Friday, August 12, 2011

Nintendo 3DS Is Nintendo's Sweetest Little Device

The Nintendo 3DS recently has been out for some time now. It also happens to be obtaining it's first ever price drop to $169.99 come August 12th. Having owned the system, even though I was aware of the price drop happening soon, but I'm glad I got to own this system now and play with it, and if you're deciding whether or not you should buy one, I advise you to read on what I'm about to say.

The 3DS is Nintendo's next generation handheld system. Despite being touted as a glasses free 3D system, the system also offers up much more than just being able to view 3D games, pictures, and movies, it offers up some very promising features with some fun applications that could potentially make it become one of Nintendo's best handheld systems yet.

 The Third Dimension

The 3DS boasts an amazing improvement over it's predecessor in terms of power, processing speed, and the ability to display 3D images without the need for 3D glasses. It's something you really need to hold to see for yourself. Some people may have issues with 3D, and it isn't for everyone, but for me I've been playing my 3DS with the 3D slider up more times than I have with it down. Normally I play at home, and when I'm on the road, I use 3D conservatively to not run the battery down. (The 3DS gets anywhere between 3 - 6 1/2 hours from my playtime with the system.) Personally this is reasonable for me, but I can see this being an issue with other people or long road trips.

My 3DS in it's casing



What I enjoy most about the 3D effect is, while it doesn't add anything to the games I've played (Dead or Alive and The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D) it's still a really great little feature that I enjoy seeing. Playing through Zelda with 3D on, makes the game feel fresh, new, and even more so, it feels like I'm looking into the world of Hyrule from a new perspective. Playing Dead of Alive with the 3D on is subtle, but during the beautiful in-game cutscenes for the story mode, or during fights, and how the UI effects have multi-layered images and backgrounds that pop out, the games don't benefit at all from 3D, but they do feel fresh and different. Note: I'll talk more about these games in my future reviews and the 3D effects both positive and negative

The 3D effect has never given me an issue, and I find the experience of watching 3D videos from the Nintendo video application, taking 3D pictures with the 3DS camera, and playing games in 3D to be a fun and refreshing little experience. How long will this "new" factor remain, and will this eventually just become a little gimmick that I no longer use or find exciting is yet to be seen, but I for one enjoy the 3D effects of the system a lot and don't play my 3DS without it mostly.

SpotPass and StreetPass

 
Some of the best features of the 3DS are not even just the 3D features, and my next favorite little feature of the system happens to be one that may be hard for others to enjoy.

 You can suspend software in the background to check messages, browse the internet, check your friend's list, adjust the brightness, and take notes mid game, or swap to another game entirely.

Every 3DS comes with the ability to speak to one another, connect to the internet and receive updates, and ultimately use features known as SpotPass and StreetPass. SpotPass is the system's ability to connect to an internet hotspot like your home's Wi-Fi or other places, and receive notifications and updates from the magical world known as the internet. StreetPass is the system's gift sharing mode, where other 3DS users can pass on content, receive content, or other features that developers come up with, just by passing by another 3DS owner.

When the system is in sleep mode, it enters SpotPass mode, where the system will search for other hotspots or 3DSes also in sleep mode. During this time, the system will automatically obtain updates or trade data with other 3DS systems. For example, in Dead or Alive, you could receive a "throwdown" where you and a random passerby will exchange ghost data and you fight the person's best character in a one-on-one. A game like Super Street Fighter IV 3D Edition will let players battle and fight with collectible figurines, or you and random people can pass their Miis to one another and play a little role-playing game with the Miis you've encountered.

Universal Friend Codes is the closest you'll get to a GamerTag

All in all, StreetPass/SpotPass has become one of my favorite little quirks about the system that I enjoy the most. Every time I see the little blue (SpotPass) or Green (StreetPass) notification light on my 3DS, I can't wait to open up my 3DS and see what little surprise the system has in store for me. Whether it's a notification saying there's new content available for my game (Next week on August 15th, Tecmo Koei will release new costumes for characters in DOA: D) or a new Mii has joined my plaza and will assist me in my quest to save my Mii from the evil Ghosts, this little feature has me most excited for the system itself.

Online Done Right

Well, it's almost there, but I will admit while there's some shortcomings, Nintendo has greatly improved the online functionality of the 3DS and their service all together. While there's still the dreaded Friend Code system, now you only have one "code" that's universal across all games. What's better, you have an actual friend's list tied to the system, where you can view at anytime during mid-game, and see who's online. The unfortunate thing is, there is no way to communicate with your friends to set up any online games. Hopefully this will be fixed in the future through an update. Pictochat 2.0?

Shop online for games at the eShop or watch Netflix on your 3DS.

What makes the 3DS's online system great isn't just having a universal friend code, it's also Nintendo's service for downloadable software through the eShop. This little store is easy to navigate, quick and sleek unlike the Nintendo Shop channel on the Wii, and most of all it's more resourceful and better organized to find what you want that I think even Apple could learn something from making finding what content you want easily.

The eShop so far only lets you view screenshots, movies, detailed explanations on the game's dedicated page, along with adding games to a wishlist, browsing through different categories, and rating titles yourself. There's something unique about how Nintendo does show off software. Even with it's limited 3DS downloadable games, there's also the Virtual Console (for Gameboy and Gameboy Color games), DSi Ware titles, and information about 3DS retail games. It's easy to find what you want, because Nintendo updates this regularly, but even older games aren't lost in the shuffle as Nintendo does a weekly "Staff Pick, What We're Playing, Most Popular" and some miscellaneous sections like "Games under $X, Road Trip, Puzzle/Platformer/Genre Specific, and Leading Ladies/GG Games Series/Other specific/paid section" for the eShop.

Video quality is better than you might think. Netflix on your 3DS now only if we could watch 3D movies!

To me, this has made it easy for me to find titles I want, and already build a large extensive wish list of games both coming soon to retail and those available or coming soon to the eShop. Now if Nintendo can get 3DS retail games for download, along with eShop Demos, and add in the ability to make user reviews, I think the eShop will bode well for Nintendo and also make me more hopeful the Wii U's online functionality could be more promising.

One complaint I do wish to see remedy if at all possible later on, is if someone signs on, it would be great if the notification light wasn't the only sense of who comes online. Sure I can suspend the software and look at what person signed on, because my Notification light on the system lights up, but it would be great if a little pop-up overlay could say "X person signed on" or "X person is playing Y game" and even in the future "X person sent you a message." I'm sure it can happen, as the DS remains online as the person is playing a game and is on a connected internet service, so make it happen Nintendo!

The Nintendo Touch

You have to hand it to Nintendo, when they make software, it always comes off unique and has a little something "special" that makes using and interacting with something as simple as the menu interface to the music player and other applications a treat. 

My Mii (QR Code below)


The 3DS comes pre-loaded with some software:
  • Netflix: Freely available on the eShop, you can watch Netflix on the go 
  • Nintendo Video: This video service is Nintendo's weekly video/advertisement system. You can watch movie trailers, 3D videos, and other content that Nintendo delivers to your system. Only thing is, these videos will disappear when Nintendo deems them ready to be gone, so better watch them quick!
  • Camera application where you can take 2D and 3D images
  • Face Raiders- An Augmented Reality (AR) game where you scan people's faces and shoot them down
  • AR Games - A collection of fun AR games that lets you use 3DS AR cards for fun games anywhere
  • Nintendo 3DS Sound - The system's music player and sound editing device
  • Activity Log - The 3DS keeps track of everything you do with the system from web browsing, shopping, and how many steps you've taken with the system
  • Mii Maker - Here you can create your own Miis from scratch or take a picture and have the system create a Mii for you 
  • Mii Plaza - This is where any Miis you meet from random people will stay, and you can use them to play in games or complete puzzle pieces to form a picture
  • eShop - Access Nintendo eShop
  • Download Play - This feature is used to download data from anther DS; it's specific to the games that support this function
  • Web Browser - Surf the web. This web browser can be used while a game is suspended so you can look up a gamefaq's FAQ mid-game if you want, or browse and check your email, post on facebook, or other sites. Your web browser may be no Safari on the iPhone, so youtube videos you can't watch, but if reading online news story, checking your email, or visiting mobile websites of other sites is your thing, you can do this even while your game is still paused in the middle of the action! 
  • Game Notes: Ever had trouble remember a combination or need a quick reminder in a game? Well you can use Game notes, a feature that lets you pause and take screenshots of the game to write something down about the game you're playing if you need to. 
Exploring the software inside, you'll be treated to fun and interesting little things like a Parakeet that helps you with your system and can be quite chatty, to playing your music in 8 Bit sound, or having 3D pictures taken with whacky filters, and other fun features.  I'll leave you to explore, but it's certainly worth noting the Nintendo likes to make everything they put on the system "fun" in some aspect and leave you to explore the possibilities you can create with the tools at your disposal. 

 Scan the code with your 3DS to obtain my Mii! 



Nitpicky Negative Nancy


If there are any complaints that I believe are certainly legitimate and even nitpicky, it is that the system here is definitely still maturing. Before the system did not have access to the Web Browser, the eShop, Netflix, or Nintendo Video service. It feels like the system also could use a few tweaks in how things are done. 


For one thing, it would be great if the browser can receive an update to HTML 5. I know many won't expect to use the system's web browser, especially if they have a smartphone that can do more, however it would be nice if I could also browse the web and look up youtube videos on the game I'm playing just in case I get stuck somewhere. While we're at it, maybe a youtube application should be made on the system along with Facebook and Twitter. I know people loathe that stuff, but if the DSi allowed me to upload pics from my system to my Facebook account, why can't I do the same with my Facebook and Twitter on my 3DS? Just saying. 


Thanks to the cradle, you just drop the system in and can recharge it. You'll likely do this often.


A Pictochat 2.0. Now, I mentioned how it would be great if we can receive friend messages from our friends list. I'd love to also see a little notification pop-up happen if a friend signs online or sends me a message. As of now, my friend's list just shows my buddies and what they're playing, but the friends list needs to evolve some more! If me and friends can start a chat or send messages that would be great. Also, we have camera's on the system, I hope someday we can have video chat with our friends too or even send a short video message! 


 My Zoe poses for you. What is she thinking...?


Picto Chat 2.0 would let me voice chat, draw, or video chat with friends on my system and I think this would be a great next step for Nintendo to focus on for the system. It doesn't have to even be called Picto Chat, but I'm just using that as a placeholder. I'm sure Nintendo is considering this, but whether or not this will be something they go through with all the way, has yet to be seen. 

 A 2D picture of what can be viewed in 3D on my 3DS


The Cameras low resolution. It's unfortunate one of the best things with the system is taking 3D pics, and yet the .3 Megapixel cameras aren't suited for any viewing other than on the system's own screen. I don't expect anyone being able to take quality pictures with these on a professional level, however it would have been nicer if they were more capable of taking images that at least worked or looked a bit clearer. I know it's nitpicky, that's why I'm posting it in the nitpicky section. 


Overall: I Like It


Sure, there are some things one may not like. The battery life may not be ideal for everyone, but so far it's been just fine for me. The system's 3D effects could be problematic for some people, but I've played 1-2 hour stretches with the 3D on and had no dizziness, double-vision, or other problems. There may not be many games out now for the system other than a few ports and some note worth original titles, but this year's line up of games looks really solid if you're a 3DS owner. Mario kart 7, Super Mario 3D Land, Star Fox 64 3D, Shin Megami Tensei Devil Survivor, and more are looking promising. 


Oh, is that what she said? Isn't she adorable...?

I overall am happy with my 3DS an I think it's a great system worth owning. I encourage you folks out there to give it a shot, and now with the system dropping it's price $80 today, you should own it too!

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