3DS launch: Were you convinced?

[wraggster]

With Wednesday's 3DS launch Nintendo (and Jonathan Ross) finally answered the last few questions hanging over its ground breaking 3D handheld.

With all the hype surrounding a device, which Nintendo claims will blow us all away (we get a lot of that), it's one of the most anticipated gaming entities coming this year.


3D in your hands, without glasses? What's the catch? Well, depending on how you look at it, there could be a few.

First of all there's the region lock; a controversial feature when it comes to handhelds. It's a decision Ninty have made have parental control reasons, since different regions have different rating systems. That's fair enough but the by-product is that keen importers of games will be stopped at the gate. The Nintendo faithful in particular have always followed developments and this move could hurt them.

Then there's the 3-5 hour battery life. For those of you who are going to be making full use of the 3D effect and extras like wi-fi, is a three hour stint before a hefty recharge going to be enough?

Then there's the price. Nintendo's left it to the retailers' discretion and it looks like those retailers have settled on a number just over the 200 mark. It's looking like a great bit of kit but we know many of you will have been hoping to spend something on the other side of £200, are you willing to pull out the extra notes?

Depending on how you feel about the above, these could be deal breakers or just minor qualms. There's no question that the Nintendo 3DS is unique in the amount of intrigue and novelty it creates but is it enough?

Let us know your thoughts on the 3DS launch, the price tag, the first few titles and whether you're still thirsty for a bit of handheld 3D.

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[JDvorak]

It seems to me that it still isn't quite there yet. I mean unless it looks like holograms in front of the screen the 3D wow factor will wear off just like the camera crap on the DSi did. Are we getting a screen with the resolution of a PSP and graphics to match in 3D? I really don't think so. Everyone it seems has moved on from the DS and PSP to iPhones, iPods, and iPads anyway for gaming and more. To put out that kind of money just to impress your friends with no glasses 3D is not going to happen for a lot of people. Unless their store has some good 3D games in the $10 - $15 range it won't be worth it to shell out $40 - $60 even if the games kick #ss. I mean yea they can hold 8gig on a cartridge but unless the 3D really eats that up the traditional 2D games coming out for it won't even touch that. I mean are we really going to see DVD video gaming in 3D on an 8gig cartridge? I won't be jumping on the bandwagon just yet my friends!

[LDAsh]

Everyone it seems has moved on from the DS and PSP to iPhones, iPods, and iPads anyway for gaming and more.

That's like saying "everyone" doesn't like true hardcore games that involve quick-thinking and real-time reflexes. These systems were never designed for (what I call) "games". Try playing Deus Ex or StarCraft on these systems, I don't think so. I can't imagine many of my favourite games being played on iAnything.

I think the 3DS is overpriced, a little underpowered and seems gimmicky to a degree, but the lineup of games announced and the true-to-original layout of the console, the types of games it's possible to make on this system, will be satisfying to someone who actually likes games. Phones are for calls, game consoles are for games.

I just hope the 3DS won't see the dwindle down into shallow shovelware that we saw with the DS. Those type of "line up the 3 colours" or "push the button when the game tells you" games belong on the iWhatevers and NOT on a Nintendo system.

I hope good games finally come back, to the 3DS.

[JDvorak]

Yea but the iAnything as you call it does sell a lot of game downloads. I mean that 12 year old kid created a game and it has 2 million free downloads. He realized oh ##it I should have charged .99 for it. Nothing like that is happening on any other console or handheld. Games are games, there are hardcore games on iPhone, like it or not they exist. The only thing I don't like is the lack of buttons. It has Assasins Creed so give me a break, and what is a hardcore gamer anyway someone who plays the buggy black ops? Someone who is so messed up that they have to only play games where they kill humans with a lot of blood. Rated M games are just bad for you, as are most T games. I'll take Angry Birds or Bejeweled anyday over hardcore adult games. Hopefully the 3DS won't get a lot of M or T games so the hardcore croude can bitch about that too!

[LDAsh]

Games are games, there are hardcore games on iPhone, like it or not they exist. The only thing I don't like is the lack of buttons.

This is a bit of a contradiction. When I say "hardcore" games, I don't mean adult games with lots of sex and violence. I'm talking about games that use all those buttons, games that require real-time reflexes, quick thinking and complex controls. Games that require actual gaming skill to play successfully.

I know there are many fine games on these platforms and they sell and people play them, because they are popular platforms to begin with, but I also know that 99% of them are simplistic in their design and how they are interacted with. We see a lot of this junk on the DS too.

So my point is, the 3DS can do everything the DS can do, and more, and I just really hope developers get a chance to use it to its full potential and we see less "shovelware" and more "hardcore".

[Shrygue]

I agree, the Wii has rather too many games that can be classed as shovelware. In fact in the 4 years I've owned it I've only bought just one game for the Wii, Night's, Journey of Dreams. I hardly use the console as lots of games for it aren't so great and the really good ones cost a fortune to get.

Anyway, here's hoping that the 3DS will have some more decent games incoming soon.