Can you believe Nintendo’s best-selling console, the most popular to date, Nintendo DS is now over six years old in Europe – creeping up to seven in Japan? Over 140 million proud owners later and the dual-screened gaming beast is still a favourite amongst children and adults alike. With practically every household owning a DS in one of its various forms, what’s the next natural progression?
With the prospect of a new DS, fans had expected larger screens, an improved interface and better graphics. The latest entry in Nintendo’s ever-expanding handheld family, the Nintendo 3DS, does all that, with the added bonus of being able to enrich your eyes with 3D output without the need for special glasses. Here we have a Nintendo that has learnt lessons along the way, wrapping up a handful of new and refined technology in an elegant little package.
With the 3DS release getting closer and closer, we’ve been nurturing our newfound baby for review. Here’s our initial feedback on Nintendo’s new portable.
A shell Bowser would be proud of
The 3DS console comes in a surprisingly meaty box for such a sleek and polished machine. Oddly enough, the supporting guides and accessories are far larger and heavier than our new born. Our review model, the Cosmos Black edition, is a fair bit smaller than pictures may have you believe, but ever so slightly larger than a regular DS Lite in dimensions – and a touch heavier. Sturdy and robust are two words that instantly spring to mind. The 3DS feels solid but still streamlined, and there’s no feeling that it would fall apart in your pocket, or cave into a million-and-one new accessories in a handbag. That said, the hinge bridging the two screens does appear a little loose, perhaps prone to breakage in the long run if you aren’t careful.
The hardware has a layer of gloss protection in line with high-end television sets, phones and Apple’s iPod. Gone are the days of a tacky plastic, instead replaced with a gloss finish to the well thought-out design. The fancier look does come with a price though: fingerprints. Oily DNA patches are the bane of modern tech, and although the 3DS invites the wrath of your sticky paws readily, it is fairly quick and easy to give these a quick rub off.
Are circles better than squares?
Buttons, buttons, sliders; there are quite a few on offer here. In terms of input, there’s the addition of an analogue stick dubbed the “Circle Pad” – a soft plastic nub that slides in multiple directions – plus the regular D-pad sitting below, four action buttons and one on either shoulder. There’s a nifty slider housed by the top-screen to vary the amount of 3D shown, from maximum to a regular ol’ flat 2D display. In general the transition between maximum 3D and 2D is smooth and easy on the eye, though in some scenarios there is slight jitter. The base of the unit has dedicated Home, Start and Select buttons, alongside a wireless toggle and volume switch. These fit for an almost seamless approach, flush and as responsive as past DS models.
You might expect the main new addition, the Circle Pad, to be tacky and difficult to use given that it’s not raised as much as a traditional analogue stick. It doesn’t feel quite the same, but does sit comfortably and easily within your thumb, offering a worthy alternative to traditional D-pad control. It does makes 3D movement more flexible, and trying out the pad in various side-scrolling classic DS games like New Super Mario Bros and Sonic Rush, we found it worked just as well as the D-pad over longer periods. Reverting back to using the four-way control might prove a pain given how close the D-pad is to the base of the 3DS, but after some time it didn’t prove too uncomfortable. For larger hands though, prolonged use might cause some discomfort, so the Circle Pad may likely take over as the method of choice.
To 3D or not to 3D, that is the question
Rubbish pun aside, here comes the big question: what’s the 3D like? Although 3D gaming and film watching has been around for some time, only now has it attempted to truly take the home market by storm. Want to watch your favourite footy match as if you were there? You’ll need a pair of rather expensive 3D specs to get the best picture.
With the 3DS Nintendo are hoping to bring the viewing experience to the palm of your hands, without glasses. There are a few compromises to the 3D tech, namely the viewing angle. You may have heard of the 3DS “sweet spot” ” the exact head position and distance from the screen to get a clear 3D picture. Nintendo suggest being around a ruler’s length and almost dead on. We can vouch for that. Finding that place to be is a little like driving a manual car (shift stick for American folk). It takes a little practice and adjustment, but after a while it becomes second nature.
Once you’ve found that exact place to pop your head, you can adjust the level of 3D with the slider. It looks absolutely gorgeous in most situations with 3D cranked up to the max, but that certainly depends on the games and apps being viewed. It becomes quicker in time and after using 3D for several hours without slipping back into 2D, there is an ease of use and consistency to finding the spot. There were times we’d pop off for a quick break and returning to the console felt natural, the 3D effect becoming normal.
That said, 3D viewing is limited – we would have liked to have seen a wider viewing angle, though sliding back into a regular flat display does work for the longer sessions or where a steady viewpoint can’t be achieved (a bumpy car ride, for example). The 3DS causing headaches or tired eyes is a tricky issue to address ” it’s heavily dependant on the person viewing, their age and whether they have eye issues. We didnt experience any noticeable problems during longer sessions, but would certainly recommend taking regular breaks or reducing the 3D effect after some time.
Music to the Ears
As well as the visual quality and feel of the new DS, Nintendo have poured love into the sound quality. Without speakers theres a real immersive experience with Surround, Stereo and Mono options available. It’s not particularly loud, but still rich and deep nonetheless. Pop on a pair of headphones and you’re invited into an aural heaven to complement the 3D experience.
Its all Appbout you
Like the DSi and Wii, the 3DS comes pre-installed with applications to add to the core gaming experience. Currently available on the launch models is the rather swanky 3DS camera for taking those low-resolution, but still impressive 3D images, a music recorder/player for manipulating sounds, a Mii studio with StreetPass functionality, Augmented Reality games, Activity Log and a Stat checker. With a handful of on-board software, music and camera, there is a fair bit of fun to be had even before the games come along!
It’s all wrapped up in a charming interface ” animated 3D icons poke out at you in the top screen, alongside handy battery/wireless indicators and a clock. Like the Wii Channels, you can arrange, organize and sort these applications in exactly the way you’d like. The menu is accessible at any time, even when playing DS games, via the dedicated Home button just below the touch screen. It’s all very slick and easy on the eye, very much in line with the Wii and DSi design, but just that tiny bit more refined. The sleeker style does come at a price however, with slight lag when shifting between and loading apps.
3DS Camera
The 3DS camera is one of the best ways of demonstrating the 3D effect. The two cameras on the outer shell let you snap a pair of images at the same time, one for each eye. When combined you get your 3D image. Simple! There’s also a selection of input modes to mix it up a little, with the ability to change colour palettes, merge two faces and even blow into the microphone for added sparkle. The 3D images work well in most situations, but there are some heavy drawbacks ” the images themselves are poor resolution and there isn’t any additional lighting/flash for medium to low-light shots. Even on the small screen with every day light you end up with noise by the bucketful.
Nintendo 3DS Sound
The sound application is a nifty little tool to record your own short snippets through the 3DS microphone, or load up sounds from your SD card. This time round Nintendo has included MP3 compatibility alongside AAC for a higher level of support ” over 3,000 songs can be displayed, but only 100 per folder oddly enough. There’s also a touch-based interface for changing the pitch and speed with the tap of the stylus, for some amusing helium-based recordings!
Mii Maker and Mii Plaza
Miis make a return and are now as central a feature of the 3DS as they were on the Wii. Miis are personalized avatars made up of various facial features and your favourite colour for a t-shirt or dress. There has been some advancement from the Wii version ” new hair styles, expressions, etc. – but the colour choices are still very much limited.
With the on-board cameras you can snap a friend or family member and hey presto ” they’re instantly converted into a Mii. That’s what the adverts would have you believe ” you still have to input hair colour, length and facial tones, but the system does fill in the other blanks. It’s not always accurate, but does a quick job of making Miis.
Mii Plaza lets you receive other Mii characters collected whilst out and about using wireless StreetPass technology. With these folks you can build up a horde of anonymous Mii downloaded from other 3DS owners, and even play a short turn-based StreetPass RPG where you battle ghosts using the anonymous faces you’ve recruited. Not terribly exciting, but definitely a good way of eating up time with your 3DS.
Augmented Reality and Face Raiders
Another nifty feature of the 3DS is the included AR feature. There are six cards included, each letting you view your Mii or Nintendo characters through the top screen. Place a card on a table and voila, your character will pop out, letting you take snaps and play a selection of short shooting games, fishing or graffiti. Want Mario sitting on your cat, or a dragon popping out of a urinal? It’s certainly possible! Eventually you can even draw your own with the unlocked Graffiti mode.
The AR selection is good fun, impressive in motion and a solid introduction to the hardware and tech. However, it does lack any real substantial replay value, aside from the photo features with Mii / Nintendo cards.
Face Raiders is a camera-based game that essentially lets you shoot floating heads though the camera. The twist? The floating heads are made up from animated versions of yourself and friends. The more you collect, the more the fun! Its a little tricker with 3D activated, due to the need to move the 3DS around to uncover your enemies, but still a neat addition to have built in.
Activity Log, Friend Lists and Memo
Also included is an on-board Activity Log for tracking your games and walking steps, a universal friend code/card system for keeping track of friends and jotting down notes whilst in-game with the included Memo. Fortunately Nintendo has integrated friend codes into a universal system. You can see who’s online, what they’re playing and pop in a status message. A sigh of relief breathed!
Another bottle of 3DS Juice, please!
With all the included tech and 3D output, there’s a lot more battery and processing required than the original DS consoles. So just how does the battery fare? With regular use, with wireless enabled and 3D output set to max, we managed to squeeze around three hours before we cried and had to pop it on the charging dock. With 3DS turned down to minimum, wireless off and power saving mode on, it shifted towards the seven, eight hour mark. With a DS game popped in, we suspect it would last even longer.
Our Verdict
The 3DS is a gorgeous piece of kit and continues the slim, refined approach Nintendo has been taking since the Wii. The interface is slick, and launch applications easy to use and intuitive. 3D has been a gimmick for certain moves and games, but with the 3DS it’s easy to see how the technology can truly benefit a player without being compulsory; you can apply a slight droplet of 3D or go full board. Whatever you decide to do, it looks fabulous on the small screen. That said, there is room for improvement – a wider 3D viewing angle and better standard battery life would be desirable.
The DS is a console for all, young and old, and the 3DS is no different. It may not have some of the pizzazz of smart-phones, but with upcoming Internet connectivity, downloadable apps and, of course, an ever-growing selection of console quality games, we have very little reservations recommending Nintendo’s latest piece of kit.
