It’s been one week since the 3DS was released to the masses. For 7 days now I have raided faces and turned my table into a shooting gallery, much to the curiosity of my cats. How do I feel about my Nintendo 3DS after one week? Click on to find out!
The 3D Effect
One thing the 3DS has helped me realize is that my eyes must be broken. No, I can see the 3D effect just fine, it’s just that I’m not feeling any of the eye strain, headaches, or dizziness that it seems many others have been experiencing. In fact, the word that most accurately describes the 3D effect of the 3DS is simply, magic. It just works.
Take Super Street Fighter IV, for example, the character select screen uses layers to show off the 3D effect very well. The 35 playable fighters float in the foreground while a picture of the highlighted character is in a layer right behind, with the last layer containing a background image of a world map.
The moment that first made me say wow was when I pushed the home button to suspend a game. When doing so, the game image sinks to the background and as you select applications from the system menu, their icons float in the layer above. Simply put, it is amazing.
The Built in Software
This is where the 3DS really shines. As Richard points out, the software baked right in to each and every 3DS is the real bell of the ball. My activity log shows that AR games is my number one played game, and for good reason. There is something to the ability to turn your kitchen table into a virtual golf course.
Face Raiders has been my “show off my 3DS” game. Everyone handed off my console to has been amazed at how fun it could be to shoot themselves in the face! By far the most fun I have had with my console is just simply seeing how other people react to it, and I’m certain Nintendo intended for it to be that way.
The Games
When I picked up my 3DS at midnight, I also purchased 3 games: Super Street Figher IV 3D edition, Steel Diver and Super Monkey Ball 3D. My impressions with each game have been mixed, but mostly positive. With each game, the 3D has been spectacular and really pulled me into the experience.
Street Fighter is by far the best game of the bunch, and uses most of the unique features of the console. The online multiplayer is extremely addicting, while the Street Pass fights will have you carrying your 3DS everywhere you go.
Steel Diver and Super Monkey Ball are a bit more difficult to judge. On one hand, they are both good titles each with their own uniqueness to offer the gamer, but beyond the main gameplay of each title, there isn’t much to keep the gamer coming back for more. Disappointing? Yes, but keep in mind that each game has enough content to keep most gamers busy for 10+ hours, just don’t expect them to be titles you continue to carry around when the titles like Zelda and Kid Icarus arrive later this year.
Conclusion
The 3DS has lots to love about it, and I don’t regret my purchase for one second. The online functionality of the system, however, does leave a lot to be desired. It’s great that I can see when I have friends online playing their 3DS, but why can’t I send them a simple game invite to play Street Figher? Why am I unable to send my friends my Mii automaticly when we swap friend codes? Little annoyances such as this do slightly take away from the experience, but not so much so that it completely ruins it.
Early adopters of any product know what they are getting themselves into when they purchase their gizmo. I can get over the fact that features such as the Internet browser and eShop wont arrive until later into the consoles life, but that may not be something others can get passed at launch. If you have been holding off on buying a 3DS for whatever reason, I can honestly say that even if purchased today, you will not be disappointed. With some great titles arriving in the near (2-3 month range) future, there is enough to love about the console to hold you over until then.
0173-1291-1458 is my friend code. Eugene is my console’s name. Tell me about your first week with your 3DS and drop you friend code in the comments below.