I love my 3DS

[Murgatroyd7]

I can't remember what I said or where I said it, but I remember telling Evan that I would let everyone know what I think of the 3DS. I'm too sleepy to get into full details at the moment, but I will say that for the most part, I love it. It's not perfect, but it's easily the best handheld ever made (at least in my opinion). I'll give you guys plenty more details later. If there's anything you want to know about it, feel free to ask; I should be able to answer most questions.

[StatiK TactiK]

What's the field of effectivness like? The 3d won't work if you look at an angle right? How is the 3d compared to a 3d movie with glasses?

[DeYanKees1]

I was playing my friends Super Street Fighter and the 3D was awesome the game not so much lol. Made it to simple you can do supers and ultras by touching the screen no thanks. But the 3D looks great and worked well. Thats the only game he had so I didn't get to play any other. Going to buy one when Orcarina of Time releases around the summer time since there really isn't any game I want right now but Legend of Zelda hell yeah.

[Murgatroyd7]

The field of effectiveness is decent. It won't work from different angles, but some of that depends on what's on the screen. If you're looking at something relatively simple, the effect might remain if you tilt the screen a bit. Something more complex will blurry, however. In general... You can tilt the screen back quite a bit without any change, but you can't tilt it forward very far. I'd say you can probably tilt left or right about 20° before the image goes blurry, though the screen will go slightly dark for a second. Of course, your mileage may vary, especially if you happen to have different eyes. I guess you could say that you don't get a very big range of movement, but it increases if you turn down the 3D slider some. The only problems I've hard are when playing with tilt controls on Super Monkey Ball and trying to play AR Games or Face Raiders while sitting.

Compared to a 3D movie, I would say 3DS is superior. In my experience, movies usually look relatively flat and just have a few things popping out here and there. Instead of making things pop out, 3DS gives everything a lot of depth, so it's somewhat like looking out a window. Some things don't utilize it particularly well (such as the OK GO video that comes with the first update) and it will look like paper cutouts in a diorama. But some things like Samurai Warriors look fantastic. They did an excellent job with that game. Even in 2D, it looks great...then you turn on the 3D and it becomes even crisper and more detailed. Watching the opening cutscene was the first time I was truly wowed. They definitely had the 3D in mind when developing this game and I love how it looks like the hills in the background look like they go on forever.

Also, there's a lot less strain with the 3DS. When I watch a 3D movie, it makes my eyes hurt and I feel like I don't even get the full effect (especially when I keep having to take the glasses off). But with the 3DS, I get a lot of depth right away. It was really weird at first and it felt like I was crosseyed because it's like staring a one of those 3D books. But it only took a few minutes for my eyes to adjust and now it feels totally natural. It works for me right away whenever I turn on the handheld.

Other stuff... The included software is pretty nifty. AR Games and Face Raiders certainly aren't the best games and I wouldn't have paid for them, but they're great for being free and they both use 3D in fun ways. I love StreetPass Mii Plaza because the Find Mii minigame is like a social RPG. You have to go out and meet new people through StreetPass so you can recruit them for your game. You can spend coins to hire computer-generated heroes, but this is a lot more fun. StreetPass in general is an awesome feature, but I wish it gave you the option to share your friend code. Meeting people that you can actually play games with would take the social aspect to a whole new level. That could always be added later, though.

It's unfortunate that friend codes are still use, but they are much easier to manage now and you actually get to have a real friends list on your DS instead of it being a game-by-game basis. I'm hoping more will be done with the gamertags in the near future. One of my absolute favorite things is that you can go to the 3DS main menu without exiting your game. This way, you can check your notifications, change your brightness settings, take a picture, go online (not yet, but soon), or whatever. Best of all, there's a little notepad where you can write down notes as you play through a game. This is something I wanted so bad on the DSi. I haven't had a chance to use SpotPass yet, but it seems like a cool feature with a lot of potential.

Compared to the old DS, 3DS feels a little awkward at first because of the lowered d-pad, but I hardly ever use that now. If you're used to playing with an Xbox 360 controller, it probably won't bother you at all. Physically, it feels like a sturdy little machine made with high-quality materials. I was really worried at first about it not having a matte finish because glossy plastic always looks so cheap and it's the biggest thing I don't like about my PSP (which I have to keep in a rubber skin so it doesn't get covered in fingerprints and dust). This plastic is really nice. I don't know what kind they use or what the exact finish is, but it's not a fingreprint magnet at all. And if you do leave any fingerprints, you can barely notice them because of the metallic flakes that make it look all sparkly.

Despite what people say, the battery life is decent. Sure, it doesn't last as long as the DSi or an old GameBoy, but it lasts just a bit longer than a PSP. And there are plenty of ways to prolong its life. You could even splurge on a Power Pak+ ($20) which will give you twice as much battery power (close to 11 hours). I've heard some people complain about the sounding being too low, which I think is nuts. I keep my sound at only half volume and its more than sufficient. And this is coming from someone with poor hearing.

Overall, I think this is a wonderful little device. There are very few things I dislike about it. Being someone who is averse to change, I thought I wouldn't like the transition and would want to keep playing my DSi instead, but it hasn't been like that at all. Sure, I miss my DSi for sentimental reasons, but this is obviously a superior machine. I can't wait for the rest of the features to be unlocked

I was playing my friends Super Street Fighter and the 3D was awesome the game not so much lol. Made it to simple you can do supers and ultras by touching the screen no thanks. But the 3D looks great and worked well. Thats the only game he had so I didn't get to play any other. Going to buy one when Orcarina of Time releases around the summer time since there really isn't any game I want right now but Legend of Zelda hell yeah.

That's too bad about SSF4. I almost bought it as my promotional game (through Amazon) and now I'm glad I didn't. Ended up going with PilotWings instead. When OoT gets here, I have no doubt that it will be amazing.

[StatiK TactiK]

How is it playing in the sun? I've never used a DS outside but many screens get really dark and hard to see in the sun. Does it affect the 3d at all? Oh and are both the screens in 3d?

[Murgatroyd7]

Only the top screen is 3D. It'd be cool if both were, but I haven't sat round thinking "Boy, I sure wish I coud be tapping in 3D!" I'll have to get back to you about the sunlight. I would expect it to be as bad as the regular DS, but I don't recall having any issues. Once I get my son changed/fed, I'll run a quick test outside.

[Murgatroyd7]

Well, the sun's still out, but with all of our big trees, there's way too much shade to answer your question right now. Comparing the DSi and 3DS in what little sun there is, there didn't seem to be much difference, but I'm fairly certain I didn't have any issues when checking my StreetPass in the sun a few days ago. And I'm sure the brightness options will probably make a difference. But I'll let you know for sure tomorrow when I can test in ample sunlight.



Oh, I thought I'd also point out that my eyes seem to be spoiled now. Whenever I get on the computer, I keep expecting everything to be 3D. Ha ha.

[Mike]

I haven't seen the 3DS first hand yet, but if the 3D is as good as you say, it's going to be a big win for nintendo. I was never a handheld gamer, so I doubt I will get it, but it would be great if they started making other games or TVs using this technology.

[Murgatroyd7]

As long as developers are mindful of the technology, it works quite well. So far, the best use of 3D I have seen is in Samurai Wars: Chronicles (which I am reviewing). It's very obvious that they designed this with the 3DS in mind because there is just so much depth and it looks more natural than just layers of images (although that's basically what it is).

I haven't seen the new 3D TVs being developed by Toshiba and other companies, but it seems to use a more sophisticated technology that allows a larger range of motion. Of course, this also makes it a lot more expensive. It also more necessary, however, because it is intended for an audience and not just one person with a handheld device.




Also...I took my 3DS out in the sun and although there are still some glare issues that affect visibility, it's a lot better than both DS and PSP. The 5 brightness settings (6 if you count Power Save mode) really help with adjusting the screen so you can see it better when outside. It's not perfect, but you're definitely not confined to playing indoors or in the shade.

[DeYanKees1]

Sooooo Legend of Zelda was released and I'm going to sell my DSi and get a 3DS in 2 weeks. Someone sold it at the store I work at and I immediately called dibs. In brand new condition for $200 not including my discount equals a win!

To bad after Zelda there is not that many games that are catching my interested for a while. Kingdom Hearts 3D better hurry up.

[Murgatroyd7]

Awesome deal! Even without Zelda in my possession, I have been fully enjoying my 3DS since Day 1. If I were you, I would head to Toys R Us because a lot of their 3DS games are $16 right now (I just bought Rayman 3D). Target is also having a great deal for Zelda: if you buy the game, you get another one half off.

My two main reccomendations are Samurai Warriors Chronicles and Dead Or Alive Dimensions. I enjoy these games far more than I expected and they both have a ton of content. And best of all, they get free DLC on a very regular basis. SWC gets new missions and weapons (alternating) each week and DOAD gets new costumes everyday (except for the weekends). PilotWings Resort, Super Monkey Ball 3D, and Cubic Ninja are all good but they don't have enough content to be worth full retail price. I wouldn't pay more than $20 for any of them.

I haven't played BlazBlue or Resident Evil: The Mercenaries (which came out today), but they're supposed to be good. And there's plenty of great stuff coming out in the next couple of months. Unlike most people, I'm actually content with the lineup so far, but I also think the 3DS is great even if you don't have ANY games for it. I play the pre-installed Find Mii everyday. And even if you're not impressed with the current games, we've got stuff like Cave Story 3D, Super Mario (which looks amazing to me), Mario Kart, and a lot more coming soon. You can see some 3D trailers in the eShop.

Oh, and speaking of eShop, don't forget to download Excitebike and Pokédex 3D. They're both free in the eShop, although Excitebike will only be free for the next couple of weeks, so you need to make sure you get it ASAP.

[ITANI]

Zelda 3D is one of the best games I've played on a handheld so get it ASAP. You would fall in love with it. The remake is so improved over the original. Also I might buy Zelda: Links Awakening from virtual console.

[Murgatroyd7]

Also I might buy Zelda: Links Awakening from virtual console.

I'm tempted, but I can't quite get myself to go for it. On one hand, I already have Link's Awakening DX for GameBoy Color and I don't really need to buy it again. But on the other hand, that means I won't have to lug around my GBA SP if I want to play. But on the invisible third hand, I'll probably end up lugging my GBA around anyway so I can play my GB, GBC, and GBA games (yup, I own all three handhelds) whenever I want.

[ITANI]

I have the Ocarina of Time on the GC but the 3DS is so much better. So perfect. Check it out whenever you can.

[Murgatroyd7]

That's different because OoT has actually been updated, so buying it is a no-brainer (I'll probably get it on the first of July). But as far as I know, Link's Awakening is unchanged, just like other Virtual Console games. That's fine because it didn't need to be changed, but it makes it harder to take the plunge, especially when I've got games that I haven't even played yet.



And this is a bit off-topic, but are 3DS cases in the UK skinny and white like ours or are they like your DS cases? Or something completely different? I just imported Last Window (since it will never see a US release) and I was surprised to see this big clear case. Compared to the rest of my DS collection, it sticks out like a sore thumb, but it's kinda neat. I like having something different thrown in there.