Hands-On Impressions Of The Nintendo 3DS

Hands-On Impressions Of The Nintendo 3DS

Feature

We give you an inside look at the 3DS from Nintendo's exclusive pre-launch event held last weekend in Bristol. Is the 3DS all that it's cracked up to be? Does 3D give you headaches? Read on and find out.

The good, the bad
The Nintendo 3DS comes across as a good device overall. The sound seems to have been improved significantly enough to make the device worthy of playing music on if desired. Both music and sound effects appeared to be really crisp and I could hear everything perfectly well over the rather loud club music being pumped around the room. The addition of the Circle Pad and updated graphics are obviously improvements that aim to cater for the more hardcore playing style that requires quick reactions. Unfortunately I did not get to try the networking or online features, but from what I have seen so far, I would imagine it will live up to the standard that Nintendo are boasting.

Hands-On Impressions Of The Nintendo 3DS
I was not so keen on the position of the shoulder buttons, but perhaps that is more of a personal preference. For me, the shoulder buttons seemed to force my hand in a rather awkward position that I have never come across with previous DS models; proving to be particularly tricky at times when aiming on Resident Evil: The Mercenaries 3D. Battery life is a concern too, unless you play inside and close to a wall socket. With the battery life being such an issue, I doubt many people will walk around with their 3DS switched on so Street Pass may be restricted in its use.

I must admit I was skeptical about handheld 3D, but looking down the sights of the bolt-action rifle and shotgun in Resident Evil The Mercenaries 3D gave the game an extra authentic feeling that was only experienced with the 3D enabled. The duller palette of Resident Evil seemed to make playing in 3D a little more comfortable but I did experience the beginnings of a headache after playing the 3DS for only half an hour. Now, this could simply be a coincidence, but I would emphasize that I rarely get headaches. It just seemed to be too much of a coincidence too that, later that day, I did develop a real pain in my head. I cannot say for sure whether this was an effect of playing the 3DS, but my instincts point me in this direction and if you are concerned about how 3D affects the eyes of your children and yourself, I would be very wary. The majority of the casual games and those aimed for children are only really worth playing in 3D so you may want to wait a while to see how things develop on this front.

Buying it?
Hands-On Impressions Of The Nintendo 3DS
The launch titles are looking pretty good. From what I played, Super Street Fighter IV 3D Edition, Kid Icarus: Uprising and Resident Evil The Mercenaries 3D were certainly games I would recommend buying.

The real question is whether the price justifies what you are getting. I know many people will be pre-ordering the device regardless, and personally I think the average pre-order price of around £200/$320/€236 is not too bad.

Personally, I am going to wait to see what Sony’s NGP has to offer before purchasing either of the handheld devices. Whilst the 3DS does have some highlights, there is not quite enough difference from the original DS that warrants a purchase from me quite yet. But those excited for the device will not be disappointed with the improvements that have been made. One thing I will predict is that purchases of paracetamol will start to rise from the end of March onwards.