Review – Nintendo 3DS

Obviously the most talked about aspect of the console, and hence where I will start, is its glasses-free 3D screen. Having previously tried the console in-store a few weeks ago, I sort of knew what to expect, but the effect is actually pretty impressive. I've seen it described as “pop-under” rather than “pop-out” and this seems to aptly sum up the effect. It's like looking through a window, effectively. While initially the effect did make my eyes water a little, after a few minutes playing I was comfortable to play on the highest setting with no real issue. As long as the console is kept relatively still, the illusion is maintained, though slight movement is fine. Of course, if you don't like the effect, or are worried about the health effects (which scientists have said are broadly unfounded), you can turn it off. The screens are still very nice even without it, the increased power of the 3DS over the DS really showing. Textures are more detailed, and models are smoother, though in some games there is a slight judder in frame rate.

One of the criticisms leveled at the console is its rather meager launch line-up. Indeed, there are no “killer-apps” here, with the “big games”, Nintendo first-party ones (Zelda, Mario, Kid Icarus etc) being several months off. So here I'm going to talk about what you get WITH the console, the surprisingly robust line-up of software which comes preinstalled. The best of the bunch is undoubtedly the AR (augmented reality) games, indeed, if I want to show off my console (and believe me, I do) I take out the AR cards, point the console at them and watch people's faces as things pop out of the tabletop. Even beyond the novelty, there's some surprisingly fun gameplay here, such as target shooting, billiards or fishing. The fact that the play field is your table is really nice, especially the way the console can make it appear to deform or melt, the 3D really enhancing the illusion. As previously mentioned, when moving around a lot with 3D on, you can see a frame rate drop, but this is rare and generally the games run fine. Other bundled software includes a shooting game Face Raiders, in which you shoot pictures of your face as they fly around your room, and an RPG-style game involving Miis. Sadly I've not been able to try this one out, as you need to have met others with the console. Rural Gloucestershire is not exactly the best place to find fellow enthusiasts.

And ultimately, despite all this praise, the only people who are really going to be using the console at this stage are the enthusiasts, and I can't really blame others. A console is defined by its games, and at this stage, (and at this price, £220 in some stores, though that's likely to change over the coming weeks), there's really very little going for the console. You can play your old DS games on it, but if you have DS games then you probably have a DS, so it's not really worth it for that. If I were to sum up the console in a word it would be “potential”. Great things are happening, but not yet. The 3DS is awesome, but hold off on buying one for a few months yet.

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