スーパー *
コンソール
(review by Katy E.)
So now the 3DS has been out in the UK for a few days, it's time to look back on some of the views of gamers just before the launch day. In this post 3 friends of mine discuss their opinions on the 3DS, the games and the software. Were they right in what they said? Let's find out...
SC = Superconsole
Ryan Page, 17, Ware - 'The PC Gamer'
Topic: Visuals, Controls & Hardware
SC: So Ryan, you played the 3DS for the first time on Saturday (12th March 2011), did you think the 3D effect worked as well as you hoped it would?
RP: The 3D felt very layered but it was amazing to see the technology being used to create a unique gaming experience. The 3D really did live up to my expectations and if it didn't it wouldn't stop me cracking into Zelda: Ocarina of Time.
 |
| Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D expected June 2011 (UK) |
SC: Did the 3D effect improve the visuals of the games at all, as opposed to playing in 2D?
RP: Half and half, it made another fun way to play games but at the same time it destroyed the visuals a little. The 3D was amazing but it messes with your eyes a little when using it for the first time, once you get used to it, it looks amazing.
--
SC: Out of the games that you played, what was your favourite, and what made best use of the 3D technology?
RP: Out of all the games I played I initially would say Zelda OOT was my favourite but seeing as it was already released on the N64 I feel it’s fair to let another game to take the high chair. Out of all the games that the event had to offer I would say that Street Fighter did some amazing stuff with the 3D. The 3D added a new dimension (literally) to the game and made some of the skills and effects look amazing. All of the character models looked great in 3D and the new GPU that they've put in it makes everything look a little less flat.
SC: Street Fighter did look amazing in 3D, but come on Ryan, I know you secretly loved playing Nintendogs + Cats!
 |
| Nintendogs + Cats for 3DS Still as cute as ever! |
SC: How did you find the new controls on the 3DS? For example being able to use both the Circle and D-pad.
RP: Unfortunately in the rush of the event and the pushing of kids I only got to play around with the new combination of the circle and D-pad for a couple of minutes. When using the Circle pad to play Super Monkey Ball 3D it all felt a bit stiff, the circle pad needs to move a lot more freely in order to provide some good gameplay and interaction functions because when playing by the time I had pushed the circle pad to the left to make the ball to turn it had already fallen off the map; or it could just be me not being able to control gravity propelled balls.
--
SC: Did you like the 3DS’ use of Motion Sensor and Gyroscope? For example used in games like Super Monkey Ball and Zelda Ocarina of Time.
RP: I didn't get the time at all to play with the gyroscope and motion sensor, the event was really a rush. The demos were too short and I felt rude playing through demos a second time. But I really do regret not taking the time with the event and making the most of it.
SC: I wasn’t so polite and played through Super Monkey Ball 3D once using the Circle Pad and the second time using Motion Sensor, switching from 2D to 3D. I would say that it was easier controlling the ball with the Circle Pad than motion sensor – I had the same problem with it flinging itself off the map, however when I tried to use the motion sensor with the 3D the ‘sweet spot’ kept moving and I wasn’t able to focus on the 3D. If you do decide to buy this game, I would recommend using 3D for the Circle Pad or 2D with motion sensor.
Becca Grant, 17, Great Amwell - 'The PlayStation Fan Girl'
Topic: AR Cards & other games
SC: So after having a chance to play around with the AR cards – how did you find the controls when using the cards?
BG: The gyroscope and motion sensors were very responsive, but I found that they required precision in order to keep the cards in focus. For example, I was playing the Question Mark AR Card, where you shoot at targets and then on the final round you shoot at a dragon, which was fun but you had to be quite accurate with your movements.
SC: To find the targets and shoot you have to move around with your 3DS to see different views and aspects, which I found incredibly clever – at one point I was looking for a target, only to find it was hiding inside a hole which had been made out of the table which I was standing near to. The 3DS really influences you to move around and take another look, it’s not just shooting hovering targets.
--
SC: Do you see yourself using the AR Cards in the future?
BG: I’m not really a mini-game fan, I found the idea a bit gimmicky, but it does show off the 3D capability quite well.
SC: Although I don’t think I’ll be replaying the target shooting card a lot, I’ll definitely be taking a few pictures of myself standing next to Link or Samus with the 3D Camera and the other AR Cards!
 |
| A picture I took with the Link AR Card Here we see Link battling a giant afro chicken. Obviously. |
SC: So, the AR Cards didn’t convince you to pre-order a 3DS immediately then?
BG: Not really, I mean they looked great, but it’s not enough to persuade me to spend £200 on a new console.
--
SC: What other 3DS games are you looking forward to?
BG: I’ve heard Assassin’s Creed has a new game coming out for the 3DS, I’m a big Assassin’s Creed fan for the PS3 so I’m interested to see what it will be like in 3D.
SC: Yes there has been talk about Assassin’s Creed: Lost Legacy 3D, which if it’s anything like the other games we’re in for a treat. In all honesty I hadn’t played an AC game until a few moments ago with Becca, when she was showing me the online mode for Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood for PS3 which looked great. Any other 3DS games you’ll be saving for? How about the launch titles?
BG: To be honest none of the launch titles interest me, however I enjoyed previous Professor Layton games, so I will probably give Professor Layton and the Mask of Miracle a go.
 |
| Assassin's Creed Brotherhood Lost Legacy coming to a 3DS near you... |
SC: Lastly, Sony have recently announced their own new handheld – the PSP2 (NGP), would you be more likely to buy this than the 3DS?
BG: Yes, I would probably choose the PSP2 for its better graphics. I’m used to the Playstation’s controls so that would be another factor, and I’m more interested in the collection of games that Sony has to offer.
Jess Anson, 19, Manchester - 'The JRPG Fan'
Topic: General overview
SC: So what was your initial impression of the 3DS? How heavy was it in comparison to a DSLite? And what did you make of the design?
JA: I was surprised how small it was compared to how I imagined it - I thought considering it's 3D they would use a size more like the DSXL; despite that the 3D was still really good! I didn't really notice the weight which probably means not much difference between that and my Lite. I really liked the colour but then I have a bias towards blue, although I do think it's a bit weird to have it half and half on the blue one? Maybe it's just me. I liked the circle pad, ended up using it instead of the D-pad, and the placement felt fine. The 3D slider's also a feature I liked.
--
SC: Were you impressed by the 3D visuals?
JA: The 3D was the best bit about it - the difference is immediately noticeable, especially when they've gone so far as to even have the text coming out of the screen at you! And the fact that you don't even need glasses makes it even better. In my opinion it beats the 3D used in movies at the moment by miles, though I haven't played any proper games yet.
SC: Were you impressed by the 3D visuals?
JA: The 3D was the best bit about it - the difference is immediately noticeable, especially when they've gone so far as to even have the text coming out of the screen at you! And the fact that you don't even need glasses makes it even better. In my opinion it beats the 3D used in movies at the moment by miles, though I haven't played any proper games yet.
 |
| Kid Icarus Uprising winner of the best 3D visuals so far! |
SC: Did you personally experience any difficulty with seeing the 3D effect or headaches etc.?
JA: The only time this happened was during the Augmented Reality game but I think that was because I wasn't holding it far away enough from the card - if I held it closer than what was wanted it went blurry and difficult to look at. Apart from that, it was absolutely fine.
--
SC: What games are you most looking forward to? And why?JA: Hmm a fair few including probably Zelda, Mario Kart, any Square Enix Final Fantasy/Kingdom Hearts kind of game.
 |
| Screen for the upcoming Kingdom Hearts 3D |
SC: How did you find the pre-installed games like augmented reality cards and Face Raiders?JA: Didn't really try face raiders but augmented reality, once the blurriness stopped, was really good! It was amazing to see technology we tried in NHK (Japanese Media Studios in Shibuya) in 2006 put down into DS size and made into 3D, it worked really well.
SC: And lastly, will you be buying a 3DS either at launch or in the near future?
JA: I might buy one but the fact that it's region locked is putting me off, especially at the moment whilst it's so expensive, considering some of the main games I play are from Japan. It's definitely something I'd want to get if the price ever dropped a bit though.
So thank you to all my interviewees.
What do you think now that you may have had a chance to play on the 3DS?
Feel free to follow my Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/superconsole
No comments:
Post a Comment