Topic: Nintendo 3DS Discussion

[Razorkid]

I really think people are making a mistake to wait for a "3DS Lite". The only reason the "Lite" came out was because the original DS was rushed. They had a design that wasn't what they really wanted. Pretty much thrown together I believe. The design for the 3DS is pretty much what Nintendo wanted as it's pretty much the design of the DS Lite. It has the upgraded OS and store that was tried out first on the DSi. If anything we might see a bigger version of the system but that might not be for years. When people make the 3DS Lite comments they keep forgetting or don't realize why the original DS changed into the DS Lite.

I agree.  I can understand the thought of Nintendo handheld fans being conditioned to expect a revision of the present hardware.  But outside of making a larger 3DS, there really isn't anything they can do to redesign the current system.  Read all the Iwata Asks on the 3DS' design, they really engineered this thing to the hilt. Every decision about the look and feel of the hardware (from the protruding lip and 3 tier color scheme, to the hinge and even stylus placement) was done with extreme specificity.  This thing is about as balanced between useabilty and efficiency as it can get. 


This does not invalidate anyone's opinion if they don't like the look of the system. But anyone thinking that it's going to have some kind of cocoon to butterfly-like transformation in a "future redesign" is going to be waiting a long time and will be sorely disappointed. I personally really like the look and feel of the system and can't understand some people's strong dislike of the design, particularly in a post DS Phat world.

[Razorkid]

Well I refuse to buy a system that has worse battery life than my phone that cost $50 more than my phone did. So if they want my money the 3DS either needs to drop $100 or get a redesign with better battery life.

I don't think a better battery can be had unless the systems itself is enlarged to accommodate a larger battery or battery tech sees another jump in form factor and capacity.


Also your phone unsubsidized is probably $100 more than the price of a 3DS, not to mention being locked into a contract and paying more than $50 a month.  I apologize, but I hate comparisons of the 3DS to the price of a cell phone because phones without contracts are the epitome of over priced hardware and battery life can be just as long or short on the device depending on what settings you use it on, just like the 3DS.

[KDR_11k]

Well I refuse to buy a system that has worse battery life than my phone that cost $50 more than my phone did. So if they want my money the 3DS either needs to drop $100 or get a redesign with better battery life.

Meh, that's not a useful standard, my cheap as crap cellphone lasts for weeks on a charge. On the other hand my iPod Touch won't even last through a day when used as my primary gaming system.

[BlackNMild2k1]

What I expect out of a 3DS revision;

Improved battery life through reduced chip size manufacturing. (i.e. chips go from 45nm to 22 nm or something)
A more powerful battery included in the system. (current battery is 1300mAh, new battery could be 1800-2300mAh)

Put reduced power usage mixed in with a more powerful battery and all of a sudden you have 10-15hrs battery life with everything activated at the same price.

If they could also add in 2 front facing cameras for 3D video chat, then that would be icing on the cake.

[kraken613]

Maybe the battery won't be as much of an issue as I think but the idea of no more than 5 hours is just sad for gaming device. I guess I will see what others think in a week or so after you have had lots of time to use it.

$250 is also just tough for me to get behind with all the limited software and battery. Hit the DSi price of $150-$180 and it would be an instant buy for me.

[KDR_11k]

To be fair 5 hours is about what my DS Phat got. Look how much the DS Lite added to that!

[NWR_insanolord]

After some time with PilotWings, I've gotta say I'm very impressed by the effect. I'd never seen anything in 3D before, and was more than a little worried that I wouldn't be able to see it because of my vision issues, but it is very cool.

[UncleBob]

Now that I know the activity log keeps records of all your games, I want to go through and play each of my DS titles for a few seconds just to get them logged...

[KDR_11k]

After some time with PilotWings, I've gotta say I'm very impressed by the effect. I'd never seen anything in 3D before, and was more than a little worried that I wouldn't be able to see it because of my vision issues, but it is very cool.

Yeah, I can also see more than I thought I would but I still don't get why that's supposed to be so awesome. It's there, it works, so what?

Now that I know the activity log keeps records of all your games, I want to go through and play each of my DS titles for a few seconds just to get them logged...

It doesn't seem to log them properly, I've got 1 minute of playtime on SM64DS, when I played it I got the 100 coin star on bob omb battlefield so that's very unlikely. On the other hand I do have 16 minutes of Konami Arcade Classics registered.

[Tanookisuit]

I brought the 3DS home 3 hours ago.  I'm really loving it.  But I've had to charge it twice!

[KDR_11k]

You're supposed to charge it up fully before using it, that's how Li-Ion batteries work!

[UncleBob]

Some random observations:

There's no microphone port - meaning no headset voice chat.  Not that there was much anyway.
There's no wrist strap slots.  Meaning I can't force a wrist strap onto it.

[MegaByte]

Does it take cell phone-type headsets? iPhone volume controls work, so I was wondering if they're just using more popular technology now.

[alegoicoe]

they will probably add a mic when they decide to redesign the system

[Stogi]

It all depends on the soundcard. This may be wishful thinking, but I doubt they would ignore a feature they included in their most popular handheld to date.

[Razorkid]

I gotta say, having the system in my hands and really being able to take my time going through the menus (and enjoying the surround sound on my BOSE ear buds), I am very impressed with the amount of polish that has gone into this machine.  It is certainly WAY greater than the sum of it's parts and just feels really fully featured (despite of course the eShop and internet which we all know is coming in a couple months).  Maybe because it's a handheld, or maybe because it's a Nintendo console, but even though I knew practically everything about the system that I could read online before it came out, I was still surprised by the experience of the OS and the fullness of the system in terms of the included software. 


This is the first time since like the SNES that I feel like Nintendo is finally creating a console that doesn't feel like it's trying to alienate itself by not having current gen features while still making itself feel distinct from the competition.


And did I mention how sexy the black unit is ?


My only gripe so far is the placement of the earphone jack, I would prefer it to be on the sides instead of the middle.  That way when I place the system in my breast pocket, the audio cord can stay plugged into the system.  Other than that, I am quite happy with this thing.


Now all I have to do is get use to pulling the stylus from the top instead of the side  . 

[NWR_insanolord]

I like that the stylus is on the top because having it on the side led to it falling out of the unit in my pocket on a somewhat regular basis. I think it would work a lot better if it were on the other side of the cartridge slot, though.

[BeautifulShy]

Just want to jump in and mention for those having issues with the 3Ds battery life. In the link below you can find a device that works with the 3DS.

http://www.destructoid.com/extending-the-life-of-the-3ds-battery-197261.phtml

[BranDonk Kong]

I'm sure the 3DS actually takes regular cell phone-type headsets with the mic on the same plug.

[Kytim89]

So there is no place to put the wrist strap?

[Razorkid]

Nowhere that I can see, sorry. And as for the mic/earphone combo headphones with the funny jack, the 3DS does not support those anymore unlike the rest of the DS family.  I never had a use for that specific type of jack though.

[ThomasO]

I was able to try out the 3DS at both the Grand Central terminal and the Nintendo World Store yesterday. The 3D effect in the AR games was a little tiring on the eyes, but looked awesome in the Mii Channel and Street Fighter. I tried out Pilotwings Resort as well, but I couldn't find the sweet spot to get the 3D to look right.

[Oblivion]

Why not? I can find the sweet spot instantly.
 
Also...I managed to get 3D boobs on my 3DS. Yipee.

[ThomasO]

I dunno. I was trying out the light plane and I kept seeing double vision of the vehicle, and it made it awkward to play.

[Kytim89]

Why not? I can find the sweet spot instantly.
 
Also...I managed to get 3D boobs on my 3DS. Yipee.

*Goes to buy the 3DS. Car tires screeching.*