Hands-On: Is Nintendo 3DS Really a "Game Changer?"

[Tom Goldman]

Hands-On: Is Nintendo 3DS Really a "Game Changer?"

Nintendo is promoting the 3DS as a revolutionary system. Does it live up to the hype yet?

Before the Nintendo DS came out, people wondered: "Why a touchscreen?" Before the Wii came out, people asked: "Will motion control catch on?" Now that the 3DS is on its way [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/107068-Nintendo-Reveals-US-3DS-Pricing-and-Release-Date], those same exact people are questioning the ability of glasses-free 3D.

Nintendo calls the 3DS a "game changer," and a culmination of all of its efforts going back to the N64. It has the revelation of 3D first seen in Mario 64 [http://www.amazon.com/Super-Mario-64-DS-Nintendo/dp/B0006B0O9U], the touch controls of the DS, the motion controls of the Wii (via gyroscope and accelerometer), and adds glasses-free 3D graphics on top. So is 3D that big of a deal? I checked out about a dozen games at Nintendo's 3DS event in New York and can honestly say... maybe.

After all the hype, I was expecting the 3DS to blow me out of the water. It magical [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/101676-Warren-Spector-3DS-Changed-My-Life]. How could I not be similarly impressed?

The big problem was that 3D wasn't all that special in most of the games I played. Flipping the 3D effect on and off with the 3D slider made me go from "oh" to "Oh" more than "oh" to "OMG." It was neat, but if you tilt the screen slightly to either side the effect disappears and the screen has a flickering effect. It's no big deal, and you can just reorient the screen to the proper angle, but in my experience this reorientation was straining on the eyes. Not that anybody plays handheld games sideways, but shaky hands really do [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/106631-Shaky-Hands-Could-Ruin-3DSs-Display-Effect] have an effect.

However, there were a few games I played that made me see things Nintendo's way. The animals in Lego Star Wars III [http://www.amazon.com/Nintendogs-Cats-Nintendo-DS/dp/B002I08ZTI/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=videogames&qid=1295551766&sr=1-1] impressed me with the improvement that 3D made.

Basically, I found that certain games use 3D to their advantage. Nintendo puts the "game changing" 3DS in a "category of one" that will "pull you in" and leave a "great impact" (in the words of Reggie Fils-Aime). Maybe not, but with the right games, the 3DS is without a doubt going to give gamers a better visual experience.

A major non-graphical improvement that hasn't been trumpeted too much is the analog stick. It was so natural to use that I almost forgot the DS doesn't have one. While playing one particular game, I tried to go back to the D-pad, and it felt like going from driving a Lamborghini to the Flintstones car. That analog stick is a big deal.

I'm most excited about the 3DS's potential for augmented reality (AR) experiences. The two games I played [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/107116-Hands-On-3DS-Augmented-Reality-Games] in Nintendo's AR lineup were terrific examples of what can be done with the technology already. Once you've seen a game object sink into a real world table, you'll be hooked.

Nintendo has been criticized for its lack of online focus in the past compared to competitors, but online functionality has been made a key aspect of the 3DS. The handheld's Spot Pass system connects to wireless broadband to download new desired content silently. The 3DS has a specific color of indicator light that tells players when a friend is online. The friend code system is simpler than ever, only requiring one registration per friend. Nintendo didn't create Xbox Live or the PlayStation Network yet, but it has advanced its online position with the 3DS, and games like Dead or Alive: Dimensions and Super Street Fighter IV: 3D Edition [http://www.amazon.com/Super-Street-Fighter-IV-Nintendo-3DS/dp/B002I0IVC4] are already taking advantage with online play modes.

So even though glasses-free 3D wasn't as magically mind-blowing as I'd hoped, I'm still enthusiastic about the 3DS. Maybe not as enthusiastic as Nintendo, but it's not like I made the thing. Everybody will have to decide for themselves whether the experience is worth the price of entry, but they should keep in mind that it's not just a DS with 3D. For those interested in 3D, it's definitely cool, but won't make every remake worth playing again.

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[Assassin Xaero]

I don't think it will make as big of an impact as the Wii did, but it is nice to see that Nintendo is actually trying to advance technology with 3D and motion controls instead of just updating the graphics or tweak the size with every console they put out.

 

[BabyRaptor]

Snip!

The upfront price is one of my big hold-offs...Do you think it's worth it? Or is that not an opinion you can give out?

 

[tomtom94]

noooooooooo don't make me want it any mooooooore
I have no disposable income. I cannot afford one. My current DS has not been touched in months.

...WHY?

 

[Simalacrum]

I'm still kinda miffed about why people haven't complained about there being only 1 analogue nub on the 3DS like they did with the PSP... oh wells

What I'm most excited about with the 3DS is the games... Ocarina of Time in particular X3 its sad that they're not all going to be released at launch, but once OoT comes out, I'm probably going to get one.

 

[Tom Goldman]

Snip!

The upfront price is one of my big hold-offs...Do you think it's worth it? Or is that not an opinion you can give out?

I think the system is on the expensive end, but probably worth it. The real issue is what games you can get with it at launch. I might wait for Ocarina of Time 3D to come out first. Was really hoping for the Professor Layton 3DS game too... but that's absent in regions other than Japan right now.

 

[mjc0961]

Honestly, the 3D part is the last thing I care about. I want the analog nub, I want the new online features, and I want the pile of great new games that will be even more awesome because of all the other new things the 3DS can do aside from 3D. I'll probably turn the 3D off after a few minutes.

I'm still kinda miffed about why people haven't complained about there being only 1 analogue nub on the 3DS like they did with the PSP... oh wells

The touch screen can probably double as a second "nub" if the game is put forth properly. I'm thinking something like, the analog nub is for forwards/backwards/strafe left/strafe right, just like the regular left stick on a controller, and then you can use the stylus+touch screen to move the aiming cursor on the top screen for a shooter or something, which could allow for more accurate aiming than a second nub. It could be closer to a mouse accuracy. Maybe. I don't know, I'm just speculating.
Also, PSP had a lot of games that were basically PS2 games but portable. Trying to play Grand Theft Auto or Ratchet and Clank with no second stick for simple camera control and no alternative that isn't awkward really makes you go "Dammit this thing needs a second stick!"

 

[julesville]

I think if it's as cool looking as the hype says it is, it can totally be a game changer.

Think about it, if it's really a decent 3D device, it will be the most advance hand held device in the world, or at least the Western world (Japan's got lotsa neat stuff). I can't even think of anything besides specific televisions that would offer me real 3D.

HOWEVER!!! If it's not cool or fun like it promises, it will most likely be another Virtual Boy, a flashy gimmick that's not fooling anyone, quickly forgotten except when made fun of. We'll probably get a few memes out of it too.

Nintendo has a pretty descent hit percentage with innovations, like the DS and the Wii. Only time will tell.

 

[cthulhumythos]

i barely care about the 3d effect.


the thing i care about is that it's basically a handheld gamecube with upgraded graphics. i find it difficult to get into handheld games that aren't pokemon, and i think the graphical update, bigger cartridge space, and analog stick will really immerse me as much a stationary console.

plus, freakin' ocarina of time and kid icarus.

if they put on majora's mask i'd buy two 3ds' (as long as that was the only way to get it, other wise i'd stick to one)

 

[Mr. Omega]

Better online service. Great handheld graphics. A good looking software line-up. Some good looking controls. Ironically, the 3D is just about the only thing about the 3DS that I DON'T care about.

 

[Onyx Oblivion]

I have to get it just because I know how inevitably awesome the third-party support is going to be.

Especially if Konami announces another 2D Castlevania.

 

[Covarr]

Built-in accelerometer combined with glasses-free 3D combined with a 3D camera is what really makes this a good idea. Any of those on their own would be cool, but together they're a perfect recipe for augmented reality.

P.S. Thanks

 

[Delusibeta]

HOWEVER!!! If it's not cool or fun like it promises, it will most likely be another Virtual Boy, a flashy gimmick that's not fooling anyone, quickly forgotten except when made fun of. We'll probably get a few memes out of it too.

Honestly? I'd give 3% chance that the 3DS will fail as hard as the Virtual Boy. The question is more "can the public made the distinction between this and the previous DSes" (which, to be fair, applied to the Game Boy Colour and Game Boy Advance) and "will they buy it at the price Nintendo set?". Nintendo isn't Apple, after all. And then again, there's always discounts over time.

 

[Electrogecko]

O I already decided that it's worth the price of entry....on Amazon.

I've never played any games in 3d, but what I've seen from cinema makes me very excited to try it out and makes me very confident. I believe that 3d will improve games more than movies, and despite what most people think, the system has a lot of potential for creative use of the hardware. $250 really doesn't seem like much to me considering the psp launched for that price several years ago, (not to mention that it comes with 6 AR games and a 2gb SD card- big whoop I know but still) and how could I possibly refuse OOT, SF64, a new Mario Kart, Paper Mario, the possibility of a Phoenix Wright and Professor Layton crossover, and all the GB, GBC, and DSiWare games I missed out on. (By which I mean Shantae)

 

[Tim Latshaw]

I have to get it just because I know how inevitably awesome the third-party support is going to be.

Especially if Konami announces another 2D Castlevania.

You mean a 3D 2D Castlevania.

 

[julesville]

I don't think anything can fail as hard as the Virtual Boy, that thing was just a lapse in judgment trying to cash-in on the whole 90s VR bullshit.

I think its distinctive enough from the DS cause it has the 3D brand, but that just means it has to deliver on that hard, if it doesn't, no one will remember why they wanted to trade up. Price is something else altogether. Many systems have been handicapped or completely killed cause they cost too much money. I sure as hell won't be buying one whether I want to or not. I keep smashing brick walls but no coins come out!

 

[cthulhumythos]

i barely care about the 3d effect.


the thing i care about is that it's basically a handheld gamecube with upgraded graphics. i find it difficult to get into handheld games that aren't pokemon, and i think the graphical update, bigger cartridge space, and analog stick will really immerse me as much a stationary console.

plus, freakin' ocarina of time and kid icarus.

if they put on majora's mask i'd buy two 3ds' (as long as that was the only way to get it, other wise i'd stick to one)

well if all you care about is better mechanics, than wait for the PSP2... oh god, PS3 in the palm of my hand.

if that floats your boat.

i'm more of a Nintendo/Xbox fan, and therefore am more inclined to tilt their direction. plus 3ds has an analog stick. plus remakes with better graphics that tug at the nostalgia factor. plus it's 3d. plus it seems to be doing Nintendo games the old way (nostalgia factor again).

 

[Jake the Snake]

It's probably one of those things thats being overhyped, but is still cooler in person than it sounds of paper.