon now" but have played exhaustively with Pilotwings which is excellent. I have also played the new Lego Game on the 3DS which reveals that an average game made in 3D, is still just an average game.Ultimately, the 3DS is a great Nintendo handheld. If you loved your DS, your going to love the 3DS.
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27.3.2011

The 3D is a fantastic feature, it's like looking at a moving Hologram, the 3D effect actually sinks into the screen rather than jumps out from it. I did find that any objects that are positioned close to the front of the screen seem either to blur a little or they just look out of place, however, this may just be down to the creators in general as opposed to the actual technology, or possibly just my perception of it.There is already a System Update available for the 3DS which includes a 3D movie demonstrating 3D video. It looks fantastic, although if you look at the Tree closest to the screen in the forest scene you can see what I mean about close objects looking unnatural and the railingsin the skateboarding scene look blurry.The stylus is a nice metal tube which extends so it's long enough for bigger hands, although it is quite poorly situated at the back of the console which (with the screen open) is a little awkward to gain access to, but that's a minor irritation. The Analogue "Thumb Pad" is a nice addition, for something like Pilot Wings it's perfect for making minor adjustments to your flight rather than jabbing at the D-Pad, that said, its positioning means the D-Pad is now low enough down to make it potentially uncomfortable should you favour it over the thumb pad.The software that comes with the machine shows off the 3DS' capabilities superbly, I don't think I've ever said "Wow" so many times in one day.(A)ugmented (R)eality cards are a great showcase for the Power of the 3DS, place the playing card sized '?' AR card on any (well lit) surface and point the 3DS cameras at it and watch the 3DS display a 3D image over the top of it. Then (in the shooting game) watch the cards surroundings develop a large hole, then stretch into a hill and then a dip and lastly watch as a dragon bursts out of a cave where the '?' card sits and attacks your DS, all in 3D.There are other games to unlock in the AR section, AR shot sees whatever you place the '?' card on being morphed into hills, valleys and lava traps which you then have to traverse by hitting a large ball into a target by hitting it from the correct angle, the correct angle being achieved by moving the DS around the '?' card (or by sitting still and rotating the '?' card)There's also fishing which covers the '?' card and the surrounding area in water and then you can go fishing (similar to Wii Play). Mii Photo, which allows you to take pictures of your Mii (digital characterisation of yourself) in a real environment.If there's one thing I would suggest everyone try....scan the '?' card or download a hi-res image of it from google and print it out as large as you can, the 3DS has to be held further away to recognise it (because it's bigger) but put it on the floor and the effect is the same only on a much larger scale. I will eventually try it using A3 or possibly by joining two A3 sheets together (if the gadget show is reading this, make a huge one and use the 3DS on it from the top of a building so you get a life-size dragon, I'd love to see that!!!! (Just checked on-line, the Chinese beat me to it by creating a huge Mii using 256 sheets of A3 paper)).A nice addition is the pedometer, if you leave the console in sleep mode whilst you're walking around with it, it will count the number of steps you've taken and for every 100 steps give you a coin which you can use to unlock items in the AR and other games.You can take 3D photos, which look good but are let down a little by the low-res cameras. Take a photo of yourself and the 3DS transforms it into a Mii automatically, which you can then make adjustments to if you're not happy with what the 3DS has done.I've not tried it yet but Nintendo 3DS sound allows you to play MP3's from the SD card, there is a 2GB SD Card supplied, but 2GB won't hold much music if you have game save data and 3D pics and possibly video on there too, so if you do intend to use the 3DS as an MP3 player too, you may want to invest in an 8 or 16gb SD card.There are so many features on this little console it's difficult to get them all in here, but suffice it to say this is money well spent, a truly amazing feat of technology.
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10.4.2011

So, I had planned to post a review of the 3DS on release day but my delivery was delayed (by Royal Mail rather than Amazon) till the following Monday. Since by that time a lot of people had posted reviews I thought I would wait till I had really got to grips with it to review it.I'm going to focus my review on the console and its capabilities rather than the game I got (which you can read a review of here if you're interested: http://www.amazon.co.uk/review/R3MF1YD8Q5PET2/ref=cm_cr_rdp_perm)Hardware:I'll talk firstly about the quality and feel of the machine itself. The console looks absolutely brilliant; it's shiny and slick and feels really solid and well made.Most of the buttons are great; you really know when you've pressed them. The only ones I have a problem with are the Home, Start and Select buttons which don't give that same feeling of response; but since your not mashing away at them when you play it's not that big a problem. The slide pad is excellent, a more then adequate replacement for an analogue stick. The resolution on both screens is great and the touch screen is very responsive. Speakers are excellent as well; I've loaded some songs on and it plays them really clearly. The cameras, while not being very high resolution, do the job they are supposed to.Specifications:From playing Samurai Warriors I can tell you that the 3DS is more than capable of managing lots of 3D models running about frantically on the screen. Although the game makes use of a lot of fade-in and out to display all the hundreds of enemies on the screen at once it can still handle a lot for a handheld. After 20+ hours of play I have rarely experienced any form of slowdown. The cartridge size also means that games can be packed full of features. I wasn't expecting Samurai Warriors to have a full roster of 40 characters and to be packed full of high quality music and cut-scenes but it is. I don't think there is much developers couldn't do with this machine.Software:The 3DS comes with a wealth of included software. From the fairly meagre Mii Maker (apart from a few new components and an iffy camera option it's the same as the Wii so I won't go into it) and StreetPass Plaza (a few mini games based around Mii sharing through which you can win hats for your Mii but that's it) to the more substantial Face Raiders and AR Games. Face Raiders is a throwaway game but it's very fun. You can't help but laugh at the way it animates the pictures you take and it works on animals and pictures as well as people. The game is a simple FPS type but the comedy value and the potential it shows in its integration of your surroundings makes it a welcome addition. The AR games are similar; they are a demo of the 3DS's capabilities but what a demo they are. There's some real potential going on here. The golf-like game was my favourite of the games but the star for me was graffiti because it lets you decorate the world around you with 3D graphics but it also lets you move these around like platforming heroes which give a glimpse of what AR may become on the 3DS. The camera and sound player are fun little toys; merging faces and listening to your favourite songs sung by a budgie will keep you smiling for hours.The final thing I will mention is the one thing that has been slightly disappointing; the battery life. Nintendo weren't lying when they said a battery life of 3 - 5 hours. I've been playing on brightness 4 and with power saving on and while I haven't really been counting I would say that the longest I will have played without charging the 3DS is 5 hours, and that's being generous. That being said it charges up again really quickly; even if you're playing while it charges. I'm not too bothered by this because I tend to play my handhelds mostly at home (or in someone's home) anyway where a charger is never far away.All in all the 3DS is fantastic. I would recommend that anyone get one. The line-up right now might not be brilliant but give it a few more months and the 3DS will really start to shine.Absolutely love it; good job Nintendo.
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8.3.2012

As a bonkers Nintendo fangirl and collector for the past 20 years, I pre-ordered this and got it on release. For several months, however, it did just sit there, virtually unused.But then the GOOD games started appearing. :DThe first game I actually got for my 3DS was Ocarina of Time 3D, three months after this came out, and I finally got to see the 3D in action properly.The 3D is actually pretty good - obviously you just have to make sure to hold the console in the right position, otherwise you'll get a weird double image. It can be quite impressive, although sometimes when I have the 3D on I feel like my eyes are crossing to try and focus on it properly - I find having the slider turned up about halfway is just about right.However,I actually think games look better with the 3D turned OFF. The lines are much clearer and the console really does have some smashing graphics. I now usually only turn on the 3D for cutscenes.Since Ocarina of Time, I've bought Star Fox, Mario Kart, and Super Mario 3D Land. You can really appreciate the 3D on Mario, it's actually fantastic.And then there's the Virtual Console. This was what I was most excited for the 3DS for - being able to download old Gameboy, Gameboy Colour, and Game Boy Advance games, just like you can download old console games on the Wii. For quite a long time, releases on the VC seemed slow, but they've been picking up recently and there are some cracking titles available to download, like Zelda: Link's Awakening, Kirby, Wario Land, and Super Mario Land: 6 Golden Coins, amongst others. The games are all reasonably priced (between around £3.60 and £5.40ish, depending on the game), and being older games, don't take up much space at all on the SD card, so you can cram it full of golden oldies.Any old SD card will work with the 3DS, and one comes free with the console, unlike some consoles that are only compatible with overpriced memory cards made by the same company (*cough*Vita*cough*) You can top up the amount of cash to download games either by debit card, or by purchasing an eshop card from a shop (NOT a Nintendo points card! Must be an eshop card).You can also download all the DSiWare stuff on your 3DS, too.Plus, there are game videos you can download, AND game demos, so you can try out some games before you buy them.Have a DSi? Want a 3DS? Have purchased DSiWare that you'd like to keep on your 3DS? No problem. Nintendo have added a simple to use Data Transfer system, which you can use to transfer EVERYTHING from a DSi over to your shiny new 3DS, or even from 3DS to 3DS. Absolutely everything is transferred, and afterwards the console that had been transferred from is reset to factory settings.I myself used the Data transfer system when I bought a different 3DS (The limited edition Zelda one... it's so shiny) and needed to transfer the stuff I had already downloaded from my old 3DS. I can confirm that it really is easy to use - it's completely fool-proof - and it really does transfer everything - VC downloads, saves, etc.If there are people here who, like me, bought the 3DS on release and as a result got the 20 free Ambassador games, and you'd like a new 3DS (there are more pretty limited edition ones coming!), rest assured, the system transfer does transfer your Ambassador status and your free games. :)In all, this is a great console. Yeah, the 3D can be a bit gimmicky at times, but it does work well, and you can turn it off whenever you like. Now that it has a better games library, it's much more fun, and the Virtual console is just great. Plus with great upcoming games like Kid Icarus: Uprising (It looks amazing!), Luigi's Mansion 2, and Fire Emblem (confirmed for Europe!), it's going to get even better. The price reduction last August makes it even more of a must buy - I paid £180 for mine on release, which was about as cheap as you could get. It's dropped very significantly since!But at least I have my 20 free games to make up for the price-drop. Cheers Ninty! :D
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25.7.2011

When I heard about the 3DS I was beyond sceptical, it sounded like a last ditch attempt to try and breathe new life into the handheld by introducing something gimmicky - but then again, I thought the same about the DS when was first announced and I couldn't have been more wrong, once repackaged as the DS-Lite it was an incredible portable gaming machine. I need to start learning to trust Nintendo - I sighed as I first picked up the 3DS, and then I was blown away by it!The actual hardware itself is impressive, the 3D screen is larger than the old DS-Lite/DSi top screen and requires no 3D glasses to play. A slider enables you to adjust the 3D effect and you can turn it off if you prefer - otherwise a quick adjustment to find the level comfortable for you takes a brief moment.The unit feels a bit plasticky and because of the increased thickness it feels a bit more 'hollow' than the DS-Lite, it's still satisfyingly solid though and doesn't feel cheap - I wonder how long it will take for Nintendo to bring out a remodelled slimmer version, perhaps never but I suspect it will happen eventually. I initially found the location of the D-Pad a bit unnatural - but's that's purely because of many, many hours spent using the DS-Lite where it is aligned higher, but you soon get used to the new position. The D-Pad is lower to accommodate the new analogue controller which is very cleverly designed; it's a movable rubberised disk which sits inside a circular recess, this makes it easy to use and your thumb naturally follows the curve of the circle. The recess makes sure that you don't over-exert the analogue controller as it's not physically possible to drag it further than it should go, and the tactile finish ensures that your thumb rests on it comfortably and even if your gaming experience becomes pretty intense your clammy thumb won't slide off! It's not as pretty as the minimalistic DS-Lite but it's functional.As with the DSi there are photographic capabilities here - and this time with dual cameras to take photographs in 3D, I wasn't massively impressed by this but it is a fun addition and something that some will find amusing. Being able to pass data between other 3DS machines when in sleep mode is a nice touch but not the sort of thing I will personally utilise much, Nintendo have slapped many bells and whistles on this device and the list of things can seem a little daunting at first - but this is ultimately a gaming machine, and the improved screen looks superb, not just with the 3DS specific games but also using the back-catalogue of 'standard' DS games - and let's face it, chances are those are what you'll be playing most to start with.Many say that the 3D effect sends their eyes bonkers, Nintendo acknowledge this too and they have warnings and advisory notices constantly reminding you to limit your use of 3D. I do find that my eyes feel a bit funny after a 3D session but not much more than when I watch a film on my iPod, a good blink and a bit of refocusing gets me back in the real world! The 3D is very immersive when it's done well (flying around the island on Pilotwings Resort is a nice experience), but many other games don't quite cut the mustard just yet. Alas, the best is yet to come and I can't wait to play MarioKart 3D. Some aren't happy with the fact that the 3DS has to be held in precisely the correct way to maintain the 3D effect, tired arms or moing your head can 'break you out' of 3D, that an be quite annoying at first but as you use the console more you instictively keep it held in the right position.In a nutshell: Nintendo are seen as less serious than their competitors, the truth is they are the most innovative and they've done it again - produced a device which sounds a bit daft but is actually a great gaming machine. This isn't a simple upgrade to the DS, this is a new machine with significantly more powerful guts under the plastic which means we can expect a lot from this over the next couple of years.
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25.3.2011

Looking past the hardware part of the 3DS which any other reviewer will tell you of, at launch there's something made incredibly clear to me.Nintendo is aiming for social gaming.Aside from the Mii creator, music recorder and player, you have a host of in-built software that actively encourages the player to seek out other 3DS users, such as the Mii Plaza which rewards you for coming across other people with their 3DS on sleep mode, and the Face Raiders minigame which tries to coax you into taking pictures of you and your friends' faces to make a pretty funny little shooter using your real-world environment as its background, with a reward system based on having more pictures to unlock stages (I admit you could cheat and use photos or your own face many times,but that's no fun!).In other aspects, the software front is completely improved from previous Nintendo consoles. The menu takes its cues from the Wii with a set of icons that scrolls, with the user specifying how large or small they appear, meaning you can have them so big only three will fit on the screen side-to-side, or another view which, while I'm unsure of the specific scale, renders the icons to about 1/20th their default [largest] size.The online aspects seem vastly improved with the system almost being persistently online, it can update through the internet (and will undoubtedly later update by game cards) an in-system friend list, meaning you no longer need to add friends in each and every game you play that has online features. You can also see which friends are currently online, and what they're playing. As of the moment there isn't any chat, game-invite or messaging features, which supports Nintendo's hopes for a child-friendly online environment, but I am sure if they choose to these features could be implemented in the future.As of now it's important to note that some online features aren't currently available, but are announced (although undated). These being the internet browser and virtual console (which will feature ports of classic Game Boy games like Super Mario Land, Doctor Mario and More). Another announced, but currently in-development piece of software is a DSiWare transfer, so people with a DSi that wish to upgrade without losing their software might want to wait until that is released.The software lineup at launch is a little meagre, Pilotwings is a fairly decent update to the classic series, although it is more of a 'pick it up to play for half an hour every once in a while' title.Other notable launch titles are Super Street Fighter IV, an impressive port of the Xbox 360/PlayStation 3 fighter. The controls work incredibly well, which addresses the concerns of many fighting game buffs. Furthermore it features well-coded online play, so if you're competitive, this is the game to get.Ubisoft has released a range of titles for the 3DS, but you should be extremely wary of them - The majority of which are clumsy DS ports. Ghost Recon, however, is reportedly a fairly good title if you ignore its sub-par graphics.Nintendogs & Cats is more or less a graphical update to the DS game, with added features, better graphics and, of course, cats. If you want a cute virtual pet game, this is the one to get.Looking to the future there is a host of fantastic games coming out in the coming year, including the long-awaited Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time remake (in 3D!), Super Paper Mario, Super Mario, Resident Evil, and a whole lot more.To conclude - If you're a truly hardcore gamer, or just a gadget-enthusiast, this is a must-have device. The hardware is great (although the battery life isn't incredible - you'll have to watch your gametime, and try to charge it whenever you're not playing). The direction of the console, if it takes off, will be absolutely fantastic as a social gaming experience. Anybody else might want to consider waiting until the price comes down and/or more games and software get released before making an investment.
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20.6.2011

Well we've all read all the fabulous review and hype about the 3DS and how it's going to change the world of gaming...and on the whole, I have to say I agree, but there are one or two floors that I have to point out.OK, firstly, yes it's a great console and the 3D, whilst not exactly blowing your mind will impress you and make you realise that Nintendo have hit on something special here. My slight disappointment comes in the actual casing of the console. Nintendo's line is that the case is meant to suggest a 3D depth and layers of interest. My line is that the case is a slightly awkward and blocky shape with smooth edges, then jagged edges. It all feels a little unpolished,a bit like playing with a prototype when the final product hasn't been decided on yet. If you want an idea of what I mean then compare the original DS to the DS lite, one, clunky and awkward, one sleek and polished with nice rounded corners, gorgeous case and just the right amount of features to make it look like a well designed piece of kit.I'm sure that within a year, Nintendo will bring out a sleeker version of the console. I grant you that, compared to the DSi which tried to do lots of clever things but just fell slightly short, it's a dream. But if it had the case of the DSlite and the software that it already has, it would just feel a bit more professionalThe sound on the console is nowhere near as loud as the DSi and the bottom half of the volume control would not seem to produce any sound through the console's own speakers but seems instead to be useful for using with headphones where it does seem to find its useful range. The surround sound is excellent on the internal speakers, using virtual or 'Q' sound to make sounds appear to be coming from behind you by tricking the brain into thinking they are - so 3D sound too! You need to turn this off on headphones though as this type of virtual surround requires speakers to be in front of you to work properly.Battery life is a big disappointment compared to previous consoles. Even with the Wi-Fi turned off and power saving on, you;re still going to get nothing near the life you got from the previous consoles, about 2 and a half hours at medium brightness and the 3 and a half hour charging is a pain so I can see why Nintendo have supplied it with a dock so you can 'top it up' whenever you take a break. Clearly with the 3D it's running 2 screens at the top so it seriously drains your battery and the use of a standard mobile phone battery is useful for replacement but maybe not adequate for a device of this complexity.All the features, Augmented Reality, Mii Plaza, Face Raiders and SteetPass are all great fun. Beware that the whole console is more geared towards a single user than one you share around with your family or partner with all the features being geared around one Mii character being the console owner.The first thing you should do with the console is connect it to the net and upgrade the firmware. This will add the internet browser, the Nintendo shop and a few other features such as the ability to transfer things you bought on-line from you DSi to the 3DS and at the moment there's some free games you can download. The format of the Nintendo shop has changed so don't expect the star points from the games to be spendable at the moment, if you want to buy from the new shop it's pounds, not points you'll need to spend.Overall a lovely console but the case is a little clunky feeling, the finish, a little more plastic feeling than it looks in photos and the software, and games currently available, having fewer user save slots, seem more geared towards a single user than on passing the console around to family and friends.If you're unsure whether to upgrade or not, wait for version 2!
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22.7.2011

Don't often review products, but thought I should make the effort for the 3DS - if only to balance out the reviews of fools who don't even own the console but have deemed fit to give it 1 star on the basis of trying it for 2 minutes in a shop.Having owned it since launch, I can tell you that the 3DS is a beautifully put together console, so much so that even browsing its menus is quite a pleasurable experience. So, let's address the main talking points:3D effect - the 3D effect is pretty magical when you first see it - particularly on games where it is well used. Contrary to what some say, although the 3D does add depth it is also capable of projecting out of the screen - people who have tried it for 5 minutes probably haven't come across it as most games use the effect sparingly.The nature of the technology means the viewing angle is quite narrow, but this is something you get used. You also get used to the 3D effect itself - at first it feels a bit funny and can cause eye strain but you quickly get used to it so that you can turn the effect up higher and play for longer without any problems.Games - There aren't a massive amount of AAA games available for the system yet, but this is always the case with new consoles. However, there are certainly enough good games to keep most people happy and there are some dead-cert classics on the horizon, such as Mario Kart 3DS, Professor Layton and the Mask of Miracle, Star Fox 3DS. While you are waiting for those, a huge plus for the system is that it is backward-compatible, meaning you can also play the huge back catalogue of DS games on it. Which brings us neatly on the the next point..DS with 3D gimmick - A lot of people are under the misapprehension that this is simply a DS with a 3D screen. It is not. The 3DS is an entirely new, far more powerful console. It may have DS in the title, but it is as different as the original Xbox and Xbox 360. There is no way that the DS/DSi/DSi XL etc could run the games that the 3DS can run; it has far more memory (128MB vs 4MB), a much faster processor, and new features like an analogue stick (which is great, allows you to play different types of games and actually improves the control of previous genre types).Battery life - This is often cited as a big problem, but while the battery life isn't great in comparison with the DS it compares pretty well to, say, a smartphone running games. The battery has never been a problem for me as I'm never away from a power source and playing for over 5 hours at a time; if you would be then perhaps it's something to consider (although you can buy high capacity battery packs to help with this if required).Online - the online service, including video and the eShop isn't great yet, but Nintendo are improving it on the fly and more things are added each week. As with the range of games, the online service - whilst ok at the moment - will only get better over time.I'd certainly recommend getting a 3DS - particularly if you are wavering over this or a DSi - as for an extra £50 you get a LOT more console and the promise of great gaming experiences for years to come. Sure, there will probably be a slightly improved iteration of the 3DS out in a few years time (although as with the DS the console will be basically the same) but if you took this approach then you would never buy anything; there's always something better round the corner if you wait long enough. Buy one (if only for the definitive version of Zelda: Ocarina of Time aka Best Game in the World), I very much doubt you will regret it.
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4.3.2014

Travelling across America, I decided to buy a 3DS as a companion on those lonely bus journeys. Through this experience I wuld say, in short, this machine has re-energized my love of gaming (something that had laid dormant since the PS2/Gamecube days of my misspent university days) and is the perfect gaming machine for any age (I'm 28 and friends in their late 30s and up have had an equal experience).GraphicsThe graphics are superb, I couldn't of imagined this level in a handheld back in the N64 days, but the technology works great and every game ran smoothly with a high framerate so far. Absolutely zero freezing during play. I really like the 3D feature (not for everyone but easily turned off)and shows 3d can work in this medium as it has for cinema.ComfortFits in my pocket fine and never feels heavy. Some people have complained the normal (not XL) is a bit small for gaming but at 6 foot 3 and with quite large hands I've never had or felt a problem or strain from playing it.DurabilityThis thing has travelled the world with me forever in my pocket and still looks and works as good as new. I'm the perfect test of this as I'm very clumsy and have dropped it many times but barely a dent has hit it.Battery lifeLasts a good few hours, I tend to turn the 3D off when using it long term without a charger and can't say the battery life was short. Certainly a lot longer than gaming on an iphone or ipad.FunThe absolute avalanche of games over the last two years has meant there is forever new games to play and the quality of them is very high (the two Zeldas, Marios, Fire Emblem, Donkey Kong, and much more could grace any system with acclaim). It is also compatible too with DS games so I've been able to mine that device for various games (especially its impressive RPG collection) meaning that at this moment the 3DS has the most diverse and wide-ranging amount of games to enjoy of any platform in this generation of consoles. There really is something for everyone.Virtual ConsoleAt the moment this is good but not as good as it could be. Downloading NES games is a great nostalgia trip that I love and many of the games work beautifully for this console (especially with the added save points feature making picking it up and playing a lot easily.) But this could be a lot more, there are not as many NES and GB games as there could be and Nintendo's reluctance to allow GBA games to be downloadable is a missed opportunity (seriously take my money Nintendo!).DownloadI bought my 3DS in the US, but live in the UK now. Not long ago this would mean importing games and high shipping costs as the cartridges only work in their own regions. Not anymore! I simply need a Wi-Fi connection and can download the games straight away to my console's memory card. And the games take only 15-20 minutes, and seconds for a NES games, so is perfectly convenient in every way.OnlineI've only really played the Mario Kart online so far but it was fantastic, allowing you to play against players around the world easily and with basic Wi-Fi. They may need to hone it more for other games but the potential is there for something special.OverallI can't express how much I love this device. From quick plays on the tube to long plays on weekends, the 3DS can suit every type of gamer and I can't recommend it highly enough.
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