スーパー *
コンソール
Game: - Publisher: Nintendo
Console: 3DS Japan Release: 26th February 2011 (25,000円)
Developer: Nintendo UK Release: March 2011 (around £189)
(Review by Katy E.)
It seems forever since the 3DS was first announced way back in March, but since then much has been unravelled about Nintendo's new 3D handheld, but is it worth that high price tag? Let’s find out...
 |
| Blue Nintendo 3DS showing new layout |
To summarise it without going into too much depth, it's roughly the same size as a DS-Lite however with the capability to display 3D graphics. It still has the same D-pad, A B X & Y buttons and L & R on the tops however now has a analogue stick (much like the PSP) and a slider which allows players to switch from 3D to normal viewing. There are also 3 cameras on the 3DS, one on the inside (like the DSi) and 2 on the outside, which will let you take 3D pictures yourself. They are the same resolution as the DSi cameras.
There are a few inbuilt features also in the 3DS such as the 'Nintendo 3DS Camera', for taking photos in 3D or 2D, the 'Nintendo 3DS Sound', which enabled you to play and record sounds and also the 'Mii Studio' - something Wii owners will be familiar with. This will function like the Wii's 'Mii Channel' for designing and creating Mii character for use in 3DS games. However something especially cool is the 3DS' ability to be able to take a picture of someone and then create a Mii character based on their appearance!
Nintendo have stated that there are "more features to be announced"...
Something I'm happy to hear is that the 3DS will have its own Virtual Console, just like on the Wii (and also will maintain its own download service). On the Wii you could download retro games from consoles such as the NES, SNES, MegaDrive and N64, however on the 3DS your virtual games consist of Game Boy and Game Boy Colour additions. This means being able to play the likes of The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening DX, if you didn't play it first time round!
 |
| Black 3DS showing new telescopic stylus! |
A good point to mention is the 3DS will be backwards compatible - meaning you can still play all your favourite DS and DSi games on the new handheld. Nintendo have also said that DSiware software you may have bought can be sent to your new 3DS as well, however bear in mind that some software may not be transferable and the number of transfers you can make is limited!
Nintendo have also announced that the new stylus is telescopic, which means it can actually extend to around 4 inches and also retract, fitting neatly into the slot on the top of your 3DS. The games will also be the same size as DS games but will have a much greater capacity, with launch cart sizes at around 2GB (which holds more information than a GameCube game!) and maybe even a larger capacity in future.
Although only 2 colours (black & blue) have been confirmed for launch by Nintendo, at this year’s E3 conference 3DS consoles were also seen in gold, red, purple and orange. Check out pictures of the other 3DS colours here: http://www.nintendo3ds.org.uk/nintendo-3ds-colours/
Most importantly, games which have been announced as coming out for the 3DS include...
Kid Icarus: Uprising (yuss!!)
NintendoDogs + Cats (which surprisingly looks quite good!)
Super Street Fighter IV: 3D Edition (looks AWESOME.)
Resident Evil: Revelations (another one I'll be saving for)
Resident Evil: the Mercenaries 3D
Dead Or Alive Dimensions
Metal Gear Solid: Snake Eater (trailer shows proper jumpy 3D graphics)
Paper Mario (Nintendo of course HAD to get a Mario game in there...)
Pilotwings Resort (demo at E3 conference)
Mario Kart 3D (I'll probably stick to the timeless Mario Kart 64)
Star Fox 64 3D (looks very good, but is still good for N64...)
Steel Driver
Animal Crossing (graphics look amazing but will it compete with AC on GC? or even Wild World for DS?)
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D (I do have this on N64 but will probably shamefully buy it for 3DS anyway, brilliant game)
Shin Megami Tensei, Shin Megami Tensei: Persona & Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Survivor (you probably haven't heard of this, but it's big in Japan and said to be a brilliant RPG)
The Sims 3
Professor Layton and the Mask of Miracles (name to be confirmed)
A Boy and His Blob
Harvest Moon 3D (name to be confirmed)
Mobile Suit Gundam (name to be confirmed)
Sonic 3DS (name to be confirmed)
Dragon Quest (no game titles announced yet)
Final Fantasy (no game titles announced yet)
Kingdom Hearts 3D
Dynasty Warriors (name to be confirmed - bit of a guilty pleasure for PS2...)
Ninja Gaiden (name to be confirmed)
Assasin's Creed: Lost Legacy
...
and sooooo many more that I haven't even listed. May I remind you - this is just the titles announced BEFORE launch!! Absolutely incredible. I'm going to need to take out a serious loan next March, that's for sure.
(Games I'm particularly looking forward to.)
 |
| Super Street Fighter IV: 3D Edition |
So to summarise - Yes, you should be excited. Very excited indeed. Although the price tag is slightly off-putting, and we don't even know how much games will cost on top of that yet, it's such an amazing piece of hardware that it's probably worth that much anyway. Just look at the TBC games list!!
But come on, this beats Playstation's ridiculous 'Move' anyday.
