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So.. Arrived back in Japan on Tuesday morning with girlfriend in tow.. after a lovely 18 hour+ journey, dropped my bags at my apartment and promptly dragged her to my local Yamada Denki to pick up a 3DS + SSF4 , Winning Eleven 2011 and Ridge Racer. She had been forewarned however, so I wasn't in the bad books too much. So I'm going to write a quite review / summary of my experiences with it as I know it's not out in the rest of the world just yet.
Hardware.
About the same size as a DSi tbh, I did play a DS XL prior (and an old style DS prior..) so the slightly smaller screen made me sad a little,but after a few minutes I didn't even notice. Comfortable, the analog is good (ie.. much better than PSP's imo) The middle buttons under the screen aren't as intuitive as they look and can be a bit arsey to click, otherwise all good. Screen resolution.. if you turn off the 3D (my gf can't see 3D so mines turned off when she's sitting next to me for example) the resolution is really..really good. Very sharp and crisp (or at least on WE2011, RR is a little blocky in places but that's more the graphics) Sound is good also, haven't really blasted it through my headphones yet.
3D Yes it works, yes it's good, the angle isn't bad and is very much like you'd be holding it anyway, unless your odd.... SSF4 and WE2011 use it like you'd imagine, just makes things puff out, looks good either way. The SSF4 3d mode.. is pretty gimmicky tbh and you'll switch to standard arcade view almost immediately. Ridge Racer... tracks look gooood.. if a little basic. It is a launch title so I'll give it leeway.. can't wait to see what games look like in a year. The Ridge Racer tracks just scream to me.. This Console needs OUTRUN!!! but maybe that's just me..
Spotpass
Honestly, I can't think of a more pointless... yes brilliant addition. I go out everyday, set it to sleep, throw it in my bag, it acts as a pedometer and if i pass anyone else with their's activated it swaps info, (mii's, game data... ie streetfighter does it's little battle thingy, ridge racer swaps ghost data) Not only this... the more data you swap and the more you walk... the more points and coins you unlock to buy stuff in your games.
In streetfighter the street pass thing is the little figurine game that fights other people while you walk around, you try to build the best team etc etc. You can unlock points playing the game to buy new trophies, or you can trade in game coins for points... the more you walk, the more coins you earn, the quicker you can unlock stuff, and also it allows other people to trade with you. Every person you meet, swaps their mii data with you, you can then use their mii in the little mii minigames.. collecting puzzle pieces.. the little mii adventure game (it sucks don't get me wrong.. but it's a cool feature)
Really can't wait to see what developers come up with to do with this feature. Also going to be used for download content when you enter specific shops, hotspots etc. (So I've heard.. Dead or Alive will feature specific content you can only find from certain shops etc..)
Games
Augmented Reality games
Free, fun, nothing spectacular, unless you like shooting balloon images of your own face as you chase them around your room. The card things are cool, and I can imagine there will be buyable, trade-able packs made available with new stuff (at least in Japan.. they love card based stuff here)
Super Street Fighter 4
It's SSF4... on a handheld! in 3D! so it's exactly as you'd expect. Backgrounds are static, otherwise same as console versions, all costumes are included (as far as I can see) haven't had a chance to test the spot pass feature extensively yet or the online.. (damn my non wireless router) Control method is ok, obviously it's not an arcade stick, but it's playable and solid. You can map up to 4 moves (not combos) onto the touchpad for ease of use., tbh I only use it for landing a snap ultra. As you'd expect. Good port.
Winning Eleven 2011 or Pro evolution soccer if you prefer it by its English name. Plays just like it's console counterpart, looks good, plays good, lacking in editing features, and leagues/teams. Otherwise solid. Nothing much more to say, it's football, its good, if you like these games, you'll like this.
Ridge Racer Pretty basic nothing flashy, 3D is good, if a little basic (guess to keep the frame rate steady.. which it is) shows potential, racing games in a years time will be great looking IMO. Plays like every other Ridge Racer ever released, no surprises.
Conclusion
I love it... but then I'm biased (Nintendo fanboy to the core) The games are just ports but they're good solid ports. The potential is there for the future games to be really spectacular in both graphics and features if the developers want to, and don't just turn it into a shovelware-fest like the DS became. So it's not going to rock anyone's world straight out the gates, but what it does is good and solid, and it has the potential.. and until it fulfills that, I can play current gen games on a handheld to keep me amused.. after all it's easier to carry one on the train than an Xbox.. and mine is 6000 miles away for the next 6 months anyway.
In short.. buy it.. I have.. I love it.. and I'm going to go play some more WE2011 now. Laters.
 
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Thanks for some interesting first person experience. Ive been very interested in this for a while, so much appreciated!
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I've already preordered mine online and I'm glad awesome tlers (only peopleyou can trust on the internet obviously) love it  . Only problem is that I can't wait and I still can't decide which game to buy
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I'm going to wait a few months until a few more games come out and hopefully for some combo deals like they had with the original DS (Mario Kart bundle). Only thing that pisses me off is they added region locking to games... Now I have to worry about which 3DS I want. AU/NZ is the worst region to be in.
I guess I can just pirate games not available in Australia but ugh... I actually like buying games. To me Nintedo is just encouraging even more piracy by region locking.. not a good move.
Thanks for the review though.
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glad to hear all the positive statements :D i have mine on preorder and will be picking it up at the end of the month if they dont get backordered T_T
gonna take me some time to get used to having strong kick on the left trigger though, too used to the double triggers on the dual shocks since SF3: third strike.
Also, to anybody out there who's using flashcarts for their DS. ievolution, SCDS2 were confirmed to work on NA and EU 3DS now and not just the jap one. Just a heads up to those wanting to keep their DS library =]
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How much does it cost you? im planning to get it if there's pokemon for it
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¥25,000
US$249.99
A$349.95
Pokemon White/Black came out recently for the DS, and the 3DS is backwards compatible. However I wouldn't expect a 3DS specific Pokemon for a fair while (Though I imagine they're already working on it)
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Im gonna wait till they release they 3DS SE or something.
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Not sure if a Nintendo fanboy is even allowed to do a Nintendo review... it's going to be so biased.
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I really want a 3DS, but ARGH 250 dollars T.T
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My Nintendo rep came in the other day and was showing off the 3DS. Was kind of fun to play, and it comes with seven preloaded games. I haven't owned a portable since the Gameboy color, and I don't see this changing that.
Should be an interesting release, but I'm not sure it will pick up from the general base unless they release some interesting titles.
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What can you do on the 3DS apart from playing paid games?
or is it like a gameboy? games only?
only got a GBA SP
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From all the reviews I've read, people don't turn off the 3D function after the first few uses. But, I haven't read any clear reason as to why?
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Once I get a self-sustaining income, and once Ocarina of Time, Paper Mario, and MGS:Snake Eater come out, I'm going to instantly purchase the 3DS. The features and the game lineup are just way too good to be ignored, and I still only have my Gameboy Advance SD from many years ago.
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Isn't most the lineup due out for the 3DS just rehashes of old n64 games? I love ocarina of time, but I don't wanna play it on a handheld again.. Then again I hate most the games nintendo puts out nowadays, the galaxies games were awful. I liked the new donkey kong even though the original on the snes is still the best one.
can't believe they are going with that price point.
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I'm thinking of getting one in June when Ocarina of Time comes out, but until then, I think my old Lite will suffice fine...Really, really excited for OoT on the 3DS, though. Thanks for the review!
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Germany2896 Posts
My first thought was "Interesting, a thread about 3D modeling" because I associate 3DS with 3DS Max. And then got disappointed that it's just about yet another console.
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On March 14 2011 03:02 Shinshin wrote:
From all the reviews I've read, people don't turn off the 3D function after the first few uses. But, I haven't read any clear reason as to why?
You mean why they turn it off? I think I read on Kotaku from Ashcroft that by the design of the DS (dual screen) the main bottom screen is showing the 3D stuff while the top is other relevant information about the game like minimaps etc. With your eyes shifting from bottom to top and vice versa your eyes and brain are constant swapping from the 2D top screen to the 3D bottom screen causing eye strain and minor headaches for the user.
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Thanks for your review! Now I really want to get a 3DS myself 
I was just wondering what your personal take on the battery life of the 3DS since you have it on sleep mode all day?
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I would love to get the 3DS too, but not until it gets cheaper first. 250 dollars is just a little bit too much for me for a portable game system. I suspect there'll be newer models of the 3DS later on cause Nintendo probably can come up with redesigns like the original DS and its counterparts.
I've heard the 3DS battery lasts anywhere from 3-5 hours, compared to the other DS' which have like 10 hours of battery life. Is that an issue at all?
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Heh while it seemed gimmicky in all the videos Ive seen what really turned me off of it was the fact they tried to kill homebrew. Sorry DSOrganize is way better then any menu system that Nintendo has come up with too date. Sorry that you guys sold a ton of hardware because you could let people put gameboy and snes emulators on them.
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Where is Pro Evo called Winning Eleven? 0_0 What a strange name.
I'll be picking up a 3ds at some point for sure, but I only got my DSi a year ago and want to give that the life span it deserves, and wait for a more robust line up to surface for the 3DS.
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On March 14 2011 04:04 Darkchylde wrote:Show nested quote +On March 14 2011 03:02 Shinshin wrote:
From all the reviews I've read, people don't turn off the 3D function after the first few uses. But, I haven't read any clear reason as to why? You mean why they turn it off? I think I read on Kotaku from Ashcroft that by the design of the DS (dual screen) the main bottom screen is showing the 3D stuff while the top is other relevant information about the game like minimaps etc. With your eyes shifting from bottom to top and vice versa your eyes and brain are constant swapping from the 2D top screen to the 3D bottom screen causing eye strain and minor headaches for the user.
The explanation he gave is dodgy, honestly. I also have a 3DS, and switching focus between the top and bottom screen is no different than looking at my computer monitor then looking out the window to my right. In fact, that's exactly how the 3DS's screens work, just on a smaller scale.
I got a headache from the 3D on the first day I owned it, but that was because I wasn't holding it at the right distance. Once I found said distance, the 3D was and still is quite comfortable to view. Video game journalists don't always get gaming-related things right, especially when it's with new hardware like this - it's far more likely that the guy was just holding it too close to or far from his eyes and blamed it on the console.
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I'm sorry, but the launch titles for this hardware is beyond pathetic. I won't be bothering to pick this up until decent games start to hit the shelves.
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On March 14 2011 02:42 Nuttyguy wrote:
What can you do on the 3DS apart from playing paid games?
or is it like a gameboy? games only?
only got a GBA SP
yeah it's mostly a games machine at this point. It does take 3D pictures, and there is a browser going to be launched for it, you can watch 3D vid's and there's an audio program but I'm not sure how extensive. No doubts they'll release other stuff, they're planning constant updates and support.
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On March 14 2011 05:32 YummyBlaBla wrote:Thanks for your review! Now I really want to get a 3DS myself I was just wondering what your personal take on the battery life of the 3DS since you have it on sleep mode all day?
Sleep mode barely does anything to the battery, I've been out and about for 7-8 hours at a time and it's still been full. Running 3D and Wireless flattens it quickly. I tend to flick the 3D off when I'm browsing menu's and stuff and only switch the 3D on for the games themselves, not sure if that helps much.
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On March 14 2011 06:02 loving it wrote:
I would love to get the 3DS too, but not until it gets cheaper first. 250 dollars is just a little bit too much for me for a portable game system. I suspect there'll be newer models of the 3DS later on cause Nintendo probably can come up with redesigns like the original DS and its counterparts.
I've heard the 3DS battery lasts anywhere from 3-5 hours, compared to the other DS' which have like 10 hours of battery life. Is that an issue at all?
It's 3-5 with 3D enabled, 7-9 without, and you can sleep it for days and it barely touches the battery at all. But the cradle is fairly convenient, when you finish playing just pop it on that and it charges it.
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On March 14 2011 08:06 kaisen wrote:
I'm sorry, but the launch titles for this hardware is beyond pathetic. I won't be bothering to pick this up until decent games start to hit the shelves.
No Console since the original Xbox has had a launch game worth giving a shit about however, maybe you could say the Wii with Wiisports was a Killer App, but the 360 was shocking at launch, the DS, PSP, PS3, even the Cube and PS2 launches were piss poor. Launch windows are rarely good for top quality games.
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On March 14 2011 08:03 Blu`BotL wrote:Show nested quote +On March 14 2011 04:04 Darkchylde wrote:On March 14 2011 03:02 Shinshin wrote:
From all the reviews I've read, people don't turn off the 3D function after the first few uses. But, I haven't read any clear reason as to why? You mean why they turn it off? I think I read on Kotaku from Ashcroft that by the design of the DS (dual screen) the main bottom screen is showing the 3D stuff while the top is other relevant information about the game like minimaps etc. With your eyes shifting from bottom to top and vice versa your eyes and brain are constant swapping from the 2D top screen to the 3D bottom screen causing eye strain and minor headaches for the user. The explanation he gave is dodgy, honestly. I also have a 3DS, and switching focus between the top and bottom screen is no different than looking at my computer monitor then looking out the window to my right. In fact, that's exactly how the 3DS's screens work, just on a smaller scale. I got a headache from the 3D on the first day I owned it, but that was because I wasn't holding it at the right distance. Once I found said distance, the 3D was and still is quite comfortable to view. Video game journalists don't always get gaming-related things right, especially when it's with new hardware like this - it's far more likely that the guy was just holding it too close to or far from his eyes and blamed it on the console.
Agree with this, took me a day to get used to it. If I play Ridge Racer too long sometimes I have to switch out to 2D to give my eyes a rest due to staring at the background all the time. but I guess this is the same for all 3D stuff.
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The pricing for the 3ds makes more sense if you remember that it is not simply a DS with 3d, but an entirely new generation, it's far more powerful than the DS(Which explains the drop in battery life).
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On March 14 2011 08:17 Gingerninja wrote:Show nested quote +On March 14 2011 08:06 kaisen wrote:
I'm sorry, but the launch titles for this hardware is beyond pathetic. I won't be bothering to pick this up until decent games start to hit the shelves. No Console since the original Xbox has had a launch game worth giving a shit about however, maybe you could say the Wii with Wiisports was a Killer App, but the 360 was shocking at launch, the DS, PSP, PS3, even the Cube and PS2 launches were piss poor. Launch windows are rarely good for top quality games.
Exactly, although the Wii did have Twilight Princess. But a) that was made for the Gamecube anyway and b) after that there was fuck all released for almost 6 months or something.
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Do you get headaches after playing for a long time? I heard that was a concern.
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On March 14 2011 08:48 The KY wrote:Show nested quote +On March 14 2011 08:17 Gingerninja wrote:On March 14 2011 08:06 kaisen wrote:
I'm sorry, but the launch titles for this hardware is beyond pathetic. I won't be bothering to pick this up until decent games start to hit the shelves. No Console since the original Xbox has had a launch game worth giving a shit about however, maybe you could say the Wii with Wiisports was a Killer App, but the 360 was shocking at launch, the DS, PSP, PS3, even the Cube and PS2 launches were piss poor. Launch windows are rarely good for top quality games. Exactly, although the Wii did have Twilight Princess. But a) that was made for the Gamecube anyway and b) after that there was fuck all released for almost 6 months or something.
Yeah didn't mention TTP because it was a severely held back cube game rather than built from scratch for the Wii. So Apart from the Original Halo..what launch games have been system must have's?
360's best game was CoD2 a PC port with terrible multiplayer support for almost 6 months.. ie you could only get into a game with your friends if you sat in the 1 to 1 chat.. (they removed group chat from the xbox remember) and synchronised button presses., and if that failed, you'd have to leave an rejoin. and don't mention PDZ.. a step backwards from almost every FPS on the original Xbox sans the turgid Turok Evolution.
PS3.. F1? VF5 was good but not a must buy console for ..
PS2.. lol I'll stop there..
Cube: Star Wars Rogue Squadron 2 (which was decent don't get me wrong, but not mind blowing)
DS: Mario 64.. Which was THE launch title to have! 7 years prior on the N64.. hmm.
PSP: Wipeout Pure? Maybe .. wasn't bad I guess.
Early adopters never get the good stuff, you always have to wait on it. but SSF4 (which me and my friends play to death on console) and Winning Eleven (ditto) is good enough for me to suffice.
Ever since I started purchasing my own consoles (ie not Christmas presents from parents) I've bought early. I like new technology, and I'm not scared of a little drought of good games, I have starcraft 2 to fill any gaps after all
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On March 14 2011 08:57 BaronFel wrote:
Do you get headaches after playing for a long time? I heard that was a concern.
Only the first day before I got used to it. Racing games I think will be the main cause of this due to the speed of them. I suffer motion sickness from some games anyway (couldn't play an FPS pre year 2000 for more than 20 minutes at a time because of this.) So that doesn't work in my favour. but I've had no issues with SSF4 and WE2011.
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Getting soooo psyched for the 3DS now!
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EPT
