Nintendo 3DS Hands-on Impressions

So, I recently got back from a 3DS demo event and finally got to experience the hand-held device. But, does it really work? Read on and I'll share my impressions about the system from the 3D effect, to the photos, to the AR games and circlepad.

Now, onto the actual experience. Let me get something straight: the 3D effect will take some getting used to, the 'sweet spot' (the spot at which the 3D effect can be clearly seen) is rather small, and I can see why some people say it may cause headaches and eye-strain. However, it works...and it works VERY well. Not only did it work well, I personally did not suffer from any sort of strain, and in the case of most games, it was easy to stay in the 'sweet spot'. Notice I said for most games. During my hands-on with Ocarina of Time, I found that using the motion-control for aiming with the slingshot caused the 3D effect to get a little blurry and unclear.

The circlepad felt a little strange for me at first to be honest. But, after using it for sometime, you'll get used to it, and I actually grew to like it quite a lot. It allows full 360 degree movement, and feels very smooth as you turn, push and slide it. I particularly liked the way it played with Pilot Wings Resort. The flying in that game just feels so easy and effortless, yet rewarding and satisfying. In fact, I must say that I think Pilot Wings Resort was one of the best show-cases for the 3D effect. It did not some much pop-out the screen, but rather created a nice, welcome field of depth which just made the game a whole lot more impressive. The 3D depth slider works very well, too. It feels very smooth and can be adjusted to virtually any position to suit your preferences. My only concern is that it is too sensitive, meaning a slight tap might move it out of your preferable level of 3D. In my case, I had the 3D effect at about 80% (with 0% being 2D, and 100% being complete 3D). The in-built motion sensors are very responsive. I'd say they are round about as responsive as the Wii Remote with Wii MotionPlus. In my opinion, it was far more precise than those in the iPod Touch and iPhone.

Now, the online. I had a chance to play a wi-fi match on Street Fighter IV: 3D Edition. There was absolutely no lag. I'm actually amazed at how smoothly it played. There was no stuttering, and load times were minimal. Speaking of Street Fighter, it was awesome. I found that gameplay was a little slower-paced than on previous consoles, however it was still incredibly fun non-stop action. The graphics are sweet; they are very colourful and have great effects. Also, there are few jaggies.

The screens themselves are good too. Resolutions have received a considerably large, and much needed kick. Everything is very clear and much sharper than the original DS, they are also more bright and have higher contrast and colour levels. You will notice, however, that the upper (3D) screen on the 3DS is quite a bit thicker than the top screen on the DS. Also, the touch screen seems to have been improved, but not that much. The screen still seems to be favour the stylus over fingers, in other words, using your hands on the touch screen is still a little unresponsive. I would have to say its still a fair margin away from the iPod Touch's touch screen in terms of responsiveness.

Finally, allow me to move onto what was, to me, probably one of the largest stand-out features of the system, and that was the AR (augmented reality) games. They are really cool, really fun, and make great use of the 3DS's motion sensors, cameras and 3D effects. I particularly liked the target shooting game in which targets and a dragon appear on your chosen surface (in my case a table) and you must move around the surface in order to get the best view of the targets and shoot them. I found that if you got too far from the AR card, a fuzzy effect appeared on the screen, sort of like when you lose signal on a TV channel. Other than the target shooting, there was also a free-draw game in which you could draw your own objects (using the touch screen) and bring them into the real world, a Mii poser in which you could bring your Mii into the real world, another poser, but for Nintendo characters rather than Mii's, along with a fishing and billiards game.

In all, I would have to say the 3DS isn't flawless, but it really is a step-up for Nintendo and I can't wait to get one. You really do have to see it to believe it. And once you do see it, the effect is great. The games (both retail and AR) were all great and played smoothly, the system as a whole is slik and well-designed, the 3D photography really does work, and the addition of motion sensors really help make the experience even more immersive. My only concerns are the sort of disappointing battery life, and the small size of the sweet spot.

Please feel free to ask any questions about the 3DS, and I'll do my best to answer them.

The 3DS will be hitting US and EU in March 27th and 25th, for $250 and £220, respectively.