Nintendo 3DS Review

The Nintendo 3DS is Nintendo's first step into the next generation of hand-held gaming. The Nintendo 3DS is basically a regular DS with an upgraded OS, better graphics, and 3D auto-stereoscopic effects. This means the 3DS games are played in 3D. The system was released in the U.S. on March 27, 2011. The system costs 250$ and comes in 2 colors, Aqua Blue and Cosmo Black. The system is backwards compatible with original DS games and most DSi Ware. The console itself is 5.3 inches wide, 2.9 inches deep, and .83 inches high. It weighs 8.1 ounces. The Nintendo 3DS is NOT compatible with Nintendo Gameboy Advance games. Now that I have gone over the statistics of the 3DS, I will go over my personal Pro's and Con's.

Pros

• Really Impressive Graphics (High PS2 Quality, in my opinion)
• Nice OS (I believe the Home Menu is MUCH easier to navigate than the DSi Menu. You can adjust the size of your icons and brightness all from the Home Menu)
• Cameras (Although they are a .3 MP Camera, the 3D Camera is really impressive once you are able to judge good 3D opportunities)
• E-Shop (Through a recent update, you were able to download the new E-Shop. It is much more organized than the Nintendo DSi Shop)
• Stylus (The stylus is a telescoping stylus, which you can adjust to a comfortable length)
• The Circle Pad (The circle pad is the next best thing to an analog stick. It works well and it moves smoothly)

Cons

• Price (The system costs 250$! That is a lot for a handheld video game. 175$-200$ would be a more fair price to convince current DSi/DS lite owners to buy a whole new DS)
• Launch Titles (If you were like me and bought your 3DS before June 19th. You realize that the launch line-up was pretty poor on Nintendo's part. The only 1st party titles released where Nintendogs+Cats, Pilotwings: Resort, and Steel Diver. I would have loved to have seen a big 1st Party game to have launched with it like Kid Icurus: Uprising)
• Size (Although this is only a minor complaint, I think the 3DS is on the bulky side. I want to bring my 3DS around with me to count my steps taken and communicate with others via Street Pass. But when wearing jeans, the 3DS can be seen in your pocket very clearly due to it's size)
• Stylus Placement (Another minor complaint, but unlike the DSi and DS lite, the 3DS puts the stylus right next to the cartridge slot (just like the original DS). This can make it a bit awkward to get your stylus out than normal. It takes some getting used to)
• The Bottom Screen (I have no problem with the touch screen being smaller, but because it is raise from the system, it causes marks on the top screen. I recommend buying screen protectors to prevent permanent damage to your upper screen. Another problem I noticed was the circle pad leaves a mark on the upper area of the 3DS)

My overall rating on the 3DS would be 3.5 Stars of 5. The system had great potential, but sadly not that many good games are on the market currently. I definitely think that once the system gets better games (like Ocarina of Time 3D) I will up my rating to 4.5 Stars of 5.


Play On!
-Colton (CF96)