Nintendo 3DS

This is a copy from what I posted on my Facebook, written while I was still fangasming over the E3 stuff. Enjoy =D
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OK. So, Nintendo has been pushing the envelope with the DS. We've had the DS, the DS Lite, the DSi and the DSi XL. First they made it smaller, and then they made it larger again. Why? Probably just to drain our wallets. It seemed pretty gimmicky and we all realized awhile ago that Nintendo needed something new in the handheld department. Something to raise the bar up just that little bit higher.
Well, it's here. The newest addition to the Nintendo family, the 3DS. Don't be confused by the name. It sounds like a DS, and the actual product looks like a DS. But it's forgivable this time, because the new features will blow you away.

To start off, I'll talk about the physical aspects. When first presented at E3, it looked like a DS lite with an extra coat of paint and redesigned cameras. It goes without saying that the 3DS is only slightly different in appearance to the DS lite. They’re about the same size. I believe there is a 0.1 inch difference in width. The final design is unknown (obviously we've only seen a prototype) but I really like the sleek look of this system. It's the same square shape with the curved edges, much like the DSi but even more curvaceous. It appears to have gone back on the matte finish (thankfully so) and seems to have a texture much like the DS lite. The area surrounding the top screen is in black, unlike the rest of the 3DS which can be in either blue or red. Or, for those who are more conservative, you can choose to have the entire console in black. There is now a home button, which I can only assume acts in the same way as the power button on the DSi when pressed down for a mere second. There is also a power button, unlike the slide from the DS lite. The power light is no longer in the middle of the DS and is now down the very front, while the headphone port has moved toward the centre of the front panel. All in all, it's a very nice design, although the power button is in an awkward position. I can easily see my right hand slipping and having myself accidentally restart the game.

Another new feature would be the joystick or, as the official site calls it, the 'slidepad'. From what I've heard, it doesn't move as much as an actual joystick does, and would probably only be used for in-game camera adjustments. There are three cameras, one above the top screen and two on the outside. The two outside cameras are for taking 3D shots (And possibly videos), which is quite possibly done by taking the images using the two different perspectives and then combining them. While I question the photo quality, this is quite a novel idea. The 3DS also has motion and gyro sensors. At E3, Satoru Iwata claimed that you could watch special content and movies in clear 3D (naming off companies such as Disney, Dreamworks and Warner Brothers, who were apparently all for the idea). The movies would be shown in widescreen on the top (3.53 inch screen, 800x240 pixel resolution), while the touch screen's use during movies is currently unknown. Both screens are LCD and the touch screen is slightly smaller, at 3.02 inches. It is able to play the old DS games (using the same game slot as the newer 3DS games as they use the same sized card) although I know that's not what we really care about at this point.

The biggest incentive to buy this handheld is the 3D aspect. Unlike the 3D televisions we're currently being told to buy, the 3DS does not require special 3D glasses. That's right; you're supposed to see the 3D graphics with your own eyes. Does that sound impossible? Yes. Is it impossible? Well, not quite.
It's not the 3D that we may have been misled to believe. No, the characters are not going to jump out of the screen. From what I've heard, the characters will just stand out more. They look like you can actually touch them. The 3D effect adds more depth, perhaps, but probably won't be too involved with the gameplay. Regardless, it's a very nice added touch and if you really dislike having the extra dimension, you can turn it off. Nintendo has stayed true to its name and made sure that it is accessible to all players. In fact, there isn't just an on/off button for the 3D graphics. There's a slider, so you can find any degree between 2D and 3D that you find comfortable. Only want a little touch of the 3rd dimension? Just slide the slider up a tiny bit. While this is more of a safety net for Nintendo in case of backlash against the 3D feature, it does give the user something else to customize. And this is never a bad thing.

While I can't say anything about the sound quality or actual gameplay as of yet (not much has really been revealed) the graphics are amazing for a handheld device. The beta screenshots are superb. I definitely see the appeal of watching movies on it (let's just hope that Nintendo executes this add-on well) and the graphics so far look very, very good. Nintendo is not known for its graphics. We all know that. But the 3DS's graphics definitely surpass the Gamecube’s and almost rival the Wii’s. Some of the games are even better than the Wii's graphics. This might not seem like much, but as I said, you have to remember that this is a handheld device. This has been spawned from the DSi which, even from a distance, looks pixelated and block-y. Yet this newer system is surprisingly smooth and clear. Hell, this is a lot better than the PSP. My only problem with it so far is that you have to be viewing the screen head on to see the image properly, and if you're even slightly too far to the side the screen will not be clear. My guess is that if you turned off the 3D effect, you would be able to see it from side angles better, but once again I can't be sure. Regardless, the general consensus online is that the 3D effect is amazing.

Onto the current games list. So far, the 3DS has had a huge response from third-party developers. Some third-party games that are confirmed to be released on the 3DS include 'Resident Evil Revelations', 'The Sims 3', 'Assassin's Creed: Lost Legacy', a new Sonic game, another Final Fantasy title and another Kingdom Hearts game (the last three without final names yet). From the released screenshots, 'The Sims 3' graphics are much like what 'The Sims 2' managed on PC. They are still nice, but they aren't the greatest. However, that was the worst of the bunch, with Kingdom Hearts looking absolutely fantastic compared to its previous DS title. Of course, these don't compare to the official Nintendo games that are soon to be released. As always, a new Mario game will be created for the 3DS, as well as Mario Kart and Animal Crossing. Nintendogs now features cats as well, Paper Mario is back once again, and there will be remakes of StarFox 64 and The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (!!!).

Animal Crossing appears to have had a makeover with the main characters. You can now customize more than just shirts, giving the girls dresses, skirts or pants. The characters are no longer as stumpy and have quite a bit of height added to them. They are very Mii like in appearance. The graphics are notably better than the Wii Animal Crossing and are much more in depth. The shading is done extraordinarily well and the water looks brilliant.
Paper Mario is very clean. There are a few badly rendered curves, but once again the shading is very, very good. Mario Kart, on the other hand, is a bit of a letdown. It still looks very good, don't get me wrong, but I was expecting more. The camera angle is also very awkward, so that may have impacted on my judgment of the graphics.
The original Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time is a very, very in depth game, and Nintendo has clearly put time into trying to recreate the original setting. It's clearly not a port from the Nintendo 64 version. The graphics are much clearer. StarFox 64 has had the most improvement, with very nice colouring and scenes that will be perfect with the added 3D.
The biggest example here would have to be Kid Icarus Uprising. The graphics don't seem to be as polished as the others, but as the first 3DS title to have a trailer I am still very impressed. The glow on Pit's wings is perfect. There's not much else for me to say about it.

Overall, the system has had much support from many third party developers, despite the fact that the console itself isn’t even complete. With exclusive content from Disney, Warner Brothers and Dreamworks, the 3DS is not just a gaming system but a tool for viewing movies. Game-wise, Konami, Ubisoft and Capcom are just three of the third-party companies bringing out new games on the 3DS (Metal Gear Solid, Assassin’s Creed and Resident Evil, respectively) while Nintendo also brings out it’s old favourites. Not to mention the sequels to NES and SNES games that are being made, allowing Nintendo to keep the ‘something for everyone’ stance that they’ve adopted. Like always, they’re attempting to bridge the gap between casual and hardcore gamers. Whether that goal has been reached is debatable (hell, we haven’t seen any actual gameplay yet. We only have titles) but so far the online fanbase is very pleased. Generally, the 3DS is not disappointing. I’m very interested to see where this new system leads, and I have a feeling that this is the dawn of a very good era for Nintendo.