When I opened the box, I was greeted with a thin plastic baggie featuring a ton of different manuals, quick start guides (in English, French and Spanish,) as well as a pack of augmented reality cards (more about those later.) Underneath were three separate spots where the 3DS itself, and its charging base/charger were kept. The packaging resembles that of the DSi, which I still own and had been using a lot prior to receiving the loaner 3DS. It's quite easy to take out and put back in and the plastic baggie helps you keep everything together. It'd be annoying if the AR cards were ever to go missing, so I recommend keeping them in the box when they're not in use.
My first impressions of the black 3DS loaner review copy I was sent were very positive. It's a really smart looking device. It feels sturdy, has a nice glossy finish (with sparkling speckles) and looks great. The only issue is that it's susceptible to finger prints and is a bit of a dust magnet, like most electronics. Inside is the same - nice looking, well-made and features button placement that works quite well for my man-hands. I was quite impressed from the get-go and couldn't wait to play it after it charged. Charging took 3.5 hours and the average battery life has been about 4 hours for me. Though I haven't toned down the brightness (from its highest setting) and have been using a lot of different applications.
The main difference that really jumped out at me from the get-go was the screen size difference (the touch screen is close to the same size as a DSi screen, whereas the top screen is quite a bit larger. It is the only one that does 3D.) The stylus is also noticeably different, made from a much sturdier material and featuring an extendable top portion. This feature allows you to adjust the size of the stylus, with the smaller size being better for children and the larger one being easier to use for the older crowd who have bigger hands. Additionally, there is now a home button (which takes you back to the main menu once pressed, and allows you to quit applications,) which is under the bottom screen along with start and select. All three buttons are in a row and are on a pressure sensitive strip, which I liked. The power button takes the place of where start and select were on the older iterations of the Nintendo Dual Screen.
Those are large differences aesthetic differences, but the one main change that will alter how we play 3DS games in the future is the new circle-pad, which is like a joystick. It takes the directional pad's place at the top left of the bottom of the device, with the D-pad below. It's comfortable and works pretty well, with a good range of movement. The directional pad is now made out of a plastic-like material and, though it feels different compared to that of the DSi's d-pad, it works quite well. It was easier to use and more precise in some games, such as Bust-a-Move: Universe, which required minute movement changes.
When I turned the 3DS on for the first time, I was greeted with a set-up guide menu, where I had to input information, set up my wireless internet access for the device and create an account. I was then able to create a Mii (in a very similar menu to that of the Wii's. Though you can use the camera to help create your Mii, allowing it to analyze your face and create a rough estimate of what you'd look like in cartoon form.) The set-up was quick, painless and thorough. I wasn't kep away from the action for too long, but I got a lot accomplished in that short period of time, allowing for the device to be set-up with some of my basic information, settings and preferences. I should also mention that my Mii resembles me quite a bit, and looks a lot like the one I created for the Wii.
The menu system itself is in 3D (though you can toggle 2D visuals with the 3D slider on the right hand-side of the top portion of the device.) This was my first experience of the glasses-free 3D that Nintendo had been touting and, let me tell you: it works! The menus had depth and seemed to be popping off the screen at me. Whenever directions were shown in the middle of the 3D screen, they looked like they were further in the foreground than the menu behind them. Additionally, the menu that tracks your stats and the games that you've played has a really cool 3D effect to go along with its folder or notebook-esque style. The page you've selected is in the foreground, whereas the pages you've skipped through sit above, progressively going into the background. I was blown away when I first saw the 3D as I'm sure most people will be. Though the full 3D effects are only noticeable if you have he handheld directly in front of you, or else you will notice some ghosting. That's understandable though.
Nintendo was nice enough to send me review copies of three different games, with the unit itself. The games I was sent were Steel Diver, Pilot Wings Resort and Nintendogs + Cats: Toy Poodle and Friends. I was really looking forward to playing the first two especially, but I tried out some different applications before loading a cartridge into the device.
I tried out Face Raiders to begin with and was impressed with how creative it was (using a picture of my face and animating it to create flying enemies, which I was able to shoot by the press of a button.) Since the 3DS now includes a movement and gyro sensor, the system can now track your movement (horizontal, verticle and angular) and input it into games. Face Raiders uses this technology to allow you to move around your environment to find the enemies. Tilting is required to hit them in the perfect position (a jewel at the top of their heads.) It worked pretty well and the technology impressed me quite a bit. The cameras did a good job of tracking movement without a delay or lag. The game is pretty fun, though it's basically a tech demo. Its 3D was quite noticeable, especially with the depth that it provided. As enemies would get closer to me, they would come into the foreground more. Enemies who I shot would go spinning towards the background at times.
The other applications that I was able to use were the 3D Photo Mode, 3DS Sound, Street Pass/Mii Plaza and the Augmented Reality game. All three were impressive and really show off the handheld device's new technology in amazing ways, though I was most impressed with the photo capabilities and Augmented Reality. The sound recording was also impressive - don't get me wrong. It just didn't have the wow factor of the other too. That's to be expected though, as the others feature new technology. Kids will love the ability to record their own voices and play them back or create sounds, though.
Street Pass is a unique new idea that Nintendo has implemented into the 3DS. It allows your device to communicate with those of others who you meet, walk by or know. How it works is that, if you have your 3DS set to sleep mode (and the other person does too,) the units will communicate and transfer Miis. With the Street Pass/Mii Parade application, you can use these transferred Miis to help save your captured Mii in a minigame (where they're referred to as heroes,) and can also aquire puzzle pieces that fit into a puzzle in another minigame. You can purchase both of those things (heroes and puzzles) but they each require 2 coins, which you can earn by walking around and using Street Pass. Only ten coins can be earned per day.
I took some photos my kitchen table, as well as my cat sitting in a windowsill behind the table. I could see noticeable depth within the image, with a major difference between what was in the foreground and what was in the background. I could even tell a difference between my cat and the window she was right in front of, though it was a minor difference. This is something that I'm sure I will be showing family and friends when I'm around them, to show them just how far video game tech has come. Even non-gamers will be impressed with these 3D photo capabilities. It really is a wow factor for the handheld. Each 3DS comes with a 2GB SD memory card inserted into its SD card slot. This is used for storage.
The Augmented Reality application requires the AR cards that I mentioned previously. When you place one on a flat surface and line up the 3DS' front cameras with it (while standing approximately 17 inches away,) a 3D character will pop out. The question mark block card that is listed as card one is your menu. It allows you to do some target shooting, fight a dragon boss and also allows you to unlock fun minigames such as a pool game (where your table or flat surface warps into a 3D mountain with a hole at one end.) After defeating the dragon by shooting it in specific areas (done by moving around him in real life and using the gyro sensor to tilt and a button to shoot,) these other minigames opened up. The other cards allow you to bring some of your favourite characters (such as Mario, Link and Samus) to life, with each one having moves they can pull off. You can take photos of them and can also do so with your Miis. Really, really impressive. These AR cards can be used in different games, such as Nintendogs.
Since I've received it, I've put time into four different retail games. The three aforementioned titles, as well as Bust-a-Move: Universe. I was impressed with the 3D aspects of all of them, with Pilot Wings Resort being my favourite out of the four. It has great 3D (mainly used for depth purposes) and is very fun and addicting. The other three games are good, too. I will be doing full reviews of each one, with at least two of them being up by tomorrow at the absolute latest. Playing the games in 3D is a great experience that changes things quite a bit. Depth adds a lot to the experience and each game does a good job of showing off the tech in different ways. Some games use 3D more for depth of field, whereas others pop off the screen more. They all look great and feature impressive visual upgrades over the standard DS games. There are a lot more polygons used and the visuals are closer to 3D consoles than the Super Nintendo. They still resemble the DS' visuals in some ways, though. Each game I've played has sounded phenomenal, as the 3DS has the ability to output simulated surround sound, which I found had very good sound quality and volume capabilities.
Overall, I must say that I am very impressed with the 3DS. I look forward to picking up my pre-ordered handheld at EB Games tomorrow. I also look forward to spending more time with the device in the future, as new games continue to come out. The game I'm looking forward to the most is definitely the new Resident Evil survival horror game. Though I'm also really looking forward to titles such as Metal Gear Solid: Snake Eater, Splinter Cell and Ocarina of Time.
For anyone who is planning to purchase a 3DS, despite the worry that the 3D isn't overly impressive: rest at ease. The 3D works as stated and is very impressive. So is the 3DS in general. It features great tech, is comfortable to use and will impress gamers and non-gamers alike. Just remember that the 3D capabilities are recommended for those of us who are seven and older. Kids can still play the games in 2D though (and they still look/play really well!)
I'll see you guys online. Enjoy.
Nintendo's highly-touted 3DS will be available tomorrow (March 27, 2011.) Some lucky early adopters will be able to pick it up at midnight launches. It sells for $249.99 and games average at $39.99.
