Early Look: Nintendo 3DS
The new Nintendo 3DS doesn’t come out until the end of the month (March 27th), but I was able to get my hands on the device over the weekend and test drive a few of the upcoming titles.
The biggest deal, of course, is that the 3DS diasplays 3D graphics, but without requiring gamers to wear 3D glasses. It does this by using a technology called “Autostereoscopy.” The 3D is sort of primitive–and we’ll get back to that–but in a way it works. Because let’s face it, Nintendo’s graphics are all pretty primitive. The Nintendo 64 was the last time we really saw Nintendo take the lead when it came to cutting edge graphics. Since then, they’ve made their mark by building systems with more interactivity. The Wii popularized motion sensors in video games, for example, while the original DS’s touch screen, WiFi, and microphone pushed the limits of how people looked at portable gaming. The DSi did it again by adding a camera to the system.
And now the 3DS takes it to a new level. There’s still WiFi, still a touch screen, still a microphone and a camera. In fact, there are three cameras. There’s one on the front screen, and then two on the back. The two rear-facing cameras really work as one 3D camera, able to capture 3D photos which can then be displayed on the 3D screen. The 3DS also includes a motion sensor & gyro sensor.
Of the games that I tested, one of the coolest displays of the system’s functions was the Augmented Reality target shooting game, which will come built into the system. The game utilizes the camera as well as a Nintendo tracking card–basically a Nintendo playing card–that you lay on a table and then point the rear camera at. You see the table on the screen, and then the 3DS superimposes the targets and bosses over that real-life environment. So you’ll be attacking a monster popping out of your table, moving the 3DS closer to it to get a better shot, and further away to stay out of its reach. Move around the table trying to get a better angle, tilting and working the 3DS like a weapon more than a controller. Something about seeing a game being played atop real-life/real-time imagery was very cool and extremely satisfying.
Of the other games I played, many were duds. Some bro was hogging the new Street Fighter game, so I tried out Steel Driver, which was absolute crap. Madden was alright, but, as you spend most of the time behind your players, the 3D didn’t feel quite as pronounced as some of the games where objects are flying out at you.
I was excited to try out the new Lego Star Wars game, only to find it frustrating and dull. But, to be honest, I’ve never really enjoyed those abysmal Lego games. I know, I know. Blasphemy.
Of all the games I played, the best (and prettiest) display of 3D was actually Pilotwings Resort. Pilotwings is a classic laid-back flight simulator franchise, and it benefits directly from the 3D, the motion sensors, and the gyroscope.
At any point, of course, you can turn off the 3D on the handheld’s display. There’s a slider you can use to choose the depth of the 3D. I’ve heard of people preferring it on, off, and in the middle. For me, it was best turned on and all the way up. That being said, it’s all in how you look at the screen. There’s definitely a sweet spot where both the left and right viewpoints merge together to create a pleasing, 3D effect. Tilt it a bit to the left or right and you’ll only get one of the two viewpoints that comprise the stereoscopic image. The 3D effect is cool, but it may not be for everybody. I can see how this might bother some peoples’ eyes, in which case, they should switch the 3D off.
The 3D was also affected by how close I held it. Weirdly, some of the games looked better the closer I was to the screen, while some looked best held at arms length.
With all of its features, and some ones I didn’t cover–like the “Virtual Console,” which brings the ability to buy and play old video games for the Gameboy, Sega’s Gamegear, and other systems, as well as the announced feature of streaming Netflix movies–the 3DS is going to be the most advanced portable gaming system on the market at the end of the month. Even so, its biggest feature–glasses-free 3D–is by its nature a novelty. Turning the 3D adjustment slider to all the way off will do little to diminish gameplay. It might even save you a headache.
The Nintendo 3DS will be selling in the US for $249.99.
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