Nintendo Unveils the 3DS

[Murph]

A 3DS replacement already?

http://www.reghardware.com/2011/08/23/n ... placement/

[vader29]

Just a reminder for the handful of people here that still have a 3DS, the ambassador games are now available in the eshop for free download. I actually forgot when they were supposed to come out and did a search to find that they came out on the 1st of this month.

To get to them, after you enter the eshop, scroll over to the far left and click on Settings/Other, from there click Your Downloads, scroll down to the game and click Redownload, then Download, repeat process 9 times to get all of the freebies.

[toonarmy]

Got Starfox 3D today since Nintendo didn't want to release it on 9/11. I had forgotten what a great game this was on the N64. Nintendo did a good job with the 3DS version. Only thing missing is the rumble pack.

[Rodster]

3DS Circle Pad Extension - Preview

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2011- ... on-preview

[toonarmy]

Been playing Super Mario Land 3D this week in between Skyrim sessions. Nintendo did a great job with the 3D in this one. The new elements and level design are superb. I'm about halfway through the game, and am sure I will play through it several times in an attempt to get as many coins as possible.

[fanatic]

Been playing Super Mario Land 3D this week in between Skyrim sessions. Nintendo did a great job with the 3D in this one. The new elements and level design are superb. I'm about halfway through the game, and am sure I will play through it several times in an attempt to get as many coins as possible.

I'm looking to replace a recently broken DS lite...

Whenever I've tried a 3DS, my eyes have been a bit strained. Have you played Super Mario Land 3D in 2D at all? Still worth the price of admission? It feels weird considering a 3D handheld, when I'm not interested in 3D at all - but playing this game and Ocarina in 2D still sounds tempting. Of course, I can still carry over/add on to my DS game collection.

[Rodster]

Been playing Super Mario Land 3D this week in between Skyrim sessions. Nintendo did a great job with the 3D in this one. The new elements and level design are superb. I'm about halfway through the game, and am sure I will play through it several times in an attempt to get as many coins as possible.

I'm looking to replace a recently broken DS lite...

Whenever I've tried a 3DS, my eyes have been a bit strained. Have you played Super Mario Land 3D in 2D at all? Still worth the price of admission? It feels weird considering a 3D handheld, when I'm not interested in 3D at all - but playing this game and Ocarina in 2D still sounds tempting. Of course, I can still carry over/add on to my DS game collection.

If the 3DS strains your eyes then get the DS XL which is the same price. I tried the 3DS at the store recently and I have gotten more accustomed to it in 3D mode. With that said if you remove 3D from the 3DS it's like playing the game on a DS Lite. That's why I suggest the DS XL for $169.99 as an option.

I played 3D Mario and for some reason while it looked great in 3D I couldn't line things up like jumping under a box. I had to lineup Mario by using the shadow of the box instead of trying to place Mario directly under the box. It took some getting used to but you adjust to it.

I'm still not interested in a 3DS as I still have a working DS Lite. If it breaks then I may get one but for now I can wait. Hopefully a refresh of the 3DS is not too long in the future.

Rumor: http://www.engadget.com/2011/08/23/rumo ... ck-add-on/

"Even more interesting is the rumor that the company is working on a redesigned system for 2012, which, among other things, will pull some of the focus away from the 3D functionality that was so central to Nintendo's pitch when the device first launched. According to the rumor, that distancing from the 3D functionality may also be reflected in the name of the new model."

[fanatic]

Been playing Super Mario Land 3D this week in between Skyrim sessions. Nintendo did a great job with the 3D in this one. The new elements and level design are superb. I'm about halfway through the game, and am sure I will play through it several times in an attempt to get as many coins as possible.

I'm looking to replace a recently broken DS lite...

Whenever I've tried a 3DS, my eyes have been a bit strained. Have you played Super Mario Land 3D in 2D at all? Still worth the price of admission? It feels weird considering a 3D handheld, when I'm not interested in 3D at all - but playing this game and Ocarina in 2D still sounds tempting. Of course, I can still carry over/add on to my DS game collection.

If the 3DS strains your eyes then get the DS XL which is the same price. I tried the 3DS at the store recently and I have gotten more accustomed to it in 3D mode. With that said if you remove 3D from the 3DS it's like playing the game on a DS Lite. That's why I suggest the DS XL for $169.99 as an option.

I played 3D Mario and for some reason while it looked great in 3D I couldn't line things up like jumping under a box. I had to lineup Mario by using the shadow of the box instead of trying to place Mario directly under the box. It took some getting used to but you adjust to it.

I'm still not interested in a 3DS as I still have a working DS Lite. If it breaks then I may get one but for now I can wait. Hopefully a refresh of the 3DS is not too long in the future.

Rumor: http://www.engadget.com/2011/08/23/rumo ... ck-add-on/

"Even more interesting is the rumor that the company is working on a redesigned system for 2012, which, among other things, will pull some of the focus away from the 3D functionality that was so central to Nintendo's pitch when the device first launched. According to the rumor, that distancing from the 3D functionality may also be reflected in the name of the new model."

Hey Rodster - Thanks for the suggestions...

I've definitely considered the DS XL, DSi, etc....my problem with the XL is that I still want to carry it around in my pocket while at work. I would sacrifice a bit of screen size for portability. I also feel a bit weird about buying a $150+ system that isn't going to be a focus for Nintendo anymore.

Like you said, a re-design for the 3DS is also an option. This would be my ideal...a DS with great graphics, but less of a focus on the 3D perhaps.

[toonarmy]

Been playing Super Mario Land 3D this week in between Skyrim sessions. Nintendo did a great job with the 3D in this one. The new elements and level design are superb. I'm about halfway through the game, and am sure I will play through it several times in an attempt to get as many coins as possible.

I'm looking to replace a recently broken DS lite...

Whenever I've tried a 3DS, my eyes have been a bit strained. Have you played Super Mario Land 3D in 2D at all? Still worth the price of admission? It feels weird considering a 3D handheld, when I'm not interested in 3D at all - but playing this game and Ocarina in 2D still sounds tempting. Of course, I can still carry over/add on to my DS game collection.

Absolutely it's great in 2D. I sometimes play 3DS games in 2D when I am laying down and will be moving the screen around some. The 3D effect adds some depth and is a neat effect, however Super Mario Land (and most other 3DS) games look good in 2D as well and are just as playable as in 3D. The control in Super Mario Land 3D is very very good. I played more of it today and am still amazed at how great and imaginative the level design is. While I love the DS/DSi and have well over 100 games for it, the 3DS is quite a bit better in terms of control with the circle pad (think racing and shooting games), and of course the graphics blow the DSi out of the water. Ocarina and Super Mario Land 3D are worth buying the system IMO, and Mario Kart 7, Paper Mario, etc will just sweeten the pot.

[fanatic]

I forgot about Paper Mario...that would indeed sweeten the pot.

I just wish the Ocarina bundle was a better deal ($199) - basically a $10 savings. But, I think this is the way I'll go - thanks for the impressions. Nintendo fans are rare on this site!

[toonarmy]

I forgot about Paper Mario...that would indeed sweeten the pot.

I just wish the Ocarina bundle was a better deal ($199) - basically a $10 savings. But, I think this is the way I'll go - thanks for the impressions. Nintendo fans are rare on this site!

Here are the Black Friday 3DS deals:

3DS Zelda Edition: Ocarina of Time 3D $179.99 at Best Buy - Friday 12:01AM
3DS Flame Red with Super Mario 3D Land $179.99 at Best Buy - Friday 12:01AM
3DS Flame Red with Super Mario 3D Land $179.99 at Target - Friday 12:01AM & Saturday
3DS Flame Red with Super Mario 3D Land + $25 gaming coupon $199.99 at Kmart - Friday 5AM-11AM (SYW members only)

[fanatic]

Hey - Yeah, in Canada we get all the deals on Boxing Day (day after x-mas - don't think you guys have it?). Should be some deals around for sure.

[Rodster]

I'll wait for the redesign next year.

[ScoopBrady]

Target has the 3ds on sale for $145 through tomorrow.

[fanatic]

For Canadians (maybe US too?) - Toys r us has the 3DS for $139 starting tomorrow until Thursday. This is the deal that seals my purchase! Crazy price for such a new system.

[fanatic]

Turns out Canadian retailers are doing a little bit for US Black Friday. Got a wicked trade-in promo at EB towards the Ocarina themed 3DS bundle. Can't wait to open it all up!

[fanatic]

So far, I'm enjoying my time with the 3DS.

I picked up the Zelda themed model, and it looks great. Because the 3DS on its own doesn't look like a sleek piece of technology (like the iphone 4 for example), the Zelda themed graphics/coloring really helps to make the 3DS feel like a toy and that I'm 11 years old again (a good thing). After all, this is the Nintendo appeal...so I'm really happy with the color choice.

I also appreciate the bigger top screen compared to my old DS lite. The circle pad also makes moving around much easier. The Nintendo shop is nice, and the Wii-like interface helps to update the system feel for sure.

Ocarina of Time looks great and is a nice game to take on the run with you. This is my first time playing Ocarina, so I'm pretty excited for my time with it. The 3D effects are subtle, but do add a nice layer of depth to the environment. I'll probably switch it on/off depending on my mood.

Because I had to replace my broken DS lite anyways, the 3DS is a great purchase/upgrade for me. Mario Kart, Paper Mario, Mario Land 3D and Luigi's Mansion should provide some good fun over the next year.

[toonarmy]

I noticed that Super Mario Land 3D is now the fastest-selling handheld Mario game ever. I am just about completely through with the game and it has been a hell of a fun ride. Some of the later levels are super cool, with some neat twists. This is as good of a platformer as I've played on any handheld or console.

I'm getting excited about Mario Kart for the 3DS that releases this next week. I felt that the DS Mario Kart game was the best Mario Kart of them all in terms of depth and gameplay. Hopefully Mario Kart on the 3DS will be equally as impressive.

[fanatic]

I'm definitely up for some Mario Kart racing when it releases. Looks like they've done really well with the online communities/options.

[toonarmy]

Got Mario Kart 7 this morning and it is very nice. I'm digging the hang glider aspect to the game quite a bit and think it is implemented well. The 16 new courses are really good so far, and of course there are 16 older courses as well. I have not delved much into the kart customization feature so I cannot comment much on that, however it's neat that you can customize by collecting coins and give your kart new characteristics. There is quite a bit of depth with the various game modes and online play. The graphics are outstanding. Not much else to say other than this title is pure fun and controls quite well. The only downside is that the stupid blue shells are back in this game. They haven't resulted in me losing a race yet, though.

[Slumberland]

Yes, very excited to pick up Kart today. Still working my way through Mario 3DS and lovin' it.

I do think it's such a neat little system, but GOSH that battery life needs to be addressed. Are there any aftermarket batteries yet?

[toonarmy]

Been working my way through 150cc, trying to three-star them all. This is a total b*tch. I've three-starred all 50cc and most 100cc events, but 150cc is plain ridiculous. The damn blue shell keeps rearing its ugly head. I will be coming down the stretch in first place on the last lap and get blue shelled a ton, and end up in 5th. It seems nearly impossible to race all 4 races perfectly without getting blue shelled down the stretch on at least one of them. I deal with blue shells mid-lap by giving up first when I see someone armed with a blue shell, then re-taking first, but down the stretch I cannot pull that off effectively. Ah well, game is awesome other than the stupid blue shell. I wish luck did not play such a large role in 150cc.

[toonarmy]

Just saw that Zen Pinball on the 3DS is officially set to release in North America on January 12. Very excited about this one.

I recently saw that a game called Pushmo got downloadable game of the year from IGN and so I read about it and realized that it has a really awesome community behind it and was developed by Intelligent Systems (developer of insanely great games). After shelling out the $7 for this gem, I cannot say enough good things about this puzzle game with some platforming elements. It has 250 levels and a studio in which users can design and share their own levels. Some of the user-made puzzles are incredible and quite the challenge. Anyone who likes puzzle games, isn't afraid of a good challenge, and owns a 3DS needs to get this bargain of a game. It rivals the big Nintendo cart-based releases in terms of quality and depth.

[ScoopBrady]

Demo is out on the estore for Resident Evil Revelations.

[toonarmy]

I got a couple new games this week: Resident Evil Revelations and PES 2012. Resident Evil Revelations is simply awesome. I was kind of skeptical when I read that it was the best RE in 7 years and better than RE5 (I loved that game), but I am having a hard time disputing that. The graphics are very nice for a handheld and the gameplay is damn fun. I do not have the circle pad pro, but the control is more than fine for me. Aiming is not hard at all. I guess I am about 4 hours in and am having a ball with this one.

PES 2012 is improved a lot over the already good original PES on the 3DS. It pretty much has all the modes of the console versions. It also has online play now and is chock full of features and a really nice edit mode. The main downside is that you cannot import an option file and the rosters are the same as the ones that shipped with the console versions from what I can tell. Joey Barton on Newcastle still? Come on Konami, you can do better than that. Quick load times and a fully featured Master League means handheld crack for me. The Become a Legend Mode is also very cool as well.