Nintendo 3DS - Cosmo Black

Let's face it: 3D isn't for everybody. There's people with the lazy eye this will not work for. There's people that are partially blind. This unit will not work for everyone as a portable 3D device. But regardless, this unit is pretty powerful, and seeing Super Street Fighter IV 3D in motion at 60fps is proof. Out of the box, I had probably a minute of eye adjustment, then I was fine. The tutorial at the beginning is quickly over, and you're in the menu. I spent more time messing around with the menu than I did in an actual game so far. There's a lot of junk to do! There's a music player with interactive retro game visualizers. There's the Mii creator, which now allows you to have a full beard (was this in the Wii?). The AR cards, camera, etc.. The 3D camera is good for the small screen your on and doesn't look half bad, until you take the camera out of 3D mode. It's a horrible little 0.3mp camera, but still, it takes 3D pictures that work. I spent a while trying to trick the camera into thinking objects were in front of other items by using different angles and such. No such luck. It just works. Which just makes me shake my head and shrug, because I have no idea how technology works anymore. Even after looking up how it works, I'm just going to Homer Simpson this and go "I dunno..". Speaking of the camera and things I don't understand, there's a pack of cards that come with the 3DS that allow you to do goofy things in 3D or import Nintendo characters into you picture using "Augmented Reality". Whatever. It looks cool, it's fun as crap to do, but it just makes 0 sense to me how this stuff really works. Please, don't explain it. The fact that I don't know makes the tech even more magical. The friend's list is a lot more internet friendly than the Wii, but not by much. Instead of needing a friend code for each and every game like on the Wii, the 3DS has a single code that allows you to add a friend and then you can play with them. It manages to be a step behind still, but I'd rather deal with one forgetable code than several. Why I can't just tell my friends to add me with my usual gamer ID is... dumb. For those wondering, there's no Pictochat. I came from a DS phat, and that was one feature I actually kind of wanted. But I guess we can't have everything we want. There's also no alarm clock, which is weird. The rude bird in the tutorials would have been nice to wake up to. But with firmware updates and the game/app store coming in May, we might see some of this stuff return. I haven't used Street Pass. My out of work neighbors, or the guy upstairs who beats his girlfriend daily, hasn't bought or stolen one yet. I'll update the review when I find someone who has a 3DS to street share with. DS games, from what I've heard, look horrible on this thing. From personal experience, at least with Pokemon Black, it looks fine. There's nothing horrible on it, but I never experienced it on the DSi or anything else. If you're not truly picky, I'm sure it will look just fine. Or at least Pokemon does. Battery life is pretty crappy. The realistic battery life is around 3 hours with 3D on and wi-fi. Adjusting the brightness does help, along with turning off all of the other 3DS features, but right now, it's the worst part of the system. However, with all the options to keep it powered in, it won't be a big problem for me. I have a PSP that I actually play a lot (thanks to PixelJunk Monsters Deluxe), and by a lot, I mean while I'm on a road trip. But even then, I have it plugged in. I can't imagine me being any different with this thing. I get tired of using handhelds within a couple of hours, so I probably won't run into the battery issue too often. The biggest negative that I've seen right now (aside from battery life) is the game lists for early adopters. There's literally nothing that's going to blow you away. I mentioned SSFIV3D, which is probably going to be the only game that will be remembered out of the bunch. Nintendo probably should have thought about putting a Mario Kart or something out to keep us Nintendo freaks happy. I'm also hoping that the Virtual Console system isn't a rip off like I feel some of the Wii VC titles are. It's a shame when I can get a physical copy of Super Mario Bros. for around a buck, but I have to spend $5 on a VC copy. But when the VC comes out, everyone must buy Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening. It's the ultimate Zelda title.

The 3DS is Nintendo's answer to the 3D craze. The machine is superbly engineered and richly featured, but the hardware marvels should not be the sole reason to buy a 3DS--buy it for the games. == Hardware features == - 3D screen that lets you play games and watch movies in 3D, WITHOUT glasses! - Two cameras in the back that let you shoot 3D pictures - Finally, an analog control above the traditional directional pad - Similar to smartphones, it has a Motion Sensor and Gyro Sensor to control games that support this feature - Best of all, it's backwards compatible with older DS and DSi games - IEEE 802.11 b/g with WPA/WPA2 2.4 GHz wireless to enable Internet access and local wireless multiplayer game play - Stereo Audio jack - Game card and SD card slots (2GB SD card included) Screen specs: - Top screen is 3.53 inches with an 800 x 240 widescreen resolution. 3D WITHOUT glasses with 400 pixels allocated to each eye - Bottom touch screen is 3.02 inches with a 320 x 240 resolution and IS NOT 3D == Dimensions == - Height: 2.9 inches (73mm) - Width: 5.3 inches (134mm) - Depth: 0.8 inches (20mm) - Weight: 8 ounces (226g) == Battery specs == - 3-5 hours when playing Nintendo 3DS software - 5-8 hours when playing Nintendo DS software. == Comparison with DSi == DSi top screen: 3.25 inches 256 x 192 resolution 3DS top screen: 3.53 inches 800 x 240 resolution DSi bottom screen: 3.25 inches 256 x 192 resolution 3DS bottom screen: 3.02 inches 320 x 240 resolution == Games == This is probably the most important topic as the 3DS is designed and marketed as a game machine. It is great to know that on launch, thousands of DS and DSi games will be compatible. But how about new and big franchise titles? It is great to know that big names such as Capcom, Sega, UBI Soft, and Konami have gotten behind the 3DS. What game should you own at launch? My recommendation is Super Street Fighter IV: 3D Edition as it features some exciting new 3D views unique to the 3DS. Another huge plus of the 3DS is for Resident Evil fans as Capcom has officially announced two brand new titles. The first is Resident Evil: Mercenaries - 3DS which is a combination of the hugely popular Resident Evil 4 and 5 Mercenary modes. I am a HUGE fan of Resident Evil 4 and think it is the very best of the franchise. It is awesome to know that we can play in the RE4 village stage in Mercenary mode with a ton of new characters and weapons. Secondly and the most exciting, is a brand new advancement to the Resident Evil story, Resident Evil: Revelations (coming soon). If you must have Resident Evil on launch day, pick up Resident Evil Deadly Silence for the DS, if you don't already have it. == 3D viewing == 3D viewing is a matter of taste. There is a dial on the side of the 3DS that increases or decreases the effect at will, including turning it off completely. While Nintendo has released a warning that the effect can impact the growth of children's eyes (which my mother always said anyway when I bought the original Nintendo!), the 3DS should be used with common sense. If it hurts your eyes, turn off the 3D effect! == Conclusion == An exciting system that captures the 3D phenomenon sweeping the world and embodies it into a device so rich with features that it is almost a steal at its $249.99 list price (save your money kids!). Look out for awesome first party titles, including new Mario and Zelda games. -J. Sturak author of From Vegas With Blood

Bought it and love it. I spend several hours with it every day which is more than I've ever done with any other console. Pros: * The circle pad is superior to the d-pad. I even went back to play some of my old DS games and found they were a more pleasurable experience with the circle pad. * The operating system software is better, cleaner, and more polished. The DS Lite was DOS, the DSi was Windows 3.1, and the 3DS feels like a more modern OS. From here on out the software can only get better. Planned updates by Nintendo include: A store where you can buy and download DSiWare and 3DSWare games, Virtual Console, and Netflix support where you can download and watch 3d movies. * The cradle is the perfect inclusion with the system. It's simply a cheap, lightweight piece of plastic that the ac adapter connects to. It's molded to fit your 3DS system. Leave this on a desk and plop your 3DS on it whenever you feel like to charge it. Much simpler than the old way of pulling a charger out of a desk, plugging one end into an outlet and the other to your system, although you can still do that if you want to. * The entire Nintendo DS library is in your hands. What's better is you can play them with the circle pad. Yes, this means it's much easier to walk diagonals in your old RPG's and such. Action games are much better too. I went back and tried Final Fantasy, Dragon Quest, and Metal Slug and they were all a pleasure to play. * The 3d effect works and it works well. This is the future people! After seeing how it looks I'm convinced smartphones and handheld devices will incorporate this in the future. * The 3d camera works and is very cool. Cons: * I wish they could have squeezed an hour or two more out of the battery life. * There can be smudges on the top screen from the bezel surrounding the bottom screen from when the system is closed. But it can be wiped away with a cloth. Now, something about headaches: The headaches some people experience go away after a couple of days once you get used to the 3d effect. It's the same thing that happened during the Wolfenstein/Doom/Quake days when people saw 3d first person shooters for the first time. A lot of people complained about headaches. You rarely hear about that now. In fact, 3d first person shooters are now the single most popular genre of games on consoles. I personally have never experienced headaches while playing on the 3DS. If there is a fault, it's that Nintendo should have spent a little more time educating consumers on this new technology. And the bit about the 3d effect damaging your eyes is just a legal precaution on Nintendo's part I think. Think about it for a second. How can 3d possibly damage your eyes? All 3d is is allowing your left eye to see one thing and your right eye to see another thing. Nothing is blasted into or radiated in your eyes.

Nintendo 3DS - Cosmo Black Nintendo 3DS, right out of the box, delivers new features and ways to play that really amazes with its built-in 3D software. Even if you purchase it without a game, it will tie you over for a good few days while you mess around with all the neat stuff this system packs. The 3D is really amazing, and without the need for special glasses to view it, you really can't look away. And with the addition of the 3D depth slider feature, you can control just how much 3D effect is comfortable enough for you. But no matter which software you engage in, with 3D on or off, the graphics and details and 3D effect look remarkable even with the 3D turned off. Although the battery life is questionable when you use the 3D effect over a long period of time, and the fact that the system reminds you to take breaks from playing in 3D over a long amount of time, which is always a good idea for this system in case of eye strain, it's a little iffy if you decide to play the system for a long stretch while on the go, seeing as you'll only have about 3-5 hours of play time before the battery needs recharging. But then again, even without the 3D effects, games and applications still appear amazing and will save some battery power for an extended amount of time. Also, the amount of connectivity this system has really gives it a long replay value. With features like Streetpass and Spotpass, your system will receive extra content anywhere you take it, even while it's turned off in Sleep mode. Your custom avatars, called Miis, can interact with other 3DS owners who also have the Streetpass feature turned on for their system. So when you pass by other people who own a 3DS, your system will automatically interact with theirs, even when you're not playing them, and when you open your 3DS, you'll see that something has occurred in your 3DS's applications, and more content has been brought to you. And with other features like a 3D camera, the ability to play AR Games that make 3D images and games pop out right before your eyes, and a whole lot more software still coming up, this system is really advanced in technology that you should really only see for yourself.

The 3DS...like WOW!!! I am so extremely happy with my purchase of this portable game console. I am a big time Legend of Zelda fan. I had originally went on Amazon planning on buying the DSi so I could play Spirit Tracks and Phantom Hourglass. I hadn't heard anything about the 3DS beforehand. I started to do research and was a bit skeptical on whether this system would be worth it or not. I was a bit turned off by the fact that it wouldn't be backwards compatible with the Game Boy Advanced. I, however, own the Game Boy Advanced SP, so I wasn't too worried. After reading reviews and talking with my big gamer brother I decided to pre-order the system. I hadn't pre-ordered any 3DS games with it, instead buying the two Zelda games for the DS. I was excited as I received the 3DS the day after it's release. I hadn't know about some of the features pre-installed on the system, such as the AR Games, Face Raiders, Mii Maker, Mii Plaza, 3DS Camera and 3DS Sound. I experienced the 3D aspect through the AR Games and was BLOWN AWAY! It took my world and created this amazing augmented reality. My jaw hit the floor and when I picked it back up, I couldn't wipe the smile off my face. It is so much fun! Everyone, from my 50 year old math teacher to my 8 year old sister, has had the same reaction. Face Raiders turned out to be an equally enjoyable game. I received some credit towards a 3DS game with my purchase and bought Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon: Shadow Wars. The graphics, sound and gameplay are awesome. A very enjoyable game that has me excited for upcoming games. I am especially excited for the 3D remake of the Zelda 64, Ocarina of Time. It will be epic and probably reason enough for buying the system. I have heard people complain that the 3D feature will cause headaches when playing extended hours of time. I have not had a problem with this at all, neither have two other friends who bought the console. Since there is a 3D adjuster on the side of the screen, then I don't see why this should be a problem for anyone who make experience this unpleasantry. The only problem I am having so far with the system is the delay in releasing updates for the Internet Browser and Nintendo eShop. I do have an iPhone so accessing the internet on the go isn't a big issue. I am anxiously awaiting the eShop though. I want to access the downloadable content and experience some of the 3D re-releases that have been promised. Overall though the Game Boy 3DS gets a 10 out of 10!

Yes. Get it. IT IS AMAZING. Drooling forever. So worth it. Anyways, here's a review from someone with vision problems, so it might help someone else with the same worries I had. Ive wanted 3D technology forever, Since I was a little kid. Dreamt for it like an adult did over flying cars. I was born with congenital cataracts that developed extremely quickly, leaving me with aphakic lenses. They replace the lenses that were removed from my eyes, and leave me with an altered reality, altered '3D vision' if you will. I see things 10 percent closer. I am very limited in seeing 3D at any sort of distance, I instinctivly touch walls and have problems hitting targets (My last experience involved one archery bolt and a gym of terrified students running from a bolt that hit the opposing wall and bounced off around the room) After my surgery I was left with corneal edema which in the sense of this review, left me with halos around any sources of produced or reflected light. This further effects my stereo (3D) vision since my right eye is 'fogged.' Here's the fun bit, I love 3D media. Since my 3D vision developed at my vision-brain development stage, my brain knows my vision through my glasses is 'weird.' When I see 3D, it takes away that altered vision. I get to see the world like other people do, it's glorious. With 3D movies, the glasses darken what I see (they filter out half of the image layers in a 3D movie, it's how they work) so the movies give me issues due to the glasses. When I heard the 3DS (Finally mentioned! Sorry about the long back story, it was needed to know what I am talking about) was without glasses, of course I jumped in to check it out. From what I understand, half of the pixels in the screen are aimed at one eye, and one half the other, so it tricks your brain into seeing 3D. It's at a 'short' distance so I can actually see in 'real' 3D (as opposed to my real life altered version) and it's really great. The screen worls alright with my haloing, and you can adjust the brightness, which helps a lot. I owned a FatDS, which had all of the LEDS (Aka haloed vision war) on the 'front' so I constantly saw a big green/orange halo and it was insanely distracting. The 3DS has them moved to the bottom edge, where they're pretty much out of my vision, and it's an absolute blessing. I, like some people, are a tad sensitive to the 3D, but mostly because my brain hasn't seen it in awhile, like giving a black and white vision (without rods and cones in their eyes) color vision, it's a system shock, so I suggest to anyone to take breaks and ease into it. Heed the warning to cut off 3D to kids early in development, their brains are gathering in loads of information, you don't want a chunk of this to be 'fake' 3D, they'll end up like me - without a way to fix it, or enjoy what real 3D looks like. Now to the 'normal' review. This thing is SLEEK, the dock is a great touch, they even have a portable dock coming out that has a battery you can charge. Always wanted a way to pop in batteries mid-play in your Game Boy Color growing up? Want to not have to eye your DS connected to a classroom outlet in school? Nintendo, finally. The body of the 3DS isn't as gigantic a magnet for fingerprints as the PSP is, and the ability to buy retro games for it is not only a good consumer call, but a business one as well. I've heard rumors of N64 games being made to emulate on the 3DS (Certainly seems capable graphic-wise, they might even make them in 3D as well, since they're already on a '3D' platform. The system is able to self update via the net (I don't have much to say about the net's ability, I'm waiting for my colleges computer support guys to allow my DS access.) I didn't get a launch title with it when I preordered, I didn't like the games out. I was also disapointed that Amazon didn't give me anything for preordering from them, while my friends got things from other online stores. I was pleasantly surprised when I got 25$ off of select titles (Most of them it looks like) and quickly ordered the recently released Nintendogs, love that title! I also got a free select accessory, I chose a mini carrying case for my 3DS, the other choices were a rainbow stylus set and screen protectors, since the DS is a clamshell, I never had to worry about needing screen protectors. I feel the placement of the analogue stick is a tad awkward, since almost all consoles with sticks have them below the main directional pad. I don't know what they did with the sound, but It's really improved, it's really 'surround' in the sense of the word, I don't know if it deflects sounds at angles or what, but it's very impressive. I like the improved stylus, I have a lot of nervous habits and quickly wore down the old stylus 'holder' on my DS because I popped the stylus up and down so many times. The metal telescoping stylus is really nice, it's thicker and feels more natural than the stylus stick from the Fats. It can take pretty low res 3D pictures, not as good as a phone it seems, but it's still really fun, you can take pictures of loved ones for if you're away on long trips, it's like looking at them in low resolution reality, but the 3D makes up for it. I'd love to take some pictures of my dogs, parents and boyfriend with it during summer break before I move back up north for the next year term. The AR cards are great, since it's a 3D camera, it can sense the distance the card is away from the system, and you can use the DS to tilt and aim to play games. It took awhile to figure out I could walk around objects, and soon me and my enthralled Chinese roommate were bouncing all over the apartment with it. Our Danish Abroad friend was surprisingly un-enthralled my it. Perhaps he is an alien in disguise. The Link card had my Zelda fan friend grinning. She, like many people, is waiting for a better one to come out a year later. I laughed, this is such a technological age, a new one will come out in 6 months if she waits a year. I'd wait for the price to go down, if that, but for technology at this price, and the rumors of 3D movies for the DS, I'd say go for it. I'm a 20 year old casual female gamer (RPGs, Pokemon, not so much shooting or racing, Boyfriend loves those types, so I love watching them be played) and love how the DS titles are almost always for all ages. You could get this for your child (Turn off the 3D please!), your teenage brother, or even a 50 year old dad! Apologies for the ramble, I hope this helps a fellow Legally Blind person decide on if this is right for them :)

For this review, I'd like to break down this system's features, before reviewing the system overall. Just so you know, this review is kinda long, so if you just want a quick overview, look at the ratings of the system's features, and then go down to the summary. 3-d effect: Ah, now we come down to the heart of the console. What, exactly, is this 3-d effect, and how does it work? The animation isn't the cheesy popping-out-at-you stuff you'll find in amusement parks. It's more of the depth and realism of some recent 3-d films. This special effect is, well, eye-popping to say the least. The graphics are probably a little better than those of the Wii, but at times, the animation can get kind of choppy. The AR (augmented reality) stuff (discussed later) is also really cool. Through the screen, you can see Mario in the palm of your hand, dragons popping out of the floor, and disembodied cyborg heads floating around your living room. So far, this 3-d effect hasn't had any negative consequences. However, if you play with 3-d on for 20+ minutes, your eyes might start to get "tired." Some of the pictures that I took with the camera also strain my eyes. The 3-d effect is breathtaking and what makes this console unique from all of the rest. Later Note: It seems like I used to only be able to play for about 20 minutes or so before my eyes would want a break from the 3-d. Now, however, I can play for an hour or more at once, and I feel fine. Note: Some have complained that the 3DS makes older games played on it look "blurry." However, if you hold down Start or Select while loading a game, it will eliminate the blur, but due to the higher resolution of the 3DS, the screen becomes very small. Plus, if you are playing Link's Awakening and you do this, it shows part of a GBC surrounding the screen, and you can use the 3-d to make the screen go "deeper" into the system. Awesome. 5 out of 5 stars Activity Log: Basically, this shows how many steps you've taken, what you've played recently, a list of games you've played, etc. It tracks what you've done, in case you're bored and just want to flip through it. It would have been nice if it had a few more things (what percentage of the time you've played with 3-d on, a pie chart of how long you've used each feature/game, etc.) It's still pretty nice, if a bit useless. 4 out of 5 stars AR (augmented reality): One of the pre-installed features is called Augmented Reality. In it, you can use wherever you are as a background, and fish, shoot targets, fight dragons, etc. You can also buy more games with tokens (discussed later). In addition, you can draw 3-d pictures. The 3DS also comes with AR cards, which, when the 3-d camera sees them, project on-screen posable, movable holograms of Link, Mario, Kirby, Metroid, the AR Box Thing, and Pikmin. You can also pose your Miis. One fun thing I like to do is set up action figures alongside the AR characters for interesting situations. When you take a picture of Metroid a certain way, it looks as if she is coming out of the screen a little bit. I tried to do the same with Kirby, and MAN, does it STRAIN your EYES, but it kinda works. The AR feature if very cool, and a great way to show off the 3-d effect. I only hope that they come out with more AR characters... BTW, the AR guide says that if you lose the cards, you can print them out again on Nintendo's website (though they probably don't work as well, but I have no idea :D). 5 out of 5 stars Camera: The camera takes pictures in both 3-d and 2-d. Plus, the 3-d pictures can be viewed in 2-d. The quality of the pictures isn't as good as that of an iPod, for example, but it isn't that bad either. 3-d pictures are really cool, though. The camera has functions to delay the shot, or to shoot on voice command, so that you can take 3-d pictures of yourself, as well as your friends (the 2-d camera is right above the 3-d screen; the 3-d camera is on the outside). The included SD card can also save a lot of pictures. 4.5 out of 5 stars - 3-d films YES!! I was hoping they'd have this sort of feature sometime. Along with 3-d movies, this is probably the update I was most anticipating for the 3DS. The 3-d for the videos is great, and the stop action feature works pretty well. However, there are several problems with it. First, the design of the 3DS makes it hard to get good camera angles at times, and when you are bending the screen down, it will sometimes snap into place (when you don't want it to). Additionally, when you close the system, it thinks you're done! You can't add sound or edit your movies (though you can change the speed while you play it). On the other hand, it gives you a sort of shade of the previous scene, which is handy when the camera gets bumped or something and you want to put it back in place. Despite being rather bare-bones, the 3-d video recording feature is very cool. 4 out of 5 stars Design: The 3DS has a decent design. The 3-d slider (located to the right of the 3-d screen) can adjust the 3-d for different people's intrinsic... um... views, or turn it off completely. Its top screen is a kind of heavy, which makes games where you point the system upwards somewhat uncomfortable. I personally don't care that the system is a little thick, although some of you reading might. The way the keys are arranged is great. You can't accidentally flip the "power off" switch; instead, it is a key below the touch screen that can't really be bumped by mistake. In games such as Pokemon - Black Version, it takes a split-second longer to "un-click" one of the directional pad keys than on the DS. This is only a minor gripe, however. Another warning - the glossy finish of the system can smudge pretty easily; just keep a DS wiper handy and you'll be fine. Overall, it is a pretty good design. 4.5 out of 5 stars E3 Videos: The E3 videos are available for free through the 3DS shop. Not only do they showcase the best of Nintendo's upcoming releases, but they are also shown in 3-d! Probably the coolest one that I've seen so far is for Luigi's Mansion 2, but all of them are great. Can't wait until the games come out! 5 out of 5 stars Face Raiders: Face Raiders is a pre-installed game on the 3DS. Basically, you take pictures of yourself, your friends, your cat, etc. and the game converts them into... things, giving them propeller heads and outrageous expressions. Then, you can shoot them out of the sky with what appear to be ping-pong balls. The 3-d effect isn't anything stunning, and the constant motion of looking around to find the enemies can shift your view of the screen, thus it is harder to see the effect because you are now out of the 3-d "sweet spot." It is a very fun game, though, and while it doesn't take that long to complete, it is still a nice pick-up-and-play, as well as a good game for the 3DS. 4.5 out of 5 stars Mii Creator: Ahh... the flagship pre-installed feature of the Wii. Miis have pretty much become a cultural icon. Now, you can create Miis on the 3DS too. This is expected, of course, because you could do the same on the DSi, but on the 3DS's AR, you can pose your 3-d Miis and take pictures. Nintendo has also added a few new... erm... markings to the feature. 4.5 out of 5 stars Mii Plaza Games: Okay, so, you've created your Mii. Now what? Well, you can use him/her in the Mii Plaza. Not only can you show of your Mii to others and collect theirs, but you can also play games. There is an RPG called Find Mii where you recruit heroes and explore dungeons to save the captive. There is also a puzzle game where you collect puzzle pieces to complete the image. Both of these games cost Play Coins, an in-game currency. Play coins can be obtained at a pretty slow rate through walking around with the 3DS. What is really frustrating is that you can only collect 10 coins a day! It costs two coins to recruit a hero, who is usually defeated in one hit, or to get a puzzle piece, so you won't be able to play this much at all when you first get the 3DS. You can recruit people that you Streetpass, so that makes it easier if a friend has a 3DS or if you live somewhere like New York. They have now updated the Mii Plaza so that it has more unlockables. 4 out of 5 stars Netflix: Netflix for the 3DS is definitely a great addition to the 3DS. However, like the iPod Netflix app, you must be connected to the internet to watch Netflix. Also, there are currently no plans for 3-d movies on the 3DS, just 3-d trailers and 3-d short films. Bummer - there goes the possibility of watching 3-d movies on the plane. Besides this, the connection speed is very, very slow. The Netflix 3DS app is disappointing, but then again, at least it exists. 3.5 out of 5 stars Nintendo Video: Nintendo Video is a great addition that allows you to download exclusive 3-d videos to watch on the 3DS, including trailers (see my early reviews for the trailers below). Unfortunately, when you download new videos, the older ones get deleted. Sometimes, this can be very annoying when a great video gets replaced with a bad one (I'm looking at you, Glee 3-d trailer). 4.5 out of 5 stars - Green Lantern 3-d film trailer: It is pretty cool how the 3DS can show the Green Lantern film trailer, even though it is just a handheld. Plus, the trailer is in 3-d, which is very neat. Unfortunately, with the many shots of space and night, it can be dark and difficult to see. This is further augmented by the fact that the screen is small (obviously, because it is a handheld device) and the 3-d dims the screen. Other than that, it is pretty neat; the special effects generally make good use of the 3-d effects. 3.5 out of 5 stars - "White Knuckles" Music Video: The group Let's Go has adapted a music video for 3-d called "White Knuckles." It basically depicts some guys running around with dogs and white buckets. It sounds strange, but it actually makes a really great use of the 3-d effect, such as when there are objects at different distances, or dogs jumping over the screen. This seems like some sort of trailer for perhaps a 3-d video recorder for the 3DS, but otherwise, I'm not really sure what the purpose of this is. It's kinda cool though. 4.5 out of 5 stars Pokedex 3-d: The free Pokedex 3-d "app" is pretty neat, and is similar to the AR feature. Basically, you can view Pokemon in 3-d, and you can make them do an action or play their battle cry. Plus, you can view stats, moves, etc. You can also cause the Pokemon to appear in real life. It's just too bad that they're not in 3-d, and you can't move them around. The function also doesn't seem to work as well as the AR feature, because the Pokemon pop on and off the picture a lot, and it seems like it is harder for the 3DS to read the Pokemon scan cards than the AR scan cards. You start out with several Pokemon, and you get three random new ones each day. Overall, this feature is good, but it could do with a little improvement. 4.5 out of 5 stars Sound Recorder: It is basically what the name suggests, it records sounds. You can distort them and save a collection, as well as play them back. You can also download songs onto the 3DS and play them back shuffled, or in a playlist. You can also watch a 3-d slideshow of pictures you've taken or a 3-d sequence. For example, Star Fox's ship can fly around on the screen in 3-d. You can control the ship with the circle pad and fire lasers. Pressing L or R adds a sound, such as NES Mario jumping or a clap of hands. Streetpass enables you to share your music with others. Overall, this is a neat feature that puts the 3DS one step ahead of the iPod competition. 5 out of 5 stars Swapnote: In this "app" or whatever you want to call it, you can create messages and send them to friends with either Streetpass or Spotpass. For the former, you set a message that automatically goes to any friends to pass by (note that strangers can't give you stuff - so no worries there). For Spotpass, you distribute messages, apparently over Wi-Fi, while your 3DS is in Sleep Mode. You can attach sound clips and pictures, you can change the background of the note, and you can make the text 3-d. Overall, this feature is very cool, though the Spotpass distribution was a little confusing at first. 4.5 out of 5 stars Web Browser: The 3DS Web Browser is pretty cool. If you have Wi-fi, you can browse the internet with the feature. It seems like websites load faster than on the iPod, but only the part of the site that you are looking at loads. I haven't tried out this feature much, though (I've been mostly playing Excitebike 3-d and watching the E3 trailers). 4.5 out of 5 stars Closing Thoughts: The 3DS is a nice new console. It has plenty of new features, and it manages to entertain with the latest technology. The built in features are nice, and it is overall Nintendo's latest step in the direction of the future of technology. Overall rating - 4.6/5 stars Note: I reviewed Excitebike 3-d separately. Note 2: Twice, I have gotten a "black screen of death" when attempting to turn off the system. Once, it froze on the black screen for about 20 minutes, and the other time, the problem was resolved within a couple minutes or so. Nothing horrible, just something to maybe keep in mind.

(really I would say this is probably 4.5 stars but thats not an option) Very solidly built console with good components... First off, the analog stick is awesome and is a marked improvement over the singular d-pad in previous models- it is controls like these that will prevent iOS from dominating the game market. One problem with the 3DS is that when they show off the games on various websites that it is literally impossible to show off the 3D display. I would suggest that everyone who is interested go to a big box retailer that has a display and check it out beforehand... I did that and it pretty well sold me on the console. The display is awesome, it looks like a tiny window when in use. One drawback is that it seemed like after playing around with it for about 30 minutes or so that I was experiencing a bit of fatigue (it became hard for my eyes to properly focus on the two disparate images). Of course if that is happening and you still want to play, you can use the 3D volume slider to nudge it back or take it to 2D for a "breather". The native apps on the 3DS are also very cool. One app Face Raiders, is an augmented reality game that allows you to use pictures of faces (that you take) to be incorporated into a sort of silly shooting game. It uses the gyroscope so you actually turn to face targets and aim with the console itself. It takes a little getting used to because you have to make sure that the screen stays parallel to your plane of vision (or the 3D effect is lost), but its a pretty short learning curve. Anyway my wife was grinning like a grade schooler on xmas playing that, which really impressed me because she seemed wary of the console after playing the demo version of Pilotwings (I would attribute that to the fact that she doesnt really play video games). I havent had a chance to mess around with the cards that came with it as they also have an augmented reality app that goes with them. As of right now, I believe some of the functions are limited with the 3DS (game marketplace etc.) but those should be up in the near future and a price drop is unlikely - so fence-sitting is probably unnecessary unless you just cant afford it. All in all after playing with it for an hour or so, I am still sold. This console will only be weak if developers don't buy into the concept and the software library isnt all that great. If you liked the DS, you should love this. Also with all the tech packed in: gyroscope, nice-sized 3D display, touch display, very functional analog stick, and 3 cameras - two of which allow you to take 3D photos (and are used for video with augmented reality apps) $250 seems pretty reasonable. One thing I forgot to mention is that the volume slider actually works properly. On my DS Lite it was either no sound or somewhat loud (even when attempting the most subtle nudge), this one doesnt seem to have that issue as I was playing next to my wife sleeping and it didnt bother her while I could still hear everything.

BEST THING EVER 🗣️

Venia empacado de forma muy simple, por lo que no funcionaba la palanca de control. Mejor compren uno nuevo, no vale la pena.

私の勝手な事情から返品させていただきました。失礼しました。どうもありがとうございました。

It's perfect for my partner. It is completely new and no damage.

Came with everything it did say it was yellowed on the screen but when it came it was not. It was in brand new looking condition, I noticed it was modded i didn't mind.