UPDATE: This system had slow start, but now with a good game lineup on the horizon (Mario Kart, Paper Mario, Star Fox, Luigi's Mansion, Super Mario Land, Kid Icarus, and a few more), the release of several features such as the virtual store and Netflix, and most importantly, the big $80 price cut, I have decided to bump this review up to a 4 star (originally 3). When the console first launched, it was tough to justify spending $250 on it, but now it is quite competitive at $170.
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New Short Review
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1. 3DS launched with very few games, and now a few good ones like Ocarina of Time have come out. E3 announced many good games which we'll see soon. The current lineup is still pretty lackluster and many of the upcoming games are remakes of older ones, but at least it's a step in the right direction. This is currently the biggest con of the system that has everyone online asking "WHERE ARE THE GAMES?". Nintendo has been slow even with their 1st party games which was also frustrating. Hopefully, we'll see some 3rd party developers make some good and new content as they did on the DS.
2. 3DS has poor battery life. The console lasts somewhere between 3 and 5 hours depending on if you turn on WiFi or 3D and how high you keep the brightness and volume. There's also a power saver mode that supposedly saves battery. 3-5 hours is pretty low. It will be enough if you just want to play for a little while or are at home, but it certainly won't work for a road trip or vacation. Compounded with a roughly 3 hour recharge time, the battery problem is further prounounced. This is quite disappointing, especially since the DS Lite could crank out close to 15 hours with the brightness turned down. The 3DS battery life is upsetting and badly limits its portability. Over time, you learn to work around it and really use the home charging cradle supplied. Another alternative is purchasing 3rd party battery pack which doubles the battery life which gets the battery to acceptable levels of 6-10 hours.
3. The 3D effect in most games are used just to add depth. Some games like Ridge Racer use the 3D effect to makes things pop out of the screen at you, but many don't. Some games like Ocarina of Time make good use of the 3D allowing you to properly judge distances and aim, but many other games just tack it on without adding anything to gameplay (and sometimes even hindering it). Like certain Wii games that tack on unneeded motion controls, many 3DS games make poor use of the 3D.
4. Online play is still plagued by annoying friend codes. I wish Nintendo would let us make a username equivalent of gamertags or PSN IDs. Instead we have to enter a long string of digits to add someone as a friend. Nintendo really needs to step up their online gameplay as the entire network is inconvenient and often annoying. Simple things like matchmaking and communicating with friends is a pain.
5. DS game playback is a bit awkward due to the resolution difference between the DS and the 3DS. DS games either are stretched looking blurry/pixelated or only occupy a small box in the center of the screen leaving a black border around the game. So, playing DS games on the 3DS is less than ideal. (But hey, I'm glad we at least have backwards compatibility)
6. Minor complaint: Build quality of the 3DS is so-so. My 3DS has a slightly loose hinge where the top screen isn't exactly helped firmly in place. From searching online, many people are also having some minor quality control complaints.
7. Minor complaint: The 3DS is slightly bigger than the DS Lite. You would expect the new 3DS to be sleeker and smaller than the DS Lite from 2006. I understand the 3DS is more powerful, but I still would have liked it thinner.
8. Minor complaint: The 3D camera on the 3DS is really bad. My celllphone takes better quality pictures (just not in 3D). Don't expect to use this camera after the first day when you're checking out all of the features.
Conclusion: DS was one of my favorite systems with great 3rd party developer support. Hopefully, the 3DS will see the same kind of success and get great games from developers other than Nintendo. I love my 3DS and know it will be an awesome system in the future when more people buy it and better games come out. Thankfully, there are many good games coming in the near future. Combined with the lower price, all we have left is the lingering bad battery life. You know Nintendo is going to release a new 3DS with better battery life and probably slimmer sometime in the future (think GBA Advance to SP / DS to DS Lite). My honest advice: WAIT FOR THAT! I remember I really wanted the original DS (the original "phat" one), but eventually I bought the DS Lite when it came out. I paid less and got a way better system. Every company releases a new model of their system Nintendo usually does it 16-24 months after the original release, which would probably pit a new 3DS sometime between July 2012 and March 2013. It seems like a long time, but if you can wait, I'm sure it'll be worth it and you'll only have missed a handful of good games or so. If you can't wait, go out and buy the 3DS now and I'm sure you'll enjoy it.
Bottom Line: Ultimately, it's the games that make a system worth it. Nintendo painfully learned that releasing a system in 2011 without a strong launch lineup results in low sales. At least we are now seeing good games coming in waves and more 1st party Nintendo titles like Mario and Zelda. I think the system is having a slow start, but will have a good future at least in terms of software. If you purchase it now, I'm sure you'll get great use out of it. If you choose to wait a while before purchasing, you may have a new 3DS that alleviates some of the current problems.
I explain all of this in much, much more detail below. So, check out the original review for more detail if you so desire.
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Virtual Store, Netflix, and Browser
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The originally promised features have finally been released! You can use the virtual store to purchase and download older games as well as some little games (similar to Wiiware or DSiWare games). I got some of the free stuff like a free 3D Pokedex and the free titles were OK, and most importantly, FREE. Setting up Netfix was a breeze as well, you just log in with your email/password like you always do. Boom you're in search, browse genres, or select something from your instant queue. The internet browser worded well too and gets you to webpages, but you can't view Flash content. Remember for all of these features, you need to have WiFi connection.
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Original Review for 3DS @ Launch LONG REVIEW )
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Please, before you give me your hate, listen to what I have to say. Please don't immediately judge me as a "Nintendo hater" or simply down-vote my review. I have owned every Nintendo system since SNES, both handheld and home console, and love Nintendo products. I just want to bring to your attention some of the cons that almost every other reviewer has down-played or brushed aside.
I have been using the system since the midnight release, playing a few different games, and testing the various features. I truly am amazed by the augmented reality and potential for the device. However, I cannot ignore some of the negatives and have compiled a list of cons.
1) On average, I get about 4 to 4 and a half hours with my 3DS with 3D off, wifi off, 1/3 volume, and 2 of 5 brightness. It takes about three hours to fully charge and the battery gets used up very quickly while playing 3DS games (Nintendo reports official charge time as 3.5 hours). The first time I played I had slightly over 3 hours of battery life playing at full brightness, 3D on, and max volume as it was my first time playing the system and I was still in the "oooh, aaaah" stage. After taking a break and letting it charge, I played it again, but this time on medium brightness, wifi off, and volume on medium. The battery was still shy of 4 hours. After that, I just began playing while the system charged. Compared to the DS Lite's 10 hour+ battery life, this is a bit disappointing. I understand that the 3DS needs to have extra brightness to produce 3D and requires more processing power, and therefore takes up more battery juice, but I still would like to see at least 6 hours. So, don't expect to be using this on a long flight or road trip. The good news is there are some 3rd party accessories being released to address this issue such as a Nintendo 3DS Travel Charging Dock with Rechargeable Internal Battery and an extended battery pack. The extended battery pack by Nyko (the one I mentioned earlier), called the "Power Pak," has been getting great praise by early reviews. It raises the 3DS battery life to about 5.5 hours on full brightness, 3D on, wifi on and all the way to 9 hours on lowest brightness, 3D off, wifi off. The only con about this is that it increases the 77mm thickness of the system to roughly 95mm and costs $20. If a bit of extra bulk isn't a problem for you, and you have $20 to spare, this could be a great option.
Tips on long battery life: Turn WiFi off when you don't need it. Lower the screen brightness as much as possible. Turn "Power Saving" mode on. Lower the volume as much as possible or use headphones. Turning 3D off also saves battery. Doing these things can help you squeeze another hour of battery life out of your 3DS.
2) The library of games for the 3DS is still quite and was somewhat disappointing on launch day, but this to be expected of a new system. Of the several launch games I played, the most interesting were Super Street Fighter, Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon, and Pilot Wings. Furthermore, of the games I listed, Pilot Wings looked great, but was sadly short as I have already beaten all of the missions in four hours or so. Many review sites have been praising Steel Diver as well. I personally didn't find it too fun, but it is a unique game and I can acknowledge it being one of the better 3DS launch titles. However, as time passed we are starting to see great games like the Ocarina of Time and we are sure to see some notable release in a few months such as Kid Icarus, Star Fox, Super Mario, Luigi's Mansion, etc. Most consoles are burdened with this problem at launch; this won't be a problem in the long-run. In my opinion, it's ultimately the games that define the console and the console itself is just a medium to play the games. the DS had one of the best game libraries of all time and the 3DS is sure to follow suit. Within a year or two, we'll see a rocking game library that'll demand us to buy the console. There are many great games on the horizon, and Ocarina of Time is already out, which is by far the best game on the 3DS at the moment. E3 revealed nearly a dozen promising games that all will come out with a year's time! The 3DS library is going to be great soon.
3) 3D effect. For the most part, the 3D effect doesn't really have objects flying at your face making you jump like the 3D in amusement park rides. (UPDATE: However, some developers are indeed using this pop-out effect, but it is used sparingly.) It really only shows you more depth as in you can tell a mountain in Pilot Wings is further in the distance than the plane your flying, or overlays such as the time, score, etc are infront of the objects in the game. It took me a few hours to find my "3D sweet spot" as I tried to balance the distance I should keep the 3DS from my face and how high I should raise the depth slider. And this sweet spot changes from game to game, so you'll need to tinker with the viewing distance and depth slider until you find what's best for you. Honestly, even though "3D" is in the name of the system, it doesn't add a whole lot in terms of gameplay. And to add to this, it's very hard to stay in your "3D sweetspot" while playing games that take advantage of the gyroscope. In the included AR games, there is a game called archery in which you place a card on a desk and the 3DS will simulate some targets to hit. To hit these targets you will need to walk around and hit them from different angles. It's actually quite fun and one of the better AR card games. The only problem is that while you're moving around to hit the targets from a different angle, you shift a bit out of the "3D sweetspot" and lose the 3D effect causing a little of trouble for your brain and some eye strain. So, for most games using the gyroscope such as the AR card game archery or even the game Face Raiders, unfortunately, it's better played with the 3D off. The 3D mode really only works well for games that you can sit still and play because the viewing angle for the 3D effect is very small. To avoid eye strain, dizziness, head aches etc, only use the 3D mode when you are stationary, and tinker with the depth slider to find what's right for you. At first, I thought keeping the slider anywhere short of max meant that I was missing out on the full possible 3D experience. I was horribly mistaken: everyone experiences 3D differently and will need to discover (and stay within) their "3D sweet spot."
Update: Initially, the 3D effect amazed me and I kept playing with it on whenever I wasn't moving or playing a game that needed the gyroscope. However, after about 30 hours or so of playing with the system, the initial amazement subsided, and I am playing games the ol' fashion way in 2D mode. A classmate of mine who is also a 3DS owner agreed with me on this as he also reverted to 2D mode. To me, the 3D is like a topping to ice cream, rather than the ice cream itself; you don't have to add it, but for some people, it can make it much better (and for other worse).
Update: I have demoed the 3DS to about 50 friends and classmates, and most were shocked at, sometimes even in disbelief of, the quality of the 3D and the AR games. Although, maybe 5 or so complained about headaches/eye strain, even after they tried re-adjusting the depth slider. Another person I know who bought the system had eye strain and headaches initially, but after a few days "adapted" to the 3D and feels nothing now. What does all this mean? I suppose we all just handle 3D differently. Maybe for some 3D is an "acquired sight."
(Update: A commenter told me that in the game Lego Star Wars III, there are objects that fly out of the screen. I cannot confirm as I did not purchase this game. However, from my own experience I can say that Pilot Wings, Super Street Fighter IV, Ghost Recon, FaceRaiders, and the bundled mini games (AR card games and mii games) do not have this effect. Instead, they have a layered look where some things are slightly in front of or on the screen and other things are further "behind the screen.")
(Further Update: It seems like the 3D effect is indeed capable of popping out of the screen. It is seen in Nintendogs, Ridge Racer, and many other titles. It seems like developed are limitedly using the 3D pop out effect and reserving it for special moments in the game. Maybe this is to help prevent head-aches and nauseousness caused by 3D. Thanks for all the comments pointing this out!)
4) This is just a minor complaint. The cameras on the 3DS take pictures of pretty low quality. Obviously the system wasn't meant to be used to replace a conventional camera, but it's worth noting that the 3D camera is more of a novelty than a practical device. In fact, most smart phones will take pictures of better quality (without 3D though, of course). I don't think anybody actually was planning on using the 3DS as a full-fledged camera.
5) This is just another minor gripe, but the 3DS is a just a tiny bit bigger than the DS Lite. Looking at the two, they look almost identical in size and to simplify things we can even say they are the same size, but the specs show the 3DS to be a fraction bigger. The DS Lite and 3DS are by no means large, but I wish Nintendo would have made the new system a little more "pocket-friendly" and slimmer (not as thick). The 3DS fits in my pockets fine, but a sleeker and thinner design (with the same size screens) would have been appreciated.
6) DS emulation. First off, I am extremely happy the 3DS emulates DS games. I'm glad Nintendo kept that feature. There just is one small problem with the emulation, because of the difference is resolution between the 3DS and the DS, either the emulated games will appear smaller, or stretched out. Both of which look a bit awkward. It's great Nintendo added DS emulation and it's not necessarily Nintendo's fault for the problem. It's just something you should be aware of if you plan on using your 3DS to play DS games. I don't consider this a con as GBA is quite old now, but if anyone was wondering, there is no cartridge slot for gameboy advance games.
7) Online play and friend codes. Nintendo is still using friend codes! If you aren't familiar with Nintendo's online play, it works by assigning each player a long string of digits (12 in the case of the 3DS)and forces friends to enter each other's friend codes to play together online. This is only a one time process but is highly annoying. On the XBOX 360, PS3, and PC, online play is handled by giving players a user ID which can then be used to add friends and online match-making. One theory why is that Nintendo is trying to protect younger users by making it more difficult to add strangers as friends. Really, in my opinion, it makes online play a hassle. Rather than calling up a friend and saying "Hey, add me as a friend. My name is 'Killer_Juice'," you would have to say "My friend code is 4682-8452-5268." There is also a status message that you can write, however, it is severely limited because it has a character limit of 25. There's really not much you can say in 25 characters.
Now all these complaints boil down to one thing: cost. At the moment, I really don't feel this system is worth the price tag of $250. Given the lackluster game lineup and rather poor battery life, I don't think there is a need to buy 3DS at this point. Some features such as the Nintendo Shop and the internet browser won't even be released until May. In my honest opinion, I would recommend waiting until a new revision is released, or at least until some better games come out. Nintendo usually releases a newer version of a console about a year and half after the original release. Although Nintendo hasn't officially said anything to support a new 3DS, I am willing to bet that a new 3DS will be released in the not too distant future that will pack better battery life, a slimmer form (not as thick), new colors, and whatever other cool stuff Nintendo throws our way. As time passes, technology only gets better and better; Nintendo will definitely be able to improve upon the system and release a revision. My guess is around Summer or Holiday 2012, but that is purely speculation. Don't get me wrong: I do like the system and I was astounded by the augmented reality games (Face Raiders, AR Shot, and Archery in particular). I simply believe that for most people, there is no reason to buy the console right now. The system is great; it just faces a few limitations (mainly battery life) that can be addressed by Nintendo in a new revision.
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Conclusion: I don't want to sound overly-negative about the system. The DS was one of the best systems with a great library of games. If you have the money to spend, the 3DS will surely not disappoint with 3D, augmented reality, improved graphics and screen resolution, and all the good stuff we've come to love from the original DS. However, if buying the system is a financial stretch or you are content with what you have right now, I would advise waiting until a new revision is released (which is bound to happen) or at least until some better games are made. Soon enough, we will start seeing some great 3DS games that take full advantage of the system's hardware, and hopefully a 3DS that packs a longer battery and maybe slimmer too. Who knows, we might even get a 3DS XL. One thing I will reemphasize is that a console is defined by its games. Nintendo handhelds always get great games and within a few years, the 3DS will have a massive software library filled with many great "must have" titles. They system is just a medium to enjoy the games; the games are the things that matter most. I don't regret buying my system at all, because I know some great games will be released soon and the 3DS will have a great pool of games to chose from.
Feel free to leave me a comment, ask a question, or voice or your opinion. I will try to respond as quickly as possible. I'm willing to discuss my standpoint with anybody. So, rather than just clicking "unhelpful", please comment your opinion and we can talk about it. I will continue updating this review as I use the system more and more. I don't write many reviews, but when I do, I actually put several hours of effort into them and continue adding to them months after the original publish date.
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Update: There have been some reports of the 3DS being unable to play games and reaching a screen that is unofficially called the "black screen of death." Furthermore, people have complained about hinge problems not keeping the top screen in place. In fact, my top screen has also had a bit of a wobble to it, but I don't think it wobbles enough to warrant me exchanging it. The great news is that Nintendo is willing to replace these defective units by following a fairly quick procedure on their website.
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