3DS first impression - better than I thought.

[RandyT]

Lastly (for now) 200-300 bucks is a barrier for consoles, and with a handheld, you can't justify the purchase like you can with a console by saying, "well at least it also plays blu rays and can be my home media center.  All this thing does is play games.  We'll see what it can do.

Me?  I am skeptical

BTW, If the PSP2 is priced higher, it will be a colossal failure.  People didn't buy the PS3 when it came out because it was over that 300 bucks for a console limit.  If a HANDHELD is over 300 bucks, who the hell would buy it?

I am a bit skeptical as well, especially in this economy.  But I've seen stranger things.  How much did an iPhone cost initially?  Or an iPad, even now?  The 3DS can and will play 3D (and 2D) movies on the go, and that could be important enough to some to justify the cost.  There really is no such thing as "just a game player" anymore when it comes to handhelds.  They all have cameras, web browsers, photo viewers, mp3 players, pda functions, etc, etc..  The only thing any of the popular ones are missing is phone capabilities, which may be the one thing they really need in order to entrench them into our "must have at (nearly) any cost" mindsets .  That's something which is about to be tested on the PSP side of things.

How about back to talking about the 3DS? Any good games going to come out for it in the future? I'm not particularly interested in the Zelda game.

Starfox 64 3D?  I think this will be one of the few titles which will be really decent in 3D and it's already a good game (provided they don't screw it up in the remake.)  Certainly one I am interested in seeing.  If that one doesn't work well on the system, there probably won't be many that will.

[Dazz]

I swear... some people argue just for the sake of arguing.  It's a freaking game console.  If people like it; they will buy it.  The people that don't like it will not buy it.  The original poster stated what his opinion and first impressions of the system was.  Why did that have to turn into an argument?

I bought the system on day one and haven't looked back on my purchase yet.  I personally like the system and see promise in it.  I've got Pilotwings about 95% complete and I really haven't touched Super Street Fighter 4.  I'll start playing SSFIV after I get 100% on Pilotwings.  The 3d screen really does add some depth to the gameplay where a 2d screen cannot.  Battery life has been no concern of mine and I, nor my kids, have had a single headache from playing the system.  I'm really looking forward to Star Fox, Zelda, Kid Icarus, and of course Pinball Hall of Fame: The Williams Collection.

I can see where this system isn't for everyone.  My wife got vertigo after about 3 minutes of viewing the screen and trying to play, but she is also the same way at 3d movies.  

For anyone looking to purchase one... Stop asking online and go to try one out and decide for yourself.

[shateredsoul]

Yeah, I'm looking forward toward star fox 64. And the Kid Icarus on rails shooter looks nice too. I'll probably wait a little and get it later after a bit.

[Samstag]

GTA: Liberty City Stories, Vice City Stories, God of War, and probably a bunch of others I'm forgetting were essentially console games (PS2 era) on a handheld.  Allowing for the missing second analog stick, they were practically the same experience as you'd get on the PS2.  If those aren't hardcore games, I don't know what you think hardcore means

Well that's five games.

Well you asked for one.   

Name one hardcore gaming title on ANY handheld?

For me you could take away every game but the GTA "Stories" and I'd still feel like the PSP was worth the purchase.  I've easily put 200-300 hours into those two combined.  If you only get 15 hours out of them I think that's a case of you not enjoying that type of game rather than them not being "hardcore".  I don't like God of War and only played it for about an hour but it definitely fits my idea of a hardcore game that isn't neutered for a handheld.

But I'm not hardcore enough to pay $250 for a 3DS.  My DS Lite plays my softcore games just fine, thanks.  And by softcore I mean the ones I only play 50-100 hours.

[RandyT]

I swear... some people argue just for the sake of arguing.  It's a freaking game console.  If people like it; they will buy it.  The people that don't like it will not buy it.  The original poster stated what his opinion and first impressions of the system was.  Why did that have to turn into an argument?

Well, things got rolling when that same poster made the following observation and prediction;

The advertising on this was horrific IMO.  I don't think most people even know it exists.  Word will get out and stock will dry up.  I give it about two weeks.

What then ensued was a discussion, and as is normal in healthy discussion, not all parties agreed.  And this is a forum for discussion, is it not?

For anyone looking to purchase one... Stop asking online and go to try one out and decide for yourself.

Great advice, however simply trying one in the store isn't going to answer all the questions being considered in this thread.  Some folks consider a machine's likely direction an important factor in deciding whether or not to purchase it, especially when it carries this kind of price tag.  As such, that discussion has value...unless the reader has already bought one.  Glad to hear you are enjoying yours!

[shateredsoul]

The 3d is meh for me at least. I mean, it does pop (and I usually don't see 3d in theaters), I just don't get the point.

I really do like the build though, feels tougher than a NDS, and made me have that fuzzy warm Nintendo feeling I'd get back in the day when turning on a new system. Unfortunately there's no good nintendo game to keep that feeling going.

I bought SS Street Fighter IV, pretty fun to play, except I can't reconfigure the keys? pro ? Lite? wtf? And you know what else is weird? The background characters do not move at all, they're like statues.. 3d statues.

The black 3ds doesn't collect fingerprints like other black systems, it's has a granite look to it. Very nice. It's as small as a nds lite, battery life is not really an issue for me.

Also is it just me, or are the 3ds and nds stores not accessible yet?

[RandyT]

And you know what else is weird? The background characters do not move at all, they're like statues.. 3d statues.

I really hope that this is simply a case of a rushed title.  The moving scenery is usually one of those "we made everything as cool in the foreground as it could possibly be, so let's burn up these extra machine cycles on the scenery effects" things.  A static background could be an indicator that they ran out of machine cycles just making the game appear 3D.  Hopefully, it was just rushed and a software update, if it even does them, will fix it up.

*edit*

Finally got a chance to play with one of these today.  I have to say that they did the 3D part of it well.....more accurately, as well as could be expected.  It works, and it even looks pretty cool.  But it's not, IMHO, practical enough to try to base a handheld upon.   The field of view is tiny, which forces you to hold the unit at 10-12 inches from your face while playing.  Tried looking at it from a normal handheld distance (for me) and one eye got a double image and I could immediately feel it forming a knot in my skull.  If you thought you looked like a geek playing a handheld in public, wait until everyone sees you playing while holding it that close to your face.  Even a little far-sighted?  Bring your glasses, because it's going to be too close not to be blurry.  

SFIV looked and played fine, and the 3D effect was good (when held in the proper area).  But I didn't see anything about this title that looked like it was much different than what a PSP could do, other than the 3D aspect.  I would really like to see something where they don't use the extra cycles of the machine for 3D and devote those to a higher performing "flat" game.  My opinion so far is that the 3D will not carry this machine, so some pretty good flat games had better be forthcoming.  This of course could change if 3D titles come along which are worth the effort of keeping the unit aligned with your head while playing them.

[Howard_Casto]

I tried one at Walmart the other day and as I expected, the 3d was completely underwhealming.  If 3d means make one thing viewable and everything else slightly blurry then mission accomplished, but as for "this is popping off the screen" effects, I just didn't see any. 

The crispness of the resolution and cool new ideas like augmented reality cards are pretty cool though. 

I think my verdict is the 3ds is basically the "super ds."  The problem I'm having is the price tag.  250 bucks is too high for a handheld.  Sony's psp launches have proven that consumers really don't enjoy buying high-priced portables. 

I'm waiting... the games are mostly ports of console games, which COMPLETELY MISSES THE POINT OF PORTABLE GAMING, and the price needs to be reduced by at least 50 bucks (really 100) for me to look at it. 

Oh and while I was never a huge fan of pilot wings (always felt like star fox for slow kids to me) I'm pretty sure that taking a wii sports resort mini-game and slightly expanding upon it is NOT worthy of having the words "pilot wings" in the title.   


And there is one design "flaw" that is really going to hurt 3ds first-party games.  Actually it already has.  The 3ds has a full range of motion sensors tucked inside.  The problem is that the 3d doesn't work well when you move the device around.  Well nintendo is heavily pushing the 3d, so this pretty much ensures that their titles aren't going to make use of motion controls, at least for a while.  Pilot Wings should have let you control the plane via motion control, which would feel incredibly intutive on such a game.  They don't though, because it's a launch title and therefore has to promote the 3d.

[RandyT]

... the games are mostly ports of console games, which COMPLETELY MISSES THE POINT OF PORTABLE GAMING.

Please explain to me how you are coming to this conclusion.  A good game is a good game, and the ability to play it somewhere other than on your sofa in front of your TV would be seen by most as a "good thing".

And there is one design "flaw" that is really going to hurt 3ds first-party games.  Actually it already has.  The 3ds has a full range of motion sensors tucked inside.  The problem is that the 3d doesn't work well when you move the device around.  Well nintendo is heavily pushing the 3d, so this pretty much ensures that their titles aren't going to make use of motion controls, at least for a while.  Pilot Wings should have let you control the plane via motion control, which would feel incredibly intutive on such a game.  They don't though, because it's a launch title and therefore has to promote the 3d.

Agreed.  One has to conclude from the mutually exclusive nature of both the 3D and the motion controls, that developers will at some time, take advantage of some of the other interesting hardware features without the 3D screen being enabled.  It might be difficult to see this unit shine until that point.  By then, maybe the price will be lower too.

[Donkbaca]

A good game is a good game, and the ability to play it somewhere other than on your sofa in front of your TV would be seen by most as a "good thing".

Hmmm... I mostly play my PSP on my sofa in front of my TV.  Me thinks I will perhaps go outside, perhaps I'll enjoy it more then?

Randy you are right, though, the thing is, why pay 250 for a system when you can play the same games on your console?  

How much are the 3ds games?

[shateredsoul]

Yeah I agree condolences ports are not enough. I have always wanted to play contact for the DS, but I don't need a 3ds for that.

[Ginsu Victim]

A good game is a good game, and the ability to play it somewhere other than on your sofa in front of your TV would be seen by most as a "good thing".

Hmmm... I mostly play my PSP on my sofa in front of my TV.  Me thinks I will perhaps go outside, perhaps I'll enjoy it more then?

Well, that or on the shitter.

[Donkbaca]

250 bucks to be entertained on the shitter?  I'll pass.  I'd rather spend 99 cents on a magazine

[Mikezilla]

250 bucks to be entertained on the shitter?  I'll pass.  I'd rather spend 99 cents on a magazine

That was a good one. I read on my iphone as well PBJ, I didnt want to spend the buck on AB. You guys are missing the point of these GD portables. THEY ARE FOR CHILDREN. Of course the "hardcore" gamer is not going to buy one of these, because hopefully the hardcore gamer has a console/PC he is going to play on, and cant play a game on the "go" because he has to drive to the store to get more funyuns and mountain dew, and then head back home and play on his console/PC. Look at the track record for Nintendo for god sakes. They gear most, if not all of their games for kids, its just that when WE were kids, they were geared towards us, and now we are older. The games we like (mario, zelda) are still kid games if you think about it. The reason they put the pricetag at $250 is because they know spoiled brat kids will ask for them and the stupid parents will buy them. I dont know a single person that has EVER owned a DS, or a PsP. They have however had gameboys. You know why? Because all my friends and I were about 11 years old when the gameboy launched and we HAD TO HAVE THEM. 

[Bootay]

I have a GBA, DS and PSP. I will admit that I probably wouldn't own a GBA or DS if not for my kids wanting it...and the PSP I found on the side of the road in a puddle. It wouldn't turn on so I left it sitting on my desk for 2 days. Tried it again and it fired right up. So I got it for free. The case was broke and the screen lens and buttons were scraped from hitting the cement. I just bought a replacement case on Ebay and it now looks brand new. But point is, for the price I probably would have never bought a PSP either. I rarely find myself in situations where I am away from the house and just HAVE to play a game except for when I am in the waiting room at the doctor which happens about maybe once a year.

[RandyT]

That was a good one. I read on my iphone as well PBJ, I didnt want to spend the buck on AB. You guys are missing the point of these GD portables. THEY ARE FOR CHILDREN. Of course the "hardcore" gamer is not going to buy one of these, because hopefully the hardcore gamer has a console/PC he is going to play on, and cant play a game on the "go" because he has to drive to the store to get more funyuns and mountain dew, and then head back home and play on his console/PC.

It's apparent that you don't know any "hardcore" gamers.  They are precisely the target for high-end handhelds because it is they who will be playing the machine on the go while you are enjoying the scenery.  The PSP2 has a price tag and feature list that says anything but "built for kids".  By time it releases, a PS3 will probably cost less. So you'd have to be pretty "hardcore" even to purchase one.

[Donkbaca]

I think playing on the shitter is hardcore...

[Mikezilla]

That was a good one. I read on my iphone as well PBJ, I didnt want to spend the buck on AB. You guys are missing the point of these GD portables. THEY ARE FOR CHILDREN. Of course the "hardcore" gamer is not going to buy one of these, because hopefully the hardcore gamer has a console/PC he is going to play on, and cant play a game on the "go" because he has to drive to the store to get more funyuns and mountain dew, and then head back home and play on his console/PC.

It's apparent that you don't know any "hardcore" gamers.  They are precisely the target for high-end handhelds because it is they who will be playing the machine on the go while you are enjoying the scenery.  The PSP2 has a price tag and feature list that says anything but "built for kids".  By time it releases, a PS3 will probably cost less. So you'd have to be pretty "hardcore" even to purchase one.

My friends work for Rockstar, they made Red Dead Redemption and Midnight Club etc. Trust me, they are "hardcore".  I disagree with you there, first of all, we were talking about the 3DS and Nintendo's handhelds, not really the PSP, but Im still going to include that in my arguement. But if the hardcore gamers are in the demographic that Im in (Im 28 year old male) I cant justify not only paying that much, but have the time for a handheld in the first place. I liked what Bootay said about using it if he were in the Dr office, which happens about once a year. A PS3 will cost less by the time the PSP2 launches, because it has been out for a long time, everyone already has one, and the husband with the kids can justify buying one with his wife because "its almost as cheap as a blu ray player". Then, the console would still be bought over the handheld. I dunno, I still feel as though its geared towards the under 12 market, like most of Nintendo's products. I mean cmon, the gamecube had a handle on it for gods sakes. "So you can take it to a friends house and enjoy it". Dont get me wrong, I am all for Nintendo. Trust me, I love em. Might almost even call me a "fanboy" cause I love me some Mario, Zelda, and Metroid. But, those are the only reasons for me buying a Nintendo system, pretty much those 3. And you know why? I loved em from my childhood. 

[Mikezilla]

I think playing on the shitter is hardcore...

I thought this was really funny btw. 

[RandyT]

My friends work for Rockstar, they made Red Dead Redemption and Midnight Club etc. Trust me, they are "hardcore". 

When you work 16 hours a day on video games, I'm guessing that the last thing you want to do on the train ride home is play a game.   My nephew, who is a hardcore gamer, always has some type of gaming device with him.  For a while it a was a PSP, then it was a laptop and I'm sure it will be a PSP2 eventually.  He is also ex-military, so not a "kid".

[Mikezilla]

My friends work for Rockstar, they made Red Dead Redemption and Midnight Club etc. Trust me, they are "hardcore". 

When you work 16 hours a day on video games, I'm guessing that the last thing you want to do on the train ride home is play a game.   My nephew, who is a hardcore gamer, always has some type of gaming device with him.  For a while it a was a PSP, then it was a laptop and I'm sure it will be a PSP2 eventually.  He is also ex-military, so not a "kid".

Hm. Maybe because I live in a place where there is a lot of stuff to do, and I dont rely on public transit to get around. Just seems like if youre gonna game, do it at home, the only reason to get a DS or whatever, is to keep the kids quiet on the way to the grocery store, AT the store, and for the ride home. Or in a place where you have to wait for something, basically any instance where a kid has to sit still and shut up.

[Mikezilla]

So I tried a few other 'hardcore' games like Killzone.  Well, the graphics were so damn small you couldn't see anything and the levels required precise control as you were defusing bombs and walking along cliffs and all kinds of nonsense like that.  Yeah, great game design for playing on bus seat.  Give me a break.

Now that I've got an iphone that doesn't even require an external amp to push my speakers, I've got absolutely no use for the PSP.  Any homebrew junk I could do on the PSP like ebooks or videos works better on the iphone, too.

All valid points. But now say, the same thing in the hands of a kid would be a lot different, because they dont know the difference between the graphics of a nice big console, or those ---smurfy--- little ones that are in their grubby little hands. See Randy, PBJ even mentions another point that make the handheld pointless for hardcore gamers: the homebrew aspects. They are better on iphones. Everyone has an iphone.

[Bootay]

I don't 

[Mikezilla]

Really? I mean, if youre even going to have a cell phone, why not an iphone? Especially now, when they are so cheap. A 3GS is only 50 bucks! 

[Bootay]

Because my wife bought it, and she got 3 of them...one for her and one for me and one for my son. And I think she paid $50 for all 3. Mine is an iPhone knockoff...it makes phone calls though. And that's all I need it to do. I don't play music, play games, or browse the Internet on my phone nor do I have an interest in that.

[Bootay]

Also most people that I know don't have an iPhone either....I think I know 4 people tops with one. Not saying they aren't popular or good...just saying that not "everyone has an iPhone."   

[Mikezilla]

Also most people that I know don't have an iPhone either....I think I know 4 people tops with one. Not saying they aren't popular or good...just saying that not "everyone has an iPhone."   

Gotcha. Everyone I know has an iphone, that uses a phone I mean. Im not even exaggerating, all my friends (mind you I only have about 6 really close friends) my sister, my GF, even my co-workers have em. Its cool because I never go over my minutes (despite the fact that I barely use the phone for talking haha) because if I ever call anyone, its unlimed mobile to mobile because we all have AT&T. The GPS on it is a nifty little thing. I have a 16gig and I only have 2 gigs filled on it, so it shows you how much Im using it to its fullest capabilities. 

[RandyT]

See Randy, PBJ even mentions another point that make the handheld pointless for hardcore gamers: the homebrew aspects. They are better on iphones. Everyone has an iphone.

Yeah, but I'd rather not play a game than have to play one with really poor controls.  Games like AB work fine with a touch screen.  Everything else, forget it.

[Mikezilla]

Yeah, but the developers are gonna... develop for what's popular.  I don't want to play traditional games on a handheld.

 

[shateredsoul]

angry birds killed the portable star :<

[Howard_Casto]

... the games are mostly ports of console games, which COMPLETELY MISSES THE POINT OF PORTABLE GAMING.

Please explain to me how you are coming to this conclusion.  A good game is a good game, and the ability to play it somewhere other than on your sofa in front of your TV would be seen by most as a "good thing".

Well I play the average console game for an hour or two MINIMUM per session.  Portables are for when you are on the go (or at least they are supposed to be).  Since I'm usually the one driving, the only use I get out of my portables is hwen I have to wait at the doctors office, perhaps the power is out ect....  That's usualy a 15-20 minute game.  When you take a game like Zelda OOT, a game that is supposed to be played for hours on end, and stick it on a portable, you are treading into pointless territory.  Now SSFIV I can see, but most of these other games I can't.

And as the others have said, if you ARE playing your portable at home, why in the world would you play a watered-down version of a game on a 3 inch screen when you could play it on your tv?

[shateredsoul]

... the games are mostly ports of console games, which COMPLETELY MISSES THE POINT OF PORTABLE GAMING.

Please explain to me how you are coming to this conclusion.  A good game is a good game, and the ability to play it somewhere other than on your sofa in front of your TV would be seen by most as a "good thing".

Well I play the average console game for an hour or two MINIMUM per session.  Portables are for when you are on the go (or at least they are supposed to be).  Since I'm usually the one driving, the only use I get out of my portables is hwen I have to wait at the doctors office, perhaps the power is out ect....  That's usualy a 15-20 minute game.  When you take a game like Zelda OOT, a game that is supposed to be played for hours on end, and stick it on a portable, you are treading into pointless territory.  Now SSFIV I can see, but most of these other games I can't.

And as the others have said, if you ARE playing your portable at home, why in the world would you play a watered-down version of a game on a 3 inch screen when you could play it on your tv?

because you can't have a tv screen and system in your bathroom , duh!

[Mikezilla]

Yeah but are you going to blow that kind of money on a 5-10 minute game every day? I sure as hell wouldnt. Especially with the high probability water damage could occur.

[Donkbaca]

For that kind of money, you could actually put a tv and game system in your bathroom.... just  sayin'...

[Bender]

For that kind of money, you could actually put a tv and game system in your bathroom.... just  sayin'...

umm, Classy!!!!

[hypernova]

Dude, if you're on the shitter long enough to play a PSP game then you need some more fiber in your diet.  2 levels of Angry Birds is about my average.

So when you're dropping bombs, you're really dropping bombs! 

[rlemmon]

I bought one along with ridge racer 3d and some ds games i wanted to play. I think it's awesome as hell. The 3d in ridge racer looks really good except fo some slight ghosting here and there. Its cool to see all of the environments blasting out at you in 3d while your racing along.

 I made a quick stop at gamestop yesterday when i went for milk (yes i have a problem lol) and they had a demo unit playing street fighter iv 3D. I decided to give it a go and the first words that went through my head were holy ---steaming pile of meadow muffin--- that's insane. The 3d really stands out in a very good way on it and actually adds to the game the same way as it does in ridge racer. I'm gonna have to pick it up this weekend.

I agree that $250.00 is alot of money for a hand held console but its hard to argue with the 3d and the graphics which are also great plus there's all the other things. I have seen alot of mixed reviews aross the web about the 3d effects.

Beings that the games are launch titles i think well see much better 3d on it down the line. I think the same applies for graphics. Alot of people complain that wii games look horribe and some do but that has nothing to do with the wii hardware, it's the developer's. If you look at games like super mario galaxy 1&2 , dead space extraction and super smash bros brawl you ll see that the system is capable of great graphics.

When some of the summer launch games hit along with the new super mario bros game being developed by Shigeru Miyamoto,well see what the 3 ds is really capable of.

I bet there's going to be alot of people changing there minds about what this system can do. I Just wonder how long it will take sony to copy it and if the sony npg will be priced competitively. Surly they cant be stupid enough to set it at a higher price point.

[Donkbaca]

Nintendo is launching Zelda on it, so it will make them a profit, always have the Zelda geeks that will pay to play it on anything.

I wouldn't play 300 bucks to play Zelda on a 3 inch screen.  But to each his own

[javeryh]

I finally tried out the 3DS at a GameStop.  It kind of gave me a headache and none of the 3D came out of the screen.  Also, it didn't look like true 3D but just rather 3 different "levels" of depth.  There was the background, then the stuff like elephants and spectators a little closer and finally the fighters the closest (SFIV).  I didn't see any connection between each of the depth levels. 


 

[Howard_Casto]

Nintendo is launching Zelda on it, so it will make them a profit, always have the Zelda geeks that will pay to play it on anything.

I wouldn't play 300 bucks to play Zelda on a 3 inch screen.  But to each his own

I've found the portable zelda games to be especially terrible.  Aside from the crappy stylus controls on the DS, the games are just too long for a portable.  It's exactly what I was talking about before.  I don't think zelda fans buy those games becasue they are in portable form, rather they are so desperate for a new zelda release that they will put up with it being on a crappy 3 inch screen.