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Mar 15 – Video Games - Posted By Adam
Hands On: Nintendo 3DS
Last weekend I attended PAX East, Penny Arcade's Boston-based video game convention. One of the highlights of the show (with one of the longest lines, too) was the Nintendo 3DS, on full playable display with nearly every launch title represented. I spent a significant amount of time on the device knowing the system will be reaching North American shores soon (March 27th) and knowing that many of you will be considering it for purchase.
The most important feature of the 3DS is its ability to display graphics in 3D without the use of special glasses. When I picked up the system, which felt a lot like the DS, only heftier and a bit clunkier, I was actually expecting the 3D to "pop" out of the screen, but instead it's more like looking into a shoebox, where there's depth going into the screen but nothing coming out. It's not a bad effect, indeed it's quite magical, but it was different than what I expected.
What WAS a bad thing, for me at least, was that sustained use of every game I tried led to a problem: My eyes would start feeling irritated by the 3D. Mind you, Nintendo DOES have a slider to tone down or turn off the 3D effects, but every time I turned off the 3D I felt l like I was wasting the game and system's potential, so I kept it on and just squinted through.
...And it wasn't just me. A few friends reported similar frustration with the 3D effects. It may have been the PAX lighting, it may have been just us, but if you're considering a purchase, I strongly recommend spending a lot of time on a demo unit to make sure your eyes can handle the 3D acceptably. It will be an expensive system ($250 USD at launch), so try before you buy.
Another element of the 3DS that surprised me was how aggressively Nintendo took advantage of the system's built-in motion control and camera in-game. Bundled free into the system, you have a series of highly innovative mini-games. My favorite involved taking a photo of yourself, having that photo turn into an enemy, and then using the motion control and live camera streaming to find those villain-yous and shoot them down. Even Ocarina of Time used motion control to handle Link's slingshot (though you could also use the joystick).
Unfortunately, the motion control takes me to another problem with the 3D. Since you have to "lock" your distance and angle to experience the no-glasses 3D, that means that the moment you start to move the system around for motion-control games, the 3D becomes blurry and awkward, more of a hindrance than a help.
The games themselves were what you'd expect from a Nintendo handheld. The Ocarina of Time remake garnered the most crowds, Street Fighter had the nicest graphics, and it was pleasant to see Kid Icarus make a return, but for the most part nothing really "wowed" me. The DS has a solid library of games, the 3DS will most likely continue that tradition.
Overall, I'm conflicted... The 3D is magical, but eye-straining. The bulkiness compared to the original DS feels like a step back, but the better graphics, longer stylus, and the addition of the joystick are welcome additions. The motion control is nice, but the clashing with the 3D is annoying. And the price--$250--makes me a little uncomfortable.
I'm personally going to wait until the next version of the 3DS comes out. It will probably be sleeker and cheaper (and as a bonus will have more games out by then). It'll also let me better understand the eye-strain issue, which is major cause for concern.
